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New monographic dedicated to the Afrika Korps. 88 pages in which you can find the latesttechniques employed by the authors showed step by step. A perfect reference to learn how to paint

those effects produced in desert conditions. Techniques that will inspire you to build your desertmodels.

New Monographic, Now On Sale!

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62 AfrikaKorpsING_62 ES Suscrip.qxd 21/04/13 18:22 Página 62

Panzer II Ausf. F

By combining pieces from two old model kits and doing a hyper-detailed job, we can get ahigh quality kit. This review also contains two pages with color profiles.

Soviet Tank Crewman

Portrait of a Russian tank driver right after the liberation of their national territory.

BT-5 (mod. 1934)

A 1/72 scale vignette set in the Eastern Front on the summer of 1941. Color profiles withdifferent camouflage schemes are included after this review.

MODELLING LESSONS: US Tank Crew

A step by step review of acrylic painting techniques on a 1/35 scale figure.62

Steyr 1500A Kommandeurwagen

A high quality scene set in Normandy, where the author demonstrates how we can usevery little space to tell part of a story.

Staghound Mk. III

This vignette is a hobbyist’s dream: A well balanced composition with a vehicle, somefigures and a ground piece executed and painted with the highest skills.

Panzer IV Ausf. C

An interesting version of the famous German armored vehicle with an interesting camouflagescheme.

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1. INDICE ingles:ESP.NDICE 18/04/13 4:35 Página 1

2

2-13 PANZER II ingles:PzI.F 18/04/13 2:54 Página 2

3

By: Juan Luis Mercadal Pons

Pictures by the author Color profiles by: Carlos de DiegoVaquerizo

Tamiya 1/35

KITS USED

Models: - Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. C, Alanref. 004 1/35 scale.

- German Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf.F/G, Tamiya ref. 35009, 1/35 scale.Photoetches:- Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F, Eduard ref.35047.

- Pz.Kpfw. I&II, On the Mark Modelsref. TMP 3508.Gun:- German 2cm KwK 30, Jordi Rubioref. TG-21. Tracks: - Pz.Kpfw. II/Wespe, Friulmodel ref.ATL-30.Accessories:- Sprocket wheels Pz. II-Wespe early,Friulmodel ref. AW20.

- German cranks 10-15 Tons, M4Models ref. 35023.

- Pieces from a Pz. Kpfw. IV On-vehicle equipment set, Tamiyaref. 35054.

A few years ago I began

to get obsessed about

doing a “decent”

reproduction of a

“Panzer II F”. That

meant that I had to get

a reasonable likeness

with the real thing.

Back then you could

only find the old Tamiya

kit, which was very

simple and lacked detail.

That’s why I decided to

use the hull, tracks and

fenders from the

“Panzer II C”

manufactured by Alan,

which were not

wonderful; just more

accurate.


4

A S S E M B L YI adapted to these pieces the super-

structure and the turret of the Tamiya kit,and used a few available complementsfor the kit that you will see listed in thechart below. I also had to do a fewpieces from scratch. Nowadays you canbuy a good kit of this char, so I’m notgoing to bore you any more with assem-bly details.

This vehicle saw active service for anumber of years; this means that yourpaintjob options are many. They rangefrom dark grey to dark yellow, and youcan also do all of the “African colors”.However I think that the most interestingcamouflage schemes for me are thoseapplied on the dark grey base color onthe summer of 1942 in Southern Russia.Nobody really knows for certain wherethose paints came from. It could havebeen paints RAL 8000 or RAL 8020 fromthe African theater of operations or paintobtained from the enemy. Once I con-sulted the reference images, I beganpainting my miniature Panzer.

I consider that the main paintingtechniques are too well known, and havebeen better described in other reviews ofthis magazine and other hobby manuals.That’s why I’m not going to go into toomuch technical detail. I will just make alist and will only get into detail when Iconsider it interesting enough: Base Color: A couple of airbrushed

layers of Tamiya’s XF-63.Highlight: XF-63 lighted up with XF-2

from the same brand airbrushed toenhance the different armored planks.Camouflage: Airbrushed XF-60.Camouflage highlights: XF-60

lighted up with XF-2, XF-57 and a littlebit of XF-4 applied with airbrush kit aswell.Enamel Filters: Tamiya’s XF-50, oil

paint 48 and Humbrol’s 93 on enamelthinner, all applied with a brush andallowing each color to dry up separately. Varnish: Three Model Air satin var-

nish airbrushed layers. Paint Chips: Hand painted using

Panzer Aces acrylics 306 and 302.General Layer of Dirt: Irregularly

airbrushed Humbrol enamel 63. 15 min-

The kit has been enhanced with photo etched pieces and other available

accessories, but it has been necessary to build a few pieces from scratch using

plastic sheet and plastic rods, copper wire, metal sheet, etc.

P A I N T I N G

The Alan hull (light grey) has been adapted to fit the upper structure from the

Tamiya kit and its turret (light brown).

All welding marks have been created with the tip of a triangular shaped X-Acto

knife mounted on a small electric welding machine (see Model Kit School in

Panzer Aces/Armor Models No. 11).


5

utes later it is partially removed usingenamel thinner. Intensifying Dirt: Hand made wash-

es with enamels XF-57, 93 and 29(Tamiya and Humbrol references). Thesewill intensify the dirt effect, but paintpuddles may occur, so be ready to cleanthem up with your handy thinner bottle. Dirt accumulations: Specific acrylic

washes on some areas with Tamiya’s XF-59, XF-57 and XF-15. Powdered color

pigments manufactured by Mig Produc-tions have also been used (diluted inwater). Mistakes in placing these (P037and P030) can be corrected by partiallyremoving pigments with a brush soakedin water.Stains and Dirt Trails: These are

only applied in some areas with subtlebrush strokes using almost undilutedpaint in some places and sometimesusing almost transparent paint veils

where needed. I used enamels, oil paintand acrylics when the need arose. Ichose orange and brown colors for creat-ing rust, sand colors for dirt and bitumenof Judea (thinned out accordingly) toconvey grease and fuel stains. Worn areas: Some gloss is made by

passing your finger repeatedly on theedge of the hatch, fenders, etc.Dry Mud: The tracks and the lower

areas of the hull are given some pow-

Now the gun previously painted with

XF-56 will receive a few washes

on X-18.

The camouflage spots on XF-60 are

lighted up slightly with XF-57, XF-4

and XF-2.

The flag used for airplane

identification purposes is a

rectangular piece of tinfoil with an

Archer transfer (ref. AR35035).

After we’ve dirtied the kit with three

color filters, we proceed to varnish it

using gloss varnish before placing all

decals and transfers. Afterwards,

three layers of satin varnish will

preserve our paintjob and the decals.

Once we’ve covered the kit with

XF-63, we add XF-2 to the mixture

and airbrush a few highlights. The

effect becomes particularly visible on

the wheels. The upper part of the

wheels is lighter than the bottom one.


6

dered Mig pigments: P028 and P037.These are mixed together (in varying pro-portions) and applied with enamel thin-ner and a little mat varnish.Tracks: The same pigments and the

same procedures described above. Theareas worn to a polish are recreated usingTamiya’s XF-56 and pencil lead. Well Worn Areas: Areas like the

hooks of the track wheels, the bandwhere the wheels pass, the corners

around the commander’s hatch, etc. arerubbed with graphite powder (pencillead). Painting Small Details: The

exhaust’s silencer and the spare tracksare done with a number of paint washesand some passes with the dry brushtechnique. The inside of the exhaust isfilled with Mig pigment P023. The rearlights are painted with Panzer Aces 308and 307. The covers for the front lights

are painted with 314 of the same brand.The gun shine of the gun and machinegun is created with base paint XF-56 andsome washes on X-18 (both Tamiya ref-erences).Accessories and equipment: The

wooden handles of the tools are paintedwith enamel 93 (Humbrol) darkenedwith oil paint washes on 46. The remain-ing accessories are painted with PanzerAces acrylics. The canvas is a rolled alu-

Paint chips are made with a No.

1 brush and paints 302 and 306.

Around the edges and other areas

where the chips are bigger, we’ll

use a No. 4 brush and apply

paint in ample dry brush

strokes.

At this stage we create a number of

dust and dirt effects using different

kinds of paint. The first paint washes

help ease “dirt” into the kit’s

crevices.


7

minum sheet and the flag is a tin sheetwith an Archer transfer. The accessoriesare dirtied following pretty much thesame techniques used on the vehicle.

I’m among those who think that amilitary vehicle is better displayed on asmall scene built for it, regardless of itssize. In order to get good reference mate-rial on how does the Russian countrysidelook in the summer I looked up for anumber of good color pictures on the

Internet. I had to do this because all thepictures I had of the vehicle where obvi-ously in black and white.

I measured the dimensions of my baseand cut a piece of plywood accordingly.Then I poured a mixture of sand, pow-dered color pigments, stones, Das Prontopaste and latex. While the above mixwas still fresh I added some texture to itwith a steel brush and also created someprints with the tracks of the vehicle.

Once all dried up I was not convincedwith its colors, so that’s why I painted itall over with the appropriate ones. I fin-ished it off by gluing a few blades ofgrass using well diluted white carpenter’sglue.

I created this “Leutnant” using a num-ber of different spare pieces that hadbeen lying around in my spares box. Thefigure is a Tamiya reference; I remodeledthe arms and added a couple of Verlin-den hands that could suit my needs. Itraded the figure’s head for a Hornet ref-erence, and scratched off the Waffen SSskull and glued instead a plastic circle(obtained with a hole puncher) where Icreated the Heer insignia. The rankinsignia and the other medals whereobtained from an old photo etchedsheet.

