This is my first proper build in about 40 years — and my first go at weathering, pigments, and scratching up details. It’s the Tamiya 1/35 SAS Desert Jeep, built pretty much out of the box with a fair bit of kit-bashing, pigment play, and some scratch-built stowage and camo netting for good measure.
Still got the crew to paint and a bit of tweaking to go (guns will be dusted down a touch tomorrow), but I thought I’d throw it out there and see what folks think so far.
Constructive feedback is more than welcome — I know I went heavy on the weathering in places, but I’ve tried to strike that balance between realism and storytelling. This is supposed to feel like a vehicle that’s been out in the Libyan desert for weeks — full loadout, lived-in look, and ready for action.
Would love to know what you think — and always open to advice for future builds. Feels great to be back at the bench after all this time.
As per your Weathering thread, your original version probably was too much for some and this looks better, well done.
Weathering doesn’t need to be a guessing game, if you’re looking for accuracy then first base is good research – there must be photos of this vehicle in action, so they ought to dictate what you do if you’re going for an authentic appearance.
There have been numerous past debates on this forum about weathering – particularly regarding rust. It has been pointed out that e.g. German AFVs only a few months out from the factory are unlikely to display much rust, if any. And for all North Africa vehicles also only a few months old, it doesn’t exactly rain much there so…rust? Rain-stains? Not really, although there may be a reasonable argument for occasional mud. But scrapes & dings yes, and dust by the bucketful, absolutely – that’s what original photos typically confirm.
So with your jeep, check original photos to see if I’m right but I’d say your tyres aren’t dusty enough.
Thank you I appreciate your comments. I do have to disagree about the rust. Deserts are hot during the day and very cold at night this temp change creates a fair bit of moisture the combination of heat moisture and sand would actually increase the development of rust. That said I agree wholeheartedly on the point of research and I feel this is a major point of modelling as well as interesting. Once again thankyou for your comments
First build in 40 years. NICE WORK. Two absolutes to always keep in the back of your mind.
1). There are NO perfect builds, I know IPMS thinks otherwise.
2). We all can improve our builds.
The cool thing about getting back into it after a hiatus, you have had a ton of time to learn, plan and study.
Keep up the good work
