Post Description

Tony dove into a motor-pool diorama by combining a 1/35 scale DML kit and Aires conversion to model a Czech VT-34 recovery vehicle featuring towbars and a boom crane that he scratchbuilt. Aside from his impressive construction skills, what keys Tony's scene is the masterful weathering of diverse materials. Much of the weathering is done with Mig powdered pigments, applied dry, although Tony streaked the spade by diluting pigments with water and flowing them on. Where chipped paint reveals bare metal, Tony brushed a 50:50 mix of acrylic steel and flat black, then painted over it with diluted pigments that allowed the steel hue to show through. He tarnished the Friulmodel metal tracks quickly with Blacken-It, which darkened the tracks in 20 minutes and produced corrosion in about 24 hours. Artist's oil washes of burnt umber and raw sienna dimmed the rust; dry-brushing with steel caught high spots, depicting freshly exposed metal. The markings look like degraded paint because, prior to weathering, Tony applied dry transfers he had nicked up with a hobby knife. A final dusting of pastel chalks was applied with a fluffy brush. Incidentally, the odd color matched Tony's photo references - possibly showing a makeshift combination of Soviet armor and aircraft interior paints.