I painted it using Panzer Aces acrylicswhich are comfortable to use, do not

smell and can be diluted using water.Panzer Aces 333 (black) was appliedwith a few drops of Tamiya’s mat varnishin order to avoid any unwanted gloss.You have to keep testing until you get theright proportion of varnish and paintbecause excess varnish can turn paintwhitish.

The next and final stage of the “dirt” effect is achieved with powdered color pigments.

The figure is painted with acrylic paints

pretty much following the techniques

expounded elsewhere in the magazine.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-BITOH, Mitsuru. “Pz.Kpfw. I/IIseries and variants”, in achtungPanzer No. 7 Dai Nippon Kaiga,Tokyo, 2002.

-FEIST, Uwe and DARIO, Mike.“Leichte Panzers in action”, inArmor No. 10, Squadron/SignalPublications, Michigan, 1974.

-SPIELBERGER, Walter J. “DiePanzerkampfwagen I und II undihre Abarten”, in“Militarfahrzeuge” No. 2,Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 1991.

-SEVERAL AUTHORS “Chars inRussia I”, in Monographic vol. No.6, Acción Press, Madrid, 2002.

BACKGROUND

F I G U R E


8

COLOR CHART

TAMIYA (acrylics)X-18 semi gloss blackX-21 flat baseX-22 clearXF-2 flat whiteXF-4 yellow greenXF-15 flat fleshXF-57 buffXF-59 desert yellowXF-60 dark yellowXF-63 German greyMODEL AIR (acrylics)60 satin varnishPANZER ACES (acrylics)302 dark rust 306 dark rubber 307 red tail light 308 green tail light 309 periscopes314 canvas333 German tankcrew (black)337 highlight German (black)

On the axis of the wheels colored

pigments are removed with our

finger, and believe it or not we get a

very natural effect.


9

341 flesh base 342 highlight flesh343 shadows fleshTAMIYA (enamels)XF-50 field blueXF-57 buffHUMBROL (enamels)29 matt dark earth63 matt sand93 matt desert yellowMIR (oils)46 burnt umber48 burnt SiennaMIG PRODUCTIONS (pigment)P023 black smokeP028 Europe dustP030 beach sandP037 Gulf war sandTITAN (asphalt)Asphalt

The

accessories we

place later can

be dirtied,

following the

same

techniques

used on the

armored char.

Some areas are

exposed to

continuous

wear and we

can convey

this by rubbing

graphite

powder (pencil

lead)

The patina or

dirt layer gives

the kit an

absolutely

realistic look.


Pz

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14

ost units ended up beingbuilt almost exclusively forthe armies of several Com-

monwealth countries (including ofcourse the UK), following the Lend-Leasetreaty. Production began in the summerof 1942, and in October of the same yearthe initial run of 300 units arrived to theBritish arsenals. These “Staghounds MK.I” wound up being attached to thearmored regiments. On December 1943,with about 2844 vehicles manufactured,production ceased. The Staghound was a rather bulky

vehicle on wheels. Its armoring was50mm thick in the front, and it had a

37mm gun and a 7,62mm Browningmachine gun on a swiveling turret andanother machine gun on the chassis. Itwas equipped with two GMC 270 6cylinder gas motors that gave it 97(horsepower) when going at 3000 rpm.This vehicle proved itself worthy while incombat: it was fast, maneuverable, easyto maintain, and its fuel reserve of 623liters gave it an operational radius ofaction of about 250km. This vehicle saw action to full satisfac-

tion for the first time in Italy in 1943. Lat-er on, the vehicle was delivered to Cana-da, New Zealand, Belgium and India.The vehicle had a number of pioneering

devices such as the automatic hydraulictransmission, the turret swirling mecha-nism which was also hydraulic. In order to upgrade its weapons, 100

British units removed the vehicle’s turret,the machine gun outside of the turret;and were given a 75mm “Ordnance QF”gun and a Besa 7,92mm coaxial machinegun mounted on the turret of a “Crusad-er III” instead. These modified vehiclesthat seated four men where called“Staghound MK III’s”. These modifiedvehicles were used by the Polish, Aus-tralian, Canadian and New Zealanderforces.

MM

14-23 STAGHOUND ingles:PzI.F 18/04/13 3:07 Página 14

15

The “Staghound” was designed by the Chevrolet

Division of General Motors Corporation following

the specifications given by the US Army. After a

number of prototypes were created, the

specifications changed, and the vehicle ceased to be

manufactured.

Best Value Models 1/35

Bronco, the Asiatic hobby brandannounced the manufacture of this kit,however its production was heavilydelayed –more than my patience as ahobbyist could tolerate- so I finallychose the Best Value kit already for sale.The kit is a transformation of an avail-able kit from another brand (Typical ofBest Value). This kit is basically a copyof the “Staghound MK I” from Broncomolded in styrene with the pieces andresin elements to turn it into an MK III.As luck would have it, as soon as I was

A S S E M B L Y

The kit has a resin turret and a styrene chassis. It can be assembled quickly and

doesn’t need many improvements.

Some handles have been removed and have been traded for ones made of

telephone wire. The gun has been substituted for an aluminum one, and on the

back I’ve placed a box from a Verlinden set.

By: Javier Redondo Jiménez Figures by: Diego J. Jiménez MolinaPictures by the author


Mud splashes have been made with a hard tipped brush and powdered color

pigments on enamel thinner.

The silencers on the exhausts have been painted with a mixture of oil paints:

209, 305 and 701. This mixture was later on given some nuances

with pigments P024 and P025.

KITS USED

Model:

- Staghound MK III, Best ValueModels ref. 35058, 1/35 scale.

Gun:

- British 75mm, Jordi Rubio ref.TG33.

Accessories:

- Lenses, MV Products ref. TG33.- Tank tool & equipment boxes,Verlinden Productions ref. 346.- Jerrycans, Italeri ref. 402.Buildings:

- Anti-tank defenses, Hobby 37 ref.H3732.- 38(t) Bunker, Mig Productions ref.MP35-261.

Figures:

- Soldier in running crouch, Hornetref. BH04.- British tank crew WWII, VerlindenProductions ref. 0311.

done with my kit, Bronco f inal lyreleased its Staghound MK. III.The Best Value kit is assembled easily

and uneventfully as long as you keep aneye on the instruction sheet. The onlything I did to it was to discard the plas-tic gun and use a Jordi Rubio aluminumone instead, place on the rear a Verlin-den box and place MV Products lenseson the kit’s headlights.

I have little to say in terms of assem-bly. We’re dealing with a kit that can beassembled without problems, whichrelieves me a great deal. I feel that vehi-cles on wheels are particularly attractive,and this one with its massive turret is inmy opinion one of the most beautifulbuilt during WWII.


The turret from the “Panzer 38(t)” was painted with XF-60 toned down with XF-57 and XF-2 (All Tamiya references).

The camouflage on the turret has been airbrushed with the help of some masking tape using XF-63 toned down with a

small amount of XF-2. Dirt has been made following the same treatments usually employed on any military vehicle.

The ground is a mixture of plaster, acrylic paint, powdered pigments thin sand and water. Once it all dried up I used

several powdered color pigments, grass and fallen leaves.


18

When time came to choose a camou-flage scheme I opted for the Britishcamouflage scheme popularly known as“Mickey Mouse”. This scheme wasnamed after the famous cartoon charac-ter because the camouf lage spotsresembled the ears of the character.This camouflage scheme was first usedfrom 1944 onwards and was seen inBritish and Commonwealth units inNormandy and the following French,Belgian and the Netherlands cam-paigns. This scheme basically consists

P A I N T I N G

The bunker has been painted with

Humbrol enamel 95, and the

splintered camouflage scheme has

been made with the help of masking

tape using Tamiya’s XF-1. Vertical

dirt trails that usually appear on the

surface of concrete have been made

by melting various oil paints.


19

The cover for the motor has been

given a dust layer with powdered

pigments on enamel thinner. Grease

stains have also been painted.

