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.

Bishop I Italeri I 1/72

After spending some time building 1/35 scale models, I went back to 1/72 scale once again. Unfortunately, I can no longer devote enough time to scale modeling, and 1/72 scale is the most efficient option within the limited time I can spare. This time, I started working on a model that I honestly can’t remember how it ended up in my hands. I had never built an SPG before, so this model did spark some excitement for me.

I began with the assembly stage. Almost none of the kit’s plastic parts fit properly. As you can see in the photos, I had to use a large amount of putty to fix the issues. Since there was no proper wheel spacing for the link-and-length tracks, fitting them into place was also extremely difficult.

Once the construction was finished, I moved on to painting. First, I primed the vehicle using Tamiya 87042 Gray Surface Primer, spraying a gray primer coat over the tank. You have to be very careful when using spray cans, because it’s hard to control the amount of paint or primer being applied. It’s very easy to end up with a coat that’s far too thick.

After the primer dried, I corrected the remaining visible flaws and moved on to painting. Instead of using an airbrush, I chose to apply the paint with a sponge. First, I used Vallejo Model Air 71093 OTAN Verde FS34094, dabbing the green paint over the entire tank with a sponge.

To begin modulating the color, I applied a lighter green using Vallejo Model Air 71137 U.S. Verde Claro FS34151, again with a sponge, covering almost the entire tank. This left the darker green in the recesses, while the upper surfaces became predominantly light green.

 

To push the modulation a bit further, I used the lighter green tone of Vallejo Model Air 71009 Eau de Nil Duck Egg Green. This time, I applied it only to the raised areas of the tank, focusing more heavily on the upper surfaces.

Finally, I loaded a brush with Vallejo Model Air 71321 IJA Light Grey Green and painted all the edges and raised details of the tank. This was essentially a highlighting step. With this application, I completed the green color modulation and moved on to painting the details.

As always, I started detailing with the tracks. I first painted them using Vallejo Model Air 71080 Rust as a base coat. Then, I applied Vallejo Model Air 71065 Steel to the areas that contact the ground and rub against the wheels, creating a metallic effect.

For the wooden parts of the tools on the tank, I used Vallejo Panzer Aces 70310 Old Wood. To make the wood look more realistic, I applied a wash using Tamiya Panel Liner Accent Color 87132 Brown. For the metallic parts, I first painted them with Vallejo Air 71315 Tyre Black and then dry-brushed with Vallejo Air 71065 Steel. For the exhaust, I started with Vallejo Model Air 71080 Rust and added soot effects to the exhaust outlet using Humbrol AV0004 Weathering Powder Smoke pigment.

Once the painting stage was complete, it was time to apply the decals included in the kit. First, I sprayed the tank with Vallejo 26517 Acrylic Gloss Varnish. Then I applied the decals and, at intervals, used Tamiya 87102 Mark Fit over them. After the decals were fully set and dry, I applied another coat of gloss varnish.

I didn’t apply any general oil-paint weathering to the tank. Instead, I went straight to pin washing using Winsor & Newton Lamp Black oil paint. To give the tank a dusty overall appearance, I washed the entire model using Winton Burnt Umber. This wash tended to accumulate slightly in the recessed areas.

After the oil paint had dried, I sealed the entire model with Vallejo 26518 Matt Acrylic Varnish. After the matte coat, the colors settled and blended a bit more. Once the matte varnish dried, I moved on to the weathering stage.

For weathering, I first applied chipping using AK Interactive AK711 Chipping Color with a sponge. I focused this application heavily on the edges. After that, I used a graphite pencil and a graffiti pencil to enhance the metallic effect on those same areas.

In the final weathering stage, I mixed Vallejo 73121 Desert Dust and Vallejo 73119 Europe Earth pigments with Cadence thinner and applied them to the model. Since the tank hadn’t seen heavy combat, I avoided excessive weathering. I finished the model in this state and placed it in the display case. It didn’t turn out to be a high-end model, but in the end, the goal is simply to enjoy the time spent building.