Part Three - Finishing the base

Adam Wilder demonstrates the
techniques behind his STZ T-34/76

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Painting the Base

It is important that the painting of the base

be completed to the same quality as the

model. A poorly finished base will detract

from a model’s convincing paint job. This

was the first time I have painted anything

like this base so this is what I did…

Photos 1 through 5

Using a piece of concrete as my example,

I first painted the whole base with an

undercoat of mixed acrylics. I decided to

paint and detail the wood next. As always,

I painted the old areas and the freshly

broken areas of wood with a base of

acrylics. After painting the base, a wash of

enamels was added. After letting the wash

dry for about 15 minutes I added chips to

the wood using the same mixture of

acrylics as in photo three. Focus most of

the chips on the edges and ends of the

wood. I then mapped the chips with a

mixture of enamels and oils for further

depth. With the wood completed I moved

onto the wall.

Photos 6 through 8

I first painted all of the freshly broken brick

with a lighter shade of the base colour. I

then shaded different areas with washes of

acrylics to break up the wall. After shading

the bricks I applied an extremely heavy

wash between the brick, using grey

enamels. A lighter wash of grey enamels

was also brushed across the rest of the

bricks on the base.

Photos 9 through 11

While I waited for the washes on the wall

to dry, I added some heavy washes of

earth colours around the perimeter of the

base with lighter earth washes over the

brick hill of the base. I then moved back to

the wall adding dark grey streaks I

observed in actual photos. I kept the

streaks on what would have been the outer

sides of the walls. I have noticed different

faint red and oxide colours on light grey

bricks such as the ones used on my base.

After placing the streaks, I added thinned

faint red oxide colours to the upper halves

of some of the bricks on both the walls and

on the base.

Photos 12 through 13

After affixing the oxide washes, I brushed

on an off-white colour to the upper edges

of the bricks on the walls and base for

extended depth. Although more time

consuming, brushing on highlights with a

fine brush as shown in photo 12 gives you

more control, keeps the lighter coloured

paint more refined, and does not subtract

from the other faint colours added in

previous steps. Highlights were also added

to the brick to represent chips as they

crashed and rolled into each other when

they fell. Dry-brushing the whole base

would look nice from a distance but

unrealistic when viewed closely.

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Photos 14 through 15

The final touch to the base was done by brushing on dry

pigments. When you have buildings collapsing and artillery

throwing earth in the air, large amounts of dust will settle over

everything. Earth coloured dust was heavily added to the outer

perimeter of the base while lighter amounts were brushed over

the bricks, wood, metal and wall. Lighter grey dust was also

added over the entire base.

After adding dust, the T-34 was reattached to the base.

The sections of sheet metal as well as the steel beam were

simply painted like the T-34. Painting the perimeter with a nice

colour contrasting the overall tone of the base greatly adds to the

final appearance.

I would like to thank the following:

David Sproul and the gang at Inness Photo for their priceless help

and advice.

Steven Brezinski for all of his Humbrol suggestions as well as the

encouragement of all my Spanish friends and the support of the

Ise Flying Venus crew.

Jon Tamkin at www.missionmodels.com for the supplies and new

finishing products.