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Friday Finds: July 25, 2014

I skipped last week's links due to vacation. So I'll try to make it up this week! Have you wondered why you can't find the high quality sable brushes? Now you know. One of the local club members turned me on to these tiny (and I mean tiny) LEDs. Can't wait to put them to use! Check out the full line. They have some super cool stuff. Check out this cool "third hand" tool, FixO. The Armorama review is pretty positive, so pop over and support the crowdfunding project on Indiego!

By |2014-07-24T17:56:27-05:00July 25th, 2014|Fun Finds|0 Comments
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What I’ve learned about painting figures

I've had the luck (and the pleasure) of having met Bob Bethea, a local and amazing figure painter, at my local club meeting. Bob has been incredibly kind and generous with his time as he teaches me the fine art of figuring painting. I recently republished an article Bob had written for our local club newsletter sharing some of his tips on getting start with figuring painting, and if you haven't read it, it's well worth the time. I thought I'd also share the newbie viewpoint on what I've learned. Often, the things that screw up the newbies don't even registered on the minds of the experienced folks. So in no particular order, here's a few of my tips. And remember, this only applies to acrylic paints! Wet palette Don't use the paint trays with small recesses, buy or make a wet palette. Google it for more info, but basically, a [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00July 24th, 2014|Modeling thoughts|0 Comments
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Guest Post: Introduction to figure painting

My friend Bob Bethea has been helping me learn the fine art/madness that is figure painting. I've been collecting tips and tricks that I've learned, but he recently published an article in our local Austin Scale Modelers Society club newsletter. It was a great read, and a great overview of the instruction he's been giving me. With permission, I'm republishing here. Thoughts on Figure painting by Bob Bethea For your first figure you should choose one that is well sculpted and of a subject that will keep your interest. A good sculpture will make it EASIER to paint, and the affection for the subject will keep you at it until you finish. The average person feels that they should start on a cheap figure and work up to the "good", expensive ones. That is a total misconception as you cannot make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, as they say. [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00July 23rd, 2014|Guest Post, How to|1 Comment
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Great tip: sharp masking tape edges

I found this cool tip when browsing Facebook yesterday. Anyone tried this trick? If you have trouble with paint creeping under masking tape, here is a simple fix. After applying your masking tape, spray the edge of the tape with the color already on the model.This will seal the edge, and any paint that creeps under the tape is the paint that is already there. After the base color dries, spray over the joint with the new color. Remove the tape as soon as the new color is dry to the touch- don't wait for it to cure. This will give you SHARP edges without touch ups!

By |2014-07-21T13:39:51-05:00July 22nd, 2014|How to|0 Comments
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Monday giveaway: Tank Art 3

UPDATE: I love the response! I'm extending through Friday. I'll pick a winner then! UPDATE 2: A winner has been selected! Due to a twist of shipping snafu, I find myself in possession of an extra copy of Tank Art 3, the new book from Rinaldi Studios. Rather than sending it back, Rinaldi Studios offered to let me keep it and put it to good use. I've not yet cracked my own copy open yet, but if it's as good as the first two volumes, I'm in for a treat. Or should I say, we are in for a treat. Me, and maybe you, fine reader. That's right, I'm giving away my extra copy to one lucky reader. Entering the contest is easy: Enter a comment below (be sure to leave me your name and email address or else I can't get in contact with you!) Tell me a story about [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00July 21st, 2014|Contests|17 Comments
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Friday Finds: July 12, 2014

I missed last week due to an international summer vacation with the family, so I'm going big to make up! It's not armor, but it's amazing! Tutorial for printing your own diorama "title plaques" at home Modeling buckles and straps tutorial Bob Letterman's Sayonara diorama walkthrough Big list of highly rated WWII movies (a bunch on this list I haven't seen...  yet!) Impressive gallery of wreckers A gaggle of video tutorials from the Baton Rouge Scale Modelers club Nebelwerfer diorama Strange Series of Photographs Show Hitler Practicing His Body Language Hidden amid the foliage and scrap metal, abandoned fleet of WWII fighter planes lie rotting in the backwoods of Ohio "Battleground" movie figure build

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00July 12th, 2014|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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Friday Finds: June 27, 2014

Another batch, here we go! Pink as a camouflage color? Illawarra Plastic Modellers' Association (IPMA) show galleries - Part III - Tanks trucks and troops Better colors for the photos of your models Very cool Opel variant One hell of a diorama! (Forgive me if it's been posted before... it's too cool not to share again!) Cool build log of a scratchbuilt Italian home

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00June 27th, 2014|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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Replacing AFV width indicators

If you've built just about any German WWII AFV, you will know the pain of snapping off the width indicators on each fender. I seem to do it multiple times throughout the build process, even if I wait until the very. last. step. of the build process. I do it so much, I apparently don't even notice when I knock them off. This weekend, I looked down at my Sd. Kfz. 7/2 and noticed one of them missing. I searched high and low and couldn't find it. Then as I was checking inside the kit box, I knocked the other one off. I headed to the web to search my sources for turned brass replacements. Voyager makes them, but I'd be waiting a week to get them. After several failed attempts at different techniques, I turned to the forums. By far, the best suggestion was the "dip a rod in paint" method. [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00June 24th, 2014|How to|0 Comments
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Effectively making photoetched pressed louvres

You know that incredible feeling when you finally figure out a technique that has eaten up too many expensive parts? No matter how many forum posts you read, no matter how many YouTube videos you ready, you simply can't get the hang of the technique. Then you do. Blessed day, you do it. Yesterday was one of those day. I love superdetailing with photoetch add-on sets. I'm getting better about not losing every third PE part to the carpet void. But one thing I could never, ever figure out is those damn pressed louvres. You know the ones... the vertical sides of many softskin engine compartments. They are molded shut on plastic parts, but are open (and thin) in real life. A perfect PE replacement option. The problem, however, is that getting the pressed louvres to realistically pop out of the flat PE, all while ensuring the full panel stays flat [...]

By |2016-10-29T19:09:34-05:00June 24th, 2014|How to|0 Comments
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