{"id":4686,"date":"2018-02-14T10:06:47","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T18:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ricklawler-propaganda.com\/propaganda\/?p=4686"},"modified":"2018-02-14T10:06:47","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T18:06:47","slug":"where-the-streets-have-no-name-rick-lawler-propaganda-2s3-akatsiya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ricklawler-propaganda.com\/propaganda\/2018\/02\/14\/where-the-streets-have-no-name-rick-lawler-propaganda-2s3-akatsiya\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the Streets Have No Name"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As military modelers we often throw around the phrase; \u201cliving in the golden age of modeling\u201d. And while it is certainly true that the variety and quality of the kits that are now available are mind-blowing, perhaps a more accurate term might be \u201caccessibility\u201d, meaning, that our access to real-life and real-time \u201cinspiration\u201d (for lack of a better term) is now unprecedented. The world is at our fingertips by simply logging into our Facebook feed, watching a YouTube video or by joining any one of the many specialized groups, we are provided with unfiltered access to world events. I wouldn\u2019t imagine that when Trumpeter released the Russian 2S3 <\/span>Akatsiya in 2013, they had any idea that these vehicles recent \u201cclaim to fame\u201d would be in the deadly, close-quarter urban battlefields of Syria.  <\/span>However, here it is – from the pictures and YouTube videos coming out of Syria that I found inspiration for my take on this Russian-built heavy hitter.<\/span><\/p>\n

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There is no doubt that the everything within Syria is taking a beating; from the population caught in the middle of the fighting, their homes \u2013 and, of course, the vehicles that cause the destruction.  <\/span>From the outset, I knew that severe wear and damage would need to be included in this \"\"<\/a>model.  <\/span>To begin, the mud-guards on either side were cut from the fenders – and since n<\/span>othing looks like bent metal better than bent metal, I remove the thicker plastic fender braces and replace them with hand-formed brass parts.  <\/span>Voyager Photoetch upgrade parts are also included in other areas.  <\/span>As you can see, my construction of the S23 is basically straight from the box. The small additions provided by the Voyager photoetch upgrade are clearly visible and provide just the right amount of finesse and scale to the surface fittings.  <\/span>You might also notice a few subtle enhancements that were done using Evergreen stock.<\/span><\/p>\n

My painting of the base layers is provided using Tamiya colors, thinned by a small amount with their own lacquer thinner.  <\/span><\/b>As is my usual method, the coverage is not necessarily uniformed, that is, I am ok with allowing some of the primer base shading to show through.  <\/span>In other areas, the coverage is much more complete.  <\/span>I feel that this \u201crandom\u201d base coverage helps to inspire my painting and allows for those \u201chappy accidents\u201d to occur.  <\/span>Working with \u201cold school\u201d methods!  <\/span>In a world before \u201cModulation\u201d, a touch of white is added to the base color and then applied to certain panels, edges and surface details to create volume and\/or highlights.  <\/span>It\u2019s all very loose; my only intention is to aid in interset and add subtle variation to the final finish.<\/span><\/p>\n