White carpenter’s glue has been used

to glue the MV Products lenses on

the kit’s headlights. These items help

to add an extra touch of realism to

any kit.

on a number of black spots on a KhakiDrab SCC15 base color that visuallybreak up the lines of the vehicle. Thespots had to have semicircular shapeson the vertical and slanted surfaces,and cover up the horizontal surfacescompletely. I airbrushed the kit entirely using

Tamiya’s XF-51 (85%) and XF-60(15%). Then I did a dark mixture withXF-1 and highly diluted XF-52 usingTamiya’s X20a thinner and used it to dosome detail profiling on the details andcarved areas, and used XF-60 to create afew highlights. Once I did that I began to work on

the camouflage pattern. I painted thepeculiar spots using a brush and highlydiluted (using water) Model Color’s950; I first drew the outline, and then Ifilled up the shapes using a thickerbrush, going over it several times. ThenI used my airbrush (set on very low airpressure) kit to create a few highlightson the camouflage by using highlydiluted XF-63.Then I used my brush to paint the

box on the rear of the turret using Mod-el Color’s 897. I did some detail profil-ing on the box and the correspondingcamouflaged areas using the mixtureemployed earlier (XF-1, XF-52 dilutedwith X20A). In the meantime, andwhile I allowed paint to dry up, I paint-ed some of the equipment and otherdetails on the vehicle. I used the Micro Set and Micro Sol

decal f ixing products for attachingdecals, and then I protected the kitusing an overall coat of Model Air satinvarnish, airbrushed in thin layers. ThenI created some wear in the paintjob bydoing a few enamel filters on P241,P242 and P246 allowing each color todry up separately. Later on I increased the paint wear

effect throughout by melting a few oil


20

COLOR CHART

TAMIYA (acrylics)XF-1 flat blackXF-2 flat whiteXF-51 khaki drabXF-52 flat earthXF-57 buffXF-60 dark yellowXF-63 German greyPANZER ACES (acrylics)302 dark rustMODEL COLOR (acrylics)882 middlestone897 bronze green921 English uniform950 black976 buffMODEL AIR (acrylics)60 satin varnishTHE FILTER (enamels)P241 brownP242 tanP246 grey

HUMBROL (enamels)34 matt white64 matt light grey95 matt concreteVAN GOGH (oils)105 titanium white209 cad. yellow227 yellow ochre305 cad. red409 burnt umber411 burnt Sienna623 sap green701 ivory blackTITAN (oils)80 bitumenMIG PRODUCTIONS(pigments)P023 black smokeP024 light rustP025 standard rustP033 dark mudP034 Russian earthP037 Gulf war san

The roadsing,

made with an

Evergreen sheet

has been dirtied

with powdered

pigment P024.

The letters in it

are Decadry

transfers.

The figure has

been painted

with Model

Color acrylics

following the

classic technique

of highlights and

shadows. Base

color for it was

921.

Two Verlinden

figures have been

placed on the turret.

These are hardly

visible through the

portholes or hatches,

making their

respective paintjobs

a whole lot easier.

Only the head and

shoulders are

painted in both

cases.

paints. I worked on separate areas,moistening the surface with Humbrolenamel thinner, and placing smallamounts of oil paints smearing themwith a brush soaked in thinner. Theresult was transparent paint veils thatenhance the vehicle’s general appear-ance. The colors used were 227, 105,209, 623, 411 and 409.Then I took care of the paint chips. I

used a mixture of Model Color’s 882and 976 for the superficial scratches,and Panzer Aces 302 for the deeperones. I used a thin brush for paintingboth. And finally I took care of adhered dirt

and sand with the use of Mig Pigments’P033, P034 and P037. I created mudsplashes by diluting these pigments onenamel thinner, and put them on the tipof a hard tipped brush, and splashed it


21

on the kit with low pressure air from myairbrush kit. When these mud splashesdried up I found out that I had achieveda pretty realistic effect; the areas wheremud splashes were not wanted Iremoved pigments with a brush andsome water. I left the polished metal effects for the

end, doing them with pencil lead. Theblack soot on the exhausts and on thegun was created with pigment P023.Grease and oil stains were done with oilpaint 80, a very useful oil paint refer-ence that was diluted in different pro-portions for the different –extremelyconvincing-results obtained.

The area where the action takes placeis located on the north eastern part ofthe Rhine, on the final stages of the war.The Germans took advantage of the nat-ural barrier formed by the river and builtpermanent defense structures throughouthoping to stop the invasion of their terri-tory. Among the units commanded byField Marshal Montgomery that liberatedthe Netherlands in fierce combat, we

could find the 1st Canadian Army. I built the base with Polyfoam material

(as usual) and cut with a knife, differentlevels into it. I glued on a corner of it(using white carpenter’s glue) a resin MigProductions’ bunker which includes aPanzer 38(t) turret that I didn’t glue inorder to paint easily. I also glued somedandelions provided by Hobby 37. BeforeI worked up the background, I paintedthe blocking structure and all otherobstacles using Humbrol enamel 95. Iput some dirt into it doing some enamelwashes with 64 and 34, and added a fewdirt trails with some oil paints.The ground is a mixture of textured

plaster, Mig color pigments, and thinsand mixed with some water. I appliedthis paste with a hard brush: I collectedthe paste on the tip of the brush andthen placed it on the ground and pattedit down.When the allies found these defensive

structures, they sent down the engi-neers who used bulldozers and explo-sives to clear obstacles and landmines. Iportrayed one of these bulldozed pas-sages after some vehicles had troddenthe ground and left the surface printedwith all sorts of wheel and track marks.

I created these prints with spare wheelsfrom an old kit. When the mixture had dried up I used

a soft brush to place a few powderedcolor pigments that were fixed in placewith drops of enamel thinner. Then Iplaced a few small roots, artificial grassand a few Hudson & Allen dried leaves. The “Canuck” (name given to the

Canadian soldiers) is an old white metalHornet reference of a Tommy (Britishsoldier) with tin leather strap for thegun, which I manufactured. This figureand the entire crew of the armored vehi-cle were all painted by my old friendDiego J. Jiménez Molina with acrylicpaints.

Black camouflage spots on this “Staghound” were carefully painted by hand

one by one. A hard job, but well worth the effort.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- BUONO, Benedict. “Canadiansin WWII”, in “EurouniformesNo. 24 (October-November2004), Acción Press, Madrid,pgs. 16-24.

BACKGROUND


22


ID. badges. CDN stands for Canadian

Armed Forces. The letter before the

serial number refers to the

recruitment district.

Uniform and equipment of Canadian

Infantry Troops between 1944/45.

The “Battledress” uniform designed

in Britain was created in 1942. It was

a dark kaki green colored cloth of a

better quality than its British

counterpart. It was commonplace to

use the camouflage net as a scarf in

order to avoid friction between the

neck and the leather jacket.

The 1937 model made in Canada,

(also a British design), was a deeper

yellow than its British counterpart.

The British Mk. III helmet was

usually worn covered with the

camouflage net. Canadian troops

usually employed the cover of the

water canteen to keep the lunchbox

inside.

All platoon commanders like this

caporal were armed with a sub-

machinegun Sten Mk. II. You can see

the regiment name by his shoulders:

“Queen’s Own Rifles”. Underneath

you can read the country –Canada-

and further down you’ll see the

division insignia: a blue rectangle

belonging to the 3rd Infantry Division

and underneath it all you can see the

caporal gallons. 23


24-33 KOMMAN ingles:PzI.F 18/04/13 3:25 Página 24

25

he mobility of the commandofficers on the different frontswas paramount. One of the

vehicles employed for this purpose wasthe Steyr Kommandeurwagen, manufac-tured by the Austrian firm Steyr. Thisvehicle was manufactured using thechassis of a 1500A/01 truck as dictatedby the directives of the “Schell” plan of1940, which established the standardsfor the army vehicles destined to carrydifferent kinds of loads. The “Wehrmacht” was well pleased

with this vehicle which could carry amaximum speed of 100km/h on wellpaved roads. The vehicle was propelledby an 8 cylinder gas motor having 85hp(horse power) it had four forward gearsand a rear one: Excellent gear arrange-ment all in all.The “Kommandeurwagen” command

version was designed with comfort inmind and seated five people. All its seatswere leather lined and the front onecould recline and turn into a bed. This

vehicle was regularly used by command-ing German officers from northern Africato Russia. I have placed this vehicle in a diorama

representing Normandy after the alliedlanding.

This Tamiya kit is exceptional: A sim-ple array of parts, clean molding and aperfect fit. I like the styrene tires on thekit, because rubber ones tend to hardenand crack over time. In other words, thekit is a joy to the hobbyist.I bought the Eduard photo etched

sheet for the vehicle, because I wantedto improve significantly on the kit. I tookfrom the sheet: the ventilation grillescovering the motor, the gear shift guides,fuel can fastenings, the clutch pedals,the brake, the accelerator, and the tex-tured (to avoid slipping) metal floorplanks. This set also contains a transpar-

During the first stage of WWII, the automotive units of the “Wehrmacht”

conquered most of Europe using the Blitzkrieg (thunder-lightning-war). These

victories can be attributed to the highly professional training of the higher

ranking officers and also to the extensive training of all intervening units.

By: Joaquín García Gázquez Pictures by the author

Tamiya 1/35

A S S E M B L Y

KITS USED

Model:

-German Steyr Type 1500A“Kommandeurwagen”, Tamiyaref. 35235, 1/35 scale.

Photoetchs:

-Steyr 1500 “Kommandeurwagen”,Eduard ref. 35286.

Building:

-Ruined building sections,Verlinden Productions ref. 1533.

Accessories:

-Jerrycans, Italeri ref. 402.-Brick walls, Italeri ref. 405. -Red bricks, Verlinden Productionsref. 1447.-Building accessories, MiniArt ref.35005.

Figures:

-Panzergrenadiers, Panzer LehrDivision (Normandy 1944),Dragon ref. 6111.-Chasseur de Chars 2. Pz.Div.Normanie Juin 1944, Nemrod.

The vehicle has been

painted with a mixture of

Gunze Sangyo’s H-403

and Tamiya’s X-2 and

XF-57. In order to give

this mixture the adequate

gloss finish, a few drops

of gloss varnish were

added to the mixture.

The thin camouflage lines

have been made using

Tamiya’s XF-61 and

XF-64. Both colors were

toned down with XF-4.

TT


Weathering and

other paint defects

were achieved with

the usual oil paint

treatment, using

colors: 21, 46, 39,

45, 41, and 11. The

lines between the

planks on the

chassis were

darkened with oil

paint washes

with 45.

