Tanker Techniques Magazine Special Issue Winter

TECHNIQUES
MAGAZINE
tanker techniques MAGAZINE

AK4842
TTMS01 EN
special issue
Winter is the coldest season of the year in a matter of painting our models white. In fact we
polar and temperate zones Winter is caused by often have to use delicate and complex techniques
the axis of the Earth in that hemisphere being that must lead to a satisfying result. Therefore
oriented away from the Sun. In many regions, studying reference material is key. To learn how
winter is associated with snow, ice and freezing the winter camouflage was applied onto a certain
temperatures. These conditions have serious vehicle, was it hastily done in the field or was it
effects on military hardware and soldiers alike. properly done in a workshop? How much of the
Weapons and vehicles require special lubricants camouflage is worn off by intensive use? Is our
to operate at low temperatures. Mobility and model situated on a hard solid frozen ground or
logistical support are often restricted by snow. does it drove through melting snow, puddles of ice
Proper winter clothing is required to maintain water and mud? This we all must plan ahead as it
body heat and to avoid such cold injuries as will determine the look of our model. In this special
frostbite. Armies have to make use of improvised WINTER issue of Tanker we go into detail to show
and official snow camouflage uniforms and you how to get realistic WINTER effects on your
kx
camouflage schemes on their vehicles and model, and even on your dioramas and figures. A
kr
equipment. And there’s the point where it great number of techniques are explained with step
isto c
becomes interesting for us modelers, as we
need to adapt our models to the winter theme.
by step guide to bring you a modelers guide for
WINTER based subjects.
f puli n
Applying a winter or snow camouflage is not just
Original Idea & Concept Collaborators Rick Lawler Graphic & Layout Produced & Distributed by
Fernando Vallejo Per Olav Lund Volker Bembennek BMS Designs
AK Interactive Cesar Schweik Gonzalez Roger Hurkmans AK Interactive
Lukasz Orcyc-Musialek Lechu Villaneuva
Editor in Chief Legal Deaposit: LR-873-2015
Martin Red Kovac Ruben Gonzalez Hernandez
Kristof Pulinckx Byeoong Soo Kim Eduardo Frenandez Rodriguez
Abilio Pineiro Sven Frich Follow us on:
Kazuka Yoshioka Adam Wilder
contact@tankermagazine.com www.ak-interactive.com
index
PILLANATKÉP A MÚLTBÓL 6
ÁLCÁZÁSOK ÉS TÉLI ÁLCAFESTÉSEK 8
LEOPARD 2A4 12
JAPÁN, VÖRÖS ÉS FEHÉR. GODZILLA TANK 26
T34/76 42
CHARGE B1. PZ.KPFW. B2 740(F) 54
PANZER IV 68
M1 ABRAMS TÉLEN 76
OPEL BLITZ 90
SDKFZ 181 TIGER 102
KÖZELEG A TAVASZ 112
MARDER A TÉLBEN 140
SHERMAN. M4A3E2 152
TERMÉKEK ÉS A FELHASZNÁLÁSUK TECHNIKÁJA 162
A LEGELTERJEDTEBB RÖGTÖNZÖTT TÉLI ÁLCAMINTÁK 170
TÜZÉRSÉG A HÓBAN 172
GALÉRIA 194
blast from
6 / TANKER SPECIAL 01 / WINTER

By Per Olav Lund
Winter has always had vital importance in the course of wars and battles. Adapting to it has meant the difference between victory or death. For the
contenders, the most lethal enemy or the ally that has most contributed to the victory ...
Decisive during battles and even to decide wars, winter is a combat strategy and you have to know how to manage it.
For modellers, the painting of vehicles with winter camouflage has always been a challenge and the main problem lies in achieving the degree of
deterioration and achieve the greatest possible realism. The painting has evolved and currently the winter paintings have little to do with those used in
WWII, which in many cases were paint paste dissolved in water or gasoline at best, or even lime kettles painted with a broom or branches to limit the
visibility in the battle front. In any case, the hardness of the climate and the environment wear out this paint quickly revealing the base color and even if
the deterioration reached the priming, the bare metal soon succumbed to the oxide.
the past
TANKER SPECIAL 01 / WINTER / 7

Talking about
camoufLage an ker
t inter
w
and winter
camoufLage
3
1 2
4 5

Since almost the dawn of humanity, the human The importance of the armies for exercise the Winter camouflage is a specialized form
1 race has shown a certain inclination to fight for
different reasons. At the beginning, due to survival
3 power on a effectively way, made the great
lords first and then the Generals, want their troops
5 of mimetization, adapted to areas which
are normally covered with snow. Usually it is
issues, vital resources, water courses, fertile lands, to stand out on the battlefield, both to recognize something exceptional or temporary, except for
advantaged locations for the populations, women them in battle movements and to instill some fear Mountain Troops. Depending on the luxuriance of
to perpetuate the social clan, etc. Later, with the in the soul of the enemies, thanks to the record the surrounding vegetation or its non-existence,
evolution of the social system to a more complex of victories of the now easily identifiable units. the white color must be combined or be totally
and elitist one, those struggles to survive began Uniformity was born in that way. This was applied predominant, it is something that must be studied
to imply too the political intrigues of the leaders, to the troops and to the elements standing in depending on the scenario, and each country
and this has been happening in this way so far. (JL battle with them, in mostly of the cases only in the or organization usually issues its own rules or
Cernadas) form of ornaments, flags or banners attached to regulations. (NARA, SA-KUVA)
these artifacts.
At first, belligerents or soldiers dressed merely As a general rule, white is usually applied over
2 with what was at hand, strong fabrics and
greased skins for getting some protection from 4 With the birth of modern war, all these previous
concepts were doomed to disappear. It was no
6 existing camouflage with washable products
in order to subsequently recover the basic
the weapons of the adversaries. This gave way, with longer about being visible on the battlefield; on camouflage of the vehicle. Normally is used what
the evolution of the technique of metals, to the the contrary, you had to become invisible if you you have at hand for the aplication of the product,
birth of the armor and the chain-mail, everything wanted to have a chance to survive. And so came spray guns, brushes, brooms or buckets, something
progressed at the same time, a more efficient the mimetization with the environment, what we that usually leaves its characteristic mark on the
and lethal weapons development brought the know as camouflage. The uniforms stopped being vehicle surface. (NARA, SA-KUVA)
consequent search for the protection of the troops showy to be practical and relatively comfortable
against this armament. for the fighters. And everything that accompanied
the struggle to these also underwent the same
transformation. It was studied for the first time how
to get a vehicle, something big, mobile and noisy,
could go unnoticed or at least confuse the enemy
in its location.

Talking about camoufLage
6
7 8
9 10
11

and winter camoufLage
As was mentioned earlier, that camouflage can be arranged covering the entire vehicle or
7-8 only a part of it. In the pictures can be seen some Shermans to compare the effectiveness,
in one of the cases the white covers the whole vehicle making it practically invisible to the eye, and
in the other case, the white was applied in stripes or large spots, and also here the camouflage does
its job without any problem. With this, can be seen that different paths have led to a good result.
Nothing can be considered absolute, crews must to have enough independence to be able to
maneuver and adapt as best as possible to the environment. (NARA, SA-KUVA)
The troops not only have to visually adapt to the environment, usually very hostile and
9-10 hard, forcing the garments also offer sufficient thermal protection so that the fighters
be ready for combat and that this cold does not diminish their capabilities, guaranteeing success
of their entrusted missions. (SA-KUVA)
It would not make sense to focus only on front-line vehicles, although these are priorities. If the
11 time and materials at hand allow it, the same care should be given to the secondary vehicles
and the auxiliary combat material, since their mission is as important in most cases as that of the
12 older brothers. (NARA, SA-KUVA)
13
With the difficulty involved in operating machinery in these special conditions, what is difficult
12 to understand many times, and more for the period of the Second World War, is that they
got these machines day after day doing their job and supporting the fighters in the front. (SA-Kuva)
However, and as an example, not necessarily in these conditions is required a fight to leave
13 a vehicle out of circulation. A hostile environment does not allow mistakes, because will be
paid a more expensive cost than one can afford, and pray for someone nearby to lend a hand, or
at least for a shelter where one can get safe. (SA-KUVA)
Now we are going to see the painting of some vehicles with winter patterns of different times
14 and nationalities, so we can observe the changes that have occurred over time (if any), and
draw our conclusions, while we enjoy an excellent work that we will try to replicate in our models.
Let the snowplough work cleaning the road, making a path for us... (SA-KUVA)
14

LEOPARD 2A4 tank
wint er
er
2
1
When Finland became independent from the country's independence), since the Nazis had signed The so-called War of Continuation is the next major
1 Russian Empire, like any other sovereign country,
needed to create an army to defend the integrity
a non-aggression agreement with the Soviet Union.
This war ended in 1940 with the signing of a peace
conflict in which the Finns were involved, since Hitler
seeks for allies against the Soviets and offers Finland
of its territory. This happened back in the year 1918. agreement. the possibility of expanding its borders with the sup-
The first real operations in which this young army (photo source: SA-KUVA) port of Germany. The Finnish were rearmed with Ger-
was involved were in the struggles against the So- man material and begin an overwhelming advance
viet Union, which was trying to recover again the Ambulance in the snow, date 11/19/1939 towards Leningrad, where they stop and wait for the
territory that had lost and which was strategically
very interesting. They happened in 1939 and the
2 (photo source: SA-KUVA) German troops to take over the city. After losing that
battle, Finland decides to withdraw from the war, and
episode is known as the Winter War. The Finnish Finnish soldiers equipped with winter clothing in this happens on September the 19th, 1944, when the
did not have in this case support from Germany
(as it had happened for the battles that led to the
3 the front on 03/01/1940
(photo source: SA-KUVA)
peace was signed with the USSR.

4
5
6 7
8 9
10
Propaganda against the invaders in the town of or purchase of those
4 Vyborg (Russia). Photo taken on 08/30/1941
(photo source: SA-KUVA)
vehicles which were
not in use at the end
of the Cold War. With
Finnish aircrafts parked at an airfield them the Finnish army
5 on 09/09/1943. (photo source: SA-KUVA) replaced their T55 and
T72M1.
A Finnish Stug. III in operations still in summer.
6 (photo source: SA-KUVA)
7 Photo Capt. John
Strickland: A Polish
The War of Lapland is a short period of conflict in Leopard 2A4 begins to
which Finland expels the German troops that were move from its position
inside its territory, just as it was committed to sign the in the exercise "Opera-
peace. From here they declare neutral. tion Atlantic Resolve"
in 2017
Nowadays, Finland is a country not aligned with
any organization, prefer to maintain with their own Photo Spc. Natha-
means the integrity of their territory. 8 nael Mercado: An
Austrian Leopard 2A4 passes over a vehicle with the 10 Photo Master Sgt. Chad McMeen: We can see
another Norwegian Leopard in the same ex-
Among the material that is at disposal, there is the same normality with which it travels on flat terrain. ercise. In this case, have not been used any type of
Leopard 2A4, developed by Germany. More than paint for the camouflage, this, when necessary, made
3,400 units have been manufactured of the Leop- Photo Master Sgt. Chad McMeen: A Norwegian by mean of nets of type "Barracuda" of white color, a
ard 2, being a tank well accepted by their users. The
version that has been implemented the most is the
9 Leopard 2A4 in the snow in the exercise "Cold
Response" on February the 18th, 2016 is preparing
quick and effective mean of performing this type of
winter camouflage.
aforementioned 2A4. The cause for that success for a real fire practice.
perhaps was the German decision to get rid by rent

2A4 SNOW
leopard
By Lukas Orczyc-Musialek
After WWII, the Finnish Army built up

their military equipment
from various manufacturers worldwide. Wheeled vehicle roles
were fulfilled by their own Sisu and Patria, but tracked vehicles
were mainly Soviet built vehicles and tanks such as the T-55
or T-72. These were bought straight from Russian factories
or from East Germany after the Berlin Wall had collapsed.
After years of service those vehicles became obsolete and
new solutions were sought. This resulted in a contract for the
Leopard 2A4 MBT from German military stocks; these were
delivered in summer of 2003. All in all Finland bought 139
Leopards which were used as MBTs but also as armoured
engineer vehicles, bridge layers and spare parts reservoirs.

1
2
3
1. As the instruction suggests I started with the wheels. With the

references pictures I had in my collection I copied the damage to the
rubber rims with sharp blade, metal file and sanding paper.
2. The copper towing cables from Eureka XXL were added, the handles
were replaced with metal ones. Note the PE grill covers which are provided
by the manufacturer.
3. The most visible upgrades to Finnish version were made on the turret.
The Anti-slip surface was done with VMS solution designed for this
purpose. The rear and front baskets were scratch built using plastic,
soldering wire, some leftovers from different PE sets and Milliput. The
double rails on the side were built using the original as the template.

Diamond shape
mesh for safe
climbing on
the upper side
Fire extinguisher skirt and on the
in the right rear top of stowage New antenna
basket boxes sockets
Eureka XXL
Tow Cables added.
New rear
stowage box and
baskets on its left
and right sides
Side skirts with Double handles on the 4

enlarged foot holes turret sides

4. If you are building
Meng’s Leopard 2A4
and you want to
convert it into a
Finnish Spec tank,
the changes below
have to be made.
Weapon:
MG3 7,62mm (mainly
for air defence)
The Finnish Leopards are classified as:
• Leopard 2A4 MBT - registration numbers
from Ps237-34 to Ps237-157
Added anti-slip areas • Leopard 2A4K1 (command version)
on the top of the turret • Leopard 2R (armoured engineer vehicle)
and stowage boxes numbers from Ps713-1 to Ps713-6
• Leopard 2L (bridge layer) numbers from
Ps737-29 to Ps737-33
Additional stowage
box for snow grousers
on the left front of the
turret
Weapon:
120mm RH120 L/44
Weapon: smoothbore gun with the
MG3A1 7,62mm more powerful DM53A1
(coaxial) (LKE II) KE ammunition
Reflectors on all mud flaps

front and rear.

5 6
7 8
4. The general view of the kit. The amount of work need to convert the 7. After some careful masking the second camouflage color is applied. In
Meng kit into a Finish version isn’t as bad as it sounds to be honest. our case it’s Tamiya XF-13 J.A. Green.
5. AK’s black primer was applied directly from the spray can with 8. The same process is repeated for the final color NATO Black. Spend
a smooth result. The model was put aside so the primer could dry plenty of time on masking as the outcome will determine the look of your
overnight. tank. Care and attention is needed here.
6. The first color applied - NATO Green XF-67. We cover only the areas 9. When ready, we have the unique camo scheme of the Finnish Army.
where it will be visible, so no unnecessary layers of paint will be applied.

10. Now it was the time for all detail
painting. They were all painted with
10 a fine brush.
11. The amount of decals is not overwhelming - just the registration digits between individual vehicles. We decide to use reference from two real
and nationality cockade emblems. All of them were cut from Echelon tanks to create our own pattern.
Decals for Finnish T-72. They were treated with Decal Adapter Solution
and left for a couple hours for complete drying. 13. The entire kit was covered with 2 thin coats of hairspray. The white
was mixed with drop of buff to tone it down and create a more worn
12. And now is the time for winter camo. We used the references pictures off appearance. After this, with a selection of brushes and toothpicks, I
to analyse how the camouflage should be applied. Mainly they cover all started to add scratches. It is important to work only on small sections at
the light green camo sections, but sometimes we find some differences the time.
11 12
13 14
14. Time for washes. Before we started we
first apply a coat of varnish to seal in the
previous hairspray technique. The dark color
of the wash perfectly emphasizes all the
details and brings more depth and shadow
to the corners and around details. The
excess wash was removed with round brush
moistened in white spirit.

15 16
17
18
15. More white on white. Oil paint was applied here and this created depth on
the white sections. Note the smoke grenade launchers are not plain, this idea was
copied from real tank seen in the pictures we found on the internet.
16. The standard chipping work was done with dark brown and green. A fine
sponge and fine 5/0 brush are the best tools for this job.
17. In selected areas we applied winter streaks. These streaks are quite dark and
fit perfectly to raise the level of weathering realism and mimic dirt effects on the
winter camouflage.
18. Modern vehicles seen in parades or exhibitions often show some signs of
wear and tear. The most visible are silvering on bolts and nuts. Just use a soft
pencil to add a silver touch to some bolts.
19. Oil paints are perfect to create rust effects. We used light and dark shades to
create effects on the edges of the winter track pads. It was added also in some
corners but in this case less is more.
19
20. The filth and dirt was also done with

oil paints. Grey shades oil paints are the
best option for this.
20

21 22
23 24
25 26
21. Despite the vehicle being winterized, some traces of dust need to be 24. The Quick Wheel mask are used for fast painting. The rubber rims
applied. AK’s European Dust pigment has the perfect shade for this. It were painted with AK Real Colors NATO Black but I added couple drops
was applied straight from the jar with no fixer added, just to create some of gloss varnish to make it was more satin as the paint itself is quite flat.
dusty areas around the model.
25. As I had the silver paint ready to use after track painting we painted
22. Oil stains, streaks, small spills are done with Engine Grease oil paint. the nuts and bolts of the wheels. Note the yellow and red details and the
damage of the rubber rims perfectly seen in this view.
23. Also some wet effects are added. They are clearly seen on the dusted
areas because of contrast between matt and gloss effects. 26. After being sprayed in silver, the rubber pads of the tracks were
painting with a brush, one by one. It was time-consuming but the result
was good. The red markings were also copied from our reference photos.

27. The silver tracks received a wash first. We used acrylic dark brown
paint diluted with tap water. Then they were polished with Gun Metal
pigment and soft pencils.
28. The road wheels along with the idler and drive sprockets are
dusted with pigment. The pigment was fixed on all of them as I
planned to add some snow to it later.
27
28
29 30
31 32

33 34
35 36
37
29. The general view with the track added. Note the wet streaks on the 34. Let it snow! White glue thinned with water was applied in selected
sides and the Finnish style cut rear mudguards. areas and covered with a layer of microballoons from AK’s Diorama
range.
30. The barracuda camouflage netting from AFV Club was added on the
front of the main hull and turret. Again we used our references pictures 35. After the snow was dry we started to add some grey wash around it.
not only with Finnish tanks but also with Polish and German Leopards. This to mimic the effect of melting snow on a dirty surface.
31. It was painted with green and brown acrylic paints. 36. The exhausts are painted black with the airbrush to simulate the soot.
Also note the snow between the tracks.
32. Some small white rags and tape are used to create more winter
camouflage. They were soaked with white glue and water with couple 37. The last touch is to create scratches from when the tank was running
drops of ivory and white acrylic paints. through branches and other obstacles. This is done with a sharp knife and
by gently scratching the sides of the tank.
33. Some splashes of mud are added next. A mix of enamels and pigment
gave the perfect result. The speckling technique was only applied to the
side of the model.

