DAK Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G, 1942

[Jakko]

Thanks, but I disagree I used to be a better figure painted, about twenty years ago, but I’m both out of practice and my hands have a slight tremor these days that makes it hard to paint very fine things, like eyeballs. Not that I was ever a good enough figure painter to do things like pupils or eye highlights to start with, though

 

[Jakko]

The real tank had sandbags on the front, and Tamiya gives you four of them. However, those only fit if you put the spare tracks on per the instructions, rather than per the original, so I had to make my own. Not too big a deal, as I had to anyway to put on the three on the roof that the kit doesn’t supply at all:



These were simply “sculpted” (too big a word for it, really) from two-part epoxy putty.

Yesterday, I also realised that you can make out a faded number 411 on the turret side, and not just on the stowage bin. I added remnants of it with a fine brush:

 

[Scratchbuilder]

I know we do it these days but maybe the Germans cobbled tanks together from a handful of defective ones to achieve one working tank.
A bit WW2 'cut and shut'!! The turret would be an easy item to replace, a crane old one off new one on! Same with track component easy to swop out!!
We certainly do it with aircraft.

They did it with the Tiger, so why not with others.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Thanks, but I disagree I used to be a better figure painted, about twenty years ago, but I’m both out of practice and my hands have a slight tremor these days that makes it hard to paint very fine things, like eyeballs. Not that I was ever a good enough figure painter to do things like pupils or eye highlights to start with, though

Tip I was given for eyeballs was to use a wooden toothpick.flatten the end slightly, dip into the colour and apply to the eyeball.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Lots of good work based on research, well done Jakko,

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Tip I was given for eyeballs was to use a wooden toothpick.flatten the end slightly, dip into the colour and apply to the eyeball.

I do that for buttons as well. there's no rules saying you HAVE to use a brush!

 

[Tim Marlow]

Tip I was given for eyeballs was to use a wooden toothpick.flatten the end slightly, dip into the colour and apply to the eyeball.

As someone that done many hundreds of eyeballs, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work well, mostly because eyes on a figure are not really round unless you want all your soldiers to look extremely surprised. Using a technical pen doesn’t work either…..same problem. Best way I’ve found is paint the whites, not being too accurate, then paint a black T shape, horizontal line at the top defining the top of the eyeball and the vertical line through the middle illustrating the pupil. Adjust the pupil line width with white paint if you need to, and then cut the whole thing back to size using flesh coloured paint. Once you get used to it you can do this in a couple of minutes per figure.
Other tips are to use well thinned paint that flows properly off the brush, and use a sharp pointed brush. Don’t go for a OOOOOOO size brush with three hairs, paint will dry on it faster than you can paint. A good quality number 1 brush will do the job much more effectively.

 

[Jakko]

I remember having used a cocktail stick in the past, and a technical drawing pen too IMHO it’s always better to not add something at all, than to make a hash of it, though, which is why I’m not painting eyeballs these days. I might in future, once I get a bit more practice in again. I hope, anyway …

But after doing a bit more painting yesterday night and today, I’d say it’s finished now