SdKfz 251 Ausf C - 1 Sep 2020

[JCON]

That looks cool!!!

[Dukemaddog]

Wow! Impressive work! Man, I wish I could do that in my scale. Don't know how effective it would be, but I do apply in a similar way that gets a somewhat similar effect.

Brilliant work Robert!

[MARCO]

Great paint work mate! I like to modulate the German grey, the vehicles looks fantastic after done!

[RLFoster]

Thanks, guys! Yes, the modulation looks rather cool and funky at the moment. However, it's literally the first few steps in a marathon of painting and finishing techniques. There's a long way to go...and even a few steps back!

I woke up today and reattached the rear doors which had been removed to allow access to the interior rear of the crew space. Unfortunately, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that my attempt to paint the exterior surfaces of the doors equally was a dismal failure. Therefore, once they were installed, I taped them off and completely repainted them from the base coat up through highlighting. While not perfect, they are better. Here are before and after photos that are WAY too dark.  Even though it's hard to see any real difference, trust me, it was like night and day in person:





Once the new paint was dry and sealed with clear lacquer, I removed the tape and moved on to applying the markings. First, I applied Future to each panel that would contain a decal to smooth out the matte finish and prevent silvering. Once that was dry, I applied the decals. For this build, I elected to just go with some generic license plates, a 4th Panzer Division divisional mark, and three early balkenkrutz. A couple of the decals were a bit fussy and needed a couple applications of Micro Set to lay down completely, but eventually they did:



Once the decals were completely dry, I again sealed everything with another clear coat of lacquer. Next I am debating between adding a transparent blue filter or just moving on to oil streaking...I'll decide between now and tomorrow.

Until next time...

[JCON]

Nice work once more Robert!!!

[Dukemaddog]

Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

[RLFoster]

Time for another update...

With all the base paint and modulation complete, the next step could have gone in two directions. For this build I elected to skip application of a filter because faint color would be added with oil streaking anyway. With that decided, I need to choose the paints for streaking. Being a grey vehicle, white and black were obvious choices. I also elected to use just a hint of French Ultramarine blue and added small dabs of both dark brown and light brown, just in case:



In the end, I decided not to use either of the brown colors and instead focused on ensuring the black, white, and most importantly blue colors were applied in a very subtle manner...adding a hint of streaking without becoming too bold or fake looking. For those not familiar with the technique, it's accomplished by applying very small dots of the paint semi-randomly over each surface then removing 95% of the paint using a thinner dampened brush and strokes that mimic the direction water would flow off the vehicle:



Once all the streaking was completed, the next step was to add oil-based fake shadows around all the parts of the hull I again want to highlight. This increases the contrast and further adds interest to the shape and positioning of the various components. On a vehicle having just one color, I consider this is critical and think this photo really shows off how effective this step can be:



That's it for the initial steps on the hull, but I think I'll shift gears for a bit and start painting some of the crew compartment details. Even though I'm planning to pack the rear with a lot of "stuff", it will still be easier to got some of it painted now.

Until next time...

[JCON]

That made an amazing difference Robert... well done!!!

[Dukemaddog]

Stunning work Robert! I also used that 'dot-filter' system myself to get rain streaks on my Austratt turret. It sure helped make it look far better. Thanks again for posting this step-by-step.

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Fun to watch the comparisons.

[RLFoster]

Thanks again for looking in and commenting...very appreciated!

Today's update is quite simple. I spent all my time today painting out two areas of the crew compartment. I put a coat of dark brown on the rear back pads behind the crew seats and subsequently added two increasingly lighter shades of brown to simulate worn leather padded backs. Then I painted the wood slat seats using a light sand color as the base followed by 4 or 5 varying shades of wood grain and lastly a dark brown wash to fill the gap between the slats:

The photo shows the parts having a slight shine to them because of the top coat of clear acrylic lacquer I used to seal everything. I might add some additional highlights or details, but not until I start filling the back with all of gear I want to add and the weathering to match the exterior.

You'll also note that the rear doors have again been removed.  From this point on, they're no longer needed in their closed position, so the remaining details on those will be done off the build.

Until next time...

[JCON]

That looks great!!!

[MARCO]

Wow Robert, this thread looks like a paint master class!

[Dukemaddog]

Magnificent! I try to replicate wood in that same sequence; albeit, slightly modified for my scale. It does look great when done! Way to go Robert!

[RLFoster]

Today's update is pretty simple, but involved about 2 hours of tedious work. I spent two sessions at the workbench applying a Mig Productions Blue-Black pinwash to the panel lines, some components edges, and most importantly to each an every rivet on the upper hull of the build. As with the previous steps, this one increase contrast and look rather stark at the moment, but it will eventually blend into the background as more and more layers are added.

I've included both a before and after photo to show the difference:





That will do it for today and depending on how I feel, I might take a couple days off. Thanks for looking in.

Next up will be chipping, scratches, and edge wear.

Until next time...

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Amazing difference Robert. Awe inspiring.

[Dukemaddog]

Looks excellent. I keep trying to get that same effect in my vehicles but it doesn't always work as well. You've done a masterful job.

[JCON]

Coming together nicely Robert!!!

[MARCO]

Awesome work Robert! It sure make the diference!

[RLFoster]

After taking two days off, I made it back to the bench and spent the better part of four hours giving the build my standard three-step application of scratches and chips.

First I mixed a batch of grey at about the same lightness as the highlight color I applied earlier. Then using a small piece of sponge in some self-closing tweezers, I applied this color very lightly, focusing on the front and back as well as the edges of the various surfaces:



Next, I thinned and lightened the color a bit and using a very fine brush, applied it a bit more liberally, using the sponged areas as a general guide:



Finally, I mixed up a brownish grey dark color and used the same fine brush to apply darker "chips" to the largest of the light colored areas:



That does it for this step, but still leaves two or three more steps before we even start the earth tones and the real "weathering".

Until next time...