To me a busy port with many vessels and vehicles is a very inspiring place. For quite a while I have had the idea to build a setting with a ship, as submarines, fishing boats, transport ships, torpedo boats and such really give me a boost.
I was tempted several times to purchase the Tamiya 1/35th Patrol Boat, but each time ended up putting it back on the shelf. The 1/35th Vosper and Elco 80’ Torpedo Boat are equally cool, but also quite large in that scale, making them gigantic endeavours which might be more suitable to build in 1/72nd, but I prefer to stick with 1/35th scale whenever I can.
Then Bronco entered the scene with their 1/35th Minisub German type XXVIIB Seehund. I saw it online, had it on my desk the same week and started building it immediately.
I was so enthusiastic about this kit that I proposed the idea of a group build within my club, the Scale Model Factory. Normally I’m not that keen on group builds, this was going to be my first ever, but I had the impression that this was going to be an easy ride in the park, with little time between start and finish.
Well, it all turned out a little different……
This vignette is sold.
I approach nearly every WWII vehicle that I build more as a vehicle that you take your friends out on a holiday with, rather than the violent war machine that is really is. This model is no exception to that. In fact the Seehund looks to me like a nice, small vessel to cruise along the coast of France for a week, with a good mate and a few crates of beer and some good food.
The scene I was going to depict should have a leisurely atmosphere instead of the bitter seriousness of war. To me, showing a cosy, safe and relaxing WWII setting is more interesting in most cases. Also for the characters/figures this is a moment of peace and tranquillity, offering the opportunity to forget the war that’s raging.
For the weathering of my WWII models I mainly use 2 colours of Liquitex acrylic ink, transparent Burnt Umber and Neutral Grey Value 5. You can use these diluted or undiluted using water and the blending process is done with Tamiya X20-A thinner.
Key in the weathering process is a natural look and to avoid a painted one. Easier said than done, but the advantage of these acrylic inks is that you can make corrections long after their application. Especially the transparent burnt umber, my main colour, can be manipulated with Tamiya X20-A thinner for ages, so it seems.
The Neutral Grey value 5 dries harder and faster and is quite permanent after a day. With the Tamiya X-20 and a micro brush you can still get the job done, but it requires more pressure and if you fail to seal your previous layers of paint with Games Workshop Purity Seal there is fair possibility that the underlying paint gets damaged.
© 2014 by Marcel du Long