The Rainbow Tiger By Chema Cabrero
Chema builds and paints a unique Tiger P
Every so often a project comes along that allows you the chance to stretch out a little, try a few new techniques and create a model that is just a little different. After reading through a number of reference books, the idea for this multi-coloured Tiger came to mind and though I knew that it would be more a flight of fantasy rather than an accurate replica, I just had to give it a go!
The Model
For this model I’ve used the old Italeri Tiger P kit. It is detailed with Tamiya and Dragon tools from the spare box, AFV Club tracks and Aber photo-etched details, all of which combined to produce a satisfactory final result. I’ve grabbed the Rommelkiste (turret bin) from an Italeri Pz. IV Ausf.H, the impressive 88 mm gun being a Jordi Rubio item. The textured surface of the hull is worked using a round burr, softened with nitrocellulose solvent applied with an old brush.
The ancient model by Italeri doesn’t match the actual standards of accuracy seen elsewhere, but with all these improvements we can build an original AFV without major problems.
Painting Process
Hilary Doyle and Thomas Jentz’ book on the Tiger shows a very interesting pic of Turm n.5. with a dark hue in the turret contrasted with the light tone in the hull of the vehicle, as well some chalk inscriptions on the turret. My model isn’t based on any historical references, but is inspired by the historical facts and deductions from dates and submissions of turrets directly from NB and Henschel. For these reasons, I wanted to depict a used hull with a red-primer turret arrived from ‘das werck’, and a salvaged Rommelkiste from a damaged Pz IV, completing the painting process using the Modulation Colour concept, as well as other well-know techniques and ideas.
Read the rest of Chema’s article in Military in Scale January 2011. Get your copy
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