The background is modeled using Das Pronto putty paste and before it dries up we have created some wheel prints. Sand

and pebbles of different calibers are glued using white carpenter’s glue. The thick part of the foliage is made out of foam

rubber used by model train hobbyists.


ent acetate sheet with the speed metersprinted in black ink. All these elementsmake assembling the vehicle a fun andeasy experience.I f inished the assembly phase by

doing a few dents on the fenders: I heat-

ed them by getting them close to a smallelectric welder (Being careful not to meltplastic away) and created dents by press-ing them against a wood block.

Leather on the seats was created

using a base mixture containing

XF-1, some gloss varnish and

Tamiya’s X-26. I followed the

standard figure painting techniques,

doing highlights using Model Color

Acrylics 39, 956, and 982 applied

with a brush.

Earth and debris are painted with

XF-52, and are highlighted using

XF-15 and shadowed with XF-10.

The foliage is painted with a mixture

of XF-4 and XF-5. The Verlinden wall

has XF-7 and XF-64. All of the above

Tamiya references have been applied

using an airbrush kit.

We take to the brushes now and use

Model Color acrylics to take care of

some details like loose stones, a few

bricks, etc. We make the wall stand

out by hanging a poster and an

advertisement both created by

Verlinden Productions

(refs. 23 and 1264).


28

Before we begin painting, we shouldknow what goal we pursue, and what iswhat we want to transmit with ourchoice. Each kit has precise demands inthat sense. We should not turn our kitinto a complete exhibit of our talents.We should come to reason and take onlythe adequate steps to create the scenethat we want to portray. In this particular case we’re dealing

with a command vehicle, which hasbeen adequately taken care of with theright amount of maintenance. When theUS Army unleashed the Cobra Operationto weaken German resistance, the Ger-mans began to lay hands on everythingavailable, so it makes sense for this vehi-cle to show minor defects, even if mostof it is in a very acceptable state.

We apply an overall wash on oil paint

45 to profile details and create depth

within the details. Then the wall

needs some dirt provided by some

washes on Humbrol enamel 72.

Debris on the ground is a mixture of

cat litter sand, Italeri and Verlinden

bricks painted with Tamiya’s XF-57.

The inner part of the wall has a

mixture of XF-2 and XF-3. These

have undergone the same treatments

used on the ground.

It’s important to choose the properbase size, and arrange in a simple, yeteffective way the elements which aregoing to be in it: The figures will beplaced in a small depression on theground so they are set against the vehi-cle and let you see the details in it. Theruins on the bottom will act as a back-ground and will help you get a feeling ofverticality.

P A I N T I N G

THE BASE


29

COLOUR CHART (Steyr)

GUNZE SANGYO (acrylics)H-403 dark yellowTAMIYA (acrylics)X-2 whiteX-22 clearX-26 clear orangeXF-1 flat blackXF-4 yellow greenXF-7 flat redXF-57 buffXF-61 dark greenXF-64 red brownMODEL COLOR (acrylics)861 glossy black956 clear orange982 cavalry brownMIR (oils)11 Persian yellow21 cinnabar green39 ivory black41 yellow ochre45 raw umber46 burnt umberHUMBROL (enamels)29 matt dark earth72 matt khaki drillMIG PRODUCTIONS(pigments)P028 Europe dustP033 dark mud

The pile of debris is treated with

powdered pigments P027 and P029

applied with a soft brush.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- BUFFETAUT, Yves. “Les Panzeren Normandie”, in “MilitariaMagazine” Hors Serie No. 1,Histoire & Collections, Paris,1991.

Plant life around is further enhanced

by additional vegetation provided by

the now defunct brand Silflor. These

are glued on the foam rubber surface

which provides the bulk needed. The

bright colors are then toned down by

airbrushing highly diluted Humbrol

enamel 72. When finished I applied a

few touch ups on the walls and

ground applying some colored

powdered pigments, oil paint and

acrylic paint.


30

It’s important to vary the color tone from one item of clothing to the next. The

Feldgrau cloth was manufactured by different companies was also subject to

manufacture dates, and changing availability of tissue. This created varying

tones of Feldgrau, and that should reflect in our miniatures.

The windshield and the windows are

dirtied by airbrushing Tamiya’s

XF-57. On the windshields, masking

tape was used to create the clean area

where the wipers act.

The officer is a plastic figure

manufactured by Dragon, improved

with a Warriors head, and Hornet

hands. The map is Plus Model

reference.

The figure’s pants have been dirtied

using sand colored acrylic paints

applied in very well measured paint

washes. The final touch consists of

powdered color pigments.

The Nemrod resin head of the

grenadier has also been changed

for a Hornet reference that I had in

my box of spares. The bottle and

the “Panzerfaust” are both

Tamiya references.


COLOUR CHART (Base)

TAMIYA(acrylics)XF-2 matt whiteXF-4 yellow greenXF-5 flat greenXF-7 flat redXF-10 flat brownXF-15 flat flesh

XF-23 light blueXF-52 flat earthXF-57 buffXF-64 red brownMODEL COLOR(acrylics)908 carmine red956 clear orange

982 cavalry brown986 deck tan990 light greyMIR (oils)45 raw umberHUMBROL (enamels)72 matt khaki drill

MIG PRODUCTIONS (pigments)P027 light dustP029 brick dust

The figures have been painted

with Model Color acrylics

using the usual method of

highlight and shading

techniques following a

zenithal light source.


We apply some dirt to the vehicle using Humbrol enamels 29, 72 and some Mig Pigments. The

rings on the sides of the tires are cleansed, because in real life much dirt is cleansed as well by

the wheel’s movement.


his diorama portrays a Soviettank crewman in 1944, year (inthe calendar of the Great Patriot-

ic War) that became the apex of sacrificein the liberation of their national territory.We can also see in this diorama the

remains of an old T-26, used by theNazis to police the area and fight thepartisans.

The German invasion of the USSR which began on June the 22nd

1941, began with a number of defeats suffered by the RKKA (Red

Army of Workers and Peasants) and almost obliterated all of its

armored resources. An urgent policy of reconstructing these with

new means was instantly put to effect, and a new generation of tank

crewmen had to learn the job on the hardest of circumstances. The

armored division was reborn out of its ashes to become the war

machine that eventually reached Berlin on early 1945, and gave

Germany its greatest defeat in history

By: Diego J. Jiménez Molina Pictures by the author

Alpine 1/35

TT34

34-37 CARRISTA RUSO ingles:PzI.F 18/04/13 3:38 Página 34

35

The resin figure, sculpted by TaesungHarmms, belongs to the Alpine Minia-tures catalogue. The modeling as usualwith this brand is excellent; the onlymodification –it can hardly be calledthat- was trading the figure’s head foranother one of the same brand.

The background is a mixture of plas-ter, acrylic resin, artificial grass (Verlin-

den Productions) and Mig Productions’powdered color pigments applied with aspatula on a wooden peg texturized witha hard brush. Before the mixture dried upI placed on a corner the turret of a T-26made by Italeri (Zvezda original mold)with a few custom modifications (rivetsmainly), and painted following the tech-niques explained elsewhere in reviews ofthis magazine. Once the backgroundwas completely dry I used white carpen-ter’s glue to put a few Hudson & Allendry leaves and some mushrooms mod-eled with putty (bi-component one)

Preparing the figure before we beginpainting was just the usual thing: Get ridof molding lines with wet sandpaper(500 or 600 gr.) puttying the partinglines between different pieces (using anumber 2 brush) and washing the figurewith some soap and water to clean

P A I N T I N G

KITS USED

Figure:- WII Russian Tank Crew, AlpineMiniatures ref. 35040, 1/35 scale.

Complements:- Head from a WWII RussianTanker 1943-45, Alpine Miniaturesref. 35012. - Turret from a T-26 Soviet Tank,Italeri ref. 359.- Static Grass Autumn/WinterBrown, Verlinden Productions ref.638.- Forest Litter, Hudson & AllenStudio ref. HA-9403.

The turret has been painted by

following the usual techniques used

for painting vehicles. The impact on

the side has been pierced with a

triangular shaped X-acto knife, and

twisting it around.

The leather strap and the holster

have been made with a mixture of

AC-16, 950 and 817. Then shadows

were created with the addition of 861

and 828, and highlights include 948.

On the shoulders, the sow marks,

lapels and buckles on the Jacket,

we’ve used a greater amount of 921

and 913 in order to convey the usual

wear on leather implements.


36

residue and grease provided by my fin-gers.

I stuck the figure on a temporary basein order to be able to manipulate it with-out touching it. I primed the figure by air-brushing Tamiya’s XF-24. Priming resinfigures is essential; I used to employ

lighter colors for priming, but I like darkerfigures better now.

I took my brushes and some ModelColor acrylics and did an initial shadingjob using a mixture of 872 and 950. Thereason I did this is because I wanted topin down the transition area between

highlights and shadows and get the pro-file lines into the figure’s clothing. Get-ting those deep profile lines into theclothing would be an extremely difficultthing to do once the figure’s already beenpainted.

Then I began working on the eyes onthe figure’s face. I usually paint the whitearea in the eyes, using white and somegrey, a touch of red etc. I ‘m always onthe lookout for new color ranges, even ifat this scale all efforts go largely unno-ticed. Then I painted a thin line to createthe eyelids using a dark brown shade,more specifically 822, which was alsoused to trace the iris. Then I filled it with966 highlighting it with 951. Then I tookcare of the flesh tones using a mixture of876 and 946 and did the highlights byadding 845 and 917 and the shadowswith greater amounts of 946 and 921. Ialso performed a number of paint veilswith 817 combined in different propor-tions with 921, 960 and 945 in the fig-ure’s cheeks, nose, temples, etc.

