Building Michael Wittmann's Kursk Tiger Part 2: Painting & Weathering

This is part 2 in a 2 part series of building Wittmann's 1331 from the battle of Kursk. I used Cyber-Hobby 9142 (slightly modified) and AFV Club workable tracks. This is a buddy build with my good friend Shane Smyth on Kursk Tigers.
I can't exactly say this phase went exactly to plan, but I am very happy with the result. You'll notice that this is more of a documentary of a build than a tutorial. I make some mistakes and do my best to cope with them. The most notable of these is the issues I had with airbrushing, which were solved during filming. Not soon enough to prevent some areas from having a less than perfect finish though.
I tried new products and techniques here, and I think it's the best build I've done so far, so I am super pleased to be able to share it with everyone on KZbin. If you have any questions about something that wasn't shown clearly enough please feel free to shoot me a message or leave a comment. I am not a professional builder by any stretch, but I am always happy to share what I have learned.
I have to mention I've noticed a few background music transitions I'd like to fix but won't, and also the music is just a bit too loud for like a minute or two at one point. But I need this project to be behind me, so I'm going to just deal with this as it is and move on to new videos. This one took a lot out of me.
I explain the process and products I used from Primer to finish.
Primer Coat : Tamiya XF-1 Black 00:32
Base Coat: Tamiya XF-60 Dunkelgelb 02:33
Track Base: Tamiya XF-72 JGSDF Brown 04:15
Camouflage: Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey 04:57
Tow/track changing Cables: Panzer Aces 304 Track Primer 06:52
Exhaust Base: Panzer Aces 302 Dark Rust 07:55
OVM Metal: Vallejo Burnt Iron & Model Color 169 Black 08:28
OVM Wood: Panzer Aces 310 Old Wood 09:01
OVM Bakelite: Panzer Aces 343 Shadow Flesh 09:47
Spare Track Base: Model Color 169 Black 09:53
Jack Block: Model Color 143 Flat Earth 10:33
Clear Coat: Future 11:09
Track Wash: Mig Dark Wash & Wilder Thinner TN 01 13:01
Decals: Techmod Early Tiger I 13:33
Exposed Steel 1: Model Color 178 natural Steel 15:33
Track Pigments: Wilder Gun Powder 06 & 09 17:27
Thinner: Wilder TN 01 18:10
Dark Tan Filter: Wilder NL 12 19:17
Dot Filter: Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre & Titanium White 20:34
Pin Wash: 502 Abt. 160 Engine Grease & Wilder Thinner 23:07
Light Chipping: Model Color 118 Middlestone & Flat White 27:25
Dark Chipping: Model Color 150 Ger. Camo Black Brown 28:49
Rust Stains: Wilder NL 06 & 07 Dark & Orange Rust Effect 31:33
Exposed Steel 2: Vallejo Metal Color Dark Alluminum 33:38
Wheel Pigments: Wilder Gun Powder 04, 06 and 09 34:36
Rust Pigments: Wilder Gun Powder 13, 14 and 15 37:33
Soot Pigment: Vallejo Natural Iron Oxide 38:35
Rust Pigments 2: Wilder Gun Powder 13, 14 and 15 39:05
Pin Wash 2: Mig Dark Wash & Wilder Thinner TN 01 40:23
Hull Pigments: Wilder Gun Powder 04, 06 & 09 41:39
Final Assembly 43:27
Special thanks to David Byrden for his assistance.
Music used:
RFGB Music
Flight Hymn (Copyright and Royalty Free)
Download:www.mediafire.com/download/o67...
Rapture (Copyright and Royalty Free)
Download: adf.ly/paBWv
Last Dawn (Copyright and Royalty Free)
Download: www.mediafire.com/listen/jd9ae...
Apocalypse (Copyright and Royalty Free)
Download: adf.ly/paBFY
Cloister of Redemption by Jens Kiilstofte
machinimasound.com/music/cloi...
Dystopia by Per Kiilstofte
machinimasound.com/music/dyst...
End Game by Per Kiilstofte
machinimasound.com/music/end-...
Rallying the Defense by Per Kiilstofte
machinimasound.com/music/rall...
Battle of Kings by Per Kiilstofte (Machinimasound)
machinimasound.com/music/batt...
The Land of the Wizard by Per Kiilstofte (Machinimasound)
machinimasound.com/music/the-...
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)

[@markpearce9619]

SUPERB!!, Adam. And don’t you go apologising that it was quite a long video! The overwhelming majority of viewers would no doubt, like me, be captivated from the very first frames to the last. It’s like watching a master painting a very well known chapel ceiling! Magnifico 👌👌

[@AdamMann3D]

+Mark Pearce Wow, that's kind praise. Thanks very much.

