New Resin bags from Model Bitz finishes a Pink Panther Project

Around a year ago I picked up one of the Tamiya land Rover Pink Panther kits and as some builds go it inspired a bit of a scene.

The rover was primed with Vallejo Black surface primer, then their chipping medium was applied in spots I wanted to have chipped and peeled paint. Most of body on Land Rovers are aluminum so attention needed to be paid as to correct oxidation and not typical rust colors for weathering.

I used Photo Reconnaissance Pink as the main color.

Vallejo Chipping medium is no brainier product – paint base color/primer apply in spots, dry and paint over color. Once dry using a swab with water on the area a chip was intended it kicks off the over color and now it is chipped.

The kit comes with a fair amount of gear to be added to the kit plus a driver. The kit bags are ok but nothing like a good resin bag. I had another figure I could add and few other details.

I had a image in my mind of some backdrop scene for this oddly colored vehicle.

I set aside at one point to build some sort of diorama scene. Starting with some basic foam board, plaster cloth and card stock I came up with a structure. With the help of some modeling paste and sand I textured the building and added sand/rock dirt for a roadway.

Gathering some sticks from the yard I made some evidence of past life at the building. Fast food napkins were used for torn curtains.

Vallejo pigments to the rescue for some desert dust effects on diorama and the Rover.

The door was just more foam board scored with blade to simulate wood grain. Black wash to define grain then painted up aged wood colors.

I set the project aside until found some other gear for the Rover when a great Twitter friend who had already demonstrated great skills at making bags and other gear announced he was going to start making bags to sell. I was one of the ones lucky enough to be sent a sample of his new upcoming product.

I selected a few that would help finish off this project and I was excited to get them painted up.

I grabbed my usual tools for cleaning up resin bits but only ended up using a blade to scrape a little of the foundation slag. I have to say this is rare Cleaning and prepping resin is not usually something I look forward to but this took no time at all.

A trick I use is to put down a few wet paper towels when i prep resin so the nasty dust gets caught and not blowing around my bench, always wear a mask too. This was painless top work from Model Bitz and producing something that took so little prep.

Next I washed the bags in some Windex then rinsed thoroughly using my tea strainer I like for small parts so they don’t go down the drain in a rinse.

Vallejo has developed their surface primers in a larger variety of colors and I thought I would make use of this great way to paint. Generally I would primer black and do many light coats of color to bring it to where I wanted. The black primer base really helps pull out detail But I went a new route.

Essentially you set the base color then modulate to tint, tone and shade.

I selected a primer color be dark enough to bring detail forward but be nearer to final hue. With just a primer the bags were looking Ace. Once dry I used a sand color and did what I call frosting where I select an angle from above and spray at a distance just frosting the subject retaining the darker primer in the crevices and folds. This is sometimes referred to as “azimuth painting”

Used on figures when airbrushing a darker shade is applied all over or just from bottom angle then lighter shade is shot from above, adds a natural lighting type of shadow.

I went after the straps next with a Sepia wash via brush, to help redefine the darker parts. A few times around to make sure I got all of it.

Next step I mixed the wash with glaze medium to add some transparency, then I airbrushed it, this takes some low psi and a feel for it since it is roughly the consistency of water but the effect is excellent and takes very little time.

Few touch ups of the ropes and straps with some burnt umber made it kick then I hit it next with some pigments mixed with a bit of thinner and applied to give a bit of the cloth texture. Lastly some Matt varnish to seal it all up.

These were perfect for me to finish up this project and I look forward to using more of his resin “Model Bitz”

Watch for these bags to be on sale soon at https://www.modellers-united.co.uk

The owner of Model Bitz can be found on twitter @johnMbrooks72

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• Thanks for stopping by – Hobby Dude #vallejocolors #AlwaysVallejo

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