COLOUR CHART

MODEL COLOR (acrylics)817 scarlet822 Germ.cam. black brown828 wookgrain845 sunny skin tone861 glossy black872 chocolate brown876 brown sand913 yellow ochre917 beige921 English uniform945 magenta946 dark red

948 golden yellow950 black951 white960 violet965 Prussian blue966 turquesa

MIGPRODUCTIONS(pigments)P034 Russian earthP038 African earthpigment

TAMIYA (acrylics)XF-24 dark grey

PANZER ACES (acrylics)316 dark mud

ANDREA COLOR(acrylics)AC-16 medium brownAC-38 Napoleonic greenAC-45 gloss varnish

The ground is a mixture of plaster tinted with color powdered pigments,

static grass and acrylic resin. The turret was slightly sunk into the ground

before it dried up.

The mushrooms, modeled with two

component putty, were painted

before gluing them to the ground.

The leaves on the ground are a

Hudson & Allen reference.


37

Dirt on the figure was done after it was glued

to the ground. The colors used on the ground

were also used as dirt on the figure.

I continued the job by painting theleather jacket using a base color contain-ing Panzer Aces/Armor Models 316mixed with 950 and 921. I highlightedthis color with 921 and 913 and providedthe shadows with 950. When dealingwith black clothes like this leather jacketyou can create an infinite array of paintveils: Depending on the colors you mixwith black (blue, flesh tones, beige etc.)we will obtain results that will help usconvey all kinds of tissues, and recreatethe lighting conditions of our chosenenvironment (a cloudy day, a sunny day,a deep forest area were light is blockedby the trees, etc.). It may seem a little farfetched, but it’s always good to explorenew techniques.

Let’s go back to the painting process,and specifically to the figure’s pants. Iclosely followed my research material andcreated a greenish tone obtained by mix-ing Model Color’s 921, and Andrea Col-ors’ AC-38 and AC-16. I highlighted thisitem of clothing using 913 and 948, and

gave it some shadows with 965, AC-38and 950.

Once I was done painting the straps,gloves and boots, I stuck the figure tothe diorama using Cyanocrilate glue.Then I put some dirt into the figure’sknees and some other areas using thesame color powdered pigments used forthe ground. I used a soft brush for thepigments.

I just have to say goodbye for nowand conveniently thank my friend JavierRedondo for helping me on the diorama,thanks that also extend to José Hernán-dez and his teachings, and to Carlos deDiego Vaquerizo editor of this magazinefor helping me write this review. See youlater and have a good time painting yourstuff!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- SHALITO, Anton,SAVCHENKOV, Ilya andMOLLO, Andrew. “Red Armyuniforms of WWII”, in“Europa Militaria” No. 14,Windrow & Greene, London,1993.

- MOLLO, Andrew and McGREGOR, Malcolm. ArmyUniforms of WWII”,Blandford Press, London,1973.

- ZALOGA, Steven J. andVOLSTAD, Ron. “The RedArmy in the Great PatrioticWar”, in Carros de Combate No. 71, Osprey Military/RBA,Barcelona, 2001.

The figure has been effectively set on a simple background, the modeling

of it and the T-26 turret didn’t take that long to build.

Glass on the goggles has been conveyed with two drops of gloss varnish.


s you’ll see at first glance I dida somewhat special and sel-dom seen version of this vehi-

cle. This is particularly evident in termsof its paint scheme. This vehicle belongsto the “21. Panzerdivision” as pho-

tographed in Normandy in 1944. I want-ed to portray this unit a long time ago; Iremember the first time I looked at it in abook my father brought home when Iwas 14. The book was an old Ospreyspecial on the Panzer IV. As soon as I

saw it I ran to the nearest hobby store topurchase the kit, but I was headed fordisappointment… The owner of the storetold me that no styrene reference of thevehicle was available on the market. Theonly thing you could do was to trans-

I’m not going to bother with the historical background on this vehicle, because

most of us already know a great deal about the operational lifespan of the Panzer

IV. It’s possible to find a rather large amount of research material about it just

about everywhere, so if you want to know the details check the bibliography.

By: Mario Gabás Ruiz Picture credits: Raúl Fernández Ruiz

Tristar 1/35

AA38

38-44 PANZER IV ingles:PzI.F 18/04/13 3:59 Página 38

39

form a resin kit (I believe that the resinkit was produced by MB Models –anAmerican brand-) which was somethingout of my reach at that time.That’s how my project got postponed

indefinitely… Several years later I foundout that Tristar was going to release aPanzer IV Ausf. C, so as soon as I saw itin the hobby store I bought it right awayand a few months ago I began to assem-ble it; so this is the story…

The Tristar kit is a kit that gets youhooked as soon as you open the box: Ahuge amount of plastic pieces with someincredible detail, the kit comes with aphoto etched sheet and some excellent

decals by Cartograph. I was rather eagerto begin, so I decided to assemble the kitright out of the box, getting only a set ofnew Modelkasten tracks. I only did thisbecause the ones in the box are not theones on the unit I wanted to portray. As I said, the kit got me hooked at

first sight, but as I moved forward I real-ized that the instructions on the sheetwere a little confusing and that posed forme some serious issues… When gluingthe bogies to the barge I found out thatthe wheels collided between it selves, soI had to move them apart a little. When Igot together both halves of the hull Irealized that the rear did not fit togetherwell, so I was forced to test it fit in manyways until I finally got it right and coulduse glue. After I did the cables for the head-

lights using very thin copper wire I sub-stituted the kit’s Notek’s headlights forresin ones created by Mig Productions.Then I glued all the tools and the fasten-ings for them included in the photoetched sheet that comes with the kit.

The next thing I did was the tower,and its assembly is a little troublesome:Few pieces and none of them fit well. Ican hardly believe that this is a new stateof the art kit. I had to sand the edges ofthe lateral hatches in order to fit theminto their respective fitting places. I alsohad to put lots of putty in the comman-der’s dome in order to f ill the gapsbetween the different pieces that thisarea is made of. The worst however, were

the armored planks, (the ones that forman angle in the front) those just leave toomuch space open, so I had to use severalthin Plasticard strips to close those openspaces on the sides.I finished the tower by trading the

plastic handles for ones made of regularwire and copper wire, I placed one ofdragon’s MG 34’s and made a little stand

A S S E M B L Y

COLOUR CHART

HUMBROL (enamels)33 mat black145 mat medium greyGUNZE SANGYO (acrylics)H-403 dark yellowTAMIYA (acrylics)X-22 clearXF-2 flat whiteXF-26 deep greenXF-60 dark yellowXF-67 NATO greenPANZER ACES (acrylics)302 dark rust304 track’s primer306 dark rubber307 red tail light310 weathered wood311 new wood313 stencil314 canvas315 light mud316 dark mud325 Russian tanker IMIG PRODUCTIONS(enamels)P241 brownP220 dark washMIR (oils)1 titaniu white7A cadmium yellow deep45 raw umber46 burnt umber50 bitumen502 ABTEILUNG (oils)035 buffMARABU (varnish)1108 matt varnishMIG PRODUCTIONS(pigments)P023 black smokeP024 light rustP025 standard rustP026 concreteP027 light dustP028 Europe dustP034 Russian earthP230 old rust

KITS USED

Models:- Panzer IV Ausf.C, Tristar ref.35017 1/35 scale.Tracks:- Panzer III/IV, Modelkasten ref.3508K.Accessories: - Stowage set for Panzer IV, BlastModels ref. 35087K.- Notek light, Mig Productionsref. 35-130.- Storage boxes for late Pz. IIIvariants, Mig Productions ref.35-147.


40

for it using leftover photo etched pieces.On the rear I glued a rectangular resinbox (made by Mig Productions). On theperiod pictures we can see that this vehi-cle did not carry a storage box like thisone, but I took some small ar tisticlicense, hoping that “purists” will some-how forgive me. On the front part I placed some resin

spare track links made by Blast Models.

This set also had two spare wheels andsome canvas which I also used. Ireplaced the Tristar tracks by the Mod-elkasten ones that I mentioned earlier.These tracks are made of injected plasticlinks that are assembled together won-derfully well and that meant that inabout a couple of hours they were allready to paint.

I first primed the vehicle using 145Humbrol enamel, which creates a good

base for further paint treatments andgives away any assembly mistake. I obtained base color by mixing

Tamiya’s XF-60 and Gunze Sangyo’s H-403 and a hint of XF-2. I airbrushed thismixture in a couple of thin layers, andallowed it to dry for two days. Then Imasked those areas that wouldn’t get thegreen splintered camouflage spots. Thistakes time, because in order to avoid

paint leaks its best to use thin maskingstrips for outlining the contours andthen fill in by using bigger strips. It cer-tainly is a bother to do, but doing it willprevent touch ups later. The green cam-ouflage tone was created by mixingTamiya’s XF-26 and XF-67 and did alsoapply it in two (thin) airbrushed layers.I allowed it to dry for a couple of

hours and carefully removed the maskingtape. Then I took my brush and usedPanzer Aces 306 and applied it on thewheel bands. Then I needed a satin fin-ish and airbrushed a real thin layer ofgloss varnish. This is just a matter of

taste, but it really helps me later on whenI recreate dirt. Several hours later (once varnish dried

up), I applied several brown colored enam-el (Mig Productions) color filters. If you arecautious enough and allow enough dryingtime (a few hours) between each layer,then this is your product because thisproduct gives an interesting nuance to thecamouflage colors.

