1/35 Tamiya Leclerc Series 2

Welcome to yet another finished product, ladies and gents. This year has been a pretty good year for me, Modelling wise. I picked up so many skills from my books and magazines and I am on a building spree. This time, I will be adding a Tamiya 1/35 LeClerc Series 2 to my finished kits line.

More details about the LeClerc can be found here ( if anybody wants to know more, that is) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMX-56_Leclerc

This kit was released in Spring 2005. As standard from Tamiya and not to mention as a post-2000 kit, this one is just beautiful. This is the only kit in history with Die-cast metal wheels, which give the model a very strong stability and very nice details. There's a few inaccuries that I have noticed in my researched but nothing that I can't complaint ( I'm not really a rivet counter).

This gal is painted in Nato Green, Nato Brown and Nato Black. Scheme is per the instruction as I have found that all LeClerc was painted in the same pattern.

The Scheme for this gal is to go heavy with dust and dirts as I want to practice with what I have learned from reading AK's Weathering Magazine. I sprayed Humbrol Enamel Khaki, thinned with white spirit, onto the parts where I want the dust and just use a brush wet with white spirit to break apart the sprayed on enamel layer so that it forms irregular and random pattern. There a total of 6 layers of Enamel on there. After that, the whole tank was given a dusting of MIG pigmet's ''' Light Euporean Dust ''. I kept every other weathering to a non-existent level as such machine are kept reletively clean.

The Crews are painted with an assortment of paints; Citidal, Tamiya, Vallejo and Revell. While I am very happy with the face on these two, ( which is clearly an improvement over my other figures ), I seriously F**ked up the uniforms. I was supposed to give them a wash of Voilet mixed with Brown but I used Acrylics for the wash and the wash was a little thick and I seriously F**ked up my six hour long painting on the figures. Thank lord I didn't messed up the faces or I would have jumped off the window. So with that mistake, and having no more mental energy to re do the uniform, I decided to go heavy with the dust on the crew. I hope it doesn't look that bad.

Apart from that Hiccup with that crew, I love every bit of this gal. I love the kit and I'm quite satisfied with what I did, albeit it could look better but stil, I'm happy.
But enough chit-chat .... Its time for the photos -
Lets start with some walk-around, profile views
( oh, I made a cover photo of sorts for this gal )

here are the two figures -

This is the Commander -

And this is the Gunner -

You can see how much I messed up the uniforms
I also shot some photos for some of the detail painting I did, its not really much but you're welcome to have a look -

Link to Full Album  -  http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/hummingbird2012/library/LeClerc/Close%20ups

And I shot all around views of the Dust layers I put on -


Link to Full Album -  http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/hummingbird2012/library/LeClerc/Dusts

It won't really feel like a finished kit from me if I do not play around with this and take some photos from various angles so here it is as usual....
AND ... BANG -

And That covers all I have done.
I know I am not a pro and I still have much to learn but I really love how this looks ( successfully manged to put on a very nice and convincing dust effect) and really enjoy knowing how much I can apply what I have learned these past few months. I'm really happy to add this in my list of finished kit.
And as always, I could not finish this without the support of my great friends and peers and comrades. Your supports are much appreciated.

Thanks for looking. C&C and feedbacks are welcomed.

P.S - Yes, I am aware of the finger prints on the sides of the turret. Stupid me forgot to put on gloves.. :( oh well....

Read more >>

Mecha Modelling Guide Book : Apology for the delay

If you may all recall, I made a post about a Mecha Modelling Guide Book ( click here if you forgot ) that my friend and his associate are working out to publish. The kick starter program was fully funded through the generous donations of the the Gunpla modelling community and I would like to extend my gratitude (in my friend's stead) to those great guys out there.

Publishing is going as planned but things are a little bit complicated in the editorial part as Monoeye Publishing has to sort out a good 40,000 pictures and other texts and bits and bobs and not to mention a lack of manpower. As a publicly or rather, a community funded projects, there will definitely be bumps on the round and there will be a delay in the actual released. Monoeye Publishing asked me to convey their deepest apology for the delay and ask those who have donated or looking forward for it not to be disheartened. They are working on it even as we speak and the earliest estimate the book will come out will be around the end of July and the latest would be early August.