[@joedoakes8778]

Mister, not only am I in awe of your abilities as a model builder and an artist but the video itself was extremely well done...and that is a gross understatement. Amazing, simply amazing...

[@AdamMann3D]

Just saw this comment. Thank you very much.

[@sydive130]

Possibly my favourite Tiger 1 build so far, stunning work!

[@silenig]

Other commenters said it best about the modelling skills displayed in these excellent videos. I would add: great taste in music.

[@AbstractArmorHLF]

Adam, great video. Your explanations and video of your techniques are very helpful and informative. Thank you for your attention to detail.

[@georgebrown6540]

Birlliant, from video 1, through 2, and your build is fantastic. I'm a 60 year old beginner at this, but your inspired builds will help no end. Thanks for sharing.

[@originunknown3209]

Yes tedious, yes long winded, videoing the build makes the build longer, but an absolute JOY to watch for the viewer! Fabulous result, thanks for this one! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@NapFloridian]

it was fun to watch and stunning to see the final product of a long and hard built. It was worth every minute of it. Thanks for posting this and sharing

[@AdamMann3D]

You're very welcome

[@americanpatriot2422]

Outstanding build, video and presentation.

[@Illmound]

Very inspiring. I'm going back to modelling after 20 years ( kids have grown up by now). Bought this exact model. Awesome video.

[@arduggan1]

What an excellent video. Great to see you having fun, making mistakes, fixing them and arriving at the conclusion with an excellent build. Well done and thanks... I think you have given me just the right amount of motivation to have a go at a Tiger today.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Andrew Duggan thank you very much. That's the reason I made the video.

[@e575fho]

Amazing, the level of detail is astounding! Thankyou for sharing :)

[@cubflyer1940]

Simply wonderful - plan to follow this closely in my Academy build.

[@gruppenfuhrer45]

Awesome job sir. I've learned a lot from you on this build. Thank you

[@gerobinson812]

Excellent job! Thanks for taking the time to share your work

[@AdamMann3D]

+Gary Robinson Thank you very much, It's makes the build even more fun to share it.

[@peterdiepenthal4090]

That is one beaitiful model an awsome job well done

[@modelrailroader5619]

Thank you for listing all the paints and pigments you used. That’s very helpful!

[@BB02XX]

Incredible work. You obviously have a talent for detail.

[@alanwalsh4021]

Awesome build, great chipping techniques, going to try them on my next Tiger build.

[@davidedel31]

Nice build, enjoyed both parts.

[@daltonvickers7977]

Beautiful work. Excellent video. Love to watch the work. Appreciate what you put into each video. Thanks

[@AdamMann3D]

+dalton vickers Thanks very much Dalton, it is a ton of work. So having it appreciated means a lot.

[@docstorm148]

Dude that was strangely fascinating. Love all the detailing.

[@peppermintbutler9059]

That's wicked mate......really nice job.....well done

[@gunnarbaumer492]

Great update video on your latest addition to the Tiger family! Again, I'm a big fan of your videos. Well done!

[@AdamMann3D]

+Gunnar Bäumer Thanks very much.

[@gruppenfuhrer45]

Adam great build and nice paint job. I'm still having trouble thinning and airbrushing myself. Great job!!!!!

[@bobahnert9213]

Great job on the weathering and the detail work! I must say that your video and the stills at the end are the best also. We are all critical of our own work so don't beat yourself up too badly, When I viewed my first videos that I had posted I thought OMG they are going to laugh and scorn my work, but instead I got nothing but praise even though I still could pick out little imperfections.And with that being said an outstanding piece all around! KEEP THEM COMING!!!

