Decals for 1/35 German Marder II (SdKfz.131) on the Eastern Front

Water-slide Decals

Fleshy pink for a coal thief's face?! Surely not... According to one very good close-up image of this particular Marder II, the shade inside the face was as dark as the green (assuming that it isn't brown) camouflage splotches around the vehicle. Not only that, the inside shade did not even fully cover the entire face! One can only assume the two cartoon faces (one for each side) were painted over a sprayed splotch of green camo, probably to obtain that dirty thief facial expression. But certainly fleshy pink does not even look that dark...



How to apply water-slide decals:
1. Preparation: to achieve better result, a gloss or semi-gloss coat is very important. It will make a smooth layer which the decals will suction to and make it much easier to apply and set them.
2. Cut out the decal you need (do it on cutting mat)
3. Grab the decal with tweezers, place it on the surface of the water and leave it for about 20 seconds.
4. Remove the decal from the water and place it on paper towel to remove any excess water.
5. Apply decal solution to the part where the decal is to be placed.
6. Slide the decal off the backing paper on to the model. Using a paint brush or cotton bud is a good way to do this without damaging the decal.
7. Use the brush, knife or cotton bud to position the decal. Using your paper towel, gently dab the decal and soak up the excess water (decal softner is also recommended at this stage. After applying softner, the decal will suction to the part and flatten out smooth.)
8. When the decal is completely dry, give another coat of varnish or Klear/Future to seal it.