When it comes to talking about the Japan Army Japanese Self-Defense Forces, their current Armed outline of the vehicle, and on the other hand, the light
1 in the modern era, we must differentiate perfectly
two different phases. On one hand, the Imperial
Forces are created. They have limitations both in
size (180,000 maximum men and a limited number
vehicle, which with the help of tarps designed for the
purpose and some papers also glued with tape can
Japanese Army, which dates from 1867 and goes until of equipments, boats or vehicles) and operational blend with the environment. Not everything has to be
1945, date in which the conditions of surrender of (they can only act within a merely defensive action paint, these novel remedies can make the camouflage
the Japanese nation modify many social structures, area). Its high number of officers means that there is disappear in a moment without too much effort if at a
including the armed forces. In accepting the Potsdam a perennial shortage of troops and that the functions certain time this is required.
Declaration, the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy of this troop are carried out by reservists with a rather (photo source: JGSDF)
(which was a year younger than the Army) were both scarce preparation.
dissolved and in place a US occupation force was left (photo source: JGSDF) The vehicle in which the article is focused is an
in charge of the task of maintaining the territorial account of what could have been, but did not arrive.
integrity of Japan. The Japanese Army, when conducting operations O-I pretended to be a series of super-heavy tanks to
Photo Antoine Vasse Nicolas WW2 Pacific Japanese
Imperial Army Archives from Major Shokimi
3 in the snow, like other armed forces, tries to
keep their vehicles invisible to the enemy. The
fight in the Pacific Theater of Operations. It would
house space for 11 crew members and would have
(photo source: Manhhai) Mountain Troops do not have problems, because a 105mm cannon in a main tower and three smaller
their equipment already come equipped with that towers with machine guns (two front and one rear).
Since 1954 and with the Korean War in the camouflage, and it is not necessary to realize any Work began designing the 120-tonne version, and it
2 background, the foundations of what will be the operation in particular.
(photo source: JGSDF)
seems that a prototype was completed, although it
is not an entirely reliable information.
The rest of vehicles can receive appropriate Fine Molds bought the original plans of the vehicle and
4-5 camouflage in different ways, including some
totally ingenious and innovative. On one hand we have
with them made its version of this mastodon. While its
lines at first glance may lead us to think of the Russian
Japan,
the Type-90 with the application of bands of white tape T-28, it has no comparison in size, because only its
tainnkteerr
and white plastics, which manage to perfectly break the weight, compared with the Japanese project, is 28 tons.
red over
white
1 2
3

4 5
6
Russian T-28 in Finnish hands, the similarities are

6 only in a disproportionate and obsolete design
lines almost for any conflict. (photo source: SU-KUVA)
In this diagram can be seen the schematic 9 8

7 cut of the vehicle in the original planes, the
incredible size of this beast can be imagined.
This blueprint shows the diagram of the

8 suspension, which would have had to endure
extreme tensions.
Blueprint showing the periscopes that the O-I

9 should had mount.
In this scheme can be appreciated the

10 position that would had occupy the turrets
of the vehicle, which also gives an idea of the size
it was going to have, which totally questions its
functionality.
10

By Martin Red Kovac
The Japanese 150 ton superheavy tank O-I (Large Tank One
in Japanese) is one of the more obscure vehicle concepts
from WW2 era. It’s clear that the Japanese were inspired
by their German allies with their Maus, and after being
defeated in Manchuria by the Soviets, they needed a more
heavily armored tank. Some sources claim one prototype
was built and tested, but after its suspension failed, the
tank was left abandoned and later scrapped. A single track
link survives to this day.
The Fine Molds kit contains more parts than I expected. The
kit is still pretty simple and goes together quite well, yet
I still opted for several, some quite brutal, improvements
and rebuilds.
Each track link required 3 holes to be drilled out, damaged
mudguards were scratchbuilt from copper sheet, weld
seams, armor textures and missing bolt heads were added
where necessary.
If that wasn’t enough for a nice relaxing out of box build,
I decided to double the thickness of the side skirt armor.
But this was done in a quite peculiar way, I’ve read the
Japanese had some initial problems with rolling thick armor
plates so they tried bolting two thinner plates together.
This seemed like a cool concept, so I removed all the bolts
from the original parts, scratchbuilt another armor plate,
glued them both together and then refitted all the panel
details and rows of bolts back in place. In addition I also
added some access ladders to the sides of the tank and
then added battle damage, lots of it!
Quite happy with my build I wanted to make the paintjob
interesting as well. Because this tank was designed to be
a mobile fortress, deployed to vast flatlands of Manchuria
and Kamchatka, I went with a funky white wash pattern
and lots of mud.

Kit: Fine Molds 1/72

1. Each part of the model was coated with a fine layer of primer.
2. Shadowed or otherwise hard to reach areas were airbrushed with glossy black paint. These include the running gear and lower
areas of the hull.
3. I decided to replicate the sand-green Japanese paint Karekusa-iro (parched grass) with Tamiya’s Khaki acrylic color. Future
painting steps will alter this paint to a more authentic shade.
4. Time to start with the textured distressing procedure. I coated the entire model with Heavy Chipping fluid.
1 2
3 4

5. A Darker version of the base paint was airbrushed around details, crevices and upper edges of the
model.
6. I wore down this coat with a soft brush and small amount of water.
7. The resulting surface has faint and random textured edges.
8. Horizontal surfaces were worn with a round brush and stippling motion.
5 6
8
9 10
11 12
13
9. After sealing the result with a coat of matt varnish I repeated the process with chipping fluid. This time
I airbrushed a lighter shade of the base coat. This colour also covered much larger areas than the dark coat.
10. This layer was worn down in the same manner as before.
11. I added more tones using an airbrush, this time without the chipping fluid, to subtly correct or
emphasize some of the effects. The surface now had lots of different textures and colours.
12. Smaller details were highlighted with a light sand colour and a brush.
13. The model was now varnished, and filtered at the same time, with Tamiya’s Clear Yellow, which has
a glossy sheen.

14
14. Oil paints were randomly

deposited over the surface and
slowly blended with small amounts
of thinner and a large brush. Keep
working one panel at a time in order
to maintain control over the effect.
15 16
17 18
15. After the oil paints had time to dry I applied another coat of Heavy 17. Dragging the brush from front to back and top to bottom works
Chipping fluid. Matt white with a few drops of light grey was used to better on angled and vertical surfaces.
airbrush the winter camouflage. To make it look a bit different I decided
to paint the spots in a cloudy pattern. 18. The chipped camouflage pattern was now blocked in with
a paintbrush and pure white paint. I tried simulating random brush
16. The white clouds were worn down with water and a brush. Use strokes just as if the camouflage was applied with a rough brush.
a stippling motion with your brush in order to create random non-
directional chipping effects.

19. To finish off the initial painting stage
I added two layers of dark blue filter. This
filter will add a colder feeling to the white
and shift the hue of dark yellow towards
green.
20. The model was now ready for more

refined painting techniques. Distressing
added lots of textures and different colour
spots to the surface, making it more
interesting to look at.
21. Details covered in winter camouflage

were picked out with a dark grey wash.
22. The remaining surfaces were treated 19

with a darker black-brown wash mixture.
I used pure black to emphasize the depth of
the panel lines.
20
21 22

23 24
25 26
27
28
29
23. Light superficial chipping and scratches were painted with light sand 30
yellow tone.
24. Almost all of the light yellow paint chips were filled with dark grey paint. It’s important to leave the
lighter areas to show around the edges. This gives the effect a nice 3D look and makes it stand out from
31 the rest of the paintjob.
25. Rust tones were applied sparingly over most of the chipping effects. Try not to overdo the amount.
26. After a few minutes of drying the enamel rust was carefully blended with a fine brush and thinner.
27. A dark brown oil paint was applied over shell impact marks and blended to create a heat affected
look.
28. The insides of each crater were picked with a dark rust acrylic paint.
29. Small dots of light yellow chips gave more detail and definition to each impact mark.
30. Once again these were filled with dark grey metallic chips.
31. Exhausts were entirely brush painted with acrylics. Start with a blue-grey base coat, then continue
with dark brown rusty/chipped texture and finish with small amounts of camouflage paint. Note how
I painted a fake weld seam along the middle of the muffler.
32 33
34
32. All you need to do
afterwards is to cover the
exhaust with a thick rust wash
mixed from enamels, oils and
pigments.
35
33. Now for some weathering. Let’s
start with careful application of some
acrylic Textured Earth on the lower parts of
the tank and running gear. You don’t want to overdo
this step, it’s a small scale model after all.
34. Initial dust layers were applied with an airbrush and mixed from
Tamiya acrylics. These serve as a base for all the upcoming weathering
steps.
35. I mixed two dust tones from the same Tamiya acrylic paints and
thinned them with water and some dish cleaner.
36 37
38
36. These were then painted with a brush over the airbrushed
dust layers. It’s important to slowly build up this effect to get
a nice smooth and random look.
37. Vertical surfaces need different approach, so I painted

various dust streaks here.
38. This acrylic mixture works very well as a wash.

39. A
Dark damp mud
tone was mixed from
39 enamels and pigments. 40
40. I first applied this mixture
randomly all over the lower parts of
the hull.
41. After a few minutes of drying they
were blended with enamel thinners.
42. Some fine vertical streaks will
add more detail to the finish.
41 42
43 44
43.
These were
blended as well. As the upper
track runs behind and above this
side skirt, it would probably be covered
in large amounts of streaking mud and dirt.
44. Some muddy areas needed more contrast
and richness, so I applied fine amounts of enamel
gloss over them.
45. The surface was then flooded with enamel
thinner and left to dry. This dissolved the gloss
effect and made it look more random and
natural.
46. More fine streaks were painted with
a very fine brush. A lot of patience and
care is needed for this step. Don’t
forget to keep the streaks
vertical.
45 46

47 48
49 50
47. The enamel mud mixture was used to add contrast and differentiate 49. Tracks were weathered in the same manner. I didn’t spend time
panels on horizontal surfaces. weathering parts hidden behind the side skirt armor plates.
48. Small amounts of enamel gloss were used on these areas as well. 50. Contact points on the steel road wheels were carefully painted with
polishable silver paint.
52
51
53
51. Then they were polished to a dark steel shine using graphite and a
silicone brush.
52. Dark glossy enamel was painted around moving and mechanical
parts. Effects like these are a lot of fun, but some thinking and
planning ahead is necessary, as it’s again very easy to make them look
unnatural or distracting.
53. I tried mixing my fuel stain effect using ochre and dark brown oils.
Some enamel gloss was added to the mix as well.

54 55
56 57
58
54. Small random areas around fuel tank fill caps were
painted in this mixture. You need several thinned layers to
build up a nice effect.
55. Exhausts and gun barrels were darkened with a dry

applied black pigment.
56. A graphite stick was used on the impact crater edges.
57. And finally, areas containing the most chipping were

polished as well, this time with a silicone brush and fine
ground graphite.

tank
winteer
r
T-34/76 1
2 3
One of the two T-34s exhibited at the T-34-76 put out of service by Finnish units, which The remains of a T-34 are examined with curios-
1-2 Memorial of the Fallen of the Red Army
located in Tiergarten, Berlin, before and after be-
3 indicate the place of impact of the projectile in
the turret of the tank. SA-KUVA
4 ity by soldiers. The level of destruction that can
be observed lead us to believe that the ammuni-
ing repainted. tion of the vehicle exploded after being hit, or that
The production was not exempt from lot of prob- it suffered an aerial attack. SA-KUVA
Although it may seem that the Soviets reacted with lems. This production was done in different facto-
this tank to the inefficiency of their armored means ries, which is the first problem of all. There was a The war continued its course and the problems
to stop the German invasion conducted through shortage of engines, so these, along with the sus- did not stop arriving at the production factories
Operation Barbarossa (June the 22th, 1941), the bas- pensions and clutches of the first models, were of of the tank. To all the above was added, among
es for the development of this weapon had already the BT models. The main weapon, the L-11 gun, was other things, the shortage of rubber. But facing the
been conceived in The Spanish Civil War. Mikhail not as better as was supposed to be, and a new problems that appear, they develop new measures
Koshkin would be in charge of carrying out the model was developed and implemented without to be able to continue with the necessary produc-
renovation of the armored park of the Red Army, the political permits, that could continue its operation so that they do not lack armored units in the
and for this he developed two parallel designs, tive life thanks to the crews that were praising its front. And something curious, there are vehicles of
the A-20 and the A-32. In the tests carried out at outstanding functionality, also, to add more fuel popular subscription that the citizens of the Soviet
Kubinka, it was found that the A-32 was more ma- to the fire, the armor plates were not adequate Union pay collecting the money of the people of
neuverable than its counterpart, and after noting and politically wanted to invest the resources of community or the factory, their sacrifice is impres-
the actual failure of its units both in the war with this vehicle to the production of a more modern sive, no matter the way you look at it.
the Finns and to stop the German Blitzkrieg, it was one, something that the German invasion made
quickly ordered the construction of this prototype impossible.
to be delivered to the armored units with the de-
nomination of T-34.

4 5
7
In this photo we can see that this unit carries If we talk about the captured tanks, in all fronts could lead to the destruction or disablement of the
5 the intermediate axles with wheels without a
rubber ring, they are completely metallic. While this
all the sides took the enemy material they could
and put it at their service. At the beginning of the
unit due to the hardness of those tests. SA-KUVA
provided an exceptional degree of discomfort to war we could see how the Germans made "Beu- The estimated production of this war machine at
the crews in a tank that was already quite uncom- tepanzer" all the French tanks they could capture, the end of the Second World War is about 57,000
fortable, it was the only way they could tackle the as well as trucks, planes and other equipment. We units. After this, remained in service and even
problem of lack of supply. SA-KUVA. could also see Italians M13 / 40 in the hands of Aus- Czechoslovakia and Poland resumed production
tralians, American Panzer II, in short, a whole series again. A modernization of the units that were still in
After the results of the Battle of Kursk, when the of curious and very interesting mixtures from the service in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1960s
T-34 had to face the feared German Tigers and point of view of a modeller. Maybe they were not so was carried out in order to export them. A prolific
Panthers, which could not practically face with its interesting logistically speaking. These vehicles had and mythical tank, which is more or less the culprit
76mm main gun, they made the decision to up- to undergo a series of exhaustive tests to be able of success of Soviet armored units, which with their
date the vehicle, resulting in to the development of to be accepted in their armies, even receiving deep material limitations but with an admirable personal
the T-34-85, which would be better armed with an modifications to be able to could be operated. The courage, managed to face the fearsome German
85mm main gun, with a wider turret for three men. Finns took good advantage of these units, which enemy and its impressive panzers.
did not disappoint, and were able to move in the
T-34-85 captured in Finnish hands. All sides snowy territories like a fish in the water. Some soldiers take a look inside a T-34 that has
6 took advantage of any opportunity to get
more material with which to face the battle, and if A T-34 is subjected to harsh tests by the Finnish
8 been disabled and has been stopped in a ditch
on a road in northern Russia, near the area where
that meant to put operative enemy tanks, was not
a problem for them. SA-KUVA
7 military before being placed in service in the
units of its armed forces. Even some of these tests
the Finnish troops invaded the Soviet Union after
these two countries began hostilities. SA-KUVA

Model 1943
By Byeong Soo Kim
Of all the Russian tanks during World War Two

none is more iconic
than the T34. They came as a big suprise when the German first encountered them, it
was years ahead in design compared to the German tanks or actually any tank of that
time. In fact the famous German Panther tank is actually a German version of the T34
design. When thinking of a T34 in a winter scene we all think of a hastely applied white
wash over the Russian green, heavily worn and beaten up paint, with mud…and this
is exactly what we will do. Academy’s recent T34/76 model 1943 is the kit of choice and
armed with some update sets from DEF model we get going.

1 2
1. DEF model has some very nice detail sets especially designed for this 4. A bending tool is used for the fenders, this way we can not only fold
kit. Besides the basic set which includes a metal barrel we also opted to them to the perfectly required shape, but also add some damage to them
use a set of photo-etch fenders. by bending them slightly with a pair of pliers.
2. We start by removing the grills from the kit which will be replaced by 5. For maximum strength, the small details on the fenders are soldered in
much finer and more detailed photo-etch grills. This requires some careful place.
cutting and sanding in order that the new ones fit the kit perfectly.
6. AK-Interactive metal T34 tracks are assembled in the traditional way;
3. The upper hull after surgery, grills and fenders are removed and holes these are of course workable and will have realistic sag.
filled, ready to add the details.
4 5 6

7
8 9
10
7. Our model is now ready for painting. Clearly visible are the metal
tracks and the photo-etch details. The roof of the turret and some
wheels come from a Tamiya donor kit. Some accessories in the form of
a tarpaulin, tow cables and wooden unditching beam are also added.
8. The model is first primed using AK’s grey primer and microfiller. This
helps, in this case, to make the paint adhere better to the photo-etch
parts.
9. The model is sprayed with the modulation technique and with the
use of Tamiya colors. Details are painted by hand in a lighter tone. It
looks overdone, but look again once the white wash is on.
10. To give the green some more richness in tone, yellow, blue and
light green dots of oil paint are applied and blended in with a brush
moistened with White Spirit.

11 12
13 14
11. When the oils are dry the model is sprayed with several layers of Worn 14. For more depth in the white areas we paint on heavily thinned white
effects from AK, in preparation for the white wash. oil paint, and thus create different tones of white.
12. Flat white from the Real Color range is sprayed on in patches, not 15. For the marking, we draw a number on a piece of masking tape and
covering the complete model. By not covering the whole model we cut it out with a sharp knife. This doesn’t have to be perfect; it must
already contribute to the worn look of the white wash. create the impression of a hastily applied number.
13. By first dampening the model with water and using a stiff brush 16. After the number is sprayed on, in red for good contrast, the model
we start removing the white paint. We focus on corners and edges and is sealed with a coat of Flat Varnish in order to stop the Worn effect fluid
places where the crew would mount the vehicle. from working.
15 16

17 18
19 20
21 22
23 24
17. With a mixture of Payne’s Grey and Sepia oil paint the details on the 21. Streaking effects are painted on with several thinned rusty and dark
model are outlined to create shadows. brown oil paints.
18. Chipping is up next, we first add lighter chipping with a light green tone to 22. Light and Dark brown textured earth from the Wilder range are used to
simulate light chips and scratches and this is followed by a dark brown tone to simulate the layer of thrown up mud that has collected on the rear and front
depict the heavier damage to the paint work. We paint the dark brown over the of the tank.
earlier applied light green chippings to achieve a nice 3D effect.
23. When dry a coat of earth coloured paint is sprayed over the mud areas,
19. A light rust wash made from oil paint is applied next over the chippings; making it uniform in color.
this helps them blend in nicely with the rest of the model.
24. For more variation in tone a light wash is applied over the mud areas.
20. The same wash is also used in combination with the speckling technique.
By doing this we create numerous tiny rust chippings.
27 25 26
28
25. To blend in the mud with the rest of the
model, earth coloured pigments are applied dry
with a soft brush.
26. With first a light and next a darker tone of

earth we add splatters to the sections of the tank
covered with mud.
27. The wheels received the same mud

treatment, only here we apply a local wash of
thinned Sepia oil paint to create the look of
dampened mud.
28. Finally the wheels are splattered with earth

tones using the speckling technique.
29. Clear gloss varnish is used for the water

streaks.
30. The tracks are given the usual treatment.