[@AdamMann3D]

+bob ahnert Thank you very much.

[@bobahnert9213]

You're welcome Adam and when you get a chance check out my meager little videos-enjoy!

[@donfrandsen7778]

As always Adam....cool Very motivational and inspired!!! Love those "cats"

[@soundnicetome]

Fantastic tutorial Adam...thats what this hobby of our`s is all about? Great finished product as well..top marks sir!

[@AdamMann3D]

+soundnicetome Thank you very much.

[@everythingmillie6056]

Brilliant video Adam ,Let's see some more builds in the near future !!

[@chromewarrior7959]

Thank you for sharing your tricks ( paper masks!) and mindset. I too find myself getting overwhelmed with complicated builds such as this. I thought it was just me... Thanks! Enjoyed the video. I must get a Tiger!

[@AdamMann3D]

Your'e very welcome. Don't worry, I'm overwhelmed too. I just edit that bit out.

[@colinowen961]

Wow that looks brilliant.

[@schmamsch5992]

In seiner vollen Pracht! Very nice Video im still blown away by the paint job. This is the first time i have really seen a painting video like this. I will look up for more . Greetings from Hamburg, Germany

[@AdamMann3D]

+Shnks Thank you very much. I try really hard to document my process, even when it isn't good. I appreciate it.

[@fasmith478]

Brilliant Sir and thx; us amateurs are learning soooo much from you! And like you I am also way to critical about my own skills etc; that is why I "steal" tips from experts like yourself.Plz build and post more Tigers....

[@RollingThunderModels]

I really enjoyed this video and everything you did was well explained! your finished model just turned out awesome! Beautiful model! Jan.

[@AdamMann3D]

+RollingThunderModels Thanks very much Jan, I'm pretty proud of it.

[@agent4worldpeace007]

nice video,great explanation in what you are trying to achieve.Turned out great Cheers Mick.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Mick Mace Thanks very much.

[@rafiqkatana]

Props. It's refreshing to see someone do a build and not blast the model with buckets of chipping and fuck loads of rust. Like 100 years of rust. Finally someone who gets it. Awesome job. I really loved the way you aged it. Thumbs Up.

[@eckyx9019]

Excellent work.

[@donfrandsen7778]

Great inspiration, thank you Adam!

[@twobyfour]

That is a beautiful finish Adam. No short cuts. Real dedication. An absolute pleasure to watch. A brilliant learning tool too. Bravo.

[@AdamMann3D]

+twobyfour Thank you so much, that is kind praise.

[@fokkelman64231]

Very, very well done Adam!

[@walklong]

Really, REALLY, like your video production skills - your narration/pacing/style are spot on for the purpose.

[@AdamMann3D]

Thank you very much. That's about as nice as compliments get.

[@Pauleyjh]

Awesome job... I don't have enough years left in my life to even contemplate attempting that !

[@andyinoutwood]

I really enjoyed watching done a very nice job

[@AdamMann3D]

Thank you very much.

[@tippy1951]

the weathering process was time consuming but delivers another level of immersion, great job!

[@that_crazy_serb]

Hey Adam..I've been watching videos like this, build videos, painting tutorials for years, and it's safe to say that i've haven't seen a better video than this, simple as that..Everything that you do, every little detail is just nice to the eyes from the build it self to the painting and weathering, i've really enjoyed this..Thank you, and please keep doing beautifull vids like this..Greetings from Serbia!

[@AdamMann3D]

+Saša Prkosovački Such kind words, thank you very much.

[@ronzufelt1428]

Great build and tutorial. Thanks.

[@johnnysler6220]

Great job, looks just perfect. Thanks for the tips. Waiting now for my Tamiya 1/16 rc Tiger to arrive. Regards

[@AdamMann3D]

Thanks. 1/16 will be awesome.

[@mikecapizzi5062]

Awesome 👍I built 4 of those orange box Tigers an they all went together well

[@colonelminus]

Really good work. Simply wow

[@AdamMann3D]

Thanks very much.

