King Tiger Ausf. B Henschel Turret I Zvezda l 1/72

After finishing one King Tiger, I decided to move straight on to the other one. I had a Zvezda kit in my stash. Since I had finished the previous King Tiger in camouflage, I wanted to build this one in a single-color scheme. I’m not sure how historically accurate it is, but I decided to paint the tank in German yellow. As always, I started with the assembly stage.

The assembly actually started off quite well. Even though it was a snap-kit, I still used glue in most areas. The details on the tank were not molded directly onto the hull either, which is definitely a positive feature for a kit. But once I got to the tracks, things became complicated. I had a very difficult time fitting the one-piece hard plastic tracks into place. At that point, I started losing my enthusiasm for the kit.

I built the tank straight from the box without adding anything extra. Once the assembly stage was complete, I primed the entire model using Tamiya Fine Primer (L) TA-87160 Red Oxide. I generally prefer using this primer color on German vehicles that I plan to paint yellow. 

Since I was planning a single-color finish, I decided to begin with a darker shade of the main color. For this, I used Vallejo Model Air 71025 Dunkelgelb RAL7028 Dark Yellow. I first painted the entire tank with this color.

In the second stage, I tried to break up the monotony of the single-color finish by modulating the tone with Mission Models MMP-011 Dunkelgelb RAL 7028. To be honest, the result wasn’t particularly impressive, but because of the problems with the tracks, I had already lost some interest in the model. So I didn’t spend too much time on it. I also lightened the yellow paint I had with Mission Models MMP-001 White and dry-brushed the corners.

Once the main painting stage was complete, I moved on to the details as usual. I painted the tracks, again as usual, with Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. I then dry-brushed the rust-colored tracks with Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium. 

I also painted the spare track links and metal tools on the turret and hull with Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. Since I assumed some items would not be rusty, I painted parts such as the machine gun barrel with Revell Aqua Color 36109 Anthracite and then dry-brushed them with Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium.

I painted the exhausts at the rear of the tank with Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. I then painted the wooden parts of the tools on the hull with Revell Aqua Color 36314 Beige, completing the entire painting stage.

Once all painting, including the details, was completely finished, I varnished the whole model using Vallejo 70522 Acrylic Resin Satin Varnish. After using the decals from the kit in a rather mixed arrangement, I sealed the tank again with the same varnish. The decal arrangement was actually completely inaccurate and unrealistic, but for this particular model I didn’t care too much about historical accuracy.

Once the varnish had dried, I first applied a pin wash, using Humbrol AV0201 Black Enamel Wash as usual. After washing the tracks with AK Interactive AK083 Enamel Track Wash, I moved on to the oil-paint stage. For filtering the overall model, I used Winsor & Newton products. I applied general filters using Winton Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, and Yellow Ochre in sequence. Once the filtering was complete, I sealed the model with Vallejo 26518 Matt Acrylic Varnish.

After the matte varnish dried, I created streaking effects on the sloped surfaces at the front and sides of the tank using Winsor & Newton Titanium White. For some reason, I like using white streaks on light-colored vehicles. Once the oils had dried, I mixed various pigments I had on hand with Cadence thinner and applied them to the wheels and side surfaces. After they dried, I removed the excess pigment from the tank using thinner again.

I then brushed AK Interactive AK4062 Light Dust Deposite mixed with thinner over the flat surfaces of the tank. For some reason, things got a little out of control at this stage. I mixed several different pigments I had and used them as a wash on the model. The overall color became far too dark. Meanwhile, I used Humbrol AV0014 Weathering Powder Smoke on areas where soot would naturally collect, such as the gun barrel and exhausts, to create a black soot effect.

I dabbed AK Interactive AK711 Chipping Color onto the edges of the tank with a sponge to create a worn appearance. When this product blends with the varnish, it creates a very natural metallic effect.

Once all the weathering stages were complete, I rubbed graphite pencil lead onto the edges to give the model a metallic appearance. I then used a graffiti pencil across the surfaces to strengthen this metallic effect. After completing all the weathering, I photographed my two Tigers together and placed them in the display cabinet.

King Tiger Henschel turret w/Zimmerit I Trumpeter I 1/72

After finishing the Marder III, I decided to build the two different King Tiger kits I had in my stash. The first one was Trumpeter’s Zimmerit-coated kit with the so-called Henschel turret. In reality, there is no such thing as a “Henschel” or “Porsche” turret—both turret types were actually manufactured by Krupp. But those names have become so widely used that people still refer to them that way.

