OK so as this is my last week before yet another challenge month ”Zomtober”, I thought I finish my month of “Quick fixes” with another one of Dave Stone’s excellent resin vehicles, this time in the form of this post-apocalyptic VW Beetle. Taking inspiration from the movie world once again I thought I’d base it around everyone’s favorites “Bug”, “Herbie”. Now once again there was a little prep work to do before I could get into the painting, so taking some of my aluminium mesh I cut out shapes to match the rear quarter windows and glued these in place. I also thought the bodywork was a bit to “pristine” for a car that had spent it’s life “fighting for survival” in the wasteland, so once again I dug out my ”dremmel” and a “ball” tipped grinder bit, and added a few dents and scrapes, I also managed to knock off the passengers head at this point, and lost it! Luckily I did find one of the heads I’d removed from one of my “He-man” conversions (Merman I think), so with a little greenstuff work I was able to replace it (only thing was the head was “bald” so I added a “crash helmet” as this seemed sensible headgear), and talking of safety, I also though the poor chap was a little exposed, so I built a “crash barrier” out of cocktail sticks, mesh and a bit more greenstuff (for the corners) and drilled a couple holes in the headlight apertures to
mount it. Then it was out for a spray coat of matt black.
And so to the painting, I started by giving the whole body of the car a coat of mid grey (darker version), then mixed more mid grey (lighter version) with some cream and painted this over the top, then taking just this mid-grey stippled this again over the top in a “patchy” pattern, then it was time to add the stripes and numbers. I did consider using a “hole punch” to make a hole in some masking tape to form a “mask” template to paint the circles for the numbers, but then spotted that the top on my superglue was about the right size, so dipped this in the lid of my black paint and used it to “stamp” on the black ring edges of my circles. I then filled these rings with white and added the number “53” freehand, I also free handed the stripes along the top of the car in royal blue and bright red, they’re not perfect by a long way, but good enough for an apoc’vehicle. The engine cover I painted in shamrock green, to look like a replacement part, now the more cynical amongst you might think I only did this so I’d have less numbers and stripes to paint! And you would be right (listen to your cynical brothers the rest of you!!!), anyway this was then highlighted with more of the same lightened with a little white. The “drum” in the back was painted in deep bronze green again highlighted with more white lightened deep bronze green.
Now we get to the fun bit, weathering the hell out of it! First off I took some chainmail and slapped it into all the dents and scratches I’d made on the body, along with any other area’s that would end up rusty (and there were a few!), I also dry-brushed this over the mesh “bumper” and the “tube” weapon in the “passengers” hands (both still separate at this point). Next it was in with the chestnut and then a little orange to represent old and fresh rust respectively. Then I repainted the tyres in black (these don’t get rusty!) and I could crack on with the figure. I decided on a camo scheme for his trousers so a base of deep bronze green was put down first then “splodge’s” of stone green and olive were put over this. His helmet I painted coffee then highlighted in cream, then added stripes running down from the crown in royal blue and bright red to form a sort of “Union Jack” pattern. His jacket I left black and just highlighted it in dark grey, and his scarf was porcelain blue, with light blue highlights. His chair and cross belt were done in chocolate brown and leather brown, with a touch of chainmail on the metal shoulder pad, and his flesh was European flesh and after his eyes were added, this was highlighted in the same with a bit of pale flesh added. Next the whole thing was given a coat of “Quickshade Strong tone”, then the “rusty” bits were once again picked out in the same way as before, and lastly dry-brushes of saddle and Eurasian flesh were applied to add the road dust, I may have gone a bit “mad” with the weathering as you can’t see too much of the original colour at all now, but too late now, (oh well) a final spray over with matt varnish and “hey presto” Herbie rides again!
And that was that, just a bit of fun to end the month, now it’s straight from one type of apocalypse and into another! As Zomtober begins…..
So till next time, Cheers Roger.
You can’t see me, but I’m applauding. What a fantastic model and paintjob, and the Union Jack on the guy’s helmet is so good. Nicely done, sir!
Thanks Matt, the Union Jack was a spur of the moment thing, I knew I wanted a design on it, but after I’d painted it cream I couldn’t think of anything else, but that!
Cheers Roger.
Isn’t it awesome when a spur-of-the-moment decision works so well? 🙂
That’s not what my wife says!😉
Just a staggeringly good bit of conversion work and painting, Roger. I didn’t know Dave even produced a VW Beetle, so top marks for publicising such a corking resin vehicle too. 🙂
Thanks Simon, yep, Dave’s had it on his site for quite a while I think, I bought it way back as part of my order that included the “Coke” machine and destroyed (flattened) Hot-rod. so that was awhile back! and it’s been languishing on my table ever since, so I hope he isn’t relying on me for publicising his stuff 😁.