First they are painted in a dark brown tone with
a mixture of laquer paints, and next they receive
a layer of mud mixed using textured paint,
pigments and plaster.
29
30

31 32 33
34 35
31. When the first layer is dry a second layer is applied to build up the 34. Oil leaks are painted on using , once again, thinned Sepia oil paint. By
mud effects, again different tones of mud are used to create dry and thinning them more or less you achieve different intensities on the oil leaks.
damp areas.
35. Heavily thinned earth coloured paint is sprayed over the oils stains to
32. The tracks are finished off with some light and dark mud splatters. mimic the dust sticking to the oil.
33. On the inside the sections that undergo friction with the wheels are 36. Finally the model is finished off with a graphite pencil to simulate
metalized using a graphite pencil. bare metal in areas where the paint has completely gone. This is focused
mainly around the hatches.
36

CHARGE tanker
B1
winter
1 2
3
From the moment that began to exist material supporting the troops on the
battlefield, this, falling into enemy hands, usually ended up being part of the
arsenal of the new owner, who used it to their advantage in subsequent clashes.
During the First World War, this happened quite often, so, that for example Ger-
many had more tanks captured than self-produced, as strange as this may sound.
This practice does not only affects to the tanks. Any element that can be used
for combat is susceptible to being expropriated and sent for evaluation for its
subsequent commissioning in its own armies. There will be some that can be
recovered easily, other units will take more time of work to be adapted to the
new customers and even some should be discarded.
Curtiss Hawk 75-A3 belonging to the Finnish air A Hotchkiss H-39 tank of French origin belong- its hardness, managed to deal to the German tanks
1 force, which was supplied with a large quantity
of these devices through a purchase made to the
2 ing to 211 Panzerabteilung, severely damaged or
destroyed on the eastern front under the develop-
of the time, which were more maneuverable be-
cause they were smaller, but worse armed and with
Germans of units captured in France after the in- ment of the operation "Silver Fox" to try to capture less armor. It had been conceived with standards
vasion of its territories. Photo SA-Kuva the Soviet harbor of Murmansk. Photo SA-Kuva required for the First World War, a weapon special-
ized in the attack to be able to penetrate the enemy
When World War II begins, Germany already has A Somua S35 tank also of French origin and be- trenches supporting and protecting the infantry,
at its disposal warlike material that has not come
out properly from the German factories, as it is the
3 longing to the same unit destroyed in combat
within the same military operation as the previous
no matter its speed, only its capacity for survival,
hence the disposition of the tracks around the hull
case of the Czechoslovak tanks manufactured by one. Photo credit SA-Kuva and the shield plates protecting the suspension.
Skoda or CKD. After the invasion of Poland and
France, the German units have in their inventory Among the pieces that were in the inventory of the A Char B1 inoperative on a street in France, for
a significant number of captured vehicles, which
will greatly help to the success of the German ar-
French arsenal and are requisitioned by the Ger-
mans, is the Char B1, a heavy tank (28 tons) obsolete
4 the tranquility with which the German infan-
try are seen to wander, the battle had to take place
mored units. when it was adopted, but which by its nature and long ago. Photo credit Photos Normandie Flickr

4
The armament that had this tank incorporated

was a 75mm front main gun and a 47mm gun in
the small tower that was located on top of the
vehicle, in addition to two 7.5mm machine guns.
The main drawback of that tiny tower was that,
due to its size, it could only be operated by the
tank commander, who had both to take care of
his command functions over his crew and load-
ing and aiming that 47mm gun, consequently in
combat he was overwhelmed by all the functions
he had to perform. By not having an upper hatch,
the commander could hardly peep out looking for
take references and to have a correct perception
of the environment in the battle. If we start look-
ing for significant inconveniences of the vehicle,
perhaps another really important is the high fuel
consumption or as we discussed earlier, its low
speed.
A photo of a surviving B1 Char in a museum.

5 You can see the general lines of the tank, which
contain all the limitations that made it impossible
to made life harder to the agile German armored
columns. Photo credit Derek Σωκράτης Finch
The Germans on the other hand, for the units that

managed to capture, approximately about 160,
had another assignment. They were used under
the name of Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740 (f) as mu-
nition vehicles after removing the tower, as flame-
throwers, as drive-school tanks and after some
modifications as self-propelled artillery vehicles.
It is possible to say that there were units of the
previous ones that returned to French hands and
continued the war again under their original flag.
A good way to end their operational days.
The remains of a Char B1 exhibited in a mu-

6
6 seum, we must thank that there are surviv-
ing units of this tank and thanks to it we can see
them even in operative conditions, as it happens
with one of those that has in its funds the Mu-
seum of the Armored Vehicles of Saumur. Photo
credit 270862 Flickr

by Abilio Piñeiro
After the fall of France large amounts

of French equipment fell into
the hands of the German Army,
many were pressed into service with
different degrees of modification; the
B1 bis was no exception. During the
European campaign, German troops
captured 161 heavy B1 bis tanks that
later received the Pz.Kpfw. B2 740 (f)
designation.
The B1 bis modifications included

a modified turret with top opening
hatches, aerial additions, relocation of
the tools and additional armour on the
hull front. Some vehicles were simply
repainted adding German markings and
used as they were, retaining the French
style observation hood.
The Kit:
This is the same B1 bis as the previous
kit but with additional parts to build
the German Army version. The most
noticeable parts are the 130 individual
track links in brown coloured plastic that
can be assembled quickly and are pretty
straighforward. Typical from Tamiya is
the lack of ejector pin marks present on
the surface, superb details and perfect
fitting.

1 2 3
1. The lower suspension road wheels can be

built easily. I decided to glue the 16 small
twin set of wheels to line them up so
the track will sit perfectly along the
wheels. They were mainly hidden
under the side covers of the lower
hull anyway. In fact you can leave
the sprue burrs and leftovers if you
want as these can´t be seen.
2. The large drive sprocket and
idler wheels are in two halves each
with the usual poly cap trapped
4
between them for easy fitting to the axles.
5 Watch the direction of the two idler halves as the
inner wheel has what appears to be six large pin marks
but these are actually discs that are on the real idlers so don’t be
tempted to remove them. An oil filler valve made with plastic rod was added to
each idler wheel. A good sanding would benefit the overall look.
3. The 75mm gun mounted in the hull has three is much more accurate in depicting a real concrete
poly caps allowing very limited traverse and some texture. A thin line of plaster was used to fill in the
elevation. The kit part is very nice but we decided small gap on the front area. The track guide skids
to replace it with a metal gun barrel I had to hand. on top of the sponsons were improved adding
The 75mm gun mantlet has some missing details, small PE pieces carefully glued as each skid is a
such as six hex rivets around the gun opening different size and shape.
or six small holes if the rivets are not fitted. The
“pigtail” lifting ring on top of the mantlet was also 7. There is a mudchute on top of each sponson
added using wire glued into a drilled located in the front area. If you look at the
out hole. back area of the sponsons you will
6 notice they are aleady engraved so
4. The large upper single you just need drill out the four
moulded hull is simply corners.
amazing including the hull
top, the sponsons and 8. Then cut off the square
both hull sides in the one with the help of a knife and
piece. The level of detail is then use a medium coarse
top notch but a close look file to soften the edges. It will
proves that there are a few be hardly noticeable with the
details missing, so we have tracks on anyway. A couple of
to deal with these. angles made with plastic sheet
were also added.
5. The most noticeable is the
9
absence of a line of 0.8mm bolts 9. The driver’s hatch has the front hatch
missing from the top of each sponson. and top panel as separate parts with the top kidney
Looking at real vehicles, it seems the first ones shaped cover designed so it will rotate. We replaced
7 there were spaced unevenly whilst the rest are part of the kit with the Blast Model improvement
not. The four lubrication hatches have also some which has better detail including the casting numbers
8 missing locking mechanisms, but to be fair I embosed in the front area. The rounded right corner
decided to leave them as provided in the kit just is supossed to be a single piece so a little filling and
leaving one hatch open and using a PE set to sanding is required to remove the gap between the
show the system inside. It seems there are some resin and kit part. The main headlight has a separate
discrepancies in the spacing between the four cover that can be attached open or closed but we
hatches but I can live with it. decided to use a resin piece with the internal lamp
and PE cover. The “Renault” name badge from
6. Blast Models BL35107K set was used to improve the glacis was added using the one included in the
some areas of the hull and main turret. As you PE set. Interesting to note that this bagde was not
can see the additional concrete add-on-armour always located in exactly the same place so its better
plastic part added to the right front of the hull was to check your references if you’re doing a particular
replaced with the resin piece as the surface detail vehicle..

10. The track should be
attached before fitting
the fenders but I test fitted
and found that it can be attached with
the fenders glued on, with some care. There
are a couple of types provided with subtle differences
depending on the vehicle being built. I had the option to replace
the fenders with a photoetch set but to be honest PE is not always the
best option. The ones provided in the kit are quite good, accurate in size and
match perfectly with my scale drawings. The fenders fit securely into locating holes
in the hull sides. A little touch with cyano glue will secure the fitting as the locating
10 holes are square ones and tend to push the fenders out.
11 12 13 14
11. The kit also offers three sets of exhaust pipes and protection covers. • The base of the anti-aircraft machine gun located in the rear area of the
The shorter exhaust pipe assemblies with new fishtail outlets are the ones turret roof was improved using plastic rod and a drill bit. (b)
used for this version. The exhaust guards, included in the kit in plastic, were • The base of the rear turret hatch has two external round access points
replaced with a PE set, adding some subtle battle damage. Be sure to check (one in each side) used to remove the rod inside the hatch. (c)
the curved angle and shape using the plastic parts as a reference. Some • The 47mm mantlet, Blast Models item in resin, was improved with some
missing bolts in the internal brackets were also added. bolts.
• There is a couple of rounded access points (one in each side of the turret)
12. The new set of tools included in the kit have moulded on tool brackets so use to remove the 47mm gun. None of them are indicated in the kit so after
we decided to remove them from each tool and use the resin copies included drilling out a hole we inserted a plastic disc inside, filling and sanding the
in the Blast Model set. The two large jacks carried on the fenders were edges but leaving them noticeable. A tiny hole was drilled in the center of
replaced with the resin copies which have better detail and shape. them. (d)
• Some bolts are also missing in the circular base of the upper cupola. Mig
13. The German style aerial base and brackets on the upper rear hull are also Productions bolts were used.(e)
replaced with some parts included in the resin set, adding one metal sheet • There a couple of missing bolts down the lid of the upper cupola. (f/g)
made with plastic. There is a secondary aerial base located in front of the • Gun sight added from PE.
hull, close to the 75mm gun that can be seen in some vehicles. We added • Casting numbers were applied using decals.
it using the PE part included in the Voyager set and some thin copper wire.
It’s important to check the shape and position as real reference pictures are
really scarce.
14. Blast Models BL35107K update set is one of the best options to improve
the Char B1 Bis in German service. There are several sets so its best to check
the version you’re doing. This set includes fine and crisp resin pieces, such as
the German style cupola and front mantlet, but, I decided to use Def Models
one as a personal choice.
15. The main turret needs also some detailling work. The basic shape and
dimensions are correct but it lacks some basic details. The 47mm barrel
length matches the scale plans perfectly but we could replace it with a metal
gun barrel if needed. The basic improvements done were:
• A welding line was added along the turret base using stretched
sprue and Tamiya liquid glue. A toothpick was used to engrave
the welding line. (a) 15
16. The model ready to be painted.
You can clearly see the different
elements and improvements done
to depict an accurate Char B1 Bis
under new management.
17. The model was covered with a 16

couple of coats of AK grey primer
with a few drops of AK Acrylic
thinner. The trick is to airbrush the
first layer carefully, just trying to
break the surface tension of the
plastic as in fact the acrylic paint is
water based and reacts if applied
directly over the plastic. Let it dry
for about 6 hours.
18. This time I decided

not to apply the
Black&White preshading
technique as the model was
going to be white washed and
this effect would barely be seen.
One of the most important things
when painting a model kit is to use
good reference pics, but to be honest
there are just a couple of pictures of
Char B2 740(f) vehicles with winter camo.
One of those is very clear and shows a
fresh coat of paint while the other one
depicts a knocked out vehicle with traces of
white paint. Plenty room for interpretation.
19. Real Colors Dunkelgraü is a good match for this

color, with its typical dark grey tone with a slight and
subtle blue hue, not too pronounced. For my liking I
prefer a lighter tone as the weathering tends to darken the
color, but it works perfectly as a base color, especially under
a winterwashed vehicle as it will help to add contrast and depth.
A couple of solid coats of RC diluted with its thinner is more than
enough. The resulting surface is smooth and matt.
17 18 19

20. The Dunkelgraü shade is always a color with a lot discussion in threads and
modeller´s foums but I think AK Real Color matches the original chip pretty well.
21. The next step is to apply the white camo. First we need to airbrush a few
coats of AK Worn Effects. The thicker the coat, the larger the chips are.
Work in small areas and not on the whole surface as this way is easier
to control the effect. Once the Worn Effects fluid is touch dry you
can airbrush a layer of Tamiya Flat White thinned with a few
drops of water. Then, once dry again, use a stiff brush and
a toothpick to remove the coat of white. Warm water
works better. Repeat the process in subsequent areas.
22. The result is a surface covered by an uneven

coat of white. We need to add more contrast
also in this first stage so the best is to airbrush
RC004 White in nooks and recesses, places
where paint usually remains. The clue is to
gain depth and contrast in every step.
23. The white paint just applied looks

very harsh but it will be toned down
with the further weathering and layers 20
of white paint.
24. Once the white paint is applied we can

apply some chipping and scratches. AK711
25. An ocher filter was then
Chipping color is a nice Dark Brown shade but you
applied to unify the colors. It
can use any of your choice. A Windsor&Newton series 7
also helps to add more tonal
#1 brush is a perfect tool to achieve nice, realistic and in-scale
richness and an initial contrast
scratches, patience is the key. Select edges, exhaust covers, hatches,
between different areas as
side sponsons and logical places.
the filter can be repeated in
specific places.
21 22 23
24 25

26 27 28
31
29 30
26. Pin wash. This is really another step that of paint. These pencils are perfect as they can be
helps to add depth and contrast to the surface. handled with total control like normal pencils to
You can use any enamel based weathering add effects. Use them wet or dry with different
product or even diluted oil. I prefered to use the results. Blend in with water if needed.
new Dark Brown Wash from Mig Productions,
with a high amount of pigments but easy to 31. Close up of the result achieved already with
remove with enamel thinner. the processes described.
27. Moisten the surface with thinner. 32. Painting the exhausts. Char B1 has a very
typical exhaust design, partly covered by an
28. Apply the wash with a fine brush,.. armoured guard. This is an interesting area
to add intensive weathering effects such as
29….wait a few minutes and remove the excess chipping and rust. LifeColors offer an excellent
with another flat brush moistened in thinner. acrylic rust set with great coverage and
Repeat as many times as needed. When you intermediate tones that can be brush painted
remove the pin wash you can use the brush to easily. First we apply by brush the darkest tone
simulate streaking grime, dragging down the and also, using a sponge, we cover the main
surface carefully. exhaust central structure, leaving some traces of
the grey and white paint.
30. Acrylic paint. Again!!. White paint is used
to add more white contrast in areas close to the 33. Once dry we apply the second tone, slighlty 34
panel lines, details and points of visual interest. lighter, with the same method described. Try to
Remember that even if we base our work in real reduce the surface painted with this tone to add
pictures we are working on a model kit and is more visual interest and realism. The same process
really important to have a good balance between is applied on the armoured guards. It’s important
accuracy and freedom. I’m more on the eye- to keep a balance and not overdo this effect.
catching side of the hobby anyway, to be honest.
As we said previously, work in small areas, trying 34. The third tone is subtly applied on the egdes
to concentrate your efforts in logical places and more exposed areas, adding depth and tonal
where white paint usually remains. Also a white richness. An enamel rust wash helps to tone
watercolor pencil was used to add small traces down the surface contrast.
32 33

35 36 37
38
35. Finally the exhausts are touched up with a fine pointed brush and 38. The large side areas of the hull received an intensive weathering
the lightest tone. Remember to always work in-scale. If you want to do a effect with enamel and oil products such as streaking grime, grease
large scratch, apply several small ones together. and dirt accumulations, wet effects as seen in reference pictures. The
mud and dirt spilled over the mudchutes on the sponsons and as a
36. The large jacks located on the fenders and on the rear hull were consequence the hull’s sides were covered with great amounts of soil and
painted with a dark grey/brown acrylic tone. Once dry they received a dirt mixed with water and grease. Splashes with enamels are a perfect
wash with a mix of AK Streaking Grime for Panzer Grey and Red Brown way to add interest and realism to this area as you can also mix pigments
filter for Wood. The idea is to add some tonal variation and subtle dirt and AK deposits in a random way.
stains.
37. Then they were partly polished with AK Metallic Pigment using a stiff
flat brush. You can also use a watercolor silver pencil to touch up small
areas and add tiny scratches, better control with this tool.

40
41
39
42 43
44 45
39. The tracks are provided as individual links with a small pour plug on the front that need to
be sanded once assembled. 61 links per side is perfect so you have a few spare ones included
in the plastic bag. The click together system is a joy and a real time saver. Thumbs up Tamiya.
Some of the main paints and weathering products used to achieve a realistic finish on the
tracks. This easy method can also be used on wheels and any element of the running gear.
40. First we deposit some European Earth pigment in a small jar or container. Choose the tone
46
according to the final look of the model and remember that is advisable to apply the lighter
tones first if you use more than one. 44. Use
a toothpick
41. Then pour a few drops of water. and a stiff brush
to apply splashes
42. Apply this mix over the surface of the tracks. Do not worry about the with a light enamel tone.
mix ratio, a milky consistency is just enough. The main goal is to cover the AK Deposits are perfect as it
whole surface and workable areas just as if you were painting the tracks. includes pigment and enamel paint
in its formulation.
43. Let it dry and remove the excess of pigment rubbing with the finger
and/or a cotton bud. Remember that the pigment has not really adhered to 45. Repeat the process with a darker tone and
the surface as it was just applied with water without any fixer. as many times as needed until you are satisfied.
46. The tracks almost finished.

