German Heavy Tank Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret); a MENG Model 1/35 scale model kit [Completed]

Slightly over a year after work began on a scale model recreation of Tank 124 of Pz.Abt. 505 circa September 1944 in Poland, the journey is now complete. In this recreation, a 1/35 scale plastic model kit with zimmerit decal as well as photo-etch metal accessory parts by Meng Model was used. 

Meng Model German Heavy Tank Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret)

To paint and weather the King Tiger, I had to use a wide variety of materials. These consisted of lacquer, acrylic and oil paints as well as pastels, enamels and pigment weathering products. At the very least, by working on an armored fighting vehicle (AFV) project one will expose oneself to many different hobby techniques. Techniques that will certainly come in handy in the future.  

Tank crew of the German Heavy Tank Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger

Black uniform of the tank crew required subtle contrasting to stand out

'Charging Knight' symbol adorns the side of the King Tiger's turret

Prior to final assembly, I touched up the face one of the tank crews (figurine that is pointing to the distance). My aim was to lighten the shadow near the bridge of his nose as well as improve the eyes. I succeeded in fixing his left eye which was the most problematic but totally forgot to fix his right eye whereby some of the whites of his pupil had leaked onto the eye lining below. But because this imperfection isn't really visible to the naked eye, I've decided to leave it as it is for the moment.  

Oops, looks like I missed a spot when touching up the crewman's eyes

Shiny blue metallic paint mixed with silver made for an interesting lens effect

Look Herr Commander ... enemy tank at our 2 o'clock

Scheiße! It's two T-34s trying to flank us

It's okay Herr Commander, if I point at them long enough they'll go away

A Meng Model scale model kit is arguably best attempted by a modeller with an intermediate to advanced skill set. But this particular King Tiger is one of Meng Model's easier kits, with a lower than usual part count compared to their other kits. So although the King Tiger is only my second AFV project, the aforementioned fact plus my previous experiences with Bandai Star Wars kits meant that the journey I took with this AFV scale model kit wasn't as painful as it could've been. 

Technically, Tank 124 still had half of its front left fender attached (based on historical tank wreck photos) ...  

but I hated the asymmetrical look so I decided to remove that together with the side skirts and other fenders

Overall weathering was restricted to show minimal to moderate dust and dirt accumulation

Inward bending tracks were also noted by other modelers signifying a possible shortcoming of the kit

Tank numbers '124' and 'charging knight' symbols are both water decals ...

... as is the zimmerit layer coating the turret and upper hull

Dust and dirt weathering was applied on the tank tracks and road wheels

Front view accentuates the sloped armor of the King Tiger, which made it difficult to penetrate

Painting little details comprising the tank's pioneer tools and other tiny parts on the hull provided a sense of comforting familiarity for me as I was more used to working with miniature figurines and their accessories. In that respect, the same went for both the tank crew. Unsurprisingly these were the bits that I completed quickly versus the significantly slower pace for the rest of the tank.  

Wood grain on the hammer (and axe, see below) handle was etched out using a sharp hobby knife

Wood grains on both instrument handles were made clearer by treating them with a dark wash  

Spare tracks have paint chip effects while tow cables display weathered metal effects 

Water decals were weathered to better blend in with the hull's zimmerit coated hull

Rear exhaust pipes display soot, burned metal and rust effects

'Charging knight' decal was also weathered as to better blend into the hull

Level of weathering on the tank tracks was just enough to show moderate dust and dirt accumulation

Below are shots of the King Tiger (Henschel Turret) sans her crew from an isometric viewpoint. It gives a better view of the tank tracks, upper hull and turret top.

Isometric view of the King Tiger (Henschel Turret) sans her crew

Without her crew, the King Tiger then had its turret hatches closed

Isometric shots afford observers with a better view of the tracks and turret top

Rear turret hatch actually opens up but because the inner section is unpainted, it remains closed

Color scheme seems dull but this makes sense as dull colors generally provide better camouflage

Even at 1/35 scale this kit is a huge beast, measuring roughly 28 cm (11") in length from gun barrel to rear exhaust

After receiving a coat of primer and paint, the spare tracks fit tightly/securely onto the hooks on the turret

Recreation of Tank 124 of Pz.Abt. 505, albeit with some creative license applied in parts

After the trails and tribulations of a moderately difficult scale model kit, I believe my next AFV project should revert to a simpler and quicker build. However, this'll be balanced by a more difficult painting process that involves learning a new airbrushing technique i.e. color modulation. All I know at this stage is that I would like to work on a German AFV that saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. Something much smaller than a heavy tank. Until the reveal, I would like to thank my dear readers for having patiently followed the progress of this lengthy project. Thank you!

