The story about rust...

... and how I rediscovered my love for oil paints! 

My friends, I started the rustification process the usual way - using enamel washes. However, I wasn't very satisfied with their behavior. They were spreading way too much over the matt surface, and blending was spreading them even further. In other words, the effect was totally uncontrollable. Even worse, they were drying to a glossy finish if they were applied in larger accumulations over the heavy chips. I powered through this process on the fenders, and then gave up.

Instead I tried it with 502 Abt. oils... Last time I tried this was on the Syrian T-55 and I didn't like the effect back then. They were leaving subtle stains where I applied them, and these remained visible even after blending. Basically, they were leaving a footprint of the blob of paint I applied, and then blended. But it didn't happen here, in fact, they were extremely easy to control during application and blending! I could deposit them in tiny amounts - unlike the enamel washes that would just spill over a large area. Blending, and layering them on top of each other was fun, and although the effect may seem overdone in some places, it's all part of the big picture. 

For example, I kept the sheet metal parts more rusted than the armor. Special attention was paid to the area around the large exhaust, especially its cover. Also, areas where parts are missing were treated with the raw steel process - grey acrylic base coat with oil paint rust on top of that. 

I quickly noticed how the rust is changing the overall tone of the model to a more "accurate" finish. We discussed previously how the post-shaded surface barely resembles the British SCC2, but I think the rust effects gave it some of that deep brownish vibrancy back. It strongly reminded me of blending rust over Soviet 4BO. Instead of overpowering the base coat, it enhances it. 

Of course, this tank will be very muddy, so a lot of this will get toned down in the process, especially around the lower half of the hull and the fenders. The turret, for example, is more subtle because I'd like to keep it rather clean. My other goal was to emphasize the beaten-up feel of this tank. I've seen some pictures of these Valentines from the end of the war, and it would be quite interesting to see a tank like this that's been in active service for 3 years! 

However, here's another awesome trick. Even the oil paints left a shiny residue in some places despite my best efforts, but a quick glaze with a rusty acrylic paint fixed all of it. No need to spray these problematic areas with flat varnish - and as a bonus, the acrylic glaze enhances the effect! 

I also painted all the details that are a part of the tank. Wheels, periscopes, electric cables, lights, etc. These were all painted with AK acrylics, and I especially like their clear paints that I used for the break lights and periscopes. The Natural Steel is also a fantastic paint for those polished areas. Much more subtle and authentic than the generic silver I used to work with in the past! 

Next up: painting the stowage!