Afterwards I did some paint grada-tions, by “melting” oil paints 46, 45, 1,7A, and 035. I also created a few trans-parencies on some areas using tinyamounts of the oil paints referenced.These can hardly be noticed but they cre-ate very pleasing color gradations. I allowed oil paint to dry up for a

couple of days, and then I began profil-ing all details: rivets, joint lines betweenarmored planks, etc. I used to do thisusing oil paint 45, but I tested on this kitMig enamel P220, and found out that theresults are good and that you can do iteasily.

The camouflage pattern has been

outlined with masking tape, and then

it has been airbrushed throughout.

P A I N T I N G


41

The machine gun has been painted

using Humbrol 33 and then I’ve

created a metal finish with pencil

lead. (Using the powder you obtain

by sanding pencil lead).

A light spreading of Mig Productions’

color powder pigments especially on

the lower parts of the vehicle and the

flat areas adds a finishing touch.

In order to do the infamous paintchips I used two Panzer Aces acrylics:302 on the deep ones, and 315 for thesuperficial ones and the slight scratches.I also used Tamiya’s XF-60 to do a fewpaint chips on the green camouflage pat-tern. After doing a few dirt trails and rust

by “melting” some of the oil paints men-tioned earlier and some Mig powderedcolor pigments (highly diluted in Hum-brol enamel thinner) and even using afew Panzer Aces acrylics my kit wasalmost ready. However, I felt that I need-ed something more, so I created a fewmore transparencies on some areas butusing only highly diluted Panzer Acesacrylics. I used: 315, 316, 510 and 304.When I was finally pleased with the

results I varnished the kit airbrushing


The exhaust has been painted with Humbrol enamel 33, and rust is created using Mig Productions’ color pigments P024

and P025. This has been done with a brush, insisting until a convincing effect was obtained.

Spare tracks also received some Mig

Productions’ powdered color

pigments. The canvas load

has been painted using

Panzer Aces 314, the

crests on its creases

have been highlighted

with 315, doing it the

same way it’s done

when you paint

figures. The canvas

painted with 325,

has been

highlighted with

313.

Marabu mat varnish (a couple of layers)and allowed it to dry for a few days. Then I painted the tools and other

accessories and the headlights using spe-cific Panzer Aces acrylics. I also used asoft pencil on some areas to conveysome areas worn to a polish, and usedoil paint 50 to create fuel spill stains.


In spite of the troubles I had with thekit, I am pretty pleased with the results,because doing this vehicle in this versionwas for me a project pursued for years. Ihope you enjoyed it as much as I did.I would like to thank Luis Fernando

Solanas, Daniel Blasco and Luis Fusterfor their advice and help.

I would also like to extend mythanks to Miguel Jiménez “Mig” and allof his advice and comments, which wereabsolutely invaluable.

The tracks have been primed with

Humbrol’s 145 and then they’ve been

covered with two layers of Panzer

Aces 304 and received a wash with

316 and then another one with 315

(Panzer Aces refs.). I finished the

tracks by putting some dirt simulated

with Mig Pigments and imitated

metal polished edges using a soft

leaded pencil.

On some areas on the tracks I’ve

glued some grass to give the kit a

natural and realistic look. SILUETEAR

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- ANDERSON, Thomas. “PanzerIV, the short gun variants”, in“History File” No. 3, AcciónPress, Madrid, 2007

- PERRET, Bryan and SMITH,David E. “ThePanzerkampfwagen IV”, inVanguard No. 21, OspreyPublishing, London, 1980.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


44We can see here, the array of paint chips and scratches and the effect created by profiling all crevices and depressions.


We start a new series of Model Laboratory with a Sd.Kfz.171 Panther and the intention of offer youan exhaustive step by step of the realization of this model kit, from the building to the painting.

Also you can find some profiles and a gallery with Panthers of several authors.

6€

32pag

Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent CT17 9BZwww.historexagents.com

Accion press

Historex Agents

C/Ezequiel Solana, 16 bajo, 28017 Madrid, Spainwww.euromodelismo.com/shop • [email protected]

2_Portada_PanteraING_62 ES Suscrip.qxd 21/04/13 19:09 Página 62

46

n 1933 the BT-5 –an improved ver-sion- came out of the Steam facto-ry “Komintern” (KhPZ 183) in

Jarkov. The vehicle was equipped withsimple convex wheels, a more powerfulmotor, a sturdier transmission and a big-ger turret (exactly like the one on the T-26) that housed a 45mm gun. Obviously,

the weight of this vehicle (5.43m long,2.19m wide and 2.34m high) increasedto 11.5 tons. It had a water cooled M-5modified 12 cylinder “V” shaped motorwith a 350cv power, 2300 rpm that pro-pelled the vehicle at a rate of 72km/h(this motor was a modified airplanemotor).

Unlike the T-26, the BT-5 was a deeppenetration vehicle and not an infantrysupport or backup. Its number oneadvantage was its speed on its tracks(this vehicle was seldom used withoutthem). However it had a setback: thetracks often got unhooked from thewheels especially in fast turns.

The “Bystrojodnii Tank” or fast armored vehicle was a vehicle design based

on the American Christie T-3 tank created in 1931. In the nineteen twenties,

the USSR believed that a vehicle that could move both on wheels and on

tracks would be quite useful. This idea was embodied by the BT-2 an

armored vehicle created in 1931. The vehicle’s tracks could be removed in

about 30 minutes by an expert crew.

By: Joaquín García Gázquez Pictures by the author Color profiles by: Carlos de Diego Vaquerizo

UM 1/72

II

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47

Even if at the time of the Nazi inva-sion the T-34 was already in production,the BT-5 and the final run of the BT-7were the backbone of the RKKA invento-ry. The inefficiency of these machines atthe beginning of the conflict was ingreater part due to inadequate tactic use,deficient training of the crews, andmechanic problems that arose from thevehicle’s own design. The landscape ofthe first weeks of this conflict was a trailof destroyed and or abandoned BT-5’sand BT-7’s alongside the Soviet roads.

The UM kit was a pleasant surprise Ifound on a trip. I entered into a smallmodel kit store (by no means a special-ized store) and I saw a few old kits fromthis brand. I opened up the boxes tocheck and found out that they were fairlyaccurate in shape and scale and they alsohad a small photo etched sheet andinjection molded tracks on separate links.As soon As I started assembling it, thedefects became immediately apparent:

The rivets on the sides of the turret weretotally wanting because of the lack ofdetail in the mold. The photo etchedsheet was rough and without detail onmost pieces so I threw it away. To cap itoff a few details were entirely omittedand others were simply out of scale.

I was still however in love with the kit,so I decided to spend some extra timeand effort into its completion and hope-fully succeeded.

I was set on doing some research, andplanned a number of (pretty high) paint-ing goals that gave me both my share ofjoy and pains. I just wanted to paint my1/72 kit as pretty as possible on the scalegiven.

The color I began with was a Tamiyaacrylic mixture of 60% XF-61, 20% XF-58,10% XF-49 plus 10% Gunze Sangyo’s H-60. I gave this mixture a satin metallicgloss by adding a few drops of Tamiya’sgloss varnish. I began by creating a fewhighlights by airbrushing the above men-tioned mixture with some XF-4 added toit. I applied a second “highlight coat”with XF-57 on the mixture to furtherenhance the effects. I created some con-trast to these highlights by profiling the kitwith a well diluted mixture of XF-1 andXF-10.

I gave the kit a layer of dirt usingHumbrol enamel 72 and partiallyremoved it from some areas with a brushand some thinner about 15 or 20 min-utes later, as you can see in the pictures.It’s very important to choose well theareas where you leave or remove dirt; ref-erence material should be kept handy.

I gave the kit some color by meltingsmall oil paint pellets throughout the sur-

KITS USED

Model:- BT-5 Soviet Wheel-Track Tank,UM ref. 301, 1/72 scale.Photoetches:- Net, Abder ref. S 15. Figures:- USSR Infantrymen on a Tank,Preiser ref. 72523.

P A I N T I N G

Doing from scratch all the rivets on the sides of both the turret and the hull was

indeed the most painstaking thing to do. The hatches on the turret and all other

small pieces were built using thin Plasticard sheet. The handle on the front

hatch was made with copper wire.

The grille that covers the motor was taken from an Aber photo etched sheet.

The frame of the grille and the rear fenders were also made out of thin

Plasticard sheet. The silencer on the exhaust has been fitted by sanding it, the

smoke outlets were made out of sanded Evergreen strips.

A S S E M B L Y


48

face. I used oil paints 620, 67, 224 and617 on the green areas, and 234, 92, 86and 538 on the “dirt areas”. When it alldried up I worked on the kit’s profileswith oil paints 701 and 403.

Then I created the paint chips usingModel Color acrylic 975 for the superfi-cial chips and a mixture of 817 and 950for the deeper ones that show rusty steelunderneath. I’ve always believed thatyou should not exaggerate paint chips;lots of paint chips don’t necessarilymean a more realistic finish.

I like to work on the kit by stages,because then I can carefully spend timeon each step for each stage. As soon AsI finished the upper part of the hull Icentered myself on the wheels andtracks. I used the same techniquesemployed above, but insisted on thebrown and sand oil paint ranges andadded some sand colored powdered col-or pigments.

Base color is airbrushed in thin layers

until the kit is completely covered.

