I had this itch to redo a 1:35 DUKW, since it was one of the very first models I ever built when I was about 8 years old (the classic Italeri DUKW, I think it was basically the only one available back then). Now at 30, I decided to build it again, and my god… I didn’t remember it being such a pain.

This time I bought the newer kit released by I Love Kits, (since the Italeri one felt a bit outdated), and god dammit I don’t think I’ll be buying anything from that brand again!!

Now that I’ve finally managed to assemble it (after a lot of broken parts, if you look closely you’ll notice there are no rear-view mirrors left), I’m about to start painting. I wanted to try the pre-shading technique and then build up the color with glazes, aiming for fairly strong lighting since this model has a lot of volume, recesses, and details that can really pop.

I used AK Primer & Microfiller AK757 Black for the initial black primer, and Mr. Hobby White for the highlights. I chose solvent-based paints because they give a more precise result when spraying at low compressor pressure with the airbrush, but they’re definitely a bit of a hassle. Cleaning them afterwards means breaking out the gas mask, because Mr. Tool Cleaner nearly destroyed my lungs… and my relationship with my gf when she saww the sink 😂

I also added a few extra details. The seats looked a bit boring to me, so I simulated worn and torn padding using Green Stuff World putty. The sandbags were sculpted with the same putty as well. It was actually pretty fun to work with!

What do you think? How do you usually approach shading? Are you fans of this technique?

Rate my pre-shading