1/48 Tamiya Humber Mk. IV Armored Car

Here are some images of the completed model that I took today while fine tuning the new light studio setup and trying out my wife's camera. The image are much better than my previous image which were taken with a simple light setup and Samsung Galaxy phone. 

1/48 Tamiya Humber Mk. IV Armored Car

It's been a while since my last update but life tends to get in the way at times but here are some photos from my most recent completed project. This is a 1/48 Tamiya Humber Mk. IV built mostly straight from the box with the only additions being the external stowage and a MV lens for the spotlight.

Enjoy!

Dark Angels Primaris Space Marines

Well, like many people, I picked up the new Warhammer 40k box set and have started to add the new space marine models to my army. I've decided to paint them in traditional Dark Angels colors as that is the faction that has the most completed models in my collection.

I first started doing a test model to work out the color scheme road-map. I started by priming the model using Vallejo's Grey Surface Primer. I added a few drops of their airbrush thinner and a few drops of Vallejo's Air Flow Improver. This primer coated the model very well with no clogging or issues and after several light coats the model fully primed.

 

I let the primer cure overnight and then base-coated the model using Vallejo's Game Air Dark Green. This was allowed to cure overnight and then I added three layers of highlights by mixing the base color with Vallejo's Game Air Sick Green. 

For each layer I added more and more Sick Green to achieve the subtle highlights that I was looking for. The first layer was a 50/50 mix, second was a 70/30 mix and the third was a 90/10. A final highlight of 100% Sick Green was added to finish of the primary color phase.

I'll let this cure 24-48 hours before applying a satin varnish to protect the layers and then move onto picking out some of the smaller details with a brush.

More to come...

Update - June 2017

Well, it has been quite a while since my last blog post but hopefully this is the first of many new posts for this year.

I took a break for the last couple of years from gaming and modeling in general to get married and work on building a new life with my wife. We've been updating the house and work has been also keeping me too busy to really dig into modelling.

Hopefully, things will start to settle down so that I can start to finish several of the projects like the Angels of Absolution army. I have been tinkering with refining the color scheme to include additional highlights and washes that should enhance the overall effect.

Well, more to come and hopefully another update in a few days. 

1/48 Tamiya Jadgpanther Project - Update

Well, it's been several months since I last updated my blog but that was mostly due to my workload and shifting priorities. Earlier this Spring, I was married and shortly afterwards my role at work was expanded to a more global position. As a result my free-time became less and less devoted to modeling and directed more to keeping up with the household activities.

I also lost a very good friend and modeling mentor this past summer and it caused me to rethink a number of things regarding my priorities. You see roughly twenty years ago, I met a man named Kevin 'Sudds' Suddarth at a local Denver model show and he took me under his wing. He taught me a number of foundation skills such as how to properly use an airbrush as well as other modeling skills related to basic construction and finishing. Over the years we had stayed in touch and were able to continue to collaborate and exchange information on various modeling techniques. He was a very good friend and he will be greatly missed.

Once things settled down in real-life, I was able to make some significant progress on the Jadgpanther. I was able to complete the model and get is based and ready for my club's model contest that was held in October. The base is not completed as I would like to add some snow and additional ground clutter but it was good enough for the show. The model ended up placing First in its category which was great because there was some really good competition.

Also, I was able to pick up some snow and ground clutter from several o the vendors at the show so I would be able to finish the base in time for the 2016 IPMS Regional contest.

Below are some of the pictures of the completed model and the current base without the snow or additional ground clutter. I'll post additional photos of the finished base in the future, hopefully only a  few weeks from now :)

Finally, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I hope that the upcoming New Year is good to you and your family.

A Small Update on the 1/48 Tamiya Jadgpanther Project

The project has been slowly in the works for a while now and I wanted to post a few more updated WIP pictures.

I still have to finish detail painting the road wheels, tools and the rust weathering on the exhaust but so far it is coming along nicely. I'll be using graphite powder to enhance the worn area affects and black areas of the tool sets.

A Long Overdue Update

Well, it’s been over a year since I posted my last update and please accept my apologies for the delay but as many of you know yourselves, real life takes precedence over hobbies. I’m still modeling and painting miniatures but at a much slower pace that before. Between changing roles and organizations at work and some significant changes in my personal life (see Girlfriend), I haven’t completed much on the modeling front. However, I am now working on changing the ‘modeling drought’ if you will by working on a 1/48 scale armor, specifically the Tamiya 1/48 Jadgpanther.

It’s a great little kit that I am using as a test bed for trying out several new techniques that I have wanted to use for some time. The kit is being built pretty much box stock with the only deviation being the addition of Hauler’s engine deck screens. So far the tri-color ambush scheme has been airbrushed on, decals applied and sealed using Future floorwax. I then applied a coat of Vallejo’s Matt Varnish to tone down the finish and I started applying various oil based washes. The finish is coming along and I’m at the stage of applying scrapes and scratches as well as dry-brushing highlights on various edges.

At the moment, that is where the model sits as I am preparing to start painting and weathering the tracks and starting to work with the MIG powders. I purchased them at the 2013 IPMS USA National Contest that was hosted here in CO last summer. This weathering technique is really why I started this project because from what I’ve seen it adds a new level of realism and that could easily make my Warhammer 40k models ‘pop’ a little more when placed on the tabletop.

Well, that’s it for this update but I’ll be posting some WIP pictures of the Jadgpanter and some other models that I have completed since my last update.