[@hectorkeezy1499]

Dude ! Your paintjob is pure art. 👍🏼👏🏻

[@AdamMann3D]

Thank you so much, that's wonderful praise man.

[@jaywhite1683]

Excellent job! I like your effort in weathering your track. After spending 30 years in the army serving on tanks I have found that this is where a lot of modelers either do too much or too little. To bring out the steel color where the actual track makes contact with other surfaces (road wheels, wear plates, ground, etc) I use a product that I picked up years ago. It is called dragon scales and it is something similar to a wax that you can apply with your finger or a cotton Q-tip. Rub a dab on your finger and slid it along the surface of a length of track and it works to bring out the highlights without spreading like thin paint can do. It also touches up the center guides well also. It really works well on Panther road wheel wear plates where the center guides come into contact.

[@motoerhead1990]

awesome! One of the best weathering tutorials i have ever seen!

[@AdamMann3D]

+motoerhead1990 That's fantastic praise, thank you.

[@rafalpludra]

Really good Job.Greets.

[@BjarkePedersen]

God I love that you are talking so much about your mistakes. So much to learn from that. Thank you

[@AdamMann3D]

You're very welcome. I've been a professional artist and teacher form time to time for a long time. I know the only way to learn is to fail and figure out what went wrong. No reason to hide that.

[@neilharrison1420]

thank you so much for making and sharing,i learnt so much,thank you again.

[@AdamMann3D]

+neil harrison You're most welcome, thanks for watching.

[@tonyromeo9222]

Nice work mate.

[@marcusmcbean164]

Nice work indeed, really like the detail and that you didn't go overboard on the weathering.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Mark Thacker thank you very much.

[@Iwan_Cigfran]

Adam, Thank you so much for this video! Amazing detail! The Tiger is one of my favorite Tanks, of course anyone who loves armor, loves the Tiger. I have not had much luck with chipping effects and a sponge, but I have not given up yet. This video has inspired me to continue trying. Like you, I am my own harshest critic. I also need practice with pigments powders as I tend to over do them and end up having to take them off and start over. Please keep these videos coming. I enjoyed this one very much.

[@AdamMann3D]

+John Richards Thank you so much, and I will keep making these. They take some time to produce, but I find are worth the effort. Just take your time with chipping, and if it helps do what I did here and clear coat before it so that if you over do something you can simply wipe it off with water.

[@Felisbarcinonensis]

The incredible amount of work has paid off; Awesome build!

[@AdamMann3D]

+Felis Barcinonensis Thanks Feils. It was a journey for sure.

[@joaoguerreiro330]

Great work Adam! I like it a lot.

[@AdamMann3D]

+João Guerreiro Thank you.

[@tompoling3126]

Nice build. I will be doing one of these following your guide. Thanks for sharing this. I've learned something's from watching. Your music and video is well done. I have subscribed. Thank you.👍✌

[@AdamMann3D]

Thanks very much, should be more like it coming soon. Have a Panther G one being filmed currently.

[@davidclarke1426]

The end result is just fantastic on this one, stunning really. Wouldn't look out of place in a Wilder or Rinaldi book.

[@stephenmckinlay2618]

a very nice build mate from start to finish. the chipping was good with the rust effects. hope to see some more very soon.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Stephen Mckinlay Thank you very much

[@sekytwo]

That was freaking awesome! what a great build video Adam. Hoping to see more builds in the future!!

[@AdamMann3D]

+sekytwo Thanks very much, and there will be more for sure. Just have to pace myself as they take a while.

[@sekytwo]

Adam did you apply any filters from Wilder to the base (xf-60) ??

[@motorsportman265]

Very nice work.

[@dennismercer1071]

Been building this type of model for years , this is the best i"ve seen ! regards.

[@AdamMann3D]

That is praise I don't deserve, thanks very much.

[@ArmourEmpire]

Interesting vid Adam, and a good learning curve by the sounds of it. Glad to hear the airbrush woes are behind you. Super work mate

[@AdamMann3D]

+Armour Empire Thanks very much.

[@1339LARS]

I have to admit , you did very well !