47 48
49 50
47. Finally apply metallic pigment

rubbing again first with a cotton bud
and then with the finger. Continue 51
until you achieve a bright finish on
the edges and main contact areas.
48. The tracks are finished. Some wet

splashes will be applied later.
49. A Prismacolor watercolor pencil

was used to polish the edges of the
wheels, sprocket and idler.
50. The spare tracks were also

polished using metallic pigment and
an old brush. It’s important to save
some old brushes for this type of
work and avoid mixing the metallic
pigment with any other paint/brush.
51. Fine tuning. There is no German

AFV without a bucket!!! Isn’t that
what every modeller says!!! The
metal bucket from RB Models was
painted and weathered with acrylics,
adding stains and white paint. The
towing chain was glued using PVA
glue and then weathered with AK
deposits.

panzer iv
Digitalmuseum.no
1 2
3 4
The medium tank PzKpfw IV (Sd.Kfz.161) was a vehicle used with great profusion during the Second World War. After this, it continued in production, and came to
enter combat until in 1967 on the side of the Syrian forces in the Six Day War.
It operated on all battlefronts and was manufactured in a very high number, surpassed only (within the range of combat vehicles) by the StuG III. The above makes
the Panzer IV one of the most interesting vehicles of WW2 if we talk about modeling, since the amount of painting schemes and operational conditions offered
impresses by its variety.
Picture secretly taken in Oslo probably in more in line with the new threats it had to face. normally, it was a torture for the engineers to know
1 1943 or later by a person named Plathe.
Digitalmuseum.no
If the initial versions were equipped with armor
plates of 15mm throughout the vehicle, soon were
if the structure of these bridges would support the
weight of the armored vehicles, and sometimes
increased to 30mm in the front and even 50mm the miscalculations caused "unpleasant" accidents.
and 80mm in the latest versions. Something (SA-Kuva).
PzKpfW IV Ausf H of the 3rd Panzer Division, similar happened with its armament. To fight
2 with the schürzen in the turret and the sides,
and with zimmerit applied in the surface of the
with the first vehicles it had to face against, the
7.5cm KwK 37 L / 24 gun was more than enough, 4 Photograph in detail of the turret of another
unit of the same column as the previous
armor. As an additional protection, a large number but had to be upgraded to the 7.5cm KwK 40 L photos, where we can perfectly appreciate the
of spare links of the tracks are attached to the entire / 43 gun initially and subsequently to the L / 48 schürzen of the turret and the structure of its
front section. This division operated after the Battle to be able to have options in combat against the connections with the roof. (SA-Kuva).
of France the rest of the war on the Eastern Front. Soviet tanks.
One of the characteristic elements of this
Throughout its operational life, modifications were
included that would make this tank a weapon 3 Photograph of a Finnish Panzer IV that has just
crossed a bridge. The fact of being a railway
5 vehicle is its undercarriage, very particular,
formed by eight wheels with rubber band, which
bridge greatly facilitates the operation, since originally intended to have been equipped
5 6
7 8
with torsion bars, but finally due to the design Second World War. This nickname came from the vehicles received different camoflage schemes
emergencies, ended up being leaf spring, rattle to which the crews were subjected due to to hide as much as possible of the enemy its
something that made it less comfortable and the additional overload by the extra armor that silhouette and to try so that it had a greater
limiting somewhat its capabilities. Photo credit was added on a relatively weak suspension of possibility of survival. A great variety of schemes
Thorsten Hansen - Flickr springs. This not only affected the comfort of the can be reproduced and in any of their phases,
crews, it also affected to its shooting ability. whether newly applied or after some time has
It was exported among other countries to elapsed, what really tells an interesting story about
Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Finland View of another Panzer IV crossing the same the operability of a tank. There are many profiles
and Italy. Something curious happened with the
latter, as with the Finns. The Italian Panzer IV
6 bridge. It is paradoxical to think that what
was formalized as a sale to an ally by Germany,
to choose from and we will only have to look for
a specialized publication to find with certainty a
intended to be part of a new Armored Division, ended up being used against the German troops unit that will surely attract our attention and that
but when Benito Mussolini and his government to be expelled from Finland in the Lapland War, as will make us try to replicate it in our favorite scale.
fell, they were used to train tank drivers, and in happened in this case. (SA-Kuva)
the German occupation of Italy, back in 1943, they An American half-track in winter scheme
returned to German hands. The Finns also had a
curious history behind. The "Ravistin" (nickname 7 The column moves away from the point by
which it has crossed the river. A group of
8 surpass a Panzer IV that has been disabled
on one side of the road. In the latter still can be
with that was known this vehicle that means civilians looks curiously at the vehicles circulating, appreciated the remains of the winter camouflage,
"Shaker") did not take part in any fight against the and we can see the rear of the tank, with its despite the fact that the fire has blackened almost
Soviet Union, but instead, faced the Germans in characteristic exhaust and the tow cables rolled all the surface of the tank. (NARA Archive).
their expulsion from the Finnish territories after in the upper superstructure over it. (SA-Kuva).
the signing of the peace agreement that Finland
signed and that ended its participation in the Regarding to the winter period, like others, these
by Kazuya Yoshioka
This tank was originally painted with a three-tone camouflage and then adapted to the winter situation with a coat of white paint of poor quality made
with a base of chalk dissolved in water or gasoline (more durable), painted in a hastily. During the following weeks the paint will be worn off due to the
bad weather conditions and wear and tear revealing more of the original paint.
To make this winter version of the Panzer IV we used the old Tamiya kit. The fit of the parts is perfect and it hardly needs any putty. The model can be
built without any issues or fit problems.
The exhaust at the rear is an eye catcher. The kit part is modified using a metal tube, and photo-etch parts to make it look more realistic.

A frame with plastic sheet is used to solder the brackets properly.
The small wingnuts are glued to a piece of plastic strip using superglue. Weld seams are added for more detail and realism to the turret schurzen. The
right hand door will be left open as one of the crew member will be standing outside the tank and made his way through the open door.
Here we can see the different

subassemblies ready to be painted.
Most parts are detailed up with
photo-etch. These parts are left
loose on the model for easier
handling and painting.

Detail of the rear stowage box improved with some photo- Photoetch parts are also used to improve the side muffler.
etch parts and some dents and damage is added to give it a
worn and well used look.
The amount of small details and improvements made on this kit is a perfect example of creating a realistic tank in scale. These details are eye-catching
too and well worth the effort.
To build realistic rusted buckets we used

a piece of oxidized sheet metal (leave it
outside for a couple of days into a container
with water). We cut the sheet metal to
shape with a template. Finally we add a wire
as a handle.

The vehicle with all its accessories test fitted prior to the painting stage.
The track links placed at the front are used as an extra layer of armour
for the vehicle and also as replacement parts. Metal tracks, although
expensive, perfectly create a realistic sag, just as on the real tank.
The figures have been modified to make them fit the cupola and the hatches. It is important to do so because otherwise they will remain artificial and
the whole will not have the same visual and realistic result. This is the best advice we can give when adding crew to a tank. Not all the figures will “fit”
the vehicle correctly so modifications are needed. At the same time the figures must tell a story and there must be some interaction between the figure
to explain the story to the people looking at our model.

The vehicle basecoat was painted as follow:
1. Olive Green Ral 6003.
2. Red brown Ral 8017.
3. Dark Yellow Ral 7028.
We have added some minimal effects in this phase so let's move to

the painting phase with the white wash color. This white color was
applied in several thin layers with the airbrush in a very diluted way
and controlling the effects, and then we will remove it by rubbing
it with water depending on the degree of wear & tear that we want
to achieve. This vehicle was located in the winter of 43/44 when the
supply of this kind of paint was more or less normalized. We left
the numeral uncovered because the crews kept the identification
numbers clear of paint to avoid having to remark them later.
The paint will be used on the hull and the turret leaving the lower
hull uncovered as there we will apply some mud effects including
some grass coming from the terrain the model is travelling on so
to speak.
In this phase the general weathering will be applied.
A dark grey tone in the form of thinned oil paints is applied to create
shadow effects by outlining the details.
It is important to work in small areas, to keep control of the weather-

weather
ing effects. Various oil paints are used to simulate effects of earth,
grime and mud. The oil paints are blended in using White Spirit.

To present our tank we opted to place it on a small base with a slight muddy and damp surface. The base is first covered in a layer of fine earth from
the garden mixed with wood glue and while wet some grass fibres are added as well as some small branches. When dry some washes are applied to
blend the whole base together. Make sure your model is presented in the base and not on top of it.
The spare tracks have various rust tones made with washes of enamel
paints and pigments over a dark brown base. This stands in heavy
contrast with our worn white wash on the rest of the model.

k er M1 Abrams
taninter
w
in winter
1
2 3
When looking at the backbone of the American participated. Although its operational cost is high ties. We have been witnesses through the televi-
1 army, there is one element in particular that
stands out above all thanks to its strength, imple-
due to its maintenance and consumption, its power
downplays the previous and I do not think there is
sion in countless documentaries of war conflicts or
about the same tank itself that it operates without
mentation, modern combat experience and adapt- anyone who does not want to feel the armored sup- difficulty in arid desert terrain, wooded humid ter-
ability such as the M1 Abrams. Foto Cpl. Alexander port of the "Whispering Death" nickname received by rain, steppes and in the snow. Perhaps for the only
Mitchell the whistle of its engine during the Gulf Wars, which is scenario for which it has had some difficulties of
certainly weaker than the purr of a diesel engine of its adaptation has been the urban environment, and
An M1 Abrams opens fire in an exercise. This unit same characteristics. Foto Cpl. Jon Sosner for that, have been made a suit to measure, with
2 has the NATO three colors standardized camou-
flage, and is completely covered with dust. It car- Now it's the turn of a different version of cam-
which ensuring their survival and that of their
crews, which is the TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit).
ries attached one of the segments of the wading
device in the rear.
3 ouflage, the sand color used for desert areas.
Although it began to be painted over the vehicles
Foto Marine Corps Cpl. Austin Livingston
This vehicle has been perhaps one of the most in the same deployment area, there came a time M1A2 SEP V2 with the "Reactive Armor Tile"
tested in history, along with the Soviets T55, T62 and
T72, some of the rivals he has had to deal with in the
when the units were already delivered with that
base color. There is no scenario hard enough to it
4 system installed, this is the TUSK 2. Although it
came into service in 1980 to replace the M60 Pat-
battles in which this American-made monster has and in which not be able to show its amazing abili- ton, the continuous revisions and updates that it

4 5
6 7
has been receiving according to the combat expe- the Leopard, its brother that was born too from Center in Hohenfels, Germany, can be seen operate
rience, make the future prospect of this weapons the development of the MBT-70. Foto Staff Sgt. a unit similar as the one of the following article, full
system quite optimistic, and there is no for the mo- Wallace Bonner. of dust, mud and other dirt over the winter camou-
ment at sight a system of arms in production made flage of stripes, arranged over the green that had
to replace it. Foto Mr. Andreas Kreuzer Abrams in line with Norwegian Leopards 2A4, been painted previously over the original sand
An Abrams painted with green paint over the

6 in a rest area in the development of the exercise
"Cold Response". Foto Master Sgt. Chad McMeen
color of the vehicle, so, the amount of effects that
can be recreated over this model are practically
5
base sand color of the vehicle and with stars
similar to those used by American vehicles in the Refueling of a vehicle through the remote refu-
infinite. Foto Pfc. Hayden Allega
Second World War painted on the sides. In the

snow, as we are interested with in this case by the
7 eling system of a Chinook CH-47, in Germany in
the Exercise Area "Hohenfels Training Area", in the 13 In the exercise "Combined Resolve X", in the
same training area, another Abrams of the
theme of the publication, this beast circulates as development of the exercise "Allied Spirit VIII". Fotos same characteristics could be seen that only dif-
over any other terrain. Its ability to adapt is evi- Sgt. Gregory T. Summers y Sgt. Gregory T. Summers fers from the previous one in the lack of the winter
dent both in real operations as in the exercises in camouflage, and the wear and tear to which the
which it participates. It is clear in the pictures that Within the exercise "Allied Spirit VIII", developed paint is subjected can be clearly seen. Foto Spc.
follow that is always side by side with rivals like 8 in the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Andrew McNeil

winter
abrams
By Kristof Pulinckx
When you think of a M1 Abrams

you see them commonly in Desert
or NATO camouflage,
and very rarely in different types of camo. When
browsing the internet we came across a bunch
of photos of Abrams on exercise in Germany.
Originally they arrived in the familiar sand yellow
desert camouflage, they were largely overpainted
in green but not completely, many components of
the tank remained in desert camouflage; over that
a white camouflage was hastily applied onto the
side skirts and the turret was partly covered with
a camouflage net. Best of all, the green and white
paint showed signs of heavy wear and tear. The
unique look of these tanks has to be translated in
scale, it’s a modellers dream! So we went looking
for the appropriate kit and found it in the range from
Academy, the M1A2 V2 TUSK 2 to be precise. After
purchasing the kit we decided to add some extras
and use the tracks from a Meng M1A2 Abrams
which we had already assembled and thus saved
us time. These fit the Academy kit perfectly by the
way. Further additions were added from reference
material we found on the internet. What would we
do without the internet these days?

1 2 3
A retainer for the front mud flaps is made The Meng tracks, although largely hidden by the side Eureka tow cables replace the ones from
from copper wire and added to both sides as skirts, fit the Academy kit perfectly. the kit as their detail is so much better
it is missing from the kit. than the plastic ones from Academy.
The moulded on handles of the boxes are
replaced by spare photo-etch ones from the
spares box. Every bit of extra detail brings a
model to life.
The barrel from

the .50 Cal of
the kit is replaced
by one of the RB
model range.
The mud flaps are

replaced by thin
plasticard, these
are more to scale
and are easier to
simulate damage.

4 5 6
The periscopes are reflecting sometimes blue Clear parts need to be glued with care to avoid These clear parts are masked before
or sometimes red. So we painted them with getting the dreaded frost. A good solution is to use painting using liquid mask from 502Abt.
the appropriate clear colors from the AK Real clear gloss varnish. It’s strong enough to hold small
color range. parts in place without the risk of getting frost effects
on the clear parts.
The light is
sprayed with
Clear orange
from the Real
Color range.
Several thin layers
are applied.
Tow cables from

Eureka XXL are
added. These
are superior
compared to the
ones of the kit.
With
7 our model
ready to paint we
can see the extras we
added, numerous bolts
on the side skirts, thin
plasticard for the over
Numerous bolts
scale rubber flaps, a RB
are added on top model .50 machinegun and
of the side skirts. the Eureka tow cables
The Tracks come These are missing are obvious.
from a Meng in the kit and
Abrams and fit easily added with
the Academy kit the help of an
Perfectly. Punch&Die.

8
9 10
11 12

8. Our model is painted first with CARC Tan
from the Real color range with a drop of white
added to get the color more to scale.
9. The unit markings are made from masking

tape and added in the appropriate places.
10. Up next the whole model is given a coat

of AK088 Worn effects, applied in several thin 13
layers.
11. For the green, NATO green is used, we first

paint the whole model in an even layer and in
the next step we added some of the base color 13. After a coat of Matt varnish to seal in the
to lighten up the green and paint the model in a worn effects, the model is outlined using Dark brown wash for
cloud pattern to create some depth. green vehicles from AK.
12. Now we work with the worn effects, we 14. AK 025 Fuel stains are also pretty usable for making dirty wet stains and streaks.
wet the surface with tap water so the worn
effect fluid applied earlier will dissolve. With 15. Large stains will depict water from melting snow. We first need to add the stains
some sturdy brushes and a toothpick we from melting snow before we add the snow, we need to work in layers here.
start removing the green paint where
needed. Take your time and study 16. Def Models camo net is brought to good use here. The vinyl camouflage net is in
reference photos to obtain a plain green, and need to be painted for our subject.
realistic result.
17. The camouflage net is first rubbed between our hands to make it look more
natural, next it is painted in a 3-tone camouflage according to our reference photos.
14 15
16 17

18
20
21
19
18. The net is glued in place with superglue, in such a way it looks 20. The skirts and the sides of the model are masked using tape. We
natural, some wire is used too, to keep it in place. Make several dry fits again look at the reference photos to determine the pattern.
before you glue it in place.
21. Liquid mask is used to reverse the chipping effects. We paint on the
19. Accessories are painted and weathered in order to be placed on chipping effects using liquid mask.
the model. Some variation in colors is need to make the model more
attractive and give it some contrast between the colors.

22 23
24 25
26 27
22. More chipping and scratches are painted on and these are followed 25. The exhaust is painted Flat black with the airbrush to simulate the
by a thin dark brown layer of dust applied with the airbrush. soot effects.
23. The same dust layer is also sprayed around the opening of the turret. 26. Fresh and dark mud washes are mixed to apply the effects of
This dust effect also helps to create shadow effects. accumulated dirt. The mixture is applied on the model in selected areas
and left to set for about 10 minutes.
24. The rear of the model is over sprayed with an earth brown color as
we see on our reference photos. This mimics the effects of thrown up 27. Next a soft clean brush moistened with thinner is used to blend in the
dust and dirt. washes and so finishing the accumulated dirt effects.

28 29
30 31
32
33
28. Fuel Stains is mixed with track rust pigments to simulate older dry
fuel spills. If the Fuel stains are applied without the pigment the result is
a glossy fresh stain. If you want to simulate older stains just add a bit of
pigment.
29. Thrown up dirt and mud is added next. We use Muddy ground from
the AK diorama range and apply this textured paint with an old brush onto
the model.
30. When dry, a wash of fresh mud is applied over the muddy ground to
give the mud a damp look.
34 31. Splatters are added with added with Dark Mud and Dark brown wash
for green vehicles by swiping a brush loaded with paint over a toothpick
to flicker the paint onto the model. It’s recommended you try this first on
a piece of paper to determine the right amount of paint your brush should
contain.
32. Streaking effects are applied with several different tones of brown and
even a transparent color such as Wet effects from AK, this is to simulate
water streaks.
33. Our tracks are first painted with NATO black.
34. The wheels which are covered in turn with a layer of muddy ground
are then also getting a wash of Fresh mud to simulate dampness.

35 36
37 38
39 35. AK still water and Terrains snow is mixed to be used as a base layer
for the snow.
36. This thick paste is next painted on the model with a fine brush.
37. When dry a layer of matt varnish is applied over the snow paste.
38. And immediately while the varnish is still wet Snow micro balloons
are sprinkled on top of the varnish.
39. The excess micro balloons are blown off and what remains
provides our snow effect.
40. The turret fully treated with snow.

Thin layers of snow are applied on the
camouflage net. Here we only used matt
varnish onto which we sprinkled the micro 40
balloons.
41. The hull and wheels are treated the

same way. Variation is key here, don’t just
add a layer of snow but look for the right
balance.
41

The lens is
painted black and
when dry a layer
of gloss varnish is
added.
The snow on the

camo net is done
by applying a bit
of matt varnish in
which we sprinkle
AK 8010 Snow
Micro balloons.

Antennas are
made from thin
metal wire and
painted light
grey.
Stains are added

using Ak's Fuel
stains.
A bit of Snow
is added to the
wheels and tracks
as well. AK 8011
Terrains snow
is used, when
applied AK 8010
Micro balloons
are sprinkled
in the still wet
paste.

Opel Blitz tanker
winter
1 2
3 4
Like any other country, to maintain a proper development Germany required muscle, and this muscle was provided by the industry. And this industry needs nutrients
to keep working with regularity and efficiency, and that's where the blood comes in, which is neither than an adequate transport to the needs of the muscular size.
This transport can be maritime, air or land. And even so, the maritime and the aerial transports need support without fissures by the ground one.
Maintenance operations on a truck, assisted There are documented more than a hundred A muddy road hinders the passage of an Opel
1 by the crane that has been mounted over the
loading platform one of its same characteristics.
different, including loading platform, ambulance,
firefighting vehicle, mobile workshop, fuel tank,
2 Blitz, which has lost one of the front fins of the
wheels. Mud can be a very powerful enemy, only
Photo SA-Kuva radio, laboratory, laundry, command vehicle, and must be remembered the resistance to the German
many more tasks. advance that supposed the "rasputitsa" in Russia.
Trucks are therefore of vital importance so Photo SA-Kuva
that the entire business network of a country Perhaps it may seem a bit obvious, but since I
is as expected of it. Germany developed a very started talking about muscles and blood, maybe Once the first snows begin, the effect of the
important range of transports from the 30s, and
within these, Opel vehicles were included. This
I should now get into the arteries. These are
where the blood circulates, that is, the means
3 mud disappears and a certain sense of relief
is created in the mind of the quartermaster,
brand began to make vehicles of 1 ton, 2 and 2.5 of communication used by trucks to reach their because it is easy to believe that everything has
tons. The version of 3 tons was incorporated by the destination safely and punctually. And these must finished and that it returns to a certain normality.
Wehrmacht, in an incredible infinity of versions. be kept passable at all times, a task that in winter Nothing is further from reality in the cold Russian
usually falls on the snowplows. steppes, where the layers of snow are usually quite
90 / TANKER SPECIAL 01 / WINTER generous. Photo SA-Kuva
5 6
7 8
A version of sanitary services with winter Detail of a wheel with chains, in a truck that A loaded Opel Blitz passes in front of an
4 scheme presumably on the Russian front. To
ensure the traction of the vehicle on the snow,
5 unloads sand. Very interesting also the detail
of the snow splashed under the planking of the
7 improvised snowplow on a Caterpillar. The
use of this type of machinery as well as captured
it is equipped with wheel chains. Only must be loading platform. Photo SA-Kuva Soviet artillery tractors for this purpose was quite
imagined the workload that these vehicles and common, something also logical for the ability of
their crews had to endure to realize the effort they Within the means available in the battle front the previous ones to travel on terrains inaccessible
made to carry out all the tasks assigned to them.
No doubt the success of a military campaign is
6 to clear the roads of snow, can be seen shovels
mounted on tanks, tractors, trucks and any other
for other platforms. Photo SA-Kuva
written by its ability to maintain a sufficiently vehicle that could perform with more or less Detail view of a snow plow to be mounted
effective intendancy. Photo SA-Kuva dignity that work. But there were also specialized
media such as this snowplow, with an aspect far
8 on a truck. In the case of this, it was tested on
a Mercedes and on a Man, with good results of
ahead of its time. Photo SA-Kuva work. Photo SA-Kuva

Blitz Background
In the 3-ton (or medium) category the major and most successful design was the Opel
Blitz. This was a 1938 design from Opel (the German subsidiary then, as now, of General
Motors) and was quite conventional in layout. The Opel Model S3.6-36, to give its maker’s
designation, was a 4×2 vehicle with pressed steel cab and bonnet. Suspension was by
conventional leaf springs.
During its war production run, there were many special purpose variants produced; over
100 different types were recorded. Most important of these featured a house-type body
(Einheitskofferansbau) which could be fitted as a workshop, laundry, laboratory, command
caravan, radio van, cipher office, ambulance, or for dozens of other purposes. The box-like
house body was made of wood and compressed card, partly for ease of production and to
save metal. Late in the Blitz’s production life it was similarly fitted with the famous ‘ersatz’
cab, a wood and pressed card structure know as the ‘einheitsfahrerhaus’, again as a major
economy measure when steel became short.

