This month’s Hobby Japan, September 2010 features a 7 page special by super mecha maker himself, Max Watanabe, commemorating the re-release of the Maschinen Krieger Panzer Aufklärungs T.W.47 Kröte Armoured Walker. In his article, Watanabe-san showcases his own fantastic models along with 2 guest artist’s works, first and foremost Kow Yokoyama Sensei and for the first time in Hobby Japan, Lincoln Wright. Yes, that’s me!!

Yokoyama-Sensei showcases his now almost 30 year old scratch built original Kröte and it’s amazing that it’s in such great condition. He contrasts this with one he finished the day before the photo shoot using the new release from WAVE that also contains additional parts seen on other walkers in the series such as the Gans.

To demonstrate the original Nitto Kit, Yokoyama-Sensei asked me to show the Kröte from my Sie Kommen diorama from the 2008 Ma.K Modellers Showcase Vol.4. I built it largely from the box to keep the Nitto kit flavour and to better understand the original, as released.

Lastly, the article introduces the upcoming release of the SF3D Chronicles, a beautifully re-printed and boxed package set of various re-printed SF3D articles from the original Hobby Japan days!

If this magazine is available near you, please do check it out and if not, you can order directly from the Hobby Japan site via Amazon Japan here or through Hobby Link Japan here for the Hobby Japan magazine and here for SF3D Chronicles.

Here are a couple of shots inside the magazine and of the diorama featured and you can see the rest of Sie Kommen! here.

Thanks for looking!

Lincoln

For a slight break from SF I decided to try something different, Scale Armour! With the 1/35 Nutcracker release from Hasegawa on the horizon, it’s not a bad idea to have a little more smaller scale experience under my belt too.

Here’s a 1/48 scale Initial Tiger 1 by Tamiya, as seen serving with DAK in Nth. Africa during WWII and built straight from the box with one detail added, a metal barrel from FineMolds. Lovely kit, went together very nicely. Some parts and details are simplified and a little thick but the price here in Japan, it’s such good value to make them as is at ¥1,500.

My aim with this project is to apply my  hand painting style to s smaller scale kit and generally testing it out. I’m also a big fan and very much inspired by the old box top artwork by the master artist, Yoshiyuki Takani who’s works I also use to fuel some of my Maschinen Krieger style of painting. Just as a side note, I do own and use an airbrush as well but enjoy the finish, freedom and challenge of “guy with a brush and some paint” style too.

A base color of Mr. Color Mahogany from the spray can. Misted highlights of Mr. Color Dull Red added over the top. Next a light mist coat of Mr. Color Dark Yellow, again straight from the spray can and applied carefully. I’m not going for coverage, just blocking in some color and to use it as a “ground”.

I sprayed the metal barrel with Tamiya Surfacer as it’s for metal as well as plastic and then gave it an undercoat of Mr. Color German gray, again from a spray can.

Next the hand brush begins with a first coat of RLM Sandy Brown and then working Gaia Notes Dunkelgelb (1 & 2).

Lastly I am highlighting in strategic places to accentuate the shape of the model, adding both Gaia Notes Flat White and Gaia Notes Interior Color and working from a paper palette to keep the mixes random and interesting. I’m using a variety of brushes for different effects and keeping in mind interesting vectors to accentuate the finish. This generally means more stabbing, stippling motions on the horizontal surfaces and downward streaks on the verticals but not always as variation in the finish is my goal.

That finishes the basic color coats, next I can add the decals and begin weathering.

So far I am reasonably happy with this finish, I would like more contrast after reviewing the photos and will keep working on this in subsequent weathering steps.

Thanks for looking!

Lincoln

Hi Guys!

Yokoyama Sensei has just uploaded his blog with the new figure by Brickworks that will most likely be sold in a set along with the WAVE S.A.F.S just like the Nitto Original.

Please check here for more excellent photos by Sensei and the link at the bottom of the page to see the happy pilot with the Ms. Lopez figure, also a Sensei Original paint job.

Very cool, hope you like the pics and enjoy Sensei’s excellent figure painting!!

Lin.K

1/35 SS-87 F6 Weltraun Jagd P.O.D. “Ferkel”.

Rainbow Egg are releasing another Garage Kit, the 1/35 Ferkel as seen on pages 62 & 63 of the Maschinen Krieger II, Chronicle and Encyclopedia.

Rainbow Egg’s kit will be in 1/35 Scale as per the original made by Kow Yokoyama-Sensei. We can expect to enjoy Katoo-san’s famous impeccable attention to detail and quality as always.

The basic price (all in JPY) in Japan is ¥27,600. I then ship to you for the price listed on EMS and we are expecting the boxed kit to come in at very close to 900 g for one Ferkel, 1600 g for 2 Ferkels. Please check shipping to your region here. I’ll need 4% of the total to cover international PayPal transfer, the only way I can accept international payments at this time.

We are expecting to start shipping shortly, please email me to place an order if you haven’t done so already.

Complete! This “side project” was fulfilling it’s role nicely, sitting off on the side! Learned a great deal from this one including the best reason for writing detailed notes on how I am completing models. Only 6 mths or so old and I had no real idea how I had finished this one so the notes come in very handy for future reference!

To finish up, I added a little more color to the base with acrylics and pigments, added more flat and gloss areas with acrylic varnishes from Vallejo and painted some details like the windows and sensors and added it all together.

Really enjoy this piece now that it’s done and would like to do more vignettes like this.

Hope you like it!!!

Lin.K