Battlefront StuG IV

About a year or so ago, I really started refining my painting technique. Originally I would prime with some kind of black, apply the basecoat of color, and then BOOM! Done. Naturally, as I got older and the internet became more of a present thing, I quickly realized what I thought as good was more of a half-assed kind of thing. I had to take a year off of painting and wargaming when I went away to my Freshman Year of college, as there really wasn't anywhere to do it when sharing a space the size of a Mexican prison cell with two other alpha-type personalities like myself. That, and I also didn't want any of my beautiful creations getting pawned off by my roommates for pot money. When I finally survived and moved out, I re-approached painting with a different set of eyes.

The first thing I really painted in my Post-Dormitory Life was a StuG IV Assault Gun from a Battlefront blister pack. I was never a big fan of buying the larger Platoon or Company arrangements, as I very often get overwhelmed when I can't plow through 90+ tiny, nail-mounted 15mm figures in a weekend. I mean, I could, but there wouldn't be much time for eating, sleeping, or the main staple of college life; partying. I can also control expenses and workload by buying small and building up, and with frequent commuting between Tucson and Phoenix, I also had to constantly consider the realities of transporting miniatures as well. I'm a good driver, I promise... but the trunk of my car tends to become a death trap for just about anything that goes inside!

So, the StuG IV itself was a bit of a departure, at least for the time when I painted it up. I hadn't really understood the concept of how to paint camouflage yet, so I used quite a lot of reference pictures to get things to look all right. I started initially with a base layer of Vallejo Middlestone over the whole thing, and then added a layer of Vallejo German Grey across the treads. Highlights were an edging of Vallejo Khaki across the raised bits, and then some quick swipes of Vallejo Neutral Grey across the tread links.

The camouflage itself was a rough adaptation to a scheme used by German Armored groups towards the end of the Second World War. Typically there should be some red-brown in there to help break up the Vallejo Brown Violet I used, but at the time I was just starting to upgrade my collection of paints from Citadel to higher quality Vallejo. It also helped to play into the narrative I was creating for this guy in particular, having been hastily pressed into service following the Normandy Breakout without adequate camo coverage.

One of the trickiest parts about this model though was the rough texture of the vehicle hull. I'm used to painting over smooth (or almost smooth) surfaces, but this one in particular was rutty and had ridges. In short, it was a paintbrush's worst nightmare but a drybrush's daydream. That, and it also made it a pain in the ass to wash, as all the liquid pigment liked to coalesce into the cracks... and NOT where I wanted it to go.

Despite the pains, it was still quite a fun model to paint up. It was challenging, but not so much so to the point where I got frustrated and resorted to polishing off a 12-pack of Bud to ease the pain. With one exception, I haven't really painted anything World War Two-era as of late, so I'd definitely like to go back and try this style again on a few more models.

And a quick update: Those Bradleys I promised are still coming. My favorite, solve-all Secret Weapon Sewer Water wash dried out on me... because your's truly left the cap off the dropper bottle and didn't realize until a week later. I guess there are some things college can't really teach you, so in the meantime I'm making due with what I've got available.

-Hands