MENG Model Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger [WIP - Dust & Dirt Weathering on the Lower Hull, Tracks & Road Wheels]

Scale modelling work on the Meng Model 1/35 scale Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret) has taken me on a long and convoluted journey, but the end is nigh. Dust and dirt weathering on the German heavy tank's lower hull, tracks and road wheels actually marks the last bit of paint and weathering work. So these are the last pictures before final assembly is carried out.

Dust and dirt weathering on the King Tiger tank tracks [Completed]

Road wheels within the tracks also underwent the dust and dirt weathering process

Before any weathering, the tank tracks had been primed with Tamiya Fine Surfacer (Light Gray) and given a basecoat of AK Interactive Track Primer. The former is a lacquer-based primer while the later is an acrylic-based one. Now there isn't really any need to lay on two coats of primer. I did so mainly because I found the Track Primer's hue to be a suitable basecoat color for tank tracks. That means I used the Track Primer mainly for its color. But I'm sure having a strong basecoat layer in the form of the acrylic-based primer surely helped in resisting any corrosive effects in the weathering stage.

Materials used in the dust and dirt weathering process

Weathered tank track (left) versus one in its basecoat color (right)

Materials used in the weathering process comprised AK Interactive Dust Effects, Earth Effects, European Earth Pigments and Dark Steel Pigments, Vallejo European Earth Pigments, Windsor & Newton Artists' White Spirit and Plaster of Paris powder. And while weathering of the tank tracks went fairly well (see above), things didn't go as smooth for the road wheels (see below). Unsightly white spots on the wheels likely resulted from mixing too much plaster of paris into the enamel-based paints and not mixing it well to boot. As a fix, I plan to remove the spots with white spirit later.

Weathered road wheels (top) versus those with only a pin wash over the basecoat color (below)

Inner section of the road wheels aren't weathered as much; after weathering (top) vs before (bottom)

After the tank tracks and road wheels had been weathered to reflect accumulation of dust and dirt, the Dark Steel Pigments (essentially graphite powder) was then rubbed onto sections of the track that was exposed to friction. These are the raised areas of the tracks which look shiny after application of the Dark Steel Pigments (see photo immediately below, refer to bottom track).

Sections of tracks exposed to friction brought out using dark metal pigments - before (top) vs after (bottom) 

Meanwhile, both sides of the lower hull was first given a light uneven coating of Earth Effects followed by Dust Effects. This was done with both enamel-based products first diluted with white spirit before being airbrushed onto the lower hull. Following this, the same products were applied straight out of the jar onto the lower hull using an old brush by hand. The effects were shaped accordingly by wiping any unwanted excess off using cotton buds dipped in white spirit.

Lower hull (left side) airbrushed lightly with AK Interactive Dust Effects and Earth Effects

Lower hull (left side) with heavier hand brush application of the Dust Effects and Earth Effects

Lower hull (right side) airbrushed lightly with AK Interactive Dust Effects and Earth Effects

Lower hull (right side) with heavier hand brush application of the Dust Effects and Earth Effects

Light dust and dirt weathering meant their application was confined to the bottom of the lower hull

As with the front of the King Tiger, the rear received a similarly light application of dust and dirt effects

Minor touch ups such as lightening the skin tone on one of the tank crew and removal of unwanted white spots from the road wheels remain to be done. However, apart from these steps, the King Tiger (Henschel Turret) is essentially completed. All that remains is to put all the remaining pieces together and snap the requisite display photos. All these tasks should be completed soon thus enabling me to put up the final photos for viewing by the next post. Do bear with me for just one more week and this particular journey - my second AFV scale model project - will be completed at long last.

MENG Model Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger [WIP - Tank Crew]

Because painting miniature figurines is where I got my start in this hobby, it always seems to feel like I'm in my element whenever I work with sculpted human forms. And I'm glad my journey had begun with miniature figurines as I feel they are probably the most important part of a vignette or diorama. Regardless of the scale - be it 1/144, 1/100, 1/35, 1/28 1/24, 1/20, 1/12 or even to a lesser extent 1/6 - being able to place miniature figurines next to a scale model kit provides context and scale to any project. Both German Wehrmacht tank crew members do just that for the King Tiger.