By Rick Lawler
Recce:
• Tamiya Opel Blitz - # TAM35291

• Plus Model - German Medium
Snow Plow type - K #240
• Aber – German Cargo Truck Opel
Blitz - #35 227
• Archer Fine Transfers – Opel Blitz
instruments, placard, and details. -
#AR35291
• MIG Productions – Opel Blitz wheel
set for Italeri and Tamiya - # MP
35-122
• MIG Productions – Opel Blitz Tarp
for Tamiya kit - # MP 35-170
• Royal Models – Opel Blitz detail set
# RYMRM092
• Opel Blitz in Detail - #39, Wings
& Wheels Publications, ISBN: 80-
86416-51-8

1. Te basic kit belongs to Tamiya with the double
leaf spring suspension , the rest of the parts are
from the box only taking care to fill with putty the
holes of the injection of the plastic.
The stowage boxes with Aber brass aftermarker.

We have soldering the boxes for a correct and safe
replacement of the one sthat the kit contains.

Construction
Getting straight to it, construction

begins with the lower chassis which I
assembled per the Tamiya instructions
with only a small deviation to replace the
stowage boxes with a new set of Aber
brass.
Tamiya has reproduced this kit with the
double leaf spring suspension found
on later production vehicles, though
provided the early bolt patterned wheels.
If you are using the kit wheels then the
upper leaf spring should be removed.
However, I found that the MIG
Productions wheel set shows the later
bolt design thus eliminating the need
for modifications to the suspension.
The MIG replacement wheels feature
very crisp molding and make for a nice
alternative to the kit parts; however the
mounting holes are very shallow.
The quick fix is to drill out the holes and/
or shortened the axel ends to achieve the
proper fit. I chose to also insert a section
of brass rod for added strength.
Continuing along with the instructions
the next steps move onto the crew cab.
Here again the basic Tamiya
instruction are clear and assembly is
straightforward. But, once again I
deviated from the basic instructions I
spent quite a bit of time dressing-up the
The kit now with Mig Porductions wheels to make
cab with Aber brass, while Royal Models
an accurate verision for our model. Is not an easy
resin replaced the kit’s headlights. I also
taask to mount then correctly.
choose to replace the kit’s pioneer tools
with some better detailed DML tools
I had in my extra parts box. Moving
forward, the impressive snow plow is
from Plus Model. I approached this
particular part of the construction, the
plow, with some apprehension as it
appeared very complex from the box
top photos. Opening the box to take a
peak at the minimalist instructions inside
(line drawings) did little to boost my
confidence.
Once begun, however, I was pleasantly
impressed by the logical sequence
and sure fit of the parts. The only
issue I found was that the Plus Model
conversion is designed for the Italeri
Mercedes L 3000 kit which required a
little fudging on some of the bracket
mounting. Nothing too drastic: Only
requiring a little sanding here or a
replacement bolt head there.
The familiar Tamiya rear cargo bed
features nice wood grain texture and
some very inconvenient sink holes. Be
prepared to spend a relaxing evening of
puttying, sanding and re-scribing of the
wood grain texture. Here again, the rear
cargo area is supplemented with bits and
pieces of Aber brass.
We can apreciatte with other colors the different procedence of the parts that we
have used for better details.

The snow plow from Plus Model, is not very difficult
to adap, we only need to follow instructions once
we clean the resin parts.
We can see in this image the impressive snow plow

mounted in the front of the Opel.

Painting
As coincidence would have it while I
was working on this project I had been
re-reading one of my favorite books,
"The Forgotten Soldier". This is a gritty
account, which in part recounts the
extreme conditions encountered by the
supply troops of the Rollbahn serving on
the Eastern Front. The descriptions of
hardship, wear and fatigue provided me
with ample inspiration for the painting of
my workhorse Blitz.
I recently read an article where the
argument was being made that the
bluish tones often associated with
German Grey may be a misconception,
as the color is actually based upon
brown, or reddish brown hues. I decided
to give this theory a try and added
brown color into the Tamiya German
Grey base color. The result is a very
pleasing – warm shade of grey. And,
although in real life the entire vehicle
would have been initially painted with
the same color I figured that over time
and especially in harsh conditions the
different materials of the trucks body
(metal cab v. wooden bed) would
weather and fade to slightly different
colors. To create this distinction I added
slightly more brown color to the mix
while painting the cargo bed to get a
slightly different base tone.
Of course any respectable “Snow
Blitz" would need proper camouflage;
a rough winter white wash. I relied
upon the "hairspray method" while also
incorporating a kitchen pad to mask the
pattern’s edges for a rougher, hand-
painted look. The hairspray process
is well documented and very simple.
Briefly, over the base grey color and a
protective coating of Johnson’s Future
floor polish I misted a layer of hairspray.
After letting the hairspray dry for about
1 hour I went about adding the rough,
white stripes over top the layer of hair
spray. Finally, again after about one
hours drying time I used a small brush
and water to scrape away flakes of the
white camouflage paint. Finally, I went
back over the white with a fine brush
and white Vallejo paint and re-applied,
or color mapped some of the chipped
areas to add refine some detail in the
flaked off areas.
I followed with some localized chipping
and scratches to the cab’s running
boards and fenders using rusty brown
colors and a scouring pad. Next came a
few very light acrylic color washes over
In the top photo we see how a
the entire surfaces to unify the colors. I
metal layer of paint is applied to
wanted to continue to accentuate the
the plow. The business side of the
different color tones between the cab
snow plow blade was first painted
and wooden cargo area so on the cab
using Model Master Metalizer
my filters consisted of brown and cream
Stainless Steel to achieve a nice,
colors, while the cargo bed was filtered
polished steel finish
using a little touch of green in the color
mix.
In the sequence we can see
The next phase of the weathering
how after varnish and apply the
process is the familiar back-n-forth
hairspray technique we can use a a
process of adding detail and depth to the
kitchen pad to mask the pattern’s
finish. MIG Productions 502 Abteilung
edges and with an acrylic color
artist’s oils were used to add depth,
paint the white part in white.
define details, and additional color

We get the chippings thank to the hairspray after removing the
white paint with a brush moistened in water.
With the sponge technique we can add some other chippings in

rust due to the effect of the snow and humidity in the metal parts
of the truck, and with a fine brush we can complete the scratches
and chippings.
Next some washes are given to get deep in the different parts of
the truck..

tones to the finish. Here again I tried to
vary my color choices to emphasis the
subtle color variation between the metal
and wooden surfaces. Through-out
the process my bottle of Vallejo white
continued to be used to refresh the
white camouflaged areas if they became
too discolored by the oils.
For a little added color (and to have
some fun) I decided to paint the
mounting brackets for the snow plow
in rusty metal colors. Base colors were
applied using Tamiya and Vallejo colors
with the finishing touches being made
using MIG Productions 502 Abteilung
artist’s oils and MIG pigments. The
business side of the snow plow blade
was first painted using Model Master
Metalizer Stainless Steel to achieve a
nice, polished steel finish. To weather
the metal finish I first moistened the
blade with tap water and then applied a
fairly heavy layer of salt, especially over
the lower blade. To the upper areas
I sprayed light areas of brownish rust
colors to replicate surface blemishes and
stains. Finally, I applied light “washes”
of MIG pigments dissolved with thinner
to further discolor the surface.
I decided to try and replicate some
light snow build-up on some of the
more exposed areas of the vehicle;
wheels, plow bracket, front bumper
and tarpaulin. For this I used MIG
Productions Ashes White pigment mixed
with MIG Productions acrylic resin as the
basis and then added glass spheres – or
micro balloons – for a topical sparkle. In
certain areas I muddied-up the snow by
applying thin washes of earthen artist’s
oil colors over the snow.
Concluding thoughts
Somewhere in the shuffle of all of the
aftermarket extras there is the Tamiya
Opel Blitz. My impression of the kit
is much like that of the Blitz itself;
nothing too fancy but it serves it’s
intended purpose well. Adding the Plus
Model snow plow certainly makes the
“ordinary” Blitz into something quite
unique, and impressive. Images created
though reading can invoke emotions
often not felt by simply studying
photographs; attempting to capture
these emotions in your work brings new
challenges – and opportunities. I would
like to acknowledge Jeff Kleinhenz
who contributed by doing preliminary
construction before handing the project
off to me – thanks.

A Mig Productions műgyanta ponyvája Tamiya
lakkfestékekkel történő festés után olajfesték
kezelést kap.

Sd.Kfz.181 TIGER
tanker
winter
1 2
3 4
This German heavy tank began to be developed around the year 1937 with a series of prototypes that tried to fulfill the requirements of the Waffenamt for a heavy
tank of approximately 30 tons, well armored and armed, that could move with ease and safety over the battlefield of the war they knew was to come.
With the invasion of France and the combat experiences with the French and British tanks, the need for this vehicle became evident (although the Blitzkrieg was
effective anyway). But it was the invasion of the Soviet Union, during Operation Barbarossa, where it was seen with desperation that the incorporation of armored
means with these high capabilities was something imperative, as they had practically no way of facing a combat of equals with the Russian armored forces, equipped
with KV's and T-34's.
A Tiger of Pz. Abt. 505, recognizable by the em- won the contest and the one which finally started ret. The connection between the plates was really
1 blem of the knight charging painted on the turret.
This unit was deployed in the Eastern Front, fighting
to be produced. strong, stepped and welded. The great disadvan-
tage was that most of the plates presented a very
with Panzers III, Panzers VI Tiger and finally with the A Tiger advances raising a large trail of dust. Its vertical disposition, although the strength was suf-
powerful Tiger II. Photo credit 1 Chris Tingom - Flickr 2 characteristic line makes it unmistakable and
perhaps few tanks are as recognizable as this steel
ficient to stop the majority of the anti-tank weapons
by the time of its design.
Two final prototypes were designed, and the re- mass. Despite its fame, without a proper and inten-
quirements for them were increased both in the sive maintenance, this vehicle was prone to suffer Photograph of a Tiger that has impacts on the
tonnage (from 30 to 45) and the caliber of the main many breakdowns in the undercarriage and gear- 3 sides, turret and front. This unit is in the Kubinka
Museum, in Russia. The camouflage it presents
weapon (from a 7.5 to 8.8 gun), to can better face the box. Photo credit Chris Tingom - Flickr
fight against the new known threats. One of them could not be known with certainty if it is original,
came from the hand of Porsche and the other came The armor offered by this tank was quite important. but a similar winter camouflage arrangement was
from the hand of Henschel. It was the latter which 100 mm in the front and 120 in the mantlet, as well presented by some units. Photo credir Aleksander
as 80 mm in the superstructure and sides of the tur- Markin - Flickr
5 6
The destruction capacity provided by its 88mm can-

non was fearsome. Although normally the combats
were unfold in close distances, shooting from 800
to 1,200 meters, this weapon enjoy an amazing aim-
ing capability. Perhaps one of the limitations of the
weapon was the slow turn of its heavy turret. This
and other technological challenges led engineers
to push the machine to the limit. And they solved
many deficiencies, but some created complex
solutions and even the enemy knew how to take
advantage of them. The undercarriage is a point to
highlight. While it was very stable and smooth for
driving, its system of three rows of wheels gave a lot
of complexity, even making it could be immobilized
because of accumulated mud and snow that freeze
with low temperatures.
Tiger tanks in rail transport. Due to its size, which

4 exceeded the width of the tracks, the last row of
wheels on each side had to be dismantled and the
chains replaced by narrower ones, an operation that
slowed the operability of this vehicle. Photo credit
Chris Tingom - Flickr 7
Detail of the driven wheel of a Tiger tank. Photo 8
5 credit Brescia - Flickr
Detail of the idler wheel of a Tiger tank. Photo

6 credit Brescia - Flickr
In spite of all the inconveniences commented, in

general lines the Tiger was a great tank and in addi-
tion, one of the most reliables among those that had
the German troops at their disposal. Like any other
vehicle, it underwent improvements and advances
throughout its operative life, until the arrival of the
Tiger II. As in other German vehicles, one of those
improvements was the incorporation of the anti-
magnetic putty called "Zimmerit", which prevented
magnetic mines from adhering to the structure of
the vehicle and thus damaging it in urban or nearby
combat by action of the infantry.
In this picture you can appreciate in detail the

7 zimmerit applied to the turret of a Tiger. This
putty sometimes chip off, usually offering a grayish
appearance, similar to that of cement. Photo credit
Brescia - Flickr
In addition to the Eastern Front, this mythical vehicle

operated in other battlefronts, including the African
Front. With a few modifications in the air filters for ex-
Tiger captured in Tunisia on display in the United other Allied tanks this amount is ridiculous, due to
ample, they were in Tunisia fighting against the allies
in the ranks of the feared Afrika Korps. After a series 8 Kingdom. This unit was subjected to extensive
tests by the Allies to check the power and character-
the cost of manufacturing this kind of unit, is not a
bad digit. Photo credit Andrew Skudder - Flickr
of operations in that area, when the Axis soldiers
surrendered after the fall of Tunisia, they captured istics of this new weapon. They drew the erroneous
among others the Tiger that currently is exhibited conclusion that not many would be manufactured
at the Bovington Museum in the United Kingdom. (were about 1,350), that although if compared with
Tank 411 Winter
camo Charkow 43 PZ.Kpfw IV Tiger I (sd.kfz. 181)
Tamiya Kit 1/35
Etchparts set from Aber 35 K01
Fruil metaltracks
By Alexander Lautsch
We could not make this special

without including a Tiger I, one
of the favorite tanks for many
modellers. The model is the Tamiya
kit with an Aber PE set to bring it
up to date and metal tracks that
greatly improve this part of the
tank. We have also replaced the
gun barrel with a turned one.
In this photo we can see the kit
before the painting showing all the
improvements done on the plastic
kit. We will focus the article on the
painting of the vehicles.

The process followed is very simple and we can see it graphically in
these photos:
1. First we applied a layer of Gray primer to assess possible assembly
faults (with gray we can clearly see it) being able to correct them now
and to unify the different materials before the painting process.
2. Gray-black basecoat (Humbrol 67) and placement of the laser cut
stencil.
3. First layer of white winter camo with thin layers of Humbrol 34
white paint and light gray147.
4. In this model we have applied different techniques: scratches and
chipping using a fine brush and very thin acrylic colors from different
light gray and dark gray tones, even field blue tones imitating the base
color panzer gray, and airbrushing white in specific areas to depict the
brand new paint.

5
5. In the turret we applied some washes with Abteilung 502 mix of black (110) and Engine Grease (160) oils, and later with blue (230) Cream Brown
(240) Dark Mud (130), Light Rust (060) and some yellow and green from Daler-Rowney. Some streaking grime with dark oil colors and white Spirit from
AK are also added.
6. The rest of the vehicle receives a similar treatment. It is convenient to divide the work in small areas to control all the effects. The lower areas and
tracks received a special treatment with fresh mud.
7. The effects on the vertical and horizontal surfaces are different, increasing the deterioration of the paint in areas that logically have more wear&tear
due to the movement of parts or friction or even the action of the crew.
8. The white color admits different filters and the pure white tone is only necessary in order to highlight the maximum light of some detais. The mere
contrast between dark chipping and white camouflage makes this scheme one of the most interesting for the Tiger I.

7

The other vehicle included in the scene is a Tamiya's Schwimmwagen, driven by two resin figures and detailed with a photoetch set and resin wheels
designed for driving in snow conditions. The painting technique is similar to the one we have commented on the main vehicle, and the steps followed
are also the same: primer-paint with black gray, white shading, chipping, brush painting of details with a brush and washes and effects. The different
accessories are painted separately.

41

StuG III tanker
winter
2
3 4

5 6
Initially designed as an assault gun to support the 7
infantry, the StuG III was finally used as a tank de-
stroyer. It was built over a Panzer III chassis and the
excelent ratio between the price of construction
and its effectiveness is probably the best of all the
tanks produced by Nazi Germany.
What is pretended in a weapon of this kind and for

greater effectiveness, is to have a very low silhou-
ette, something that the StuG III fulfilled perfectly.
Perhaps part of its success lies in this characteristic.
It offers two very important advantages. On the
one hand, the mimethic and camouflage become
simpler, while it is more difficult to aim on a smaller
surface of exposure.
German StuG's III advance camouflaged and full

1 of supplies on the Russian front. The low silhou-
ette added to the foliage that the crew has placed
over them, makes them difficult to recognize in
front of the trees on which they are advancing.
Photo credit SA-Kuva
Another advantage offered by this combat plat-

form was its main weapon. It went from the
StuK 37 L/24 75mm short low speed gun to the
new StuK 40 L/43 75mm after the first skirmishes This vehicle was used by different nations, both tion impacts. It has also reinforced the front of the
with the Soviet T-34 and KV's. After the latter, it during World War II and later. Germany, Finland superstructure and applied Zimmerit of the type
was passed to the L/48. The StuH 42 variant was and Romania, for example, used them successfully. "Waffle" to avoid magnetic charges that could be
equipped with a 105mm gun, to be able to un- The last operative units were working until the 60's, adhered to the metallic surface of the tank. As
dertake again its initial mission, to support the on the one hand Finnish units and on the other a curiosity, can be seen the picture of a woman
infantry. hand, those that were sold by the Soviets to Syria, on the front of the vehicle, over the name of this.
in the conflicts between Arabs and Israelis. More Photo credit SA-Kuva
Finnish soldiers clean the tube of the gun of
2 the StuG III in which they are crew members.
than 10,000 units of different versions of this hunter
were produced. A column of Finnish StuG’s goes to the front.
Possibly this photo is part of some propaganda re-
port, it belong to a series in which this same crew is Refueling of a StuG III in a wooded area. This
7 Finland received 59 of these combat vehicles,
and they knew how to take great advantage of
shown simulating maintenance tasks. Photo credit
SA-Kuva
5 unit belongs to the Finnish army. Photo credit
SA-Kuva
them, with a minimum loss of units against the
enemy ones destroyed by them. Photo credit SA-
Kuva
Ammunition supply of the vehicle and
3-4
SA-Kuva
shooting of the cannon. Photo credit 6 StuG with the "Saukopf" mantlet that proved
to be more effective against enemy ammuni-

last day s
of winter By Kristof Pulinckx
When planning a vignette one needs to think carefully

about how to display the vehicle(s) and figures; how they are best positioned and what the final
composition will be. Very often the original plan is altered, usually as you are working on your
vignette, as you develop other ideas or come across different options you had not considered
when planning. So, before starting, test several variations of the final composition, the shape
of the base, also how to construct and display it.
When you finally have your idea and all the kits and material you need, then you can go to
work. A vignette doesn’t really need to tell a story in comparison to a diorama, but there
needs to be some context for the viewer.
In our case we wanted to show a tank driven into a still partly frozen river, being passed
by an enemy tank. Now as we wanted to show a winter scene, with snow and ice, we
had to also consider the colors we use. There must be some contrast. As a scene with
two vehicles in winter camouflage and a snow covered base would be too much
white. The choice was made to use a Stug III ausf G from Dragon in a worn white
wash, minimalizing the white used here, and a Russian lend lease Valentine still
in its normal camouflage to provide contrast. The Valentine would be covered
with some snow to blend it in the scene. As we will depict two vehicles on a small
base we cannot just put them next to each other, so we have to work in differing
heights. The slope would be largely covered with snow while the river, which
the Valentine drove into, would be partly covered with melting ice. The road on
which the Stug is driving would be made up from mud. So with this in mind we
have a balanced vignette regarding the colors and more than enough colors
and contrast. Two figures from Alpine are chosen, one for the Commander of
the Stug in the cupola, and the other a soldier passing by the scene on foot.

