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Book Review
Advanced Techniques Vol. 5
Advanced Techniques Painting and Weathering Military Vehicles
  • 000173

by: James Bella [ C5FLIES ]

introduction
This soft cover book consists of 80 pages, with many high quality color photos printed on glossy paper. Broken down into 4 separate chapters, each one contains a written article along with text explanations to compliment the photos. Since this book focuses on the personal touch of each individual modeler, a good portion of each chapter is dedicated to the construction of the model. This includes the kits and AM items used, and the little extras that were done prior to painting. To make it a bit easier to flip through the book, an icon of a hobby knife or paintbrush is portrayed on the upper corner of the right hand page, designating the construction or painting section.
chapters
T34-100
1/35 Scale 18 Pages
This chapter, co-authored by Walter Perna and Alessandro Bruschi, concentrates heavily on extreme weathering techniques. Fading colors, airbrushing shadows and desaturation are just a few of the many techniques and ideas that can be gained from the first chapter.

Semovente da 90/53
1/35 Scale 10 Pages
The second chapter is written by Jean-Baptiste Verlhac, and using a resin kit portrays a photo of an Italian SPG that was sabotaged by its own crew. Scratch building techniques are touched upon, with a fair amount of this chapter devoted to the changes made to the base kit. Painting and final weathering are almost a second thought in this short chapter.

Achilles Mk II C
1/72 Scale 26 Pages
The longest chapter of the book is penned by Andrea Vignocchi, whose mainstream models are of the winged type. Andrea went all out on this Braille scale build, including a full interior and adding tons of external equipment. The construction, painting and weathering are covered in more detail, with ideas that can be used on any scale. Much of this chapter is comprised of photos with text, with the last six pages devoted to constructing a diorama base. Given the space allotted, this of course is not a complete SBS, but gives a good start on what can be accomplished and some of the materials to use.

Panther Ausf. G
1/35 Scale 24 Pages
The final chapter, by Kristof Pulinckx, is very well balanced on construction and finishing. As in the previous chapters, the author adds, or deletes, small details to set the model apart. Paint chipping, weathering the running gear and tracks are the predominant areas covered in this chapter.
conclusion
To paraphrase Thomas Abbondi in the preface; “This volume focuses on the main character of our world: the modeller himself. A personal touch is what makes each scale model unique, interesting and exciting to be looked at. And crucial for the evolution of our hobby.” Perfectly stated, in my opinion.

This book is not a step-by-step guide to becoming an expert in painting and weathering. Although many great tips and tricks can be found here, the main purpose is to show four individual modelers using basically the same supplies, and finishing off with four uniquely weathered models.
From start to finish, everything flows smoothly and the format of the book makes it very easy to follow along. No matter what subject or scale is portrayed, many useful tips and techniques can be picked up by beginners as well as seasoned modelers.

In my opinion, one of the main reasons we weather our models is to give it individuality, which is the highlight of this book. Also, the term 'weathering' may usually be associated with what happens after the painting is done, but many times the construction of the model dictates the type of weathering needed. There are some spelling and grammatical errors, and some of the photos are in reverse order, but nothing that should confuse the reader and most likely will be easily overlooked. The inspiration factor alone is well worth the admission price.
SUMMARY
Highs: High quality photos on premium paper, text and photos compliment each other well and make it easy to understand. Gets the creative juices flowing.
Lows: As with most printed media, limited as a true instructional guide, which is what some may be looking for. Cost.
Verdict: Well worth having in your library, many great tips, tricks and ideas. Very inspirational. Highly recommend.
Percentage Rating
85%
  Scale: Other
  Suggested Retail: 39.95 USD
  PUBLISHED: Jan 30, 2009
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 86.44%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 90.89%

Our Thanks to Auriga Publishing!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About James Bella (c5flies)
FROM: CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

My main interest is 1/35 scale WWII armor, Axis and Allied, and will occasionally branch out into other areas. The builds I have done so far have been pretty much OOB, and considering what most newer kits include, that is usually more than enough for me. Even though my projects do not always end up ...

Copyright ©2021 text by James Bella [ C5FLIES ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Thanks James for the review . I've issues 1,2,&3 and enjoyed reading and borrowing techniques from them. I don't remember them being so expensive though, everything goes up but my paycheck. I will ad this to my library though. If it's as good as the first 3 books it's a winner !!! I THINK book 4 was aircraft.
FEB 02, 2009 - 05:28 PM
You're welcome, Tom! Remember, that's list price and these can be picked up for a bit less. I was very impressed with this issue, and as you said, volume 4 deals mainly with a winged thing
FEB 02, 2009 - 07:17 PM
   
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