After taking a short break from tanks and building a Star Wars model, I returned to armored vehicles with Revell’s Panzer III kit. I had previously built this model once before, so starting it again felt like a good way to see how far I’ve come in my modeling journey.
This kit is in 1/72 scale and assembles almost like Lego. The fit is excellent with no alignment issues. I particularly liked the inclusion of link-and-length style tracks. While putting together individual track links can be tedious, the final result gives a very realistic look.
Once assembly was completed, I primed the model using Tamiya Gray Surface Primer. I usually prefer grey primer; black tends to make the final coat too dark, while white often struggles to cover the model evenly due to pigment issues. Grey ends up being the best middle ground.
After priming, I checked the seams and fixed a few small gaps, though the kit fit was good enough that it required minimal correction.
Once the primer was fully dry, I decided to paint the tank in German yellow, or Dunkelgelb. I’ve grown quite fond of working with this color lately. Unlike green tones that tend to swallow up modulation efforts, Dunkelgelb reveals all your shading and tonal work beautifully. That’s why I enjoy working with it.
For the painting stage, I used the AK Interactive German Dunkelgelb Special Modulation Set. I began with the Dunkelgelb Dark Base and Dunkelgelb Base for the initial coverage.
In the second stage, I used Dunkelgelb Light Base to paint the larger flat surfaces, leaving shadows in the recessed areas. I then highlighted the edges and uppermost parts with Dunkelgelb High Light.
In the final stage, I loaded Dunkelgelb Shine onto a brush and dry-brushed the raised surfaces. This completed the tank’s main coat using dry brushing techniques.
With the base paint finished, I moved on to the details. First, I painted the tracks with Vallejo Air 71080 Rust. Once dry, I dry-brushed the contact surfaces and edges using Vallejo Air 71065 Steel.
For the rubber rims of the wheels, I used Vallejo Air 71315 Tyre Black. The spare wheels were painted in the same shade. I also used Vallejo Air 71065 Steel to dry-brush the drive sprockets at the front.
I painted the spare track links on the front and the towing hook at the rear with Vallejo Air 71080 Rust, then dry-brushed both with Vallejo Air 71065 Steel.
The metal tools on the hull were painted with Revell Aqua Color 36109 Anthracite, and again dry-brushed with Vallejo Air 71065 Steel. This combination gives a pleasing and realistic metallic effect.
As for the wooden parts of the tools, I used Revell Aqua Color 36314 Beige and added dry brushing with Vallejo Air 71132 Aged White for texture.
For the final part of the painting stage, I used MIG 044 Chipping paint with a sponge to apply wear to the tank’s surface. In hindsight, I may have overdone this a little — a lighter touch might’ve looked better.
Once all painting was complete, I allowed the tank to dry thoroughly. The acrylic paints I used dry quickly, which really helps speed up the workflow. That’s one reason I’m so fond of Vallejo and Revell acrylics.
After the paint dried, I sealed the model using Vallejo 70522 Satin Varnish. I’ve stopped using gloss varnish because it’s hard to dull down in later stages. Satin gives just the right balance for me.
Once the varnish was cured, I applied the decals using Tamiya Mark Fit. Although I also have Tamiya Mark Fit Strong, I avoid it since it has previously damaged the underlying paint.
I didn’t use the decals provided in the kit, which were intended for Eastern Front vehicles. Instead, I used ones from my stash suitable for an Africa-based tank.
After the decals set completely, I lightly sanded over them with fine grit sandpaper and sealed them again with Vallejo 70522 Satin Varnish. This protects the decals and prevents them from looking glossy.
Next came the oil filters. I used Winsor & Newton Winton Titanium White first, followed by Chrome Yellow Hue, and finished with Burnt Sienna. For thinning, I used Terlans Odorless Turpentine. It’s low-odor and pleasant to work with, though it dries very slowly.
Next, I applied a yellow filter with Winton Chrome Yellow Hue. I finished the filtering stage with Winton Burnt Sienna. For thinner, I used Terlans odorless turpentine, which is easy to work with but dries quite slowly.
After filtering, I waited several days for the turpentine to dry completely before moving to the wash phase. For this model, I used two types of washes.
First, I applied a black wash using Humbrol AV0201 Black Enamel Wash. I removed the excess with a brush dipped in turpentine. Then, I applied Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color Dark Brown for a darker, more nuanced effect — again cleaning up with turpentine.
The tracks were weathered using AK Interactive AK083 Enamel Track Wash. I let everything dry thoroughly. Often washes darken the model, but this time the final tone was just right.
To protect all previous steps, I applied Vallejo 26518 Matt Acrylic Varnish before weathering. Matte varnish creates a textured surface that helps weathering products adhere better — an essential step, in my view.
That said, matte varnish on yellow paint can make the tank look like a toy if overused. I thin it heavily and apply it in multiple light layers to avoid that issue.
I started weathering with the lower hull and tracks as usual. I used Vallejo 73121 Desert Dust pigment generously on the wheels and side panels, then fixed it in place with turpentine.
After applying pigments to the tracks, I used AK Interactive AK4062 Light Dust Deposit to do additional washes over the wheels, side panels, and track surfaces — repeating the same for the tank’s underside.
For rust effects, I diluted Ammo Mig Jimenez A.MIG-1004 Enamel Light Rust Wash heavily and applied it to the spare track links and towing hook.
I gently dusted the tank’s entire surface with Vallejo 73119 European Earth Pigment using a nearly dry brush to avoid pigment buildup.
Finally, I used a graphite pencil to edge-highlight the tank’s corners, giving it a subtle metallic look. I finished the model with light, refined weathering rather than a heavy, grimy style.
Originally, I hadn’t built this model for a competition. But my modeling friend Bayram Koçer told me he would be running a MiniAFV stand at the 6th “Scale Worlds Model Competition” held on May 4–5, 2019. He asked me to contribute a few models.
I sent several of my builds for display and asked Bayram to submit this one into the competition. He kindly agreed and took the model with him.
In the competition, the model won second place (silver) in the 1/72 Scale Military Land Vehicles – Hobby Category. That recognition made me very happy. I sincerely thank everyone who supported me and Bayram Koçer for taking my model there.
Later, the same model won third place in the Standard Category at the 5th Online Plastic Model Competition. Many thanks to Gökay Yalçın for organizing the event.
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