1. The wheels of the Valentine
are attacked with a sharp knife to
depict wear and tear on the rubber
parts of the wheels, the same will
be done later on with our second
model, the Stug III.
2. The holes for the location pins

of the suspension are cut off in
order to make the suspension
1 workable, this is required to allow
us to fit the model perfectly to our
2 base.
3 4
3. Instead of gluing them
in place, the part that holds
the two smaller wheels is
temporarily held in place with
Blue tack in order to alter the
position when the model is
fitted to the base.
4. After some minor surgery

the suspension is movable.
5. Workable tracks from

Bronco are used; they fit
5 the Tamiya kit perfectly and
just needed to be clicked
together. They are a bit
fragile so care must be taken
when handling them.
6. Our Valentine is
detailed up with parts
from an Eduard Update
set. As our model depicts an
abandoned vehicle the tool holders are
almost all left empty.
7. A tow cable from Euraka XXL is added at this

7 stage but would be left off in the end as it would
surely been stolen from an abandoned vehicle.

8
8. A rag is placed over a

toolbox to cover its poor
detail; cables are added
to the lights as this is a
prominent missing part of
the kit.
9
10
9. The model is first sprayed in Real Color 4BO, next a dark yellow
is added and the model is sprayed in a cloud pattern to create
some depth.
10. Decals from the kit are used as a Russian slogan always looks
great. The turret was first sprayed with a layer of gloss varnish.
Next the decals are applied, and when dry, the decals are sealed
with another layer of Gloss Varnish. Later the complete model
was coated with Ultra matt Varnish. This varnish gives the decals
a painted on look.

11 12
11. Small details such as hinges

and bolts etc are highlighted
with a lighter tone of green to
make them stand out.
12. Next the model is outlined

with Dark wash for Green
vehicles to create more depth
and shadows. The previously
highlighted details are nicely
blended in with the wash
making their appearance less 13
prominent but still visible.
14
15 16
17 18
13. The cover of the exhaust is treated with a light rust wash to create
some difference in tone with the rest of the model.
14. The exhaust is chipped heavily with the sponge chipping technique,
using various rust tones starting from dark and working to light.
15. Stirred earth from AK’s diorama range is used to add the thrown up
dirt to the fenders. For the thicker parts of dirt we work in layers, the
stirred earth is acrylic based so it dries fast. No long waiting times here.
16. Pigments of a similar but slightly different tone are added dry to
give the dirt a different structure.
18. Finally small branches and leaves are added as well. These are placed
17. The pigments are fixed with Mig Productions pigment fixer.
on the model with a tiny bit of wood glue.

19 20
21
19. To blend in the dirt more with the model, splatters of

dark and light earth tones are added. Simply loading a brush
with paint, either acrylic or Enamel based, and by swiping
over a toothpick the paint is splattered on the model. It’s
advisable to try this first on a piece of paper to find out the
right amount of painted needed.
20. Around the fuel filler cap some spilled fuel is added, but
before we applied the same pigments mentioned earlier, this
will give the stains a dried and older look. As fresh glossy
22 spills would be out of place here.
21. The finished hull, There’s a lot of variation in tone and

effects. The cloth has a nice contrast to the rest of the model.
22. Accumulated dust and Stirred earth from the diorama

range of AK are mixed with plaster to create a thick paste.

23 24
25 26
27 28 29
23. This paste is applied to the lower hull to simulate dry mud. It’s applied with turret. The wash is applied straight from the bottle and left to dry for about 10
an old brush. Clean your brush afterwards with soapy water, this way you can minutes.
used it again. 28. With a brush dampened with thinner the wash is blended in creating a dark
rust effect.
24. When the mud is dry a wash is applied over it to obtain some more depth.
29. When dry we repeat the process with a light dust color to bring some tonal
25. As our tank is abandoned for some time the rims are painted in rust tones. variation to the weathering.
These sides of the wheels would be in polished steel on an operational vehicle
caused by the constant rubbing against the tracks. 30. A light green color is used for the highlight chipping on the model. This is
carried out mostly with a fine brush, but here and there a sponge was used too.
26. A mixed of NATO Brown and Orange from the Real Color range is used to
paint the tracks in a dark rusty color. 31. The general chipping is carried out using different rust tones, we cover the
previously applied light green chippings almost completely to create depth in the
27. Track wash, a brown rusty tone is applied to some corners and edges of the chipping effects.
30 31

32 33
32. The tracks are mounted on the model, on the right hand side the track is 33. On the left hand side the tracks are mounted after
left loose as it will depict a broken track. Make sure the tracks hang naturally. mounting the suspension in the desired position.
Using workable tracks is a great help here.
STUG III
34
35 36
37
38
34. The effects from torch cutting the metal, the typical grooves are replicated
using a triangular file and carefully carving small grooves in the side of the
panel.
35. Dragon’s StuG III is a gem of a model and the fit is perfect. The
basic construction is pretty straight forward. The model is ready
now to be detailed.
36. The brackets for the schürzen are soldered together for
maximum strength.
37. These schürzen are from Aber and fit the model perfectly.
38. Before we could add the RB model barrel, the gun mantlet
needed to be drilled out to make sure the new barrel would fit
perfectly and would go deep enough into the mantlet.
39. The highly detailed and perfectly round barrel adds some
extra value to the overall appearance of the model. 39

40
40. The rest of the model

is detailed with photo-etch
parts from Voyager, which
really make a difference for 41
the fine details.
41. The rest of the model

is detailed with photo-etch
parts from Voyager, which
really make a difference
for the fine details. Tomek
place photo 40 & 41 next
to each other and add only
one caption

42
42. The base coat for our Stug is mixed from RC060
Dark yellow with some RC 079 CARC tan to make it a bit
lighter. To obtain a nice smooth surface a few drops of
Satin Varnish is also added to the mixture.
43 44
45 46
43. After drying overnight a couple of light coats of AK088 Worn effects 45. After dampening the white areas with a flat brush and water, a short
are airbrushed on in preparation for the worn white wash. sturdy brush is moistened with water and we start to take off most of the
white paint to achieve our worn white wash.
44. The areas that are selected for a white wash are painted with RC004
Flat white in several thin coats. 46. When complete the model is sealed with a few good layers of Flat
varnish.

47 48
49 50
47. Time to get dirty. AK 012 Streaking grime

is applied to the model straight from the
51 bottle and left to dry for a few minutes.
48. With the help of a brush moistened

with white spirit the Dark brown streaking
is blended in to outline the details of the
model but also to achieve the effects of
accumulated dirt.
49. Our model becomes darker after the

treatment with the streaking grime, to
bring out the details they are highlighted
with a lighter tone of the base color,
this means not only a lighter tone
of the Dark yellow but also some
highlighting with pure white in
the white areas.
50. As we did with our

Valentine, we also
used Stirred Earth
from the AK diorama
range to simulate
thrown up dirt on our
model.
51. Magic sculp is used to

make a tarpaulin to cover the
opening between the fighting
compartment and gun mantlet. Make
sure the tarp is thin and ‘hangs’ naturally
on the model.

52. On the rear on the
engine deck, lots of
accessories are added
in various different
tones and colors. This
consists of typical stuff
found on operational
vehicles and some
personal equipment
belonging to the crew.
52
53 54
53. The lower hull is treated with Muddy ground,

56 a thin layer is applied. It’s the same product we
will use to cover the base of our vignette.
54. The wheels are getting a muddy look with

the same product. Although a finer brush is used
to obtain more control over the amount of mud
we apply.
55. It speaks for itself that the tracks are getting

the same treatment. Because the product we
are using is in fact textured paint, no base coat
is needed on the Friul tracks we are using on the
StuG.
55 56. The schürzen overlap each other and this

caused a dividing line. This line is masked off
with low tac masking tape which is used as a
guide to paint a fine rusty line.
57 57. More chipping is added with AK 711

Chipping color and a fine brush. These chippings
are only applied on the dark yellow parts.

58. With shadows and chipping added,
the tarp painted and with all the
accessories in place the StuG is almost
ready to be placed on the vignette.
58
59 60
61 62
59. To achieve the effects of wet mud, a mixture of Fresh Mud and Fuel stains, 61. With Fresh mud we apply the effects of accumulated dirt on the lower
slightly thinned with white spirit, is applied mainly over the running gear. parts of the schürzen, this is followed by some splatters with the same
color.
60. The schürzen get a thin layer of mud as well. This is applied with a
toothpick on the inside, this area is closest to the tracks and running gear 62. On some wheels we will add some snow. First we apply a little snow
and thus subject to mud splatters. from the diorama range with a toothpick.

63 64
63. While still wet, we sprinkle in snow microballoons to achieve the typical texture of snow.
64. The StuG is now ready to be placed on the vignette. The worn white wash and heavy mud treatment
will strengthen the effect that the end of the winter is near and snow is melting causing a lot of mud and
dirt.
65. The StuG is now ready to be placed on the vignette. The

worn white wash and heavy mud treatment will strengthen
the effect that the end of the winter is near and snow is
melting causing a lot of mud and dirt. Tomek place
photo 64 &65 next to each other and add only one
caption
65
66 67
66. The base of our vignette is made up from foam and plasticard. This 67. The base is covered with wall filler and grooves are cut out of the
keeps it light. Use 2mm thick plasticard to give some strength to the foam to make the Valentine sit in the base instead of on the base so to
construction. speak. A thin layer of Muddy ground is already applied. The sides are
finished with wood veneer.

68 69
70 71
72 73
74

75 76
77 78
80. The
base is masked off
with pieces of scrap glass
and the water is poured in
several thin layers. Only work in
68. The model is test fitted onto the base.
layers of 3-4 millimeters to obtain
The position must be right as once in place it
a ultra-flat surface. As resin shrinks
cannot be moved again.
when drying. It’s needs to dry at
least 24 hrs between each layer.
69. The lower part of the vignette is covered with
This is time consuming but the
Muddy ground and accumulated Dust for variation 79 result is perfect, just what we
in color.
need, crystal clear water
with a greenish
70. Small stones from the garden and cat litter are used for the
tone.
stones on the bottom of what will be the river.
71. The cat litter is painted with various tones of grey and brown.
72. Grass tufts from Joefix are placed in the area that will be covered
by the Valentine, as once the model is in place we cannot reach
underneath the model.
73. A good layer of a few millimetres of Muddy ground is applied and

the model is pressed in place. A sponge is used to work in the model
and give the muddy ground some extra texture.
74. When the ground is dry Slimy grime light and dark washes are
applied to the bottom of the river in several thin washes.
75. Some vegetation and a boot and helmet are added as well.
76. AK’s Still water is applied to a flat surface covered with plastic
foil.
77. The Still water is flattened and air bubbles removed.
78. Ice sparkles from the AK Diorama range are sprinkled in the still
wet Still water. This procedure leads to naturally looking pieces of ice.
79. For the water of the river we will make use of AK’s Resin water, a
two component product that when mixed, creates crystal clear resin, 80
perfectly suitable for water. Water is seldom crystal clear so a little bit
of Slimy grime light is added to give the water a light green tone.

81
81. When the water is dry we can work on the rest

of the vegetation. We work in stages; first we
cover the slope with various products from the
Joefix range. We do this by first applying a layer
of Muddy ground and while still wet, we press
in the vegetation. It’s recommended to work in
small sections.
82. The previously made ice is separated from

82 the plastic foil and can be used next.
83. It can easily be cut to size and shape with a pair

of scissors.
84. We glue it in place with wood glue.
85. It’s pressed firmly in place and left to dry. The realistic
effect of ice already becomes visible.
83
84 85

86 87
88 89
90 91
86. To create more transparent ice, or melting ice we soaked the 92

previously make pieces of ice into still water.
87. The Still water can serve as a glue and we can now put our pieces
of transparent ice into place.
88. The gaps between the ice and the shore are filled with Snow
sprinkles from the diorama range.
89. Still water is used once again to blend in the previously applied
Snow sprinkles.
90. And while still wet, snow microballoons are sprinkled into the
snow.
91. When all is dry, a layer of transparent water gel is applied to the
water surface.
92. While still wet and using an angular brush we can bring the paste
into shape. Make sure you draw irregular lines and avoid a pattern, the
paste will keep its shape and dry out glossy and transparent.

93 94
95 96
97 98
93. Microballoons and water gel effects are mixed

into a thick paste. 99
94. This paste is applied around the areas of the
model that is stuck in the water to create water
foam. This dries quickly in a matter of minutes.
95. Once again a thin layer of Still water is applied

over the water foam to give a wet glossy look.
96. Our water section is ready and looks ultra-

realistic. This is easy to obtain using the products
and steps mentioned here.
97. As we need to blend in the Valentine in a snowy

area, we apply a bit of snow. First we apply Terrains
snow from the AK diorama range.
98. Onto which we sprinkle some snow

microballoons. Make sure the shape of the snow
looks natural and avoid blobs of snow.
99. Because we wanted some color and variation,

only small parts of the Valentine are covered with
left over snow.

100 101
102 103
104
100. The road on which

the StuG travels is covered
with a layer of Muddy
grounds. After 10 minutes
we press the StuG in the
paste and thus fix it in place
permanently. Of course
tanks that travel leave their
track marks in the surface.
We did this with a piece
of vinyl tracks of the same
shape as the tracks used on
our model and we pressed
it into the surface.
101. Then we carefully

remove it and a track mark
appears. We now let the
paste dry overnight.
102. Next a mixture of

Still water, Snow Sprinkles
and Snow microballoons is
mixed into a paste.
103. This paste is applied

with a stippling motion
onto the base in the areas
we want snow.
104. As we wanted to give

the impression the snow is
melting, not the entire base
is covered in snow.

105 106
107
105. An ochre brown mixture of acrylics and

108 Still water is mixed; it can be thinned with a bit
of water if needed.
106. And this mixture is applied to the road

creating the impression of muddy water from
the melting snow. To create puddles and a
glossy finish, several layers might be needed.
As it’s acrylic based the drying time is relatively
short.
107. The effects of melting snow are easily

obtained by using AK’s 8037 Ice sparkles which
we paint on with a brush.
108. Snow next to a road that sees traffic

doesn’t stay clean and white for long. So the
edges of the snow are given a light brown
greyish acrylic wash to discolour the white
snow and give it a dirty appearance.

109
110
109. A dark brown paint, either

acrylic or enamel based can be used
to apply mud splatters to the snow
coming from the road while traffic
is moving through the mud.
110. Often forgotten, but dirty

snow next to a road looks much
more realistic and can be achieved
in simple steps as described here.

spring is
comming

marder III tanker
winter
1 2
3
Since the appearance of the armored vehicles in the First World War, in order to end the trench warfare, the need arose to protect the troops from the devastating
advance of these armored beasts. The fact of operating in units organized with a defined strategy, added to its firepower and mobility, means that this task has to
come most of the time from the hands of the artillery or other armored vehicles.
Photo of a Marder III in the Museum of the Great For the use of these previous, in addition to the A soldier waits with a Panzerfaust to aim against
1 Patriotic War of the Victory Park in Moscow.
Possibly what is shown is a mock-up with certain
artifact in question, has had to intervene a large
dose of heroism in the mind of the person who is
3 an armored vehicle. They were really feared by
Soviet tank crews. Photo credit SA-Kuva
original pieces trying to be faithful to the original, able to attack a tank without any protection. Not
but without caring too much about the historical counting the above, the soldiers have been able One of the main problems of anti-tank artillery is the
fidelity of the real vehicle. Photo credit Andrey Ko- to count on anti-tank rifles, grenade launchers and mobility. When positioning an artillery piece and
rchagin - Flickr cannons of different calibers in order to neutralize open fire, whether or not you hit the bull's eye, the
the enemy advance. position is exposed and from that moment any other
The troops have had at their disposal different de- vehicle can destroy it easily. The piece can be either
vices to defend themselves. Some are considered Finnish soldier with a “Boys” anti-tank gun of towed back to another position or rely on its firing
"own means", Molotov cocktails, grenades tied to
gasoline cans or creating groups of grenades, etc.
2 British origin, useful only for small armor. Photo
credit SA-Kuva
rate and its aiming accuracy to save the situation.

4 5
Soldiers positioning an anti-tank piece in the

4 middle of the snow in the winter campaign. In
spite of being only necessary two men to operate
the weapon, the weight of it in conditions of steep
terrain required the strength of more personnel to
be able to place it in position. Photo credit SA-Kuva
A Finnish artillery tractor is towing a PaK 40 of 7.5

5 in the Soviet front. The mobility of these pieces
is determined by the vehicle to which that task is
assigned to, can be seen from normal cars to trac-
tors, trucks and even horses. Photo credit SA-Kuva
Perhaps the most effective and agile means

against a tank is a tank destroyer. It consists of a
high-power anti-tank gun mounted on the chas-
sis of a tank normally modified without the tur-
ret, making production cheaper but at the cost
of having a more limited angle of fire due to have
a fixed mounting. One of these exponents is the
Marder III. It is based on the Panzer 38 (t) chassis.
With the appearance of the Soviet heavy tanks on
the Eastern Front, the need for these vehicles be-
came imperative. Three variants were produced,
the first one, the Sd.Kfz. 139 Marder III, variant with
Russian gun of 76.2mm modified to shoot with
German ammunition, open at the top and with a
very tall silhouette, some 360 units were built. The
second, the Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III Ausf. H, with a
German 75mm PaK 40 gun and the engine in the
back, with just over 400 units built. The third and
last, the Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III Ausf. M, the most
prolific variant with around 970 built units, with
the engine in the center of the vehicle and the
closed rear part offering some more protection,
and also armed with the PaK 40 of 75mm.
Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III Ausf. H at the Auto & Tech-

6 nik Museum, Sinsheim, Germany. This is one of
the models that were available on the battlefield to
deal with the power of Soviet armor vehicles. Photo 6
credit Hugh Llewelyn - Flickr

WINTER
RESISTANCE
By Lechu Villanueva
A classic scene: a corner of a building with a model right
beside it and some figures to tell a story, this time in winter
setting.

