Leclerc RT5
Painting
In this important step that aims to highlight the work done, most of the time we
should scrupulously abide by the colors used by the country. However, my goal is
to do the same work as a photo and a photo alters the colors (which creates
endless controversies in the modeling world; for example the famous
Israeli Sinai gray which is in the end a kind of yellow).
There is no precise dosing in my colors, it is best to watch the photos and to
choose in accordance with your own vision of the tank (this is where the
artistic license comes into play).
If one intends that his work remains entirely
his own work, one must have a clear idea of the diorama project and also know
how to define the volumes that create the diorama so that the colors stand out
best. Thus you create a special atmosphere in your diorama, of course one must
nevertheless keep some consistency in the colors and there is nothing better
than to observe Nature in all its magnificence, it is rare to see a flower with
an error of taste.
In my case, I chose a green slightly yellowish and slightly darkened, so it fits
the future base. But from the perspective that the tank does not melt into the background, I
accentuated the shade of yellow by mixing XF-67 and XF-04. For the brown I used
XF-79 with a few drops of XF-52 and to cool this color, I put a few drops of
Prince August dark blue. As for the black, I used XF-69 with some XF-59 to
lighten it a bit.
Once the painting done, I let the paint dry for two days. Meanwhile, I painted
the details, such as the headlights, the straps and also their buckles.
The rubber flaps are black with a touch of blue, which gives a color variation
on the reliefs. The buckles of the straps for the droppable fuel tanks are
painted in a yellow base on which are applied different washes of black, yellow,
red and blue. Then they are highlighted with a bit of clearer flesh tone yellow.
The method may be surprising, but rather than painting these buckles in a
metallic hue like on the real vehicle, I preferred to paint in nuances as you
can see on metal parts. This avoids using a standard gold color which appears
too much noticeable on the tank.
The process continued with two coats of glossy varnish, which actually is a
household product for the floor named Klir.
We can set the decals. I bought the superb sheet dedicated to the Leclerc and
released by Echelon Fine Details. In this set, I chose the markings for the
Tonnerre because of the offset disposition of the KFOR markings. Once the decals
in place, I applied several coats of Prince August Air matt varnish.
The wear on this type of tank should be moderate; we will primarily focus on
dirt (dust, mud ...) due to movement of the tank. I paint some chipping to the
hatches and other places the crew used to walk on frequently. This chipping is rather discrete and painted in shades of dark gray over a background of
green lighter than the base green. I applied a matt black wash diluted to 90%
over the tank, then I applied a few quick washes of dark brown and tan (rapid
passage, leaving some accumulations in the recessed places, and I leave it like
that).
I apply some mud made of pigments (various shades of brown and yellow sand),
plaster and water on the bottom of the rubber skirts. The chassis receives the
same type of mixture but more diluted. For the dust, I first use MIG pigments
slightly diluted that I apply on the rear deck and on the front glacis of the
tank as well as in a few touches on the turret roof. Once dry, I brush the
pigments rapidly to melt the result. Then using light yellow sand and dark brown
pastels, I brush the least accessible places which evokes accumulations of dust
that remained after the tank was cleaned.
Then comes the finishing touch that serves to unify the whole tank, some light earth pastel powder is applied everywhere, but not homogeneously, to create what is attractive nuances. After putting up the antennas (with small white flags that they serve only to prevent someone gets hurt if it looks the model too close), I paint the vision blocks and other miscellaneous details.
For the crew gear, I tried to keep simple. Given that the crews never overload the turret with their personal gear, I just placed two bags in the turret basket, and covered them with a rain-proof tarp made in aluminum foil. On the turret bin, I added a square of fabric, this equipment is a standard army issue and visible on most Leclerc.
The base
As explained above, the ground is composed of blocks of raw cork and covered
with modeling clay that hardens in air. Once all dry, I dusted the ground with
earth and sand on a layer of wood glue.
The path is intentionally too narrow for
the tank, in fact this path must surely serve the local farmer to go to his
meadows and not an international military force to maintain peace in the region.
At the same time I glued portions of railroad modeling grass carpet with gloss
varnish. To recreate a little bucolic atmosphere, I add taller grasses and
flowers, these are basic. I painted in various bright colors some cigarette
paper on both faces. Then I cut it in tiny pieces. It just remains to arrange
them in the grass, and the result is rather convincing, the objective being that
the ground does not look like a battlefield, but more of a pleasant rural setting.
The tree is actually a branch of thyme on which I sprinkled with dried parsley and I then painted with an airbrush in various shades of green and yellow. In the small ditch, I poured some epoxy glue to simulate the flowing water. The leaves that are arranged all around are made of real dry leaves ground into small pieces.
Figures
Nowadays, the choice for figures is at least dominated by the WWII subjects and especially the German subjects are responsive to the modeler’s demand. Thus it is hard for us, amateurs of modern equipment, to complement our beloved vehicles with crews and infantrymen around them, and what is more in original poses. In terms of French soldiers, Blast Models have perfectly filled the void. Blast Models also provide references for modern French tankers but for my tank commander I opted for a more personal pose.
So I decided to carve it. I created a skeleton made of copper wire for a ¾
figure. The outline of the body is made with Milliput. Then I sculpted the head
from a mixture of Duro and A & B putty. I had some difficulty in making a not
too aggressive face. Hands are in the same type of mixture. The helmet is made
of Duro and the coverall of A & B putty. The radio system of the helmet is made
of very fine wire.
Then we add small details like the collar and rank badge in Duro, zippers are
thin plastic strips impregnated with liquid adhesive which melts the plastic and
then we create the relief.
The other figures are from the Blast Models range. The guns of FAMAS are replaced by
sections of brass rod. The figures are painted with Prince August acrylic paint
and covered with a matt varnish which eliminates small highlights. They were
finally placed on the diorama.
The lay-out is designed so that the figures are not aligned along the same axis of view
but on the contrary create a
triangulation. Thus, a figure is on each level of the diorama (the ground,
the tank hull, the tank turret) and the tree in the background adds height and
completes the course of observation of the diorama.
Conclusion
This project was lengthy but very interesting for me because it gave me the
opportunity of having a better knowledge of the Leclerc tank. The Tamiya kit is
certainly very beautiful, but lacks of completeness in the details. The work
appears in the long run a little repulsive but the result is worth it. I would
like to thank Olivier Carneau and Philippe Manuel Aubertin for their help in
this project.
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