[@joegilroy4918]

Awesome job!!

[@milky55way2012]

Very nice Adam, the more I look at your models the more I see you've improved quite a bit, not that they were bad before! Thanks for posting....Paul

[@AdamMann3D]

Thanks

[@TracTech]

This is just outstanding!

[@ScaleMilitaryModels]

Nice work!

[@thebronz6138]

Very well done

[@ericlinck6664]

Awesome job!

[@bushranger900]

Great Build Adam thank you for the inspiration ...Again !! :)

[@AdamMann3D]

My pleasure. I need to do more of these but they take a lot of time.

[@josephbaca9681]

...very nice. I think your my favorite modeler now.

[@jesusblanco906]

Awesome the kit and the video

[@AdamMann3D]

thank you so much.

[@ke1stcav]

Beautiful work !!!

[@AdamMann3D]

+ke1stcav Thank you.

[@julianbendy6768]

Great build bud thanks for sharing the tip about using tamiya field grey it saved my bacon on my stumtiger build brilliant cheers bud

[@AdamMann3D]

+Julian Bendy Glad to help, thanks very much.

[@mnpd3]

Very Nice! Thanks for sharing.

[@AdamMann3D]

you're very welcome, new one coming soon with a Panther.

[@alanmoffat4454]

OUT STANDING GREAT BUILD.

[@piotrklyz]

very nice indeed Adam, keep up the good work bud 👍

[@AdamMann3D]

+Panzerbuilder Thank you.

[@chrislindeman5667]

amazing!! great job!!

[@Svesther]

Awesome video and thx-a-lot for the list of used paints.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Svenne009 You're very welcome. I've searched a lot and when I find something I like I'm always happy to tell everyone.

[@The187joe]

looks awesome, great weathering :)

[@AdamMann3D]

+Jolonius Rex Thanks very much.

[@kristoff7049]

Even though I’m nowhere near you level, I learned from this... if you don’t know what you want, you won’t get what you want!

[@frank9392]

Thank you for this video. learned a lot 👍

[@claytonmcclain182]

Outstanding build Adam. I'll be busy trying to get all the paint colors I want to try, some really make it pop. again very nice.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Clayton McClain Thanks Clayton.

[@markburgess4528]

Very, very nice!

[@adamgoodram571]

Tamiya paint mixing - when I get a new 10ml pot I put in 5ml of tamiya paint thinner or IPA in it from the start. Gives a perfect milky consistency for airbrushing or brush painting. Always mix before use though. Great video and awesome build there. Thanks for sharing.

[@dispengel]

Beautiful!

[@annemulholland6140]

EXCELLENT JOB

[@Duececoupe]

Beautiful and inspiring work mate!

[@AdamMann3D]

Thank you very much. I hope to do more like this when I can get some time.

[@Duececoupe]

Looking forward to that....lacking a bit of motivation myself at the moment....so this helps getting back on track!

[@Tiger1AuasfE]

Very nice video thnx for uploading.

[@AdamMann3D]

+Tiger1AuasfE My pleasure. Thanks very much.

[@TacticalJackalope]

Really nice work Adam and I mean everything! You put in some serious labor not only on the model but on editing as well. I am loving that Blue Yeti sound...awesome!

[@AdamMann3D]

+TacticalJackalope Thanks Andy, I think I finally figured out how to get a good result out of that Mic. Thanks Again.

[@izzysantiago978]

Your video inspired me so much that now I am scratch building a Late Tiger 1 in 1/6th scale!!!

[@AdamMann3D]

I would love to see your progress. Could you share some video updates? And if you're scratch building I have 3d files and measurements of Tiger parts down to the millimeter. Let me know If you need any help.

[@izzysantiago978]

@@AdamMann3D will do.

[@robertwallace4928]

Nice job!

[@tampatactical254]

Awesome!, Thanks for your labor of love.

[@AdamMann3D]

+D Custer Thank you very much, it is just that.

[@yugorc9386]

great video

[@maesomon]

Excellent video, very didactic, it helped me a lot, thank you!

[@AdamMann3D]

+Mario Eduardo Soto Montero My pleasure, thanks for watching.