Bolivian Vickers E Mk A

 This is the 1/35 Mirage kit of the Vickers E Mk A tank. I've painted it as one used by Bolivia in the Chaco war against Paraguay in the early 1930s.

 

In the few photos I could find (only one in color), the camoflage is barely decernible, but I knew it started as yellow/brown/green. Also in the photos, the tanks never looked too beat up, just faded and dusty, so that was the effect I went for. To achieve the faded look, I first painted the entire tank Tamiya buff. The green and brown were created by starting with buff and then adding color until it was just visible as green or brown and not buff. Those colors were airbrushed through homemade paper templates, to keep overspray to a minimum.

 

Weathering was done with white & ocher dot wash and then a burnt sienna pin wash. This was followed by a wash of AK Dust Effects and then Mig North African Dust pigments fixed with oderless mineral spirits. The pigments seem a liitle large, almost like rocks, not dust. The overall effect is just about what I wanted to achieve, but there should probably be more pigment on the lower hull sides (inside trackloop).

 

The base is the first time I've used a static grass applicator. First layer went down OK, but kind of messed up with second attempt. Also, too monotone and too close to the ground color (Velejo Desert Sand Earth Texture paste). I wanted a dry grass look, but...