1. Out base is build up in in different
levels. A Russian hut is scratch-build
as well as the pier, both or made
from wood. The small cottage act as
backdrop for our scene.
2
2. The cottage and the pier receive their base colors , the pier is
painted with a mixture of Tamiya XF 59 and XF 55 and for the
1 hut we use a mix of XF 68 and XF 51.
3. The base is initially painted

with a mixture of Tamiya XF 63 and
XF 51.The riverbed receives some
greenish washes with Vallejo
Dark Green. we use Some
stones and vegetation to
further dress up our base
before we add the
snow.
4
5
4. Several layers of snow will cover the ground, working in small

sections at the time. It’s not the plan to cover the whole base with
snow.
5. As we want to depict our model in a terrain with melting snow

3 we add some puddles of water to strengthen the effect.

6 7
6. While the base 7. With some washes with Humbrol we will
is drying, the pier is highlight different areas of humidity and wear on
drybrushed using Tamiya the wood.
XF55.
9
9. After pouring several layers of Andrea
Miniature's Artificial Water and letting it
dry for several days, we began the process of
8 creating a frozen riverbank with a layer of
Snow Sprinkles from Ak Interactive.
8. The pier is
ready to move on 10. While still wet Snow Sprinkles are used to create transparent
to the next stage. layers on top of a CD Vallejo Still Water.
10 11 11. We use thin layers of Woodland Scenic Water

to unify the layers and create a translucent effect.
12
13 14
12. To create the small swell that runs away from the shore we use Vallejo
Transparent Water.
13. A final view of the effect. Only the water near the edge of the river is
freezing.
14. We go back to work on the cottage. Various chips on the
wood are applied as local washes to give green and dark tones.
Finally we finish off the green sections of the wood with a mix of
AK Slimy Grime Light and Slimy Grime Dark.
15 16 17
18. We start the
delicate process of
covering the roof with
snow using Terrain
Snow for Dioramas of
AK- Interactive. We
consider this stage one
of the main risks, as it’s
all or nothing now. The
snow is applied using a
toothpick.
19. In the areas of thick

snow accumulation
such as the upper
part of the roof we
use a small sponge to
generate some texture
on the snow.
18 19
20
21 22
20. To maintain a sense of continuity again we use a toothpick to add

small traces of snow on the logs that make up the cottage.
21. It is time to create the icicles for ice start by stretching some
transparent sprue.
22. Place ice icicles is a delicate process. It is important to reference

the forms they have, their distribution and randomness. Finally I apply
a layer of satin varnish so that the icicles have a shiny finish.
23. Once we have placed the
icicles, we cover them with
different diluted mixtures of Snow
Sprinkles and Vallejo Transparent
Water. The idea is that they look
transparent and cold.
24. The accumulation of

snow over the icicles is
covered with several layers of
Sprinkles to give the feeling
of ice on the roof edge.
23 24
25. The next step is to integrate the pier to the rest of the land. 25
We apply small layers of Snow Microballons after first slightly
moistening the area with water.
26. We start to integrate the model into the groundwork. A wooden

slat allows us to give some movement to the tracks. We refill the
puddles and then give them a frozen look.
27. For this we use a technique similar to that of ice on the river water.
But with fewer steps. It is enough to apply the film generated with
Vallejo Still Water and once dry just cover them with thin layers of
Snow Sprinkles diluted in water.
26 27

28
29
28-29-30. The vehicle was enhanced with a

set of photo-etch by Voyager Model and a
barrel from Zero Models.The photo-etch set
without being excessive , gives the model a
great deal of extra details.
30
31 32
31. We use Tamiya XF 60 32. The chipping stage arrives. We use AK Chipping
lightened with XF 57 to add color and AK Dunkelgelb High Light. These chipping
some light modulation to the effects will be visible through the worn off white
model. wash.
33 34
33. To perform the white wash on 34. To highlight the white

the model, we work with the hair areas we added small dots
spray technique. It is important when of Humbrol white that we
using this technique not to rush and blend in using white spirit.
work in sections instead of doing the
whole model in one go.
35. We work on the lower part of the vehicle with different layers
of mud and mud splashes taking care not to end up having an over
excessive effect.
35
36

37 38
39 40
37. To integrate the model in the scene, we applied Microballons on the

horizontal sections.
38. On the vertical panels of the model we also work with AK Streaking
Grimme and AK Rust Streaks.
39. When working with the tools I try to imagine the environment in
which the model interacts. That's why we added effects such as mud on
the shovel and paint chips and rust on metal pieces.
40. A view on a different angle of the vehicle allows us to

see the convincing and realistic effects that we obtain when
adding these small details to our model.
41. Some washes can give interesting

effects of wear. On the toolbox we apply
several layers of Ak Light Rust and Ak Rust
Streaks to create rust effects according to
the climate in which the vehicle operates.

sherman
1 2
3 4
This medium tank, the M4 Sherman, was undoubtedly the most used by the United States in World War II. Mechanically reliable and relatively inexpensive to manu-
facture, one of its characteristics consisted in its gyrostabilizing, which while not allowing it to open fire in motion, it did allow that when the vehicle stopped to fire,
the weapon was already pointing to where it wanted to aim. This weapon was in the majority of the Sherman a 75mm cannon, although it was installed in some units
a 76mm cannon and in the British units, a 17 pounder one (the Sherman Firefly). This tank has been used without fear of being wrong until today. He participated
after the Second World War in conflicts as relevant as the Korean War, the Cuban Revolution, the Indo-Pakistani War, the Six-Day War, Yom Kippur and the Lebanese
Civil War among others.
Days after the Normandy Landing, some Ameri- a 75mm cannon and other 76mm. There were also Operation Torch, in Tunisia. Then the rest came
1 can soldiers from the 90th Infantry Division
protect themselves in a ditch, while a Sherman M4
changes in the suspension, some were equipped with
suspension VVSS (vertical springs) and others with HVSS
with the loan of units to the Soviet Union, China,
in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) and
from the 712th Tank Battalion gives them support. (horizontal springs). in a lesser extent, the Pacific Theater of Operations
A sign warns of the presence of mines. Photo and (PTO), where most of the operations were navals.
text Photos Normandie - Flickr Detail of the VVSS undercarriage of a Sherman. There
There were many denominations for this vehi-

2 is also a detail of the hull, in this case a casting one.
Photo Mark Holloway - Flickr 4 Infantry soldiers of the 30th Infantry Division
of the United States supported by two Sher-
cle, which did not necessarily denote changes or man of the 743th Tank Battalion cross the village of
improvements in themselves, but differences in Detail of both the track (the most relevant) and the Saint-Fromond which after the fighting has been
equipment or minimal changes in the design to
accommodate, for example, a different engine.
3 HVSS undercarriage of a Sherman. Photo Ceasol-
Flickr
left in ruins. Photo and text Photos Normandie -
Flickr
Thus, it is possible to find, among others, versions
M4, M4A1, M4A2, M4A3, M4A4, M4A5 and M4A6. The Shermans first saw combat in Africa on the side of The Sherman was a tank with enough armor to be
There were Shermans with diesel engine and gaso- the British, who used them to fight against the feared able to face the most of the vehicles and anti-tank
line. Others had a cast iron hull and others made of Afrika Korps. The first ones in hands of the Americans guns of the early days of the 2WW. The angle of its
welded plates. Others mount as was said before that also saw combat did it in Africa too, during the glacis and the thickness of its frontal armor made

tanker
winter
5
6 7
8 9
it resistant enough against the German threats. But conflicts, from liberation to the creation of nations. One And when it comes to talk about the winter camou-
facing the last stages of the war, it was clear that of the last feats of which we have been able to witness, flage, the Shermans also had white washable paint
was needed an improved angle and greater armor is to be a Hollywood actor in the film "Fury", in which, or what was at hand in order to hide their silhou-
to be able to offer survival possibilities. Solutions with more or less success, it shows the life in combat ette from the enemy. The crews using this paint and
such as the welding of side plates to protect the of the crew of an "Easy" Eight "(M4A3E8) baptized as vegetation tryed that their tanks remained invis-
ammunition depots and the addition of sand bags "Fury"and that at least, in what is talking about to action, ible to the eyes of the enemy and their weapons
and even concrete on the front were used to im- this film is filled of it. against their vehicles. This, as in the case of other
prove the shielding. vehicles, has led to the appearance of camouflages
M4A4 Sherman '3042118' – Vadim Zadorozhny Tec- and vehicles with a surprising and original appear-
5 Photograph of a Sherman to which concrete has

been added in the front in order to improve the
7 nical Museum. It was rescued from use a target on
Salisbury Plain and joined the Cobbaton Combat Col-
ance, outside the standards we are used to seeing.
protection in this area of the vehicle. In the tracks it lection in North Devon. It was then used as a prop in Troops advancing under the snow. In the back-
present the additions that were put to travel over
soft or snowy terrains, in order to improve the trac-
the Brad Pitt movie 'Fury'. The turret was removed and
replaced with a plastic replica, which was then blown
8 ground can be seen a Sherman. It carries cover-
ing the mantlet and the gun of the canyon white
tion of the tracks. Photo Mark Holloway - Flickr off during filming to represent the internal ammunition linens as a winter camouflage in order to hide them.
exploding. If you see the sequence of the film, it is the (NARA Archive).
Detail of the machine gun that was located on third vehicle in a column of four tanks. It has now been
6 the glacis of a Sherman. Photo Ceasol - Flickr reunited with its original turret and has moved to Russia.
Overall, it looks to be complete and in good condition 9 Shermans in winter camouflage stuck in soft
ground. The first two units, which are clearly re-
The Shermans undoubtedly have written very im- and is on display at the above Museum. Photo and text covery tanks, carry an incredible amount of equip-
portant pages of history. Having seen such a long Alan Wilson - Flickr ment to carry out their task, from spare parts to
operational life, they have been able to be protago- work tools.(NARA Archive).
nists or at least sideshow actors in a multitude of

M4A3E2

1
By Domingo Hernández
For this project, we used the kit from ASUKA

Models. The quality of the plastic and the
2
simplicity of the assembly, despite the number
of pieces, show the quality of this kit. The
sherman was a tank that fought on all fronts
during its live. Let’s see a Sherman in snowy
conditions.
1. The most complicated pieces were the bogies, which needed a bit of
work - sanding the wheels and replacing the inferior plastic nuts with
metal ones from Lion Mark Models.
2. The construction is straight forward. Next the interior was painted in

Tamiya XF-2 White.
3. The casting texture on the turret is done by first applying a layer of glue
that melts the upper layer of the plastic. While soft a stiff brush is used in
a dabbing manner to create the rough surface. When the glue has dried
the entire surface is slightly sanded with a medium course sandpaper.
4. Some additions were made by using photo-etch parts to have more

and finer details. Mainly to bring fine details up to scale. The barrel of
the machineguns are also replaced by turned metal ones. The modl is
now ready to be painted.
3
4

5. Painting is always the fun part for us and 5
We begin, as always, by priming my model
in grey to see any possible imperfections.
6. After making sure

the model had no
imperfections, we
sprayed over the grey,
the basecoat with
AK Olive Drab primer
thinned with AK712.
6
12
7. We began to add light and

shadows to the model, We
added the final highlights
with XF-76 from Tamiya in the
required places.

8
8. The idea we had is to depict in this model

"King Cobra" just before the famous phrase
"First in Bastogne" was painted on the side.
9. It is very important when doing a particular

Historical tank to have the proper reference
material. Given that we only have photos of
this tank from the front and one side, the
far side is left open for interpretation. The
following step was to seal the painting and
decals with a good varnish and to let it dry far
avoiding dust
10. Time to start with the oil paints. By using

various oil paints and some patience, you
can achieve great results. By creating tonal
variation in the large surfaces of the tank.
10
11 12
13 14
15 16
22
17 18

11. Several different colors of oil paints are
applied as dots onto to the model.
12. These dots are blended in using a large flat 19
brush moistened with white spirit. We work
from top to bottom.
13. To begin the process of weathering, we
applied a layer of AK "Heavy Chipping", Ref.
AK089, and left it for about 10 minutes to dry.
14. Next, I applied a highly diluted layer of AK
"Light Dust", Ref AK723.
15. The effects needs to be very subtle. Most
of the dust is again removed so only a small
amount of dust will remain.
16. Close up of the effect.
17-18. Time to start applying washes over the

green base with a brown color. We chose "Dark
Streaking Grime", Ref. AK024 and diluted it
with White Spirit, Ref. AK047. We started by
accentuating the details and let it dry for about
10 minutes
20
19. We remove the excess with a brush 21

moisten in White Spirit
21
20. Enamel paints are used to create subtle
streaking effects on the vertical surfaces
of the model. We paint in the streaks
randomly and blend them in with a brush
moistened with white spirit.
21. Water effects, streaks and accu-
mulations of water is carried out with
AK ‘Wet Effects’ Ref. AK079. Be care-
ful when doing this and make sure you
do it in appropriate places and not just
randomly over the model.

22 23
22-24. The weathering of the lower hull started with a coat of diluted
70% XF-68 NATO Brown That acts as a base for further treatment. Then
we prepared a pigment mixture of Various earth tones, which are applied
24 to the lower hull and fixed with Tamiya X-20. For darker spots, we apply
a bit of Tamiya X-19 Smoke in the recesses, giving a wet, interesting look.
“Fresh Mud", Ref. AK016 and Dark Mud, Ref. AK023 are used for more
streaking effects and also used for splatters on the lower hull to get even
more variation in tone.
25 Finally "Fuel Stains" are used to create more wet effects on the lower hull
and the tracks. This glossy dark brown enamel paint is perfectly suited not only
for Fuel stains but also for dirty water effects.
25
26-27 The product we use in this case is Signifer brand snow, but we can get the same effects by combining Snow Sprinkles (AK8009) and Microballons (AK8010) .
Signifer is a two component product, an acrylic resin powder mixed with water. The greater the amount of acrylic resin increases the volume of the snow. Normally,
we apply it with a very fine brush and then, when in place, retouch it with another brush dipped in water. After letting it dry a bit you can apply other products like
"Wet Effects" to give a little shine and simulate melted snow.
26 27

PRODUCTS AND ITS TECHNIQUES By Kristof Pulinckx
There are plenty of products we can

use to make snow and other typical
winter effects. Some are quite old
but still usable today. Nowadays
there are many new and easy to use
products to create realistic winter
effects for snow and ice from various
brands and each has its own typically
effects or finish. It’s the modeller
who can choose what suits him or
her best.
There are many different products on the market which can be used, with
varying results, but it all comes down to the individual modeller and the
effects and results that wants to be achieved.
AUREA DOMUS / SCALE75 / ANDREA SNOW
This is already a product of those designed for the demanding modeler. I liked it a
lot from the first time I used it and I have some at my home. I show it because it was
an interesting system of work for small surfaces, with an excellent result. There are
two envelopes, the C-02-A which is perfect for creating the caked snow layer. Must
be mixed with PVA glue and water and when it dries, a layer of the most convincing
and realistic snow is remaining. You can color it before or give a wash of color to
bluish it and give the impression that it is cold or a previous coat of snow. With
brown tones can get dirty and look like melting or having been stepped on. With the
envelope C-02-B, sprinkled on top after applying a layer of glossy varnish, you get an
effect of virgin snow or powder snow of an amazing realism.
Result is close similar to other products, we can also find the snow from the brand
Scale75, which offers the presentation of two different textures to get a finishing
according to our needs and always in a realistic and convincing way. Andrea
Miniatures offers a similar type of product, but comes with a single finish or grain,
which limits what we want to achieve, even if the finish is correct.

BAKING SODA MARBLE POWDER
Its real or main use is as a stomachic antacid and as an emulsifier in The marble powder comes from the cutting, polishing or industrial
the production of biscuits and bakery products. But its whitish and treatment of limestones or metamorphic dolomites called marbles, and
crystalline appearance made people at first use it to simulate snowy its main use is the realization by amalgamating with resin or cement of
mantles. Mixed with PVA glue or sprinkled over a layer of this adhesive, synthetic granite, tombstones and decorative elements for building and
after applying a layer of glossy varnish can actually create a layer of also in crafts. You can buy it in bulk in these craft shops and after sifting
snow. Its main drawback is that after a while, it begins to yellow, this product with a colander (something essential, it comes with many
presenting a rather unreal and unsightly appearance. types of grain and impurities, use respiratory mask protection when
performing this operation, please), we can mix the resulting fine marble
powder with PVA glue (and even some paint to tint the mixture) and thus
recreate a layer of caked snow. It would be necessary to varnish or use
other products for a realistic new snow. Ideal for its price for the initial
layers of snow.
OILS FOR VEHICLES AND TERRAINS
Oil paints are perfect to use for winter effects such as winter camouflage. These
are easy to work with and can have numerous applications perfectly usable to
depict your model in winter conditions and create special effects.

AK TERRAINS SNOW
The reference of AK Interactive belongs to the range "Textures", which are the products that are offered for the development of terrains with different
finishes. This is a product that is formulated to be used directly from the canister, without the need for dilution, with the help of a spatula or a brush.
It is acrylic, and therefore, if you want to change the thickness of the layer or the aspect of the effect, you just have to add some water to achieve it.
The finish, like the previous ones, is of an exceptional realism, and if we want to achieve the crystal shine of the freshly fallen virgin snow or the powder
snow, we will only have to put a layer of glossy varnish on the snow and sprinkle Ice Sparkles by AK and we will get that particular aspect.
In this range of products too and to achieve effects of accumulations of snow caked on surfaces (tank tracks, roadsides, etc.) we can find the reference
Snow Sprinkles, and for semi-melted snow or a small layer of freshly fallen snow and that has not set totally, over a vehicle or similar, the reference
Snow Microballoons, offered in a powder to be mixed with PVA glue, varnish or Sand and Gravel Fixer. Despite not being toxic, it is better not to inhale
it and use a protective mask.
SNOW SPRINKLES
Spring snow texture used to achieve ultra-realistic thin layers of snow. Snow sprinkles is a versatile product that can be used on its own. This is a high
quality acrylic product developed for extreme realism. Acrylic product to achieve snow texture. Perfect result in thin layers. It can be diluted with
water or an acrylic thinner to improve its flow. Combination of different products can allow you very relaistoc finishes.
GROUND TEXTURE VALLEJO

Spring snow texture used to achieve
ultra-realistic thin layers of snow.
Snow sprinkles is a versatile product
that can be used on its own; it also
combines perfectly with AK8011
Snow Terrains. This is a high quality
acrylic product developed for extreme
realism. The drying time takes from
2-4 hours depending on the amount
applied and temperature.
Acrylic product to achieve snow
texture. Perfect result in thin layers.
It can be diluted with water or an
acrylic thinner to improve its flow.
No toxic

AK WASHABLE AGENT
In the range of AK Interactive products we

find the Washable Agent. This product achieves
that any acrylic paint, when mixed with 10% of it
(you can modify this % to achieve different finishes),
finishes)
becomes a washable paint and therefore be partially
removed with water, and what is achieved is the effect
that the winter paintings offered on the battle tanks on which
these provisional means were applied. Highly recommended
and interesting. It also available the ready verison for winter camo
wasable paint.
*WASHABLE WHITE
Also available is washable white paint, it’s ready to use. You only need to apply it, and
you are able to remove it by moisten the surface and take off the paint with a brush and
tap water. Easy to simulate worn winter camouflage.
CHIPPING FLUIDS
For different effects and paint chippings and scratches we can use chemical products to
get a very realistic chipping. Easy to use and perfect for worn winter camos as well.

