The Sands of Time (Ma.K. AFS Mk1) [Rusting]

[marc_reusser]

Monday I was just so trashed from last weeks work load, I decided to take the day off, and have some mindless fun. I decided to build the MaK kit that arrived Friday from Hobby Link.  (This is the first of these I have ever built, so if I am guilty of some kind of "MaK heresy", I apologize in advance.)  So far it was a quick and fun project.

I am waiting on the skull from Andrea, and I have to sculpt the skeleton left arm and hand, as well as add the hoses on the right arm.

The basic concept is a rusty Mak, suit with a broken/shattered glass visor, that over time has become partially buried (or unburied) in the shifting desert sands. The skeletal left arm reaching out in a plea for help or possibly a warning. The holes around the figure will all be filled in and sand piled/blown against the suit.








Marc

[PuckHog]

Marc,  Can't wait to see what you do with this one!!........Randy

[lab-dad]

I guess this will go on the beach on the boat diorama?



-Anonymous....

[RoughboyModelworks]

Interesting project Marc. For some reason I keep thinking of those LifeAlert commercials... you know, "I've fallen and I can't reach my beer!"   

Paul

[finescalerr]

Marc, I'm afraid you finally have gone off the deep end. Do seek therapy before it's too late. And take your medication. -- Russ

[Ronald]

Great Marc...... Can't wait to see the endresult!

Not very trainrelated.......

[TRAINS1941]

Marc

Does Darth Vader know he's lost one of his men!!!!

Jerry


                           

[Chuck Doan]

Great composition!

[marc_reusser]

Thanks Guys.



Paul: Now I just need to find that 1/20 scale beer can.....or maybe it rolled down the hill out of the scene

Jerry: That's what happens when they go out for a loaf of bread and pack of smokes, and never return .

Roland: I refuse to be pigeonholed ....I was originally visualizing this as a much larger scene...sort of a two sided diorama, where if you looked from the front you only saw the stranded MaK....but if you turned it to the back, there was going to be a pit with a sort of an early 1900's archiological excavation going on, which had some V-tip cars and track.....but I decided I just wanted a project to blow off some steam, relax, and experiment with some painting and weathering techniques.....besides I really did not feel like sculpting 50+ arab workers in N or TT scale




The figure was primered with Gunze Mr. Resin Primer, then received a base coat of Vallejo Acrylics (2/3 Germ. SS Camo Black-Brown, to 1/3 Hull Red).

The reason for this color is to establish the base color of sun burnt steel. Long exposed steel in desert climates will tend to develop a dark black-blue-red-brown surface patina. Shorter term exposed areas, or old surface areas that have been scratched, pitted by sand, etc, will have a lighter series of rust colors (of course there are variations of this also depending on the type of metal, and the environment)



Next the pieces were given a heavy filter of Windsor Newton "Prussian Blue" (artists oil paint), this was followed by an overall burnishing/application of MIG "Gun Metal" pigment (this was applied using one of those Tamiya foam brush thingies)...this was followed by a brush applied light dusting of Bragdons rust pigments. The rust pigments were then mostly wiped away or also burnished into the surface. More texture and coloring to come.









.....and this last one is just for fun (ship is a 1/700 scale model. The 1918 Australian cruiser "Vampire")





Marc

[EDIT:] Below are some pics I am using as reference. Note the sheen and coloration.

[marc_reusser]

Two more of the examples I am using.

[John McGuyer]

Gee! I thought it was a railroad picture and he was trying to put his derailed train back on the track.

John

[marc_reusser]

It seems that I have had a bit of a setback.

I was working on adding some initial "positive chips/mapping" (this was not the final color...which will be more of a yellow/green)....which was then given a thin wash of burnt umber artists oils....when the problem began....




On these pieces you can see where the application of the wash casused the rivets and the edges of the shoulder plates to wear off. This happened big time on the main body section and helmet       ......the only things I can figure it was due to, either the use of straight turpentine instead of  the weaker odorless thinner; the Vallejo base color did not bond well enough/properly to the Mr Resin Primer,  the paint had not cured long enough before I started working over it, or I did too many steps in succession too quickly without a proper curing/drying period in between.

I probably could have touched up the areas, or hidden them in the next color step....but the whole time while working on this, I also was noticing that some of the puttied seam lines were slightly telescoping through....probably accentuated by the surface sheen......so today I soaked the parts in 90% Isopropyl alcohol, and stripped of all the color. 

Will start over tomorrow, but will take a slightly different, and easier/quicker approach this time around. I may also use either Tamiya or Floquil (oil based) paint for the base colors instead of the Vallejo.


Marc

[John McGuyer]

When my idea doesn't work, I hide it and deny that project exists.

John

[Chuck Doan]

I have a closet full of projects like that!

Sorry that happened Marc. I hate taking more backwards steps than forward.

[shropshire lad]

Chuck ,

   Can I have one of your failed projects , please ? They have got to be better than one of my best efforts ,

Marc ,

  Sorry to see you've hit a problem . Hopefully you can sort it out . If not , maybe you can fall back on one of your other started projects .
   Are you going to get your boatyard wrecks finished in time to enter in the MIG Forum competition ?

  Nick