Tiger update and Fallschirmjager for Bolt Action

I noticed, while in editing, that I forgot to spray the brown on the right side wheels...

Salutations everyone! Here you can see the camo has been added to the tiger.  I am not the greatest with the historical camo patterns yet. But practice makes perfect.

I used Tamiya Nato Brown XF-68 and Olive Green XF-58 for the camo.

 Originally this tank was supposed to be numbered 222 for Wittmann at Villers Bocage but this project has been riddled with errors on my behalf.  All of which will be revealed in my next post.  While the tank still looks great for table top. My snooty self is not all that happy.  I see another Tiger in my future!

Below you can see a test paint on a Fallschirmjager with FG42 Assault Rifle.  The only things I have painted are the trousers, smock, and helm. The skin is just a base coat. Originally I was playing with the thought of doing a different camo that the standard Splinter Pattern.  I even played with painting them for Italy.  But the Splinter camo was used quite a bit on both the Eastern and Western fronts.

I didn't have the Luftwaffe uniform blue color. So I achieved this by painting a base color of German Grey, then added a little bit of Vallejo Field Blue to German Grey for a highlight.  I feel this is very close to all the pictures and color plates I have seen of the Fallschirmjager and Luftwaffe.  I feel like many people just paint a regular dark blue too often for zee boys!  

I hate painting camo!!!!

Some BIG news... and a Tiger...

Here we go! I have assembled and primed Wittman's Tiger from Warlord Games.  Here you can see me mediocre modulation attempt that is just ok. I am curious how it will look.

Next up however is the brown and green camo. Which I will need to do some sort of modulation on as well. This is the portion that has me a bit nervous.

 I will be sure to get that done up this week. Sadly after that I will most likely have to put the project on hold and await transfers that fit this tank.

I believe I am going to go with Tiger 222, which was the one he did his most damage in. Tiger 007 is the one he and his crew were killed in at Villers Bocage.

And now for my big news...

Finally! Someone to eat my models, and assist when needed!

28mm M4A3 Sherman from Warlord Games

Happy New Year!

I got to celebrate my 35th Birthday along with the New Years this past weekend. But I spent my spare time working on this bad boy for Bolt Action.  I have the beginnings to a respectable German Fallschirmjager Army but have only just started on them. I am currently awaiting on my Tiger I and an additional squad. I have stared work on the command and some of the specialty units as of today. So look for some updates on them soon. Not to mention some Confederate Dismounted Cavalry from the ACW. 

 

I airbrushed my base coat of US Olive Drab Surface Primer from Vallejo over the whole model. Next I mixed a highlight for modulation with 10:4 parts Olive Drab to Whites. Followed by 10:3 Olive Drab to Black for the shades.  I then tried my hand at 2 layers of the Armor Filter from MiG for Dark Green Vehicles.  Then I applied my decals using MicroSet and MicroSol. 

On to the washes! I then gave the crevices and fiddly bits a wash of MiG Dark Wash, trying to keep it all around the edges and in the cracks.  After letting that dry a bit I then used a flat brush with Mineral Spirits to remove the excess and begin the streaking. I found a large bottle at my local craft store for $7.  After letting that dry I gave the tank a spray of DullCote. 

Next was chipping. A piece of sponge with a bit of Citadel Doombull Brown was then carefully dabbed on where I thought the tank would have the most chipping.  A brief and minor touch up with a small brush finished this portion. In hindsight I forgot to take a lighter color to the chipped edges to create a layered feel but I think it still turned out alright. Next I used the MiG Rust wash and streaked the rust from these chipped areas as if the rain had created the streaks. A dampened brush in more Mineral Spirits gently dragged over this in a vertical motion, top to bottom, helped make it more subtle and realistic. Another layer of varnish to protect it was then applied.

Finally a gentle few strokes of another MiG product, Rain Marks, was applied to give the tank some more contrast.  The tracks were painted a Burnt Sienna color from some random craft paint I have just for treads. A wash of the treads and wheels in the dark wash to give some good shading brought me to the home stretch of the lower section. Followed by a nice dusting of MiG's European Dust pigments. I did mix a bit with Acrylic Resin and Plaster to create the dried and caked mud.  And there you have it!

Now I really want to paint up some US boys to go with it. Which route do I take? The plastic US Rifles? Or the metal US Airborne. Regular infantry vs Vet's. If I go Rifles I will most surely have to add a few Half Tracks for the boys.  But the Airborne could give me a good compliment to my Fallschirmjager. Tough decision.  What's your thoughts?

The above photo I used for some references on my Sherman.