As always, I started by assembling the kit parts. Trumpeter kits are usually not extremely detailed, but they also don’t wear you out during the build. The biggest issue with this kit was the details molded directly onto the hull. They were so poorly detailed that during painting I kept thinking I should have scraped them off completely. Of course, doing that would probably have damaged the Zimmerit texture badly. I also decided not to use the side skirts included in the kit and instead made my own from a soda can.

I decided to recreate the “octopus camouflage” seen in the reference photo above. At 1/72 scale, I honestly had no idea how I was going to paint those tiny octopus-like spots. In the end, I came up with the idea of dipping the tip of an empty ballpoint pen refill into paint and stamping the shapes onto the model.

For the main camouflage colors, I used Mission Models paints. First, I painted the entire tank in German yellow using Mission Models MMP-011 Dunkelgelb RAL 7028. Then I created camouflage masks using Uhu Patafix. After that, I sprayed the green camouflage using Mission Models MMP-004 Green. 

Once the main camouflage was finished, I dipped the ballpoint pen tip into paint and pressed it onto the tank. It didn’t fully paint the shapes, but it created the general outlines of the octopus spots. Afterwards, I used a brush to fill in and refine the marked areas, trying to make them resemble octopus suckers. 

After finishing the hull camouflage, I moved on to the tracks and painted them with Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. I then dry-brushed the tracks using Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium. The spare track links on the turret and the metallic equipment on the hull were first painted with Revell Aqua Color 36109 Anthracite, followed by dry brushing with Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium.

For the exposed areas beneath the damaged side skirts, I used Mission Models MMP-004 Red Oxide Primer almost like a regular paint color. It was actually a difficult process, but I managed it. I painted the exhausts at the rear of the tank with Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. The wooden parts of the tools were painted with Revell Aqua Color 36314 Beige, completing the entire painting stage. 

Once the painting stage was complete, I varnished the entire model using Vallejo 70522 Acrylic Resin Satin Varnish. After applying the decals included in the kit, I sealed the model again with the same varnish and, once everything had dried, moved on to weathering. First, I applied a pin wash using Humbrol AV0201 Black Enamel Wash. After washing the tracks with AK Interactive AK083 Enamel Track Wash, I proceeded to the oil paint stage.

For filtering the overall model, I used Winsor & Newton oils. I applied general filters using Winton Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, and Sap Green. Once the filtering stage was complete, I sealed the model with Vallejo 26518 Matt Acrylic Varnish.

After the matte varnish dried, I created streaking effects on the sloped surfaces at the front and sides of the tank using Winsor & Newton Raw Umber. Once the oils had dried, I mixed various pigments I had with Cadence thinner and applied them to the wheels and side surfaces. After everything dried, I removed the excess pigments from the tank using thinner again.

I also brushed AK Interactive AK4062 Light Dust Deposite mixed with thinner over the flat surfaces of the tank. On areas where soot would naturally accumulate—such as the gun barrel and exhausts—I used Humbrol AV0014 Weathering Powder Smoke to create black soot effects.

For areas prone to wear, I dabbed AK Interactive AK711 Chipping Color onto the surfaces with a sponge to create a realistic worn appearance. Once sealed with varnish, this color gives a very natural metallic effect, which is why I enjoy using it.

Finally, to enhance the metallic appearance of the vehicle, I rubbed graphite pencil lead along the edges. Afterwards, I applied a graffiti pencil across the surfaces to strengthen the metallic effect even further. With that final step, the model was completed and placed in the display cabinet.

Marder III I UniModel I 1/72

I had really liked UM Model after building their SU-100 kit earlier. When I got my hands on the Marder III kit, I didn’t want to waste any time and decided to start building it right away. Since this is an open-top vehicle, the interior also had to be assembled and painted. I was genuinely curious to see how much detail they managed to fit into a model at this scale, so I began the build with a lot of interest.

I found this reference photo online. I believe it was taken while the vehicle was actively in service. The tank in the photo had a lot of additional tools and equipment mounted on it. I wanted to do something similar on my model. 

I started by assembling the tank. I had previously built another UM kit, the SU-100, and had experienced quite a few fit issues with that one. This kit was different. The metal parts included in the kit also went together very easily. Some plastic parts were broken or missing, but that didn’t cause any serious problems.

For painting, I once again used the sponge painting technique. First, I painted the entire model by dabbing Revell Aqua Color 36178 Panzergrau onto the surface with a sponge. In the next step, I used Revell Aqua Color 36179 Blaugrau to apply a blue-grey tone with a sponge to all areas except the recessed parts of the Panzer grey base.

