pixels & plastics

Quad gun tractor with BMW R75

Canadian Ford F.G.T.

The good old Tamiya Quad Gun Tractor

An important subject in my projects is contrast, both in shape and theme.

The clumsy geometric bodywork of the Quad combined with details like the interior and the windows very much appeal to me. In terms of theme I prefer to unite the harsh reality of war with something light-hearted. Although my models depict war machines, I like to give them a “pleasant” touch, in other words: take off the razor sharp edge of war.

An enormous inspiration for me is the work of animator Hayo Mizaki. He often combines tough boys stuff with friendly elements, as in his animated movies Porco Rosso and Castle in the Sky.

Probably his most inspiring work for me is his book; Hayo Miyazaki's Daydream Data Notes. This publication is packed with drawings of interiors of tanks, aircraft and ships and it certainly was my mainsource of inspiration for the interior of this Quad

Quad 01
Quad 02

​Once upon a time in the Netherlands

Thinking up a setting for my Quad was a piece of cake, I was finally able to do a Mickey Mouse camouflage, an ideal contrast between the rounded shapes of the camouflage and the rectangular vehicle. So the setting would be somewhere in Europe, and why not stay close to home and make that The Netherlands? The choice to position the vehicle slanted against the wall of a Dutch dike was based upon an image of a Quad in a similar position, partly sunk in a ditch. With this setting and composition in mind, I went to work.

Quad 05
Quad 06
Quad 14
Quad 15
Quad 16
Quad 17
Quad 18

​The interior

I have a passion for building and finishing interiors of both vehicles and airplanes. The interior of my Quad just cried out to be dressed up and I wanted to give it a well lived look and feel. Not in the sense of being heavily weathered, but more like showing that troops have traveled in it for months and that this vehicle had become their home on wheels.

Flanked by large doors, lots of windows and a large opening in the roof, there were many opportunities for a good view of the interior, so I did not have to worry that I painted details that would be lost once the cabin body would be in place.

The weathering of the whole interior was completely done with Liquitex acrylic inks and some pigments. Small leaves, magazines and newspapers were added and fixated with PVA glue. These small details are always the finishing touch and make an interior just a bit more dynamic.

1920

Lion Roar BMW R75

To add some contrast to the clumsy geometric body of the Quad I made a refined stowage rack seen above. This turned out to be a serious scratch build project, but as conceived it adds refinement to a bulky body. But what is a stowage rack without stowage? What could I sensibly add to it? Some weeks earlier I finished a BMW R75 kit from Lion Roar and the light colours and refined details of this motorcycle were a perfect contrast with the Quad’s looks, just like the stowage rack.

Quad 23
Quad 24
Quad 25
Quad 26
Quad 27A

© 2014 by Marcel du Long