Highlights are airbrushed on the

edges of the armored planks,

horizontal areas, etc.

The profiling of the armored planks,

hatches, etc. is airbrushed with low

air pressure on your airbrush kit using

well diluted paint. Vertical dirt trails

are also applied.

Once we’ve covered with white paint the cross (meant to be seen by

airplane) not worrying too much about straight lines –as in real life–,

we cover the exhaust with a mixture of acrylics 950 and 982 (both

Model Color references). After that we apply an enamel paint filter

on Humbrol 72 to convey dirt accumulated on the vehicle’s crevices.


49

In order to increase the color tones on the kit we apply a few enamel

filters with Humbrol’s 120 and 15. The corners which are normally

subject to be worn to a polish we carefully airbrush the mixture used as

base color for our kit.

The different nuances and the paint

gradations of an operational vehicle can only

be obtained with an intense oil paint

treatment. These should be smeared

throughout using Humbrol enamel thinner.

Depth in the details of the hatches,

dark areas in crevices and other

scribed features are created with

brushwork on oil paints 701 and 403.

It’s important to make the paint

chips in the right scale and size; the

opposite takes the realistic effect

away.

Paint chips

are made with

acrylic paint

and are

painted with

a brand new

number 1

brush.

After we’ve airbrushed Humbrol

enamel 72 on those areas that usually

accumulate dirt, we wait a few

minutes, and then we partially

remove this using a brush and the

brand’s own enamel thinner. This

gives us a very realistic patina.


50

I enjoy placing vehicles on their origi-nal environments. I chose for this one asimple, yet effective composition rathernice for displaying the kit to full advan-tage.

I used some modeling paste to createa small dirt road where we can see a fewinfantrymen walking alongside the BT-5.Preiser has a wide ranged injection mold-ed plastic figure catalogue on a 1/72scale. These figures are created in a“multipose” system; this means that youcan easily create different combinationsof heads, torsos and limbs to get thepose you need for your dioramas.

I painted both the ground and figuresfollowing the usual techniques. It’s veryimportant to be able to adapt the paint-ing techniques to the scale and thissometimes means that you have to sim-plify the process or simply adjust it tothe smaller scale. You have to be braveenough to create enough contrastbetween the highlighted and the shad-owed areas. The captions underneaththe pictures will tell you the mixturesused in every stage.

T H E S C E N E

Once we’ve created dirt trails and oil

splashes using oil paint 80, the tracks

and the lower areas are treated with

the same techniques used for the

upper part of the kit but putting the

stress on sand colored paints.

Adhered sand on the tracks is created

with powdered color pigments on

several different colors (see color

chart) adhered with oil paints of the

same color range diluted with

Humbrol enamel thinner.


51

COLOURR CHART

TAMIYA (acrylics)X-22 clearXF-1 flat blackXF-4 yellow greenXF-10 flat brownXF-49 khakiXF-52 flat earthXF-57 buffXF-58 olive greenXF-61 dark greenXF-66 light grey

GUNZE SANGYO (acrylics)H-60 IJA green

MODEL COLOR (acrylics)950 black951 white982 cavalry brown

HUMBROL (enamels)15 midnight blue72 matt khaki drill120 matt light green

VAN GOGH (oils)224 Naples yellow red234 raw Sienna403 Vandycke brown538 Mars violet617 yellowish green620 olive green701 ivory black

TITAN (oils)67 cinnabar green80 bitumen86 yellow ochre light92 yellow ochre reddish

MODEL COLOR (acrylics)817 scarlet845 sunny skin tone871 leather brown873 field drab882 middlestone887 brown violet897 bronze green918 ivory921 English uniform924 Russian uniform925 blue927 dark flesh950 black956 clear orange975 military green

CITADEL (acrylics)Boltgun metal

MIG PRODUCTIONS(pigments)P028 Europe dustP033 dark mudP034 Russian earth

Once the figures are clean

and assembled, we can

prime them by airbrushing

Tamiya’s XF-66.

The skin tones are created

with Model Color base

paint 927 highlighted with

845 and 918. Shadows are

created with 921 and 817.

The clothes are painted

with 924. Highlights

are added with 845 and

918 on the base color.

Shadows are created by

adding 887 and 950.

The knapsack on 882 has

been highlighted with

918 and shadowed with

873 and 950.

Black color on the

boots has been

highlighted with 871

and a little bit of 845.

The color of the

weapon contains

871, 950 and 956.

This color is

highlighted with

845.

The helmet, painted on 897

has been highlighted with

882. Shadows for it were

done with 925 and 950.

When you are working

on detail profiling in this

scale you should use a

very thin brush in

perfect conditions.


52

The ground is done with modeling paste on a cork

base. Before the modeling paste settles we will

give it some texture using a used toothbrush and a

small stone. After we’ve glued some sand and

pebbles using white carpenter’s glue we also glue a

bush which is in fact a seaweed branch collected

on the beach.

Base color for the dirt road has been painted with

XF-52. The sides of the road have been highlighted

with XF-57, and the center is shaded with a

mixture of XF-52 and XF-1. All of these Tamiya

references have been applied with an airbrush.

Then we can do some detail profiling

to add some color with a dark

sand colored oil

paint palette.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- ZALOGA, Steven J. and VOLSTAD, Ron.“Red Army in the Great Patriotic War”, inArmored Vehicles No. 71, OspreyMilitary/RBA, Barcelona, 2001.

- DE DIEGO VAQUERIZO, Carlos “BT-5”, in“Todo Modelismo” No. 55 (February 1997),Ediciones Contrastes, Madrid, pgs. 14-18.

We’ll finish the ground by spreading powdered color pigments and gluing the figures and the tank.


53

Scarce as it is, vegetation is painted in greenish colors.

The tracks on the vehicle are painted with Model Color’s 873. These also received a somewhat intense dry brush treatment

with Citadel’s Boltgun Metal color. Work on the tracks was finished with earth colored oil washes and pigments.


54BT-5 (mod. 1934), 1st Guard’s Armored Brigade, Moscow, USSR., November 1941.

BT-5 (mod. 1934), RKKA, Byelorussian Military Ditrict, USSR, September 1935.

BT-5 (mod. 1934), Rgto. de Carros Pesados, Div. de Ingenios Blindados, Spanish Republic’s Popular Army, Fuentes delEbro, Spain, October 1937.


Among all the hobby disciplines, painting and assembling figures isn’t probably the

easiest one. However, if we already have the adequate paint mixtures ready for the

different colors of the figure’s uniform, the task turns a whole lot easier.

M

ollowing a thor-ough study of allthe tank crew peo-

ple of WWII, Acción Presscreated a number of paintsets that Vallejo Acrylicssells under the Panzer Aces.We can find in those setsthe base color for each uni-form plus a lighter color ofthe same range to do thehighlights. As with all otheracrylic paints, these prod-ucts can be mixed togetherwith any other Model Colorreferences for instance.

Beginner and mid-advanced hobbyists will dis-cover how easy it is to workwith these paint sets,because paint doesn’talmost smell, can be easilyspread, it dilutes in waterand dries up pretty quickly.Advanced hobbyists willfind out that these sets savea lot of figure painting time.

This review will show thestep by step painting sys-tem on a US tank crew.Beginner Hobbyists don’t necessarilyhave to follow every step described,because these steps should only beclosely followed by advanced hobbyists.Beginner hobbyists should only use thisreview as a general guideline. I justhope that every one of you will take themain ideas adapt them to their abilities,and keep enjoying our hobby.

56

By: Jesús Pérez HuélamoPicture credits: Fernando Cañellas Planchuelo

Priming the figure with a highly

diluted mixture of XF-59 and

XF-49. Paint is airbrushed with a

pressure of ½ bar.

We add XF-15 to the priming

mixture and airbrush it from the

head to get some highlights and see

some volume.

US TANK CREW

FF

odelling lessons

56-63 AULA ingles:PzI.F 18/04/13 4:18 Página 56

57

Brushwork begins with a watered

down mixture of Panzer Aces paints

318 and 322.

By increasing the amount of the

lightest color reference we begin to

increase the highlights on the crests

of the clothing folds. We should use a

number 2 brush.

Further mixtures with increasing

amounts of the lightest shade are

used for increasing highlights. By

going over several times with

watered down paint we will obtain

a gradual smooth highlight.

Light strokes will light up in a subtle

way the shoulders, forearms, clothing

folds etc.

In order to increase the highlight and

a put a range of color into the

highlight itself we add a little 323.

Basic shadows are created with

paint filters on 318 mixed with 333.

We will work on the creviced areas

(inner part of arms and legs for

instance) and inside the creases on

the clothing. The darkest areas will

only get the second paint reference.


58

4-The patches on the

figure’s arms have a bluish

base obtained by mixing

309 and 333. The blue area

on the triangular patch

contains Panzer Aces 309

and 344, the yellow area

953 and the red one 908

both Model Color

references.

5-The rank insignia and the

“T” that stands for

technical personnel are

painted with 332. The

edges for both are lighted

up with 344. After we’ve

lighted up the triangular

division patch with 344 we

paint its inner design with

337.

6-The elastic clothing

elements are painted with

a mixture of 334 and 336.

Highlights are done by

adding 340 and 313 to the

previous mixture, and for

the shadows add 337.

7-The binoculars, painted

on Model Color’s 950, can

be noticeably lighted up

with Panzer Aces 333. The

leather strap is painted

with 312.

