The M113 Part 3

I’m waiting on the Ukrainian postal service to send me the figures that will complete this project.  As a result, this will be the last post for awhile concerning the M113.  I’ll rustle something else up to keep me busy until then. 

I’d just gotten the chipping done last you saw the vehicle.  At this point, I’ve completed the weathering, stowage, and most of the base.  Let’s talk about the weathering.

I mixed up some burnt umber, black, and olive-green oil paints separately into turpentine to add streaking and washes.  Because I have similar characteristics to single celled organisms, I did this in a disposable plastic cup.  I nearly ruined everything when the turpentine ate through the bottoms of the cups and flooded across my cutting mat. 

That cleaned, I researched better alternatives, got mineral spirits, and small glass jars to mix my oil washes in.  Oil washes were applied thinly and allowed to dry.  Next, small dabs of oil paint were applied to the top edges and brushed downward with a wet brush to create streaks.  I allowed two days to get a full cure from the oil paints and put on another clear coat. 

Next came the much less panic inducing acrylic washes for the top of the vehicle.  This could have been done with oil wash, but I liked the more matte finish of the acrylic wash.  I did this with several colors and several coats to build up a real crusty finish to the top.  The occupants of this vehicle aren’t familiar with terms like “preventative maintenance”. 

Yet another clear coat was applied, and I began adding pigment powder.  Until this point, the vehicle was weathered for conditions outside of the diorama.  What I mean is, this vehicle shows signs of having been through mud, rain, and difficult terrain.  Now it needed to be mated with the environment of the base.  The base is a desolate desert road in the middle of the desert.  I used an oddly specific shade of MIG pigment called “Middle East Dust”.  Now I know why that guy in Saving Private Ryan was collecting dirt from all the places he’d been.  He was going to make a wicked big diorama.

The pigment was applied with a dry brush one side at a time.  I sprayed water on the dust and moved it in streaks from the bottom up.  This demonstrates the realistic buildup of dust over time and contrasts with the top-down streaking of the oil paint.  Nooks, crannies, and the back of the vehicle got extra pigment.  These areas are the most likely to have collected dust.  Further attention was paid to the tracks, road wheels, and the bottom half of the hull.  Finally, the top was dusted and wetted to show dust build up around the equipment on top of the hull. 

Stowage was added next.  Just about everything I want to add was applied except the .50 caliber machine gun.  If I add it now, I will accidently knock it off into the lair of the carpet monster.  Of note, the trim vane stowage was made from foam blocks covered in a thin tin foil.  The belts of ammunition were part of the PE set and add a nice touch. 

Attention turned towards the base.  After the glue holding on the corkboard road dried, I used Sculptamold to cover the rest of the base.  I covered the Sculptamold with my mix of tile grout and sand in hopes of creating a desert-like appearance.  When dried, the road was painted with a dark grey chalk paint.  I like to use chalk paints for different terrain elements because of its toughness and matte finish. 

The ground got a base coat of dark yellow followed by a light-yellow drybrush.  Finally, the Middle East Dust pigment was added.  This implies that the dust on the vehicle came from the environment.  You probably already figured that out. 

I painted the 3d printed cacti and glued those in.  You can see how I made the road signs in my previous article.  The tumbleweed was created by balling up some potted plant fibers and dipping it in a PVA glue and water mix.  I’m curious how that effect sells.  Let me know.  I added a kit-bashed, severed head to the front of the vehicle.  We aren’t sure what his crime was, but legend says his ancestor once stormed the halls of power. 

I’ll put this up on the shelf until the figures get here.  Let me know what you think in the comments and thanks for stopping by!