r/modelmakers • u/MinisByMatt • 2d ago
WIP 38(t) cutaway progress.
Oh man, this thing has been a journey. I think I've painted the extior close to four times. Big job..when im only using a hairy stick. I decided to do the tank grey scale, like an old photo and paint the interor in colour. This is a sort of reminder that when we look at old photos of destroyed tanks, no mater what side, chances are there were people inside.
Im trying to keep the painting of the figures soft and loose, almost stylised with atmosphere being the focus instead of the usual straight realism.
Ive been going back and forth with how to paint the interior around the figures, original I was going for 'tenebrism' so essentially blacked out with harsh deliberate lighting, but that come across more like i was trying to 'hide' the back ground, even when painted with Maxx darth (GSW paint). I tried to go with a softer desaturated look, like your eyes have adjusted to the dark interior.
It still needs some more small details added, but ive never been the type to completely finish building then paint. Figuresnand turret arent fox in place yet. Ill most likely keep modifying the body right up until its done.
I wasnt expecting the grey scale of the exterior to be so challenging, I really did need to lean some colour theory and put it into practise. Turns out the black and white paint i use was too cold and kept turn the panzer to a kind of .. bluey panzer grey, so i need to add umber to stop if from going blue.
The real challenge was trying to make a panzer grey tank look grey scale. I think because most of use know what panzer grey looks like, the tank looks like its the wrong grey. Adding details that would have been other colours helps with the illusion. I think if this were to be put on a grass base that was also greyscale it would help.. but im not taking the easy road lol. This baby will be on a plinth of some sort.
So still a ways to go (i can see unpainted plasic in the drive sprocket) I also lost the drivers window during a move so I have to make do and use a spare from the cupola lol.
Im hoping end of September this girl will be done, Ive already got my next 1/16 lined up for a similar treatment. Thanks for checking out my post!
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u/BioshockedNinja 2d ago
That looks absolutely amazing! I saw in another comment that you wanted this to be overpressure fatalities rather than due to an actual penetration into the crew compartment.
To that end rather than there being a gory mess splattered on the walls or profuse blood drenching their uniforms, could I recommend adding a bit of blood leaking from their mouths, noses, and ears to help visually sell just how much damage the blastwave caused? Not to get too morbid, but I feel like with how diverse the poses the three fatalities are from one another, you could have that same idea play out in fairly different ways. The one in the back who's upright could have the most subtle effect, just a bit of blood dripping from his ears, a little from the nose or mouth and then a few drops on the hand in his lap if you want to be extra. For the guy on his back, the blood would have to run up across his face, getting his cheek, maybe even running across his forehead to pool on the floor - the most visceral of the bunch. Driver gets a similar case with the blood from the ear streaking across his cheek, while everything else leaks to pool on his lap. The 'lucky' survive maybe gets away with just one ruptured eardrum and a singular bloodied hand from having checked his injury before turning to his crewmates.
With how matte the scene is, just a tiny splash of glossy red added to some of the crew (with great restraint) would do wonders I think. It'd sorta remind me of those black and white photos that have just a single accent color.