Meng Model King Tiger (Henschel Turret): German Wehrmacht tank crew (front view, black background)

Meng Model King Tiger (Henschel Turret): German Wehrmacht tank crew (front view, beige background)

Meng Model King Tiger (Henschel Turret): German Wehrmacht tank crew (back view, black background)

Meng Model King Tiger (Henschel Turret): German Wehrmacht tank crew (back view, beige background)

Scale comparison of the 1/35 scale tank crew against a Vallejo Model Color paint bottle

Paints used comprised mainly Vallejo Model Color and Games Workshop Citadel acrylic paints (see below). Method of painting was by hand brush as I felt the scale of the figurines was too small for air brush techniques. Maybe in the future I can be skillful enough to airbrush even at this scale, but for now I'll settle for the comforting to-and-fro motions of a hand held paint brush.  

Vallejo Model Color paint colors used for the German tank crew's uniform

Vallejo Model Color paints used for the tank crew's uniform accessories e.g. pistol holster and leather belt

Vallejo Model Color paints used mimic lens reflection on the tank commander's binoculars

Games Workshop Citadel paints used for the tank crew's metallic accessories and hair

Up close with a dedicated macro lens, the two key mistakes I made with the seated tank crew's eye become noticeable. Firstly, his left eye is not as well defined as the right because some white hues got onto the lower eyelid. Second, the area near his right eyebrow and bridge of nose is too dark and should've been lightened with shadow flesh hues. Neither mistakes are markedly visible to the naked eye. So for the moment I won't go back in to correct the mistakes in the interest of moving along a project that is already taking too long as it is. As far as I'm concerned the tank crew is complete.  

Blonde-headed Aryan poster boy of the Wehrmacht with lapel/collar insignia markings and all

At extreme macro closeups, the left eye looks a tad off but thankfully it's not very visible to the naked eye 

Imperfections to the cast of the figure's left cheek ended up looking like a small scar

Vallejo black, dark grey and half-tone mixtures of both hues were used to paint the black uniform

The tank crew uniform actually stands out better against a black background

Blonde hair is based on an old recipe from my days painting Warhammer minis

Folds on the uniform were well sculpted and molded thus providing obvious areas to highlight with paint

As per historical references, uniform undershirt was painted in german field grey which is a kind of green

Both crew members had their photographs taken against a black background, followed by a beige one. To my eye, the uniform was better contrasted against the darker background while the beige background was kinder to skin tones. The point being, repeated ad nauseam in my previous online ramblings, is that colors tend to look different depending on what color is beside them.   

Against a beige background, the colors of the figurine take on a slightly different slant ...

... for example, at first glance the contrast within the black uniform is not as evident ... 

... partly because the beige background makes the uniform look much darker ...

Leather for the pistol holster was painted a darker shade of brown and given a black wash ...

... as compared to the leather belt which received lighter brown hues and a brown wash

In terms of ease to paint, the upright tank commander won easily because in his case there was no need to paint the hardest and most critical part of a human figurine i.e. the eyes. Since they were hidden behind the binoculars, the eyes could be left with just darker flesh hues.

A King Tiger tank commander viewing the battlefield through his binoculars

With the commander's eyes hidden behind the binoculars, there was no need to paint the eye details

Black background tends to focus one's eyes on the contrast on the tank crew uniform

Folds on the commander's uniform is just as impressive as those found on the other crew member

Back view of the King Tiger commander, whose pose sees him standing out of the command hatch

Hair on the tank commander has a more yellowish/golden hue compared to the hair on the other crew

Note the different levels of gloss between the various parts of the uniform e.g. shoes vs trousers

Sheen on the binocular lenses were a mixture of Vallejo Metallic Blue and Silver

Additionally, not much skin was exposed on the standing tank commander. Other than the lips, not much facial details was present to be painted. As mentioned his eyes were already covered by the binoculars. Moreover, the commander's ears were completely covered up by a set of headphones. That left the shiny lens reflection on the binoculars as the only interesting detail left to paint. Rather than mimic lens reflection using acrylic color transitions, I used a metallic paint shortcut.

Photograph of the King Tiger tank commander taken against a beige background

Metallic sheen painted on the binocular lenses was meant to mimic lens reflection

Insignia details on the commander's cap and shirt were painted with metallic paint

And so arguably the hardest part of an AFV (armored fighting vehicle) project - the figures - is now complete. What's left to do is mainly to further dirty up the King Tiger with dust, dirt, streaks, etc. Weathering the tracks and their surrounding areas will be a whole thing unto itself, likely the most time consuming step left in the entire project. Weathering processes should be easier for its turret and hull as they already look fairly dirtied up. What the German Heavy Tank currently lacks is a layer of dust and dirt with the occasional streaking effects. The end is now in sight. Phew!