In the following stage, to further break up the monotony of the color, I applied weathering to the upper surfaces using Revell Aqua Color 36374 Grau, again with a sponge. In the final step, I used Revell Aqua Color 36159 Himmelblau and applied dry brushing to the edges and corners with a brush. This completed the main grey paintwork of the tank.

Once the main paint was finished, I moved on to painting the details. For the tracks, I used Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. This rust tone from Revell suits tracks very well. Over the rust base, I dry-brushed the tracks with Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium to add a metallic effect.

I painted the rubber parts of the wheels using Vallejo Model Air 71315 Tyre Black. The seats inside the vehicle were painted a brown leather color using Vallejo Model Air 70871 Leather. During this stage, the seats broke multiple times.

I painted the wooden parts of the tools on the tank using Revell Aqua Color 36314 Beige. Looking at the photos now, I realize I should have spent more time working on these areas. For the metallic parts of the tools, I used Revell Aqua Color 36109 Anthracite. I then dry-brushed those metallic areas with Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium, completing the painting stage entirely.

Once painting was finished, it was time to add details similar to those seen in the reference photo. First, I scratch-built a bucket from leftover plastic parts. I made a carrying wire for the bucket using hooks taken from other kits. I painted the bucket with Revell Aqua Color 36109 Anthracite and finished it with dry brushing using Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium.

I made a tarp for the upper part of the vehicle using parafilm. I painted this tarp with Vallejo Model Air 70314 Canvas. I added an MG machine gun taken from another kit on top of the tarp. On the left side of the tank, I placed a tarp from a resin set given to me by İbrahim Öner. I painted this tarp the same canvas color and added a rifle on top of it.

I also wanted to add details to the interior. For this purpose, I placed ammunition rounds inside the vehicle that were also given to me by İbrahim Öner. I didn’t paint the shells, but honestly, it would have been better if I had. 

To fill up the interior, I added a few crates. I first painted the crates with Vallejo Panzer Aces 70310 Old Wood. Then I applied a wash using Tamiya Panel Liner Accent Color TAM87140 Dark Brown. After it dried, I applied a second wash to the recessed areas using Tamiya Panel Liner Accent Color TAM87131 Black.

Finally, I added fuel cans taken from other kits to the sides and rear of the vehicle. I painted the cans with Revell Aqua Color 36109 Anthracite and then dry-brushed them with Revell Aqua Color 36199 Aluminium.

I painted the exhaust at the rear of the vehicle with Revell Aqua Color 36183 Rust. After that, I applied a wash using Vallejo Model Wash 76505 Light Rust. I added soot effects to the exhaust outlets using Humbrol Weathering Powder AV0004 Smoke pigment.

Once the painting stage was complete, I varnished the model as I always do, using Vallejo 70522 Acrylic Resin Satin Varnish. I applied the decals included in the kit. UM Model decals are thin and high quality, so this stage went smoothly. After the decals dried, I sealed the model again with satin varnish.

I first applied a pin wash to the model using Humbrol AV0201 Black Enamel Wash. After washing the tracks with AK Interactive AK083 Enamel Track Wash, I applied a wash to the interior using AK Interactive AK093 Enamel Wash for Interior.

I applied filters over the entire model using Winsor & Newton products. For this purpose, I used Winton Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, and Cobalt Blue Hue in sequence as overall filters. Once the filtering stage was complete, I sealed the model with Vallejo 26518 Matt Acrylic Varnish.

As always, I started the weathering stage with the tracks and the lower hull. For this, I used various pigments I had on hand. I mixed Vallejo pigments with Cadence thinner and applied them to the wheels and tracks. Afterwards, I removed the excess using a brush dampened with thinner.

The tank had many deep, recessed interior surfaces. I assumed dust would accumulate in these areas as the gun was fired, so I poured pigments directly into those sections. I then dropped thinner over them to fix the pigments in place. I also passed over the flat surfaces of the tank using AK Interactive AK4062 Light Dust Deposite mixed with thinner.

In areas inside the tank where the crew would frequently move, I applied wear effects by dabbing AK Interactive AK711 Chipping Color with a sponge. I also used pigments on the very corners to enhance the dusty appearance.

Finally, to give the vehicle a metallic look, I rubbed the edges with the tip of a graphite pencil. After that, I applied a graffiti pencil over all surfaces to strengthen this metallic effect. I also added pigments to the items I had added later to give them a dusty look.

After finishing the weathering stage, I placed the tank in its spot in the display cabinet and looked through my stash to decide which kit to build next. Unfortunately, this vehicle fell and broke during the İzmir earthquake. Compared to a disaster in which people lost their lives, this is obviously not a major issue—but thinking about the effort that went into it still makes you feel sad.