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The painting of the Stug III Ausf F/8 in Kharkov...
     
   The model is painted entirely in Tamiya "German Grey" XF-63. If one looks attentively at the authentic photos of the front of the Battery 901 vehicles, one can notice the existence likely of a camouflage previous to the wintry distemper, which besides is little strong marked. Camouflage seems constituted of large strips of a color that contrast with the "panzer grey" of basis. Because one supposes that it is the grey that dominates 1942 again at the end, unless the school of the artillery of where - recall it - come the pieces, experimented the sand yellow, but this hypothesis is rather little believable. It would seem more as if it was about a rest of washing in green on gray bottom (in agreement with the interpretation of J. Restayn in his masterly "Kharkov"), or even of a washing in "African yellow", borrowed to the paintings sand destinies in the DAK (one knows that some yellows have been diverted to be experimented in Russia during the year 1942...)
   
   This being, not having received the confirmation of the book of J.Restayn again (bought subsequently) and, without more tangible information on the colors, we concentrated here our efforts on the realization of the wintry camouflage, while disregarding the likely grey substratum with some green lines. So to get a well distributed uniform grey, the airbrush has been used on the other hand, it is to the very flexible brush that the model is then entirely blotched of white. For a comfortable work, a white shade, diluable to water, of the range Prince August "off-white" n° 4 is used. Proceed while tapping the dilute enough color and, come back several times on the same zones for opacifier centers it of the stains, the irregular sides having to let show the "panzer grey" of basis. Besides, don't try to cover the gray entirely but, let intact a lot of gray beaches, in the recesses, around the lines of structure, etc...

   Before pursuing, a word on trace them. By luck, the Gunze Sangyo kit provides (in unique copy) the badge of the Sturmgeschütz Lehr-Battery 901, the famous windmill, visible on the before the self-propelled, left side. One also has two crosses of nationality to apply on the coffers, and of a third for the rear. these are the only marks that seem to carry about ten contraptions ordered by Alfred Müller. Trace them are applied before undertaking the white daubing, because it is necessary to let a perimeter "panzer grey" around the markings not to drown them in the white as rule for identification. Fortunately, the white of the periphery of the crosses and especially some mill is of a varies that decides well on the one of the daubing.

   The zones destined to receive trace them are prepared in bright varnish Prince August n° 193, that applies merely to the brush and dry quickly. The layer of varnish shining permits an adhesion fusionnelle of the decals of the badge on a very smooth support, whereas a mat surface presents a roughness that doesn't permit the same result. 
   After having passed a second layer of varnish shining in order to take the marking in sandwich, he/it remains to eliminate finished it bright. For it mat varnish Prince August n°192 is not counseled: it gives a finished silkiness. The ideal is to pulverize on a local level a little matt varnish Aeromaster (known American brand for its planes decals sheets) or if not, mat varnish "2 Cotes" of the Humbrol range. The mixed is necessary well and not too much the dilute (the application in several fine layers is also counseled).
   
   The advantage of varnish of at Aeromaster is that it dilutes itself to water, it is an acrylic varnish that procures easily a finished mat impeccable. Unfortunately, it stopped being distributed following the problems of the Aeromaster society but, it can happen that one finds it again under another label. Indeed, it was manufactured by the business American Testors that her, always distribute its products. A pity, this product was indeed exceptional...  

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The finish of the white camouflage in two stages.

   First, to shade the tour of the bolts and all lines of structure in hollow. It makes itself with a blackish juice of oil painting, composed of "Lamp Black" and "Raw Umber" of at Winsor & Newton or their equivalents at Lefranc & Bourgeois).

   Then all bones are underlined of a feature to the thin brush with a dark shade, again enough dilute blue grey, that recalls the bottom "panzer grey". It is composed as for her to "Indigo Blue" basis mixed to the black, a more metallic black as the "Blue Black" of Winsor & Newton.

Painting of the accessories.

   The tools of the side share, irons and woods, and the packs, are painted to the paintings acrylic Prince August for more of speed and, the easiness in damaged them. Woods are veined systematically of small fine lines in brown dark, brown red, very dilute. Of small features of clear ocher, possibly yellow and hoary, are juxtaposed to the lines sped along for a better made visual. Irons, as the bucket, are treated then in "Steel natural" n°178, mixed of a little black, the bones are taken with a mixture "Steel natural" n°178 + "Silver" n°171. The cables receive some features money oblique lines very marked, nearly pure, leave to ease the contrast then by a juice. The shades are added after drying in black oil painting, Raw Umber and Raw Sienna.

Painting of the tracks.

   The tracks are painted to part. It will be necessary to handle them with precaution because their assembly remained fragile when they don't rest on the train of rolling. They are covered to the airbrush of a layer of "Track Colour" Humbrol 173, a sort of dark chestnut a few reddish (simulating a rusty aspect). Then, the interstices between the links on the internal and external face and the drawings of structure, have been shaded with a mixture of acrylic paintings "brown dark" and black. 
   The metallic aspect is returned then with shade "Aluminum" Humbrol 56, to which one adds of the oil painting Bluish Black and a little bit of Raw Sienna and/or Burnt Umber. This tinted mixture has for consequence to slow down the drying of painting Aluminum, that one dilutes with white spirit or with turpentine. For the application, go about things by brushing of the reliefs with a flexible brush smeared of painting to the extremity and rubbed before on a wipes all in order to not to coat the tacks of color aluminum at the time of the first brushstrokes (it is the principle of the "Dry brush".) 
   Some stronger sunny spells are brought then while adding a little Silver Humbrol 11 in the mixture, of which one rubs the most prominent reliefs of the skates and also the teeth of guidance, but always only to the illuminated places naturally (you can use a lamp for that to make.)

Finish on the casemate.

   The inside of the casemate has been painted White Mat Humbrol beforehand. A first effect of patina is given by a washing of "White" Prince August n°1 with a suspicion of grey, for example of the "neutral Grey". One accentuates the contribution of gray to treat the parts in the shade. One comes back with the off-white this time with the Yellow Ochre and/or the "Flesh" color, to deposit a very dilute cloud in the middle of the most illuminated zones. Then, finish to the oil painting, with the help of small features of Natural Umber and Burnt Umber dispersed at random, then after a short rest, stretched from top to bottom with the dry brush. 
 
   The inside of the scuttles is in "panzer grey" of white distemper, but skated to the oil painting with the black for the shades and the Indigo and the Titanium White rubbed in the middle of the plates. 

Of the mud, more mud!

   Remain the applications of mud for the final key. These are dry pastels, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre and brown, reduced in powder while rubbing them on the sandpaper to grain very fine. The thus gotten powder is impregnated of alcohol to confer him the consistence of a painting. The alcohol in question is the domestic remover marks Hexalcool (ethanol to 95°). some F gas also makes very well the business. The mixture is applied with a brush a little tired (useless to use a new brush, that would be lost thus for all other more meticulous use). The alcohol evaporates quickly and let a beautiful colorful trace. Achieve a damaged velvety well while first applying then the darkest color, while regaining this one (partially) of a clearer shade. A fast damaged to two or three floors is sufficient to produce an effect rather of dried mud, although visually the dark brown background produces a light impression of wet. An aspect more honestly humid is possible while adding of the medium acrylic brightness to the mixture pastels/alcool, what has not been tempted here. 

And a little snow to finish!

   Snow printed in the tracks, on the extensions, as well as its minute deposits dispersed on the tank, are gotten while applying (to the brush) of the baking soda on applications localized of Liquitex acrylic brightness varnish/medium (or all other marks.)

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