IS-3M build

[TankDan]

Hello all,
I've been hammering hard this winter. My space is limited to a card table in our living room that is taken down frequently and put back up over my weekends. I cant wait till I have a new modeling/art studio to work in.
I started this kit a couple years ago for a contest on another website, and it fell by the wayside. In my renewed interest this winter, I picked it from storage and continued work on it.
Most of the build was straightforward, and I apologize for a lack of photos documenting it, but there isn't much to show anyway; its a very simple kit. I did use wire for the grab irons on the hull and turret versus the uber-delicate and not-great-looking kit pieces. The turret casting was very good, but I further textured the heavy Soviet cast texture on the turret using Testors liquid cement stippled with a brush and some glazing putty thinned with mineral spirits and stippled. I also spent a great deal of time detailing welds all over the tank. I have some Fruil tracks for it.
In the state seen here I just finished the base painting and weathering process. I airbrushed a base layer of Vallejo Hull Red and Black Grey thinned with Tamiya acrylic thinner. Once that was dry I moistened the model with a light mist of water and went to work spreading ground salt on the model. Once that was dry I sprayed it with the base color, an odd mixture of Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics that did not completely agree with one another, but went on well enough to get the model painted. I cant off-hand recall what my mixture was, and it came out slightly greyer that I had wanted, but it gives a good impression I think of paint that is oxidized heavily, and might have patches of a primer showing through. The real model is considerably darker and greener in color than the photos appear. Please bare in mind that I've just begun the weathering process. I think I'm starting to get the hang of the salt technique, and like the results I'm getting from it. This model is perhaps a bit over-weathered for a period piece, but I think it looks good.