MICROBALLOONS BY DELUXE MATERIALS
Perhaps it was one of the first specialized materials that were used to recreate snow, its
initial use was intended to be mixed with epoxy resin to make a strong filling of cracks with
light weight. Mixed with water and PVA glue as well as many of the previous products, it
forms very realistic and attractive layers of snow. It is convenient to have applied something
before to thicken the layer and use the Microballoons over it, because it's hard for this
product to swell and keep the volume, if what we want is a generous layer.
Of the same range of products, to mix with PVA glue and water (or with the specific
products offered by the brand) we also have the snow provided by Woodland Scenics, Soft
Flake Snow, which comes in a jar presentation with an interesting price.

ICE SPARKLES
This is a commercial solution for

modeling for one product that in
really are polymers of small crystal
particles.and in final layeres and
particles.
combined with other products,
products
before drying, sprinkle Icy Sparkles
achiess a surprising result. Perhaps
its only drawback is the precaution
that must be taken when handling
this product (really we should do
it with everyone), which must
be done with a mask to avoid
inhalation. The finish withthis
product is really realistic.
TAMIYA SNOW EFFECT White
Is a product in line with diorama product that allow you tp deposit small parts with a realistic effect of
accumulated snow. This works very well in vehicles or on small terrains.
WEATHERING PENCILS
Another solution for modellers is to work with

pencils either wet or dry, perfect to create
chalk effects or even effects of washed off
paints.

FADED WHITE WASH WITH ENAMELS
Enamels are sturdy paints but they do dry slowly
and, in some cases, it’s an advantage. They
remain workable for longer after application
compared to lacquer or water based paints.
In the case of a winter whitewash this is
clearly and advantage for the example
we show below. After the basecoat
is on we can apply our white
wash and remove as much as
is required before the paint
has fully dried.
1 2

3 4
5 6
7 8
1. Here we apply a basecoat also using an enamel paint. The paint should transparent layers of paint that blend in nicely with the areas that need to
be left to dry for at least 72 hours, this technique with involve thinners remain white. The result is very convincing and fairly easy to achieve.
than can damage or ruin your paintwork if they paint hasn’t fully dried. A 5. After another drying time of about 48 hours we can continue by subtly
lacquer or acrylic basecoat is also usable for this technique. drybrushing our base color over the areas where our paint is almost
completely faded away. This also creates a nice contrast.
2. Next we apply matt white enamel paint with a drop of gloss varnish to
obtain a smooth surface. As we opted for a faded white wash it will be 6. Next we can start outlining the model to create shadows and depth. Be
OK if the base color is still visible in areas where we will remove most of careful to only accentuate the panelines and details. If you accidently spill
the white paint. your wash, clean it off immediately to avoid discolouration in the tone of
your white wash.
3. Clean your airbrush directly after the paint is applied and then we
can start fading the paint. We take a flat brush moistened with White 7. Up next, we mix our enamel white paint with thinner and paint on
spirit and slowly and gently start removing the paint in selected areas. Be spots of white over the faded white to obtain different intensities; this
gentle and work with patience. Clean your brush frequently for the best prevents your white wash form looking too monotone.
results.
8. Finally chipping, with the base color, is carried out where the white
4. It may take a couple hours, but due to the drying time of the enamels wash is fully worn away due to wear and tear. This step concludes the
this causes no problem. By gently removing the white paint you create faded white wash effect on your model.

MAIN IMPROVISED PATTERNS OF WINTER CAMOUFLAGES
We can find different painting schemes applied in the battlefield as we will see in the following photographs. It was rare to have spray guns on the
front line so usually the crews and other special units camouflaged their vehicles in a more or less improvised and artistic way. There were no identical
vehicles painted with a winter wash camo and most of the documentation is not preserved.
The most common patterns are listed below:
1. Mottled, based on applying

white paint with a brush or even
with animal hair. Easy to imitate in
modeling with a brush. We have to
hit the surface of the model with
the brush loaded with white paint.
Photo SA-Kuva.
2. Brooms to applying the paint

quickly. Striking paint was very
common. It is not easy to apply
in modeling in a convincing and
realistic way. Possibly the overlap of
camouflages and white paint once
the previous one was wearing out
produced as a result a combination
of very different strokes and
capricious shapes. It can be
imitated working in different layers.
Photo SA-Kuva.

3. Strips and irregular cells. You can
see square shapes, rhomboids, etc in
some vehicles. As we appreciate in
the photo, they were also effective.
Photo SA-Kuva.
4. Crossed lines: these lines were hand

painted with brushes with different
angles without a clear pattern. In
modeling they are easily imitated with
a flat brush. Photo SA-Kuva.
5. White patches. Covering most

of the vehicle, it was an effective
camouflage. Photo SA-Kuva.
6. Clouds. Some German vehicles

had these curious spots that resemble
clouds, had no more effectiveness
than the other schemes and
responded more to a decision of the
crew than to the current ordinances.
Photo SA-Kuva.
7. Geometric schemes. More

elaborated, they required a
tape to delimit the areas to be
painted, just as they are imitated
in modeling. Photo SA-Kuva.

artille ry i n th e s now
Images courtesy of SA-KUVA
The field artillery was not exempt from the

improvised camouflages to blend it with the snowy
environment. White rags could serve to hide the
shape of the gun and shield and the white paint
could do the rest to hide it from the eyes of the
enemy. The patterns and the way to camouflage
them do not differ from the rest of armored
vehicles, and their crews used to wear white coat
clothes whenever possible. If the gun were not
very large, a small hole could be dug in the snow
for better concealment or even covered almost
completely with snow before the first shot.

artillery
in the
snow
8.8cm Raketenwerfer 43 “PÜPPCHEN”
Dragon 6097 (1:35)
Rubén González Hernández

Eduardo Fernández Rodríguez

When it comes to making a winter scene we must take into account the large number of products related to snow and water on
THE IDEA the market.
Although not all of them will help us to achieve that desired Icey and cold finish, we will have to evaluate and test the different
options and determine which ones are closest to the idea we have in mind.
We have always said it and although we have several alternatives, the path is simple, either we try for ourselves or we base ourselves
on the work that others have done.
Either way, the question is to obtain incredible results and for this it is essential to use materials that are comfortable and simple to apply and use.
In this article we are going to use very simple products that we can easily combine to obtain realistic results.
1 2
1. This little Dragon kit is improved with Voyager's photoetch set, 2. Being a rather old kit, adding a certain level of detail with a PE
ref. 35090. Taking into account the small size of the kit and the justifies the extra effort.
complication of working with such small pieces in plastic, the difficulty
and added challenge when adding PE pieces sometimes does not
compensate as much as we think.

BATTLE Rarely the environment, and not the vehicle and its
WEATHERING figures, is the protagonist of the article. In this case
it is, so we will pay special attention to the work on
the scene but without neglecting the rest.
We will use a painting and weathering method, that is,
simple but effective.
3. The painting process begins with the application of the base coat. We
will airbrush RC062, a variant of Dunkelgelb. We will apply it with 40%
thinner covering the model completely and uniformly. Due Its small size
and the winter camo we will not add any lighting or shading.
3
4. Next, a generous layer of AK088 chipping fluid is sprayed with which

we can reproduce all kinds of chipping and scratches.
5-6. The winter camouflage will consist of a layer of RC004 White

applied by the airbrush and trying not to cover uniformly making the
paint appear in the upper areas as a slight glaze.
7-8.When the paint is touch dry it is time to start. To obtain all kinds of
chipping effects it is convenient to use various tools.
Among the most common are toothpicks and brushes with hard bristles.
Prior to use, the surface should be moistened with water.
5 6
7 8
9-10. The work on the base paint is
finished and now we can start with
the weathering process.
We will start by applying very
selective washes with AK066 with an
intermediate brown appearance. The
less we get dirty, the less we have to
clean.
9 10
11-12. TThen we will begin to apply oils to reproduce grime

and dirt effects on the paint. Given the small size of the model
and the environment in which it will be located, the most
convenient will be to use a reduced dark palette.
We will use Abt.090 Industrial Earth, 080 Brown
Wash and 093 Earth that we will also selectively
apply in the form of striking grime, shades
and various dirt stains.
11 12
13-14. After the application of the oil paintings, the winter

camouflage (white) looks very pale. To increase the depth
we will apply small chips with white acrylic paint and the
use of a fine brush.
These small chips of pure white stand out on the white
previously dirtied with the oils. This way the winter
camouflage stand out again.
13 14

15-16. To reinforce the contrast we will
add small Abt.160 Engine Grease oil
stains in some joints and mobile areas of
the gun barrel.
This oil is dark and somewhat satin, so in
addition to increasing the contrast, we
create the effect of leaks produced by
the oil used for greasing certain areas.
17. To achieve the look of burnished

metal in the areas of greatest friction,
15 we will apply the new AK watercolor
pencils metallic colors. We will apply
16 them dry on some edges and movable
parts. We can rub with a cotton swab or
even with your fingers.
18. To complete the work we will apply

Mig Productions P023 Black Smoke
in the end of the gun barrel. It is not
advisable to use any type of liquid fixer
that would ruin the final work.
17 18
19
19. To represent friction on some accessories made of

metal we can use the new watercolour pencils with total
ACCESORIES comfort. Although they can be used wet, the typical
scratches on the metal should be made dry and with a
sharp point.
20-21. Final look of the small field

20
gun completely finished.
21
23 24 25
THE FIGURES
The figures are painted with a mixed method: air-

brush was used for the first lights and shadows, and
a brush for the final touches and skins. Finally they
have been integrated on the ground with oil pain-
tings and with the products used on the ground to
represent the snow.
26 27
28 29 30
31 32
THE 33. With the idea in mind to build a small
DIORAMA winter diorama and with all the elements
already painted, field gun, accessories and
figures, it is only a matter of thinking about the
most suitable size for the scene playing with the
disposition of all the elements.
As a natural element and to give some height to the vignette, we
decided to add some rocks from natural cork and a couple of trees,
perfect as a background.
We used a piece foam of 16x16 cm but after placing all the basic
elements and getting an idea of the volume, we adjusted the size of the
base to 13x13 cm in order to avoid empty spaces.
33 34
35 36 37
34. Cork is very useful when it comes to representing rock walls and
there are different varieties and types. Once we have found the final
position of our rocks, with left over pieces of foam we raise the back part
of the scene on which we will place the trees.
35. We will cut the pieces of foam to measure, glueing them to the base
using white glue.
36. By adding foam in the right places we will be able to properly fix the
rocks to the ground. In the front we have decided to represent a section
of a path or road that will appear completely muddy. We will reduce the
foam in the curve with the help of the blade and be very careful with our
fingers.
37. The initial relief of this area is made by cutting with the blade the
foam longitudinally to the direction of travel.
38. Then with the metallic brush we go over the cuts observing how the
relief obtained resembles the idea that we have of a completely muddy
road in which we can see the tracks and furrows produced by the passing
38 of the vehicles.

39. AK8023 is used to cover the base and
isolate it correctly from the later weathering
processes and protect it from the products
used and that could damage the foam.
40. We will still fix the rocks when still wet,

getting them to settle perfectly.
41. As we move forward, the appearance

of the terrain is taking shape.
39 40
41
42-43. We will start working on the ground

with the dark and rough-looking AK8018
paste. We will apply it only in snow-free
areas, that is, in the base of the rocks.
Once applied, when it starts to dry, we
will peck lightly with a sponge to prevent
it from being rounded due to the effect of
the moisture.
42 43
44-45. We will also apply the paste on the
road covering it completely and without
worrying about it.
Then, with a brush of intermediate size we
will remove some paste from the grooves,
thus obtaining a greater relief.
46. Overall look of the ground in which

it is observed how the paste has been
distributed in areas that will appear free of
snow.
44 45
47. We will begin the painting of the
ground in the most prominent elements,
the rocks in this case. The ideal is to use
acrylics and a wet palette or, a blister of
pills.
A wide range of browns, white or pale pink
and black or dark gray colors are used, the
latter to generate lights and shadows. Use a
good quality Marter brush.
48. Next, we can paint the ground with

this same palette of acrylics, without trying
too hard since most of it will be covered by
snow.
46
47
48
49. The most frequent mistake when making a
VEGETATION
snowy scene is to skip some steps in the building
of the ground with the pretext that the snow will
cover everything. The ideal is to completely finish the
terrain, including all natural elements and vegetation,
then follow the natural order of things and incorporate
the wet effects, snow and ice.
Therefore, at this point, we will add the vegetation around the rocks and
in the back corner of the scene, where the trees will be located, start
with the low vegetation. We will use AK8045 sea ball whose natural and
irregular appearance is ideal for this task.
50. After extracting a bush with the 49

tweezers, we will cut the base making it flat
with scissors and we will soak it with white
glue so that it is firmly fixed to the ground.
51. Once placed in its place, with a wooden

stick we will open it and we will give it the
final natural appearance.
52-53. By combining different types and

brands of base plants we will achieve a more
natural and realistic look. While some of my
friends do not resist the temptation to buy
kits of vehicles of all kinds, I can not resist
all kinds of plants, shrubs, flowers or natural
elements to set scenes and dioramas.
54-55. Under the protection of the rocks,

these flowers survive the first snows and give
their name to this scene. It is easy to fix them
between the vegetation with the help of the
tweezers and some white glue. 50 51
52 53
52 53
54 55
54. On the rear elevation we will use

another type of base vegetation that we
will fix with a mixture of water and white
glue at 50%.
55. This base vegetation is a

combination of sea ball cut until its size
is 3 or 4 mm and green artificial turf.
Once mixed, we will sprinkle it on the
wet surface with the previous mixture of
water and glue.
56. Finishing the work on the low

vegetation, we will give some color and
depth on the rocks and the surrounding
terrain. For this we will use enamel AK026
Slimy Grime Dark diluted with White Spirit.
56
57 58
59 57-59. To further accentuate the depth
and start with dampness, based on the
rocks, base of the plants and rear raised
area we will apply fade greenish glaze
AK026 and dark brown AK263, both
combined with AK079 Wet Effects that
will bring some brightness.

THE TREES
Building a tree is simple but very tedious.

The ideal is to do it from natural elements
but be careful with the morphology of
them and their scale. We must look at na-
60 ture itself and try to have good references 61
to inspire us.
After selecting the trunks and cutting them
to the height that best suits our needs, we
will drill holes and stick the branches with
cyanoacrylate until we have the complete
tree.
We will apply a series of brown and dark
washes over the cyano, to unify and add
depth. Then apply a greenish wash at the
base of the trunk.
The difficult thing is not only to select the
material from which we will make the lea-
ves, but also to place it in a realistic way.
This is something that sometimes is not
achieved. As a compulsive buyer of all types
of vegetation for dioramas, I found that I
had a very interesting reference to recrea-
te conifers. By cutting small pieces of this
mesh lengthwise and fixing them properly
62 with white glue on the branches we can
63
obtain a reasonably credible appearance.
After letting dry, the final appearance was
not bad, to simulate intermediate branches
we will apply a wash the base mesh avoi-
ding staining the small barbs that simulate
the leaves, changing its color from green
to brown.
Finally, to represent the moss and lichen
from the base of the trunk, we add tou-
ches of Abt.010 yellow oil mixed with the
previously used green enamel. Once blen-
ded with White Spirit the effect is very real
but subtle so it is advisable to add some
gloss varnish to recover the sensation of
humidity.
64
65 66 67
68
69 72
70 73
74 73-74. We will place the trees in their place
using white glue. The advantage of using
this adhesive is that once dry it is completely
transparent.
71
75-77. To represent
HARD SNOW
the first layer of
harder snow, we
will make a grayish
mixture combining
AK8009 Snow Sprinkles
and AK8011 Snow at 50% to which we
will add a small amount of AK8008 Still
Water to make it somewhat liquid. We
will add AK8037 Ice Sparkles little by
little so that it has a somewhat bright
and crystalline appearance and we will
stir well before applying this mixture.
78-79. We will extend the mixture with 75

a brush trying to obtain a layer of 1 or 2
mm maximum without reaching the base
76 77
of the plants or rocks. In the limit we will
melt the mixture with Still Water.
80-81. In the track marks of the road

we will deposit the previous mixture,
blending the edges with Still Water. To
simulate the icy snow we will add a layer
of AK8002 Water Gel in the furrows
blending with some water. Its high gloss
finish will make it look like puddles with
snow and ice water.
82-84. After finishing with the layer

of snow, we will proceed in the same
way on the rocks, around the trunks in
the rear elevation and on some of the
branches of the trees.
78 79
80 81
82
83 84
85
85. It is also time to start representing ice on

vegetation. Apply the transparent gel directly
on the edges of the plants allowing it to
accumulate in these areas.

86 87
THE ICE 86-92. To represent the icicles

CARAMBANKS that are formed in some areas due
to water we will use transparent
plastic to which we will apply heat
and stretch with our fingers.
Then we will cut pieces of different size in a conical
shape that we will stick in the right places with cyano.
Once fixed, we will retouch the support area with
the mixture used for the hard snow and apply the
transparent gel to the rest to make its surface look
irregular like ice.
88
89 90
91 92

93. To make the soft snow we will only
mix AK8009 Snow Sprinkles and
AK8011 Snow at 50% with which
we will obtain a more spongy THE SOFT SNOW
mixture. We will also spread it with
a brush trying to obtain a layer of 3
or 4 mm, something thicker than that
obtained for hard snow.
94. To soften the surface and remove the traces of the
brush we will add AK8008 Still Water, diluted with
water.
95. The soft and white finish of the freshly fallen
snow will be obtained by sprinkling AK8010 Snow
Microballoons on the still wet surface. We will have to
perform this same operation on the rocks and with this
we will have finished the snow effects.
93
94 95
96. For creation of recent 96

tracks on the snow
FINISHING AND we will use specific
PLACEMENT OF accessories or a figure
THE PARTS with boots that we have
on hand.
97. It is important to place
the accessories while the last
layer of snow is still fresh to settle them
correctly on the ground. We can use
white glue to stick them in their final
place.
98. After reviewing some of the effects
we will finish the work.
97 98

GALÉRIA
by Roger Hurkmans

Roger Hurkmans
by Roger
Hurkmans

Roger Hurkmans

Roger Hurkmans

Roger Hurkmans

Adam Wilder

Roger Hurkmans

Phil Hyslop

Andrés Bernal

Volker Bembennek

Rubén González

Adam Wilder

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Tanker Techniques Magazine Special Issue Winter

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Tanker Techniques Magazine Special Issue Winter

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TECHNIQUES

tanker techniques MAGAZINE

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After WWII, the Finnish Army built up

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1. As the instruction suggests I started with the wheels. With the

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Side skirts with Double handles on the 4

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Reflectors on all mud flaps

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20. The filth and dirt was also done with

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Russian T-28 in Finnish hands, the similarities are

In this diagram can be seen the schematic 9 8

This blueprint shows the diagram of the

Blueprint showing the periscopes that the O-I

In this scheme can be appreciated the

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14. Oil paints were randomly

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20. The model was now ready for more

21. Details covered in winter camouflage

22. The remaining surfaces were treated 19

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37. Vertical surfaces need different approach, so I painted

38. This acrylic mixture works very well as a wash.

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55. Exhausts and gun barrels were darkened with a dry

56. A graphite stick was used on the impact crater edges.

57. And finally, areas containing the most chipping were

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Of all the Russian tanks during World War Two

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26. With first a light and next a darker tone of

27. The wheels received the same mud

28. Finally the wheels are splattered with earth

29. Clear gloss varnish is used for the water

30. The tracks are given the usual treatment.

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