Oh while I’ve got you do you know if Zomtober is happening this year?
Cheers Roger.
I’m certainly planning on doing a Zomtober month myself, Roger. I’ve also put up an anyone else interested post up on FB to see. My own monthly musings post will be up tomorrow – and will include links to blogs from any one interested – I hope 🙂
Well I am, so I’ll send you a link 😁.
Cracking job Roger. Love the car, the weathering and the various bits of freehand. I can’t help but feel if Dave had made a better job of the VW in the first place you wouldn’t have had so much work to do! 😉 seriously, I must take a look at Dave’s cars at some point as there are plenty of ideas to work with I reckon. 🙂
Thanks Dave, I know I’ve getting sick of having to “drag” up Dave’s inferior products! 😉 (LOL).
Seriously do have a look through Dave’s site, as he has loads of good stuff there, from simple barrels through to wrecked cars, and gyrocopters (and that’s just the post -apoc stuff).
https://wargamesterrainworkshop.co.uk/
Cheers Roger.
Brilliant work there, Roger! 🙂 Love it!
Thanks John, to be honest, what else can you do with a VW Beetle, but go Herbie?
Cheers Roger.
Absolutely love it.
Thanks Guru, appreciate that.
Cheers Roger.
That is brilliant- I love the front gunner idea.
Cheers,
Pete.
Thanks Pete, I too like the gunner in front, though it’s Mr Stone who must take credit for that. 😀.
Cheers Roger.
That’s insane – I love it!
Thanks Alex, I don’t think I’d want to be the chap sat in front to be honest. 😉
Cheers Roger.
Glad you had fun with the VW Roger, another stunning job by you mate. May I use the pictures ?
Thanks Dave, and yes 😀.
Cheers Roger.
Fantastic Roger. I love that, despite the heavy weathering and rust, you can still see the iconic stripes and 53. You’re a handy man with the dremmel too
Thanks Luke, please don’t tell my wife the dremmel bit, she’d just find a job for me to do! 😉
Cheers Roger.
Haha your secret is safe with me
I’ve taxes worse 🤣 absolutely brilliant mate, bravo! Some Zomtober action coming here too 👍
Thanks Shinflint, looking forward to seeing you Zomtober stuff, have you “registered” with Simon Moore’s Zombtober at…..
https://www.fantoricalwargaming.com/post/lead-mountain-musings-judge-dredd-zomtober-2021
and it can also be part of Dave Stones ” Apocalypse Me” challenge here too…..
https://wargamesculptorsblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/apocalypse-me.html
Cheers Roger.
Ooh, not seen that, will check it out, cheers Roger 👍
No problem mate.
What a brilliant concept. So simple Roger yet so inspired. My Dremel use has a ways to go to catch up to you. I saw this on email and said WOW – but seeing it again and up close was worth my waiting to catch up on WordPress. When you took a break from hobby stuff, this is the kind of project I knew you had in you and frankly I missed your genius. Never leave again my friend!
Thanks Mark, it really is pretty simple stuff mate, the credit really must go to Dave, he created the excellent model, all I did was paint it and add the odd bit here and there.
I’m enjoying painting and creating stuff more at the moment than I have for quite a long time, so I’ve no plans on going anywhere at the moment mate, though genius isn’t a word I’d use to describe my random crap 😁.
Cheers Roger.
That’s ok, I’ll use it for you
Being the one that’s always late mate I can only echo what the other lads have said !! brilliant! it is a great model but you have breathed the life into it as Dave intended. the touch of green made me think back to my VW , it was that colour and was the first car I ever bought.
Thanks Pat, Dave has made a really nice model, painting it was really a joy (and pretty simple tbh).I wandnted a “bug” as my first car, and indeed found one with wide fiberglass arches and a “whaletail” spoiler on the back, it was cherry pink, and my Dad took one look at it and said No way! 😁 He was probably right.
Cheers Roger.
Ha Ha !! He was mate! I bought mine from one of my older sisters and it was a grey, one of my brother in laws was mechanic so we painted it up Lakeside green! bloody fancy ,but out on the highway it was a trial as it could only muster 60 MPH ! a real bugger when one wanted to overtake!!
Ha ha, yep a friend of mine had a girlfriend who had one, and apparently it was so rotten he refused to let her go out in it, as he said it was a death trap! He bought her another car soon after, which was OK as they ended up getting married, so he got it back in a way. 😁