Abrams Figures

Here are the two crew figures from the kit painted. Only needed to add helmet microphones and straps for the goggles. Detail wise they are pretty good. Painted with vallejo colours. Also sorted out a base today in Ikea. their photo frames make ideal bases and are dirt cheap too.

Tamiya Abrams Weathering Complete

Burnt the midnight oil last night working on the Abrams. I just got into the groove and got stuck in! The upper hull was treated to some pigments applied dry with a fine brush. My aim was to show how dust accumulates on the real thing but not to swamp the underlying colours or weathering. Pretty hard as for some reason I wanted a real filthy beast! However I did manage to restrain myself.

Mud splatters were added using wet pigments, a brush and my finger then some footprints went on next. Again oil staining using MIG stains and oil mixture went around the filler caps. Finally the stowage was added and that was that. I now need to order some aerials as I'm out at the moment, finish the figures and sort out a base. Ikea will take care of that Saturday hopefully.

Abrams Get's Messy!

Today I attacked the lower hull sides, wheels and tracks with pigments. I used pigments from MIG & AK and applied multiple layers with pigment fixer to hold it all in place. I'm pleased with the effect even though most of it will be hidden by the side skirts. It's good practice anyway. Some oil stains around a few of the wheel hubs finished it all off nicely. Once the side skirts are in place I can start on the rest of the model.

Abrams Matt Varnish & Stowage

Well managed to get the matt on today and the model now looks tons better at least to my eyes. Last night I added a couple of rough tarps to the turret basket and sorted out the stowage. Today I painted it all and I'm rather cuffed with the results. I could have gone mad with the stowage but kept it restrained as I didn't want to loose the lines of the turret under a ton of stuff.

I'm particularly pleased with the two bottles especially the green one which I painted up to represent mountain dew, a disgusting drink in my opinion but whenever I have been on American military bases here in the UK I've seen almost everyone drinking it. I've added the metallic elements to the model as well as the scopes and added some headlights. I now need to let this dry for a day or so and get the figures going.

Abrams Filters & Washes

Over the last few days I've been adding lots of filters and washes to the model as well as some oil streaking and paint fading. It looks bloody awful at the moment but I know that after a coat of matt varnish and subsequent pigment layers it will look considerably better, or at least that's the plan! Here it is at the moment it should get a matt varnish in the morning.

  

Bugle Call Show Bath 24th November

Well the last show of the year for me was BMSS Bugle Call in Bath on Sunday. Under the guise of Stonehenge Modellers myself and Brian Stoddart attempted to show something new and exciting to the public! I always like going to this show as it ends the model show year nicely for me and gives an opportunity to get that last minute bargain for the winter build schedule (who am I trying to kid!) alright I don't know exactly which winter schedule I'm on about you get the idea.

A nice selection of models where on display with a few traders too. This is not a big show but very friendly and more like a social gathering. Plus it's only half an hour from my house. The stash was increased slightly by one model and a few bits and pieces.

The pictures are pretty terrible I'm afraid as my stupid camera decided to die on me, oh well at least I have something to put on my xmas list now!