OK … a number of things –
I’m still experimenting with decals … how to use them and which ones … I’ve got this winter thing going on (appropriate, you might think, to the Summer of 2017) … and, well, I had to buy something at Partizan …
I have a little rule … I try to spend a little at every show (whether I need anything or not): spending helps the world go around – and whatever I buy I have to paint (so as not to let the pile called ‘dormant projects’ get any higher) …
For all its many merits as a show, Partizan doesn’t have much for me but (in addition to books and scenics) I did find a 1:100 Zvezda T60 which I haven’t built or reviewed yet so why not …
Well it turns out I have already done that (here … ) and the appropriate slot in the divisional box is already filled. I am sure all enthusiasts will occasionally forget they have bought something and get one again …
So, to fufill the second directive (to build and paint) I decided those airborne troops in Winter garb might possible deserve their own, Winter camo, support. A T60 with whitwash swaths and snow-suited tank riders:
(Zvezda’s 1:100 T60 given a P.B.Eye-Candy makeover)
Brushes up nicely, of course.
I put a little red star on the glacis … occasionally you see them on Soviet armour – but less is definitely more. The Russian for star is zvezda, as I’m sure you all know. And that’s what inspired an interlude of tinkering.
The decal sets are the I-94 ones. I had good results with the aviation symbols and vehicle plates but had also bought a Red Army slogans one which I hadn’t tried. The lettering looked a little thin to me (not exagerated to the extent that you might need on 15mm/1:100 vehicles).
So I tried to liven up my aerosans …
The ‘guards’ slogan is 15mm … it’s kind of nice but you struggle to see it if you don’t get close up. Thank heavens for the wonders of modern digital technology.
So I tried a 20mm slogan on a PSC T34 …
It’s the later, big turret 85, otherwise I’d not have got the decal on – but I do think the 20mm lettering is better for these models …*
But really what these pictures show is where mobile phones are, these days … the pictures are taken with my Samsung Galaxy … now I did try to set the focus up properly as I wanted you to be able to see the decals – even so, when I reviewed the results I was quite surprised.
It made me remember when I did a magazine shoot back in the 80s with my (then) 35mm SLR … I got passably professional results but only after quite a bit of setting up. How things have moved on. And I guess what we do on our blogs today will look primitive tomorrow.
Here’s a T60 beauty contest.
A Zvezda win in my book … and they win on price, hands down.
*******
*the PSC has Zvezda running gear … something I did for variety and compatibility … I also think, on reflection, that I’ve probably got the front tactical symbol turned through 90°, thus, perhaps, a talking point.
**the aerosans are from QRF … they’ve used one of mine on the website 😉 …
You can find I-94 on the internet or you can get them at UK shows from minibits …
P.B.Eye-Candy 