However, Monoeye Publishing has showed me a sample book and it is shaping up pretty nicely and yes, I have seen ( via skype video call, of cos) the sheer amount of photos, data and editorial stuffs that they have to go through. So, rest assured,  you all will be having your money's worth when this finally come out. Monoeye Publishing and I would like to ask you all to be just a bit more patient.

If you don't believe me, you can check out this video as well -

Thank you sooo very much for the donations and support for this big project and we ask you to be just a bit more patient.

Thank you for understanding and please stay tuned for more updates.

Read more >>

1/35 Tamiya JGSDF Type90

This kit is only available from Tamiya in this scale. It was released some time around mid 2008. Only a few years old and a very sound kit, albeit with a little bit of inaccuracies ( as usual ) but nothing that is not worth complaining about.

The tank is a 3rd-gen Japanese made Type-90 Main battle tank. You can see more informations about this gal on wiki ( Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_90_Ky%C5%AB-maru )

The colours I used all from tamiya. I used JGSDF Green ( yes, there is a colour for it ) as a base-coat and JGSDF Brown and a mix of White and Deck tan as the camo patterns.
And Like the various tanks I did, after I have satisfied with the coat, follows a massive bombardment of gloss, flat, filters and washes.

I wanted to put it into a scenario when the JGSDF ( Japanese Ground Self Defense Force ) goes into heavy exercises and training after the heightened threat level imposed by North Korea. By the time the North Koreans were all '' Imma nuke y'all '', it was spring and hence, the snows are starting to melt and the training range is muddy with the melted snow. I wanted to capture that so I put in both snow and muds onto the model.

The white patterns are not exactly real life camo pattern as well but rather a what-if, as I thought it would look much better and stand out among other models of the same kit.

For the snow effects, I only used a small amount of game workshop snow effect stuffs and relied heavily on the Deluxe Materials scenic snow kit. The grains are a bit large but at least, these come in proper spherical grains.

This is my 3rd time figure painting and my very first try to wash the face with a flash shade wash. Many thanks to Dead2death and Decay for the great advice.

The only thing I am not happy about this one is that stupid me forgot to get rid of the flash(mould lines ) on the freaking figures. I was so bent on painting them and the god-damned uniform that I forgot to get rid of the flash. Curses. Oh,well, what's done is done, I just have to be more careful on my next figures.

The figures were also painted in tamiya colour but for the skins, I used Vallejo Model Colour ( or was it Panzer Aces?? I forgot) which are much more easier to paint than tamiya flash followed with GW wash.

I'm not sure If I did good or not I loved how it looks myself. I put down even more of the methods I learn on this gal and it was well worth it.

But enough chit-chat .... Its time for the photos -
Lets start with some walk-around, profile views

 

As per usual from me, I broke this gal down to separate albums as well-
Here's the MUD -

Link to the Full album here - http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/hummingbird2012/library/Type90/Mud?sort=3&page=1

I decided to put on only a small amount of chipping along the side skirt from the vehicle going around in forests and such-

Link to the Full album -
http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/hummingbird2012/library/Type90/chippings?sort=3&page=1

I also took some close up shots of the the Various sights/lenses and the onboard tools -

Link to the full album - http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/hummingbird2012/library/Type90/Close%20ups?sort=3&page=1

Here is the some shots of the various snow stuck in areas and parts on the hull and turret -

Link to album - http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/hummingbird2012/library/Type90/snow%20effects?sort=3&page=1

oh and here are the two figures -

This is the Commander -

And this is the Loader -

You can Clearly see the Flash that I forgot to remove ....

And some bibs and bobs of different angles photos I shot just for fun -

AND as usual .......... '' BANG '' 

                    

And That covers all I have done.
I know I am not a pro and I still have much to learn but I really love how this looks and really enjoy knowing how much I can apply what I have learned these past few months. I'm really happy to add this in my list of finished kit.

and as always, I could not finish this without the support of my great friends and peers and comrades. Your supports are much appreciated.

Thanks for looking. C&C and feedbacks are welcomed.

Read more >>