Marc780

I repainted my HL T90 to russian armor green. Now after fussing over it for weeks, and photographing it to find the mistakes and omissions, i feel it is still missing something to make it look truly scale! I'm asking for suggestions on the final touch of weathering to make it look more authentic.
Here's what i did so far: airbrushed testors R.A.G. over a black and white primer coat... added white to the green and highlighted a few spots. Then a wash of the lines and details with Vallejo black wash... what would make this tank really authentic looking or did i go too far already?

Airbrushler

is the last pic your end result it is blurry can you take a better pic

Marc780

sure, i took that from across the room trying to get all perspectives i could, not to mention i turned on every light in the room - here's some more... I ret ouched the edges with base color darkened with some black, then over-sprayed with matte clear...I'm actually worried the paint will get so thick it'll s tart obscuring the details...I'm about at the end of what i can do with painting this tank since there's no way for a do-over, actually thinking of respraying the two tone khaki (or is it sand?) with black touches as from the factory. Looking at other people's armor in the Russian green, some of them make the green so bright it almost seems to glow. I just haven't been able to get the realistic effect I;ve been trying for and might just have to stop throwing paint on it.

Airbrushler

i think make the tracks look muddy and a few rusty spots on the armour would make it look cool other than that nice job

Marc780

Making the tracks muddy is something i can do alright...a few rusty spots on the tracks, maybe around the exhaust port on the left side. I've studied (i.e. stared dumbly) at this model for some time trying to figure out how to make it look how i want. After all this i ams still not satisified so I got this stuff:


I read the instructions on some web sites and watched a couple videos, but the paints in the kit are different from the ones they use in the videos; for instance, there's no primer in my set like they say you should use. The paint already on it is enamel, the kit is acrylic, I'm going to get some white primer from the store, maybe sand the model first, where i can. Then prime it and let it dry overnight; then get to the kit. Maybe then i will get the look i want...

The idea is, you prime it white. Then you highlight the raised surfaces in a dark base and let that dry a while. Then the base over-all, then a light base, then a highlight... then for some reason something called "shine". Like i said, the paints they use in the instruction s i'm finding are different. And the only instructions I have that came with it are on the back of the box, that's it. I [probably should have just started with this kit to begin with. I just hope all that paint i put on already doesn't ruin the whole thing.

If it comes out like this T34 I will be happy.

I'll take some pictures while i'm doing it for people that are interested, later

superrod

My Feedback: (16)

I think what it is missing is dirt. Take it outside and run it in some dry dirt and get dirty. One thing I found that works for getting one dirty is using the dirty water from the bottle I rinse my brushes in. It is a medium brown and I use it as a wash. Does a good job of making stuff look dusty and dirty and settles well into the details like it would after a dirty tank got rained on.
Jimmy

TheBennyB

Maybe some unit markings on the turret or hull. Just a bit of color to pop.

Marc780

Thanks for the suggestions, the decales that come with it are the same type that it might have during the May Day parade or some such. Except for the numbers on the back of the cargo compartment there's really not much to add...

I used the AK interactive set and it really works well. I had to watch 3 YT videos to figure out how best to use the paints, and wound up going back over some parts I'd gone to. I think the order of using the shade is wrong, at least on a model this big. They say to do the pre-shading first, then the dark base. But the dark base hides the pre-shading no matter how you do it. I think I'm too impatient about building up the layers the way they say though. It goes like this:
1. Dark shade (shadows) on the panels, highlights, protruding handles and hatches and edges.
2. Dark base.
3. Light base (mostly towards the top areas where the sun bleaches and fades the paint on real tanks)
The other paints - highlight" I'm really not sure how to use. Even the videos arent clear on this. Anyway, these photos do not do the tank justice, it looks - MUCH - more scale now. I think it's the flash lighting, the dark edges do not show up that boldly as they do in the photo, where it looks exaggerated. While painting I stopped several times to take the tank outside in the light to see how it was coming out.



Anyway I got the AK interactive Russian armor set for about $30, Vallejo has a similar painting set for about $25 "Vallejo AFV Painting System - Russian Green 4BO" that might be better... the AK interactive set comes with no instructions only pictures, IDK what the Vallejo set comes with in the way of instructions

Maccrage

The Vallejo instructions are like this

Marc780

Thanks Mcrage i actually sent away for that set. If i get another T90, which I've actually considered, i will use that one.

I used the AK interactive set to good effect, i'm pretty well satisfied with how it's come out. I've actually achieved what i call the "green glow" type finish you see on a well made Russian armor tank that catches the eye very well. It's funny to me if you finish it like the real item, it can look sort of drab, that's what happened on mine, i think, The photos dont do it justice but now all I have to do, I think, is paint it with a satin varnish - I tried matte clear acrylic in rattle can and it osrt of mutes the effect of all the paint shading.