8-Once we’ve lighted up

the leather strap using

Panzer Aces 341, chipped

areas can be done using a

number 1 brush and Model

Air 63. The lenses are

conveyed with a drop of

Model Color gloss varnish.

1-Now we’ll work

with both the lights

and shadows,

increasing either one

wherever necessary.

Working on the whole

figure at once helps

you equilibrate both

effects.

2-3-The final

highlights include 344

added to the final

highlight mixture.

Using a diluted version

of this mixture and a

number 1 brush will

help us light up details

like seams and zippers.

We can also mark the

contours with the

previous “shadows”

mixture.

9-Boots are painted

with 333.

10-The folds on the

leather surface are

highlighted with 337.

11-A greater

proportion of the last

reference will be

useful to create the

impression of well

used leather. The

shadows on the folds

are painted with

Model Color’s 950.

1 2 3

6

4

5

9

11

7

8

10


59

20-The helmet is dealt

with a couple of layers

with the following

mixture: 333 and 348.

21-Highlights are obtained

by adding 323. This color

is used to create some

specks on the upper area

of the helmet and its

edges.

22-Shadows are created

from the bottom upwards

applying color filters of

base mixture with greater

amounts of the darkest

color in it.

23-Paint chips on the

surface are created with

tiny dots created with a

number 1 brush dipped on

Model Air’s 63.

12-Both hands and face get

Panzer Aces 341 base

paint.

13-The first highlights are

subtly applied on the chin,

nose cheeks and the arc

above the eyes. The

mixture used contains 341

and 342.

14-The same mixture is

used to apply the next

highlights on the same

areas. We need to dilute

paint in order to deposit

the pigments gradually

over a number of

applications, until we get

the desired effect.

15-In order to get a good

overview of the results

we’re obtaining, we

interrupt the highlighting

process and begin to create

the shadows. We use

extremely diluted 343 and

apply paint filters

underneath the chin, nose,

cheeks and eyebrows. We

begin the eyes by

sketching the eyelashes

with a line of 333.

16-Areas like the eye lines,

nostrils or lips are marked

with 343, the same color

reference employed to

proceed with the shadows

before. The white area on

the eyes is taken care of

with a mixture of 342 and

313.

17-After we’re done

painting the iris in the eyes

using 309 lighted up with

313 both the lights and

shadows on the face are

strengthened with a few

more highlights and

shadows. The last

highlight requires 342 and

313.

18-An unshaved face will

create some character into

our figure. Using a well

diluted mixture of 342 and

333 we put a five o’clock

shadow into the figure’s

jaw and upper lip area.

19-The beard is slightly

lighted up by adding more

342 to the mixture. The

congestion in the face

(effect of cold weather) is

achieved with a filter

below the nose, lips and

cheeks with a mixture of

343 and 908.

24-Rust on the steel

helmet is created with

302.

25-Excess gloss can be taken

care of with a paint wash of

323, which also gives it a

dusty look. Final shadowing

is created with 333.

12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20 21 22

24 25

23


60

The quality of the figure that goes

alongside a vehicle must also match

the level of expertise of the

hobbyist.

KITS USED

Figure:- US Tank Crew in winter 1, AlpineMiniatures ref. 35033, 1/35 scale.

Displayed in conjunction with

an M-20 (Italeri ref. 366) by

Carlos de Diego Vaquerizo.

COLOUR CHART

TAMIYA (acrylics)XF-15 flat fleshXF-49 khakiXF-59 desert yellow


61

Tools

employed for

painting this

figure sculpted

by Taesung

Hermms: An

airbrush

(priming) and

number 2 and 1

brushes.

COLOUR CHART

PANZER ACES (acrylics)302 dark rust309 periscopes312 leather belt313 stencil318 US Army tankcrew322 highlights US tankcrew323 highlights USMC tankcrew332 Japonese tankcrew 333 German tankcrew (black)334 German tankcrew I (Feldgrau)336 highlights Afrikakorps337 highlights German (black)340 highlights Afrikakorps tankcrew341 flesh base342 highlights flesh343 shadows flesh344 white (German tanker)348 Splinter stripsMODEL COLOR (acrylics)510 glossy varnish908 carmine red950 black953 flat yellowMODEL AIR (acrylics)63 silver metallic


62

JACkET AND PANTS JACkET AND PANTS SHADOWS DIVISION PATCH

Airbrush PrimingXF-49 + XF-59

1st shadowBase color + 333

1st color 953

HighlightAbove + 313

2nd color908


3rd color309 + 313


Detail profiling and innerdesign on patch

333

Background 309 + 333

Gallons332


2nd shadow333

Detail profiling for highlights322 + 323 + 344.

Detail profiling for thecontour

333 + 318

318 + 333

zIPPER

Metal on the zipper63

ELASTIC ELEMENTS ON THE JACkETRANk INSIgNIA

Airbrush highlightAbove + XF-15

Base 318

1st highlightAbove + 322

2nd highlightAbove + 322

3rd highlight322

4th highlight Above + 323



7th highlightAbove + 344

8th lightAbove + 344

ShadowsBase + 333


1st highlight Above + 336

Base334 + 336


63

FLESH TONES

Base 341

EYES

Base333

BINOCULARS

Base950

HELMET

Base348+ 333



3rd highlightAbove + 323

ShadowsBase + 333

Metal63

Rust 302

Highlightbase + 333

Chips63

Strap312

HighlightBase + 341

White area342 + 313

Iris309

ShadeAbove + 313

FLESH SHADOWS

1st shadowBase + 343

2nd shadowAbove + 343

3rd shadowAbove + 343

4th shadow343

Paint veil on cheeks908 + 343

Highlight on five o’clockshadow

Above + 342

Five o’clock shadow342 + 333



3rd highlight Above + 342



6th highlight342





64

editorialeditorial

Publishing ManagerRodrigo Hernández Cabos

Editor in ChiefCarlos de Diego Vaquerizo

Translated byÁndres Sánchez González

Have collaborated in this issue:Juan Luis Mercadal PonsJavier Redondo JiménezDiego J. Jiménez MolinaJoaquín García GázquezMario Gabás RuizJesús Pérez Huélamo

PhotographersRodrigo Hernández Cabos Fernando Cañellas PlanchueloRaúl Fernández Ruiz

IllustrationsCarlos de Diego Vaquerizo

Lay OutRaúl Fernández RuizKOMMAD S.L.

Printed byIBERGRAPHIC 2002

Scanning & FilmsettingACCIÓN PRESS, S.A.J. David Hernández ChacónRaúl Fernández Ruiz

Computer GraphicsJ.David Hernández Chacón

Editorial and Technical Staff,Administration and AdvertisingACCIÓN PRESS, S.A.c/Ezequiel Solana, 1628017 MadridTel.: 913 675 708

914 086 135Fax: 914 085 [email protected]

SubscriptionsNorth American Subscription6MMD-Squadron1115 Crowley DriveCarrollton, Texas 75011-5010USA

In Spain: Valentín García BáezTel. +34 913 675 708

Published byACCIÓN PRESS, S.A

ISSN: 1886-4457

The reproduction of the images andtexts is prohibited, using anycurrent or future technical mediumwithout written consent of theauthor. ACCION PRESS, S.A. doesnot necessarily support itscollaborators’ opinions.

We often see how veteran hobbyists are faced with a recurring dilemma; theevolution of model kit production renders some kits that were formerlyconsidered accurate and were built with tender loving care obsolete. What shallwe do? Do we abandon old kits and embrace those presumably better novelties?That is the situation that Juan Luis Mercadal faced with his Panzer II. He decidedto finish his old kit (“old kits never die”) and capped off the job with anoutstanding paintjob to boot. When the kit of this late Staghoundreconnaissance vehicle with a Crusader turret was made, Best Value Modelscreated a kit that combined a resin turret with a styrene body that matchedBronco’s. Bronco has produced since the whole kit in styrene and can now bebuilt straight out of the box. Javier Redondo also shows us his jaggedbackground with a bunker recreating an attractive scene painted with the usualtechniques.

A vignette of such small dimensions can be quite successful when thebackground is so well made and combines the use of crew figures. As usualJoaquín García Gázquez, creates a superb composition with very few items aswe can find out in this review with a Steyr 1500A as our star.

Many hobbyists are still scared stiff when it comes to painting figures even ifwe know that in some cases this is just a matter of laziness because of the manyreviews and specialized courses readily available. Diego J. Jiménez amply provesthis with his work on this Soviet tank driver.

When I first saw this venerable Pz. IV in a period picture hidden in a forestin Normandy, I felt curious: How did this unit survive until 1944? This is amost interesting piece because of the anachronism of the model and becauseof the splintered camouflage (out of use in this period). Perhaps thecombination of all these factors and the exquisite charm of this piece by MarioGabás all went into it.

The evolution of the 1/72 scale has paralleled the bigger kits and this perhapsexplains why more and more hobbyists decide to work in this scale. JoaquínGarcía Gázquez demonstrates the quality level possible in this diminutive BT-5with matching figures.

We take an in depth plunge into figure painting to cast away all fears in a fullreview by Jesús Pérez Huélamo, who shows us a step by step method to paintwith a very reasonable level of excellence a good figure. Following this processwill definitely help us paint a good figure to accompany our vehicle kits.

Rodrigo Hernández Cabos

64 ING STAFF OK:ESP STAFF 18/04/13 4:26 Página 64

panzeracesissue30.pdf

Documents

panzer iv ausf

german panzerkampfwagen

scale vignette

tamiya kit

author color profiles

german cranks

scale figure

good kit