1/72 IS-2 Stalin
By: Srdjan Radosavljevic
Manufacturer(s): Italeri
Description: Model built almost Out of the Box with few small "upgrades" - gun tip drilled, rear machine gun on turret was made from microfine needle, handle on turret above the machine gun was mnade of thin wire, light was drilled and glass on it was made from Microscale Kristal Klear, exhausts and periscopes were drilled out with modelling knife. Decals are not part of the Italeri box, and I used them guided with fact that Russians repainted their vehicles on terrain with various "transparents" :) Whole tank is painted with Humbrol 195 enamel, then washed with pigments and alcohol, then drybrushed with Humbrol 195 at some places, and then drybrushed with lightened this colour at the edges. Final touches were made with pigments after matt coating. Tracks were dusted with pigments and then drybrushed with Model Master Steel. Tools on tank (chainsaw and digger) have their handles painted in Model Master Wood and then overcoated with Winsor&Newton Burnt Umbra oil paint. Metal parts of these tools are painted with Humbrol Gunmetal and then washed with same color with added a few drops of Black and Copper colour....
- Judge 1
- Generally good build, but a noticeable gap in the right rear track under the sprocket. Good basic painting work, but the rust on the track looks a little heavy and the rest of the vehicle could be improved with some additional dust on the upper surfaces and perhaps more variety in the tones.
- Judge 2
- The build is pretty good with not much to fault, watch out for gaps in the tracks. The paint is free from hair and dust but is a little dark for this scale and too thick in some places obscuring the smaller detail. There's a few little problems with the decals and they disappear in the final finish. A darker pin wash around the smaller details will help them stand out and add some more contrast to the overall finish which is otherwise a little monotone. The weathering could be more robust and the rusty tracks are more suited to an abandoned vehicle
- Judge 3
- Overall quite bland, very dark & monotone basecoat. one of the infantry grap rails has not had its seem sanded & some gaps in the tracks,the turret sides towards the front need filling as quite a obvious join mark,the rails & fuel tanks are aligned nicely & I really like the rust colour of the tracks. the decals & tool are nicely done too. the steel weathered drybrushing on the tracks looks good a lighter drybrush on the whole vechicle & a pigment dusting would make a world of diffrence here I think.