Figure Modelling 14 Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | April 2015 | Title | Figure Modelling 14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Multiple | Publisher | Mr. Black Publications |
| Published | 2015 | ISBN | - |
| Format | 50 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $29.95 |
Review
Here is the Scale Modelling Handbook series which is new to me but definitely has my attention. This is the 14th edition of their Figure Modelling title, each one looking at the assembly, modifications, painting, and finishing of a variety of figure subjects and scales. Each project provides some unique ideas and insights on how you can replicate each author's results.
The subjects in this issue include:
- Ambush! - 54mm
- Maschinengewehrschutze MG34 - 200mm
- The Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte - 54mm
- Greek Hoplite - 180mm
- Private, 93rd Highlanders, Crimea 1854 - 150mm
- Colour Guide for British Red
- The Siege Giant - 90mm
- Hospitaller - 75mm
While each of the eight subjects are great, I particularly like the (huge) 200mm German MG34 gunner figure as the builder/author walks you through the build and paint process step-by-step using primarily Vallejo Model Color paints. Each step has an associated image to show what the result of each step is supposed to look like. This is helpful for me as I've seen where a step is applied and there are one or more photos but I can't see the difference. A few of the other articles including the knight (Hospitaller) provide color mix formulas as part of the reference. Nice!
While there are several how-to titles on the market for aspiring figure modelers, each subject can be significantly different and having similar builds to review can make that project easier to master. For those of us old enough to remember when Paul McCartney was in a band called Wings, you may also remember a series of modeling monographs produced by Verlinden Publications. The subjects usually consisted of one or more of their hobby products, but the photography and narrative provided some inspirational insights in how to achieve those same results. I still have all of those titles in my library!
Looking through this title reminds me of the same outstanding modeling though here we have a wider range of subjects and scales and each of the authors walk you through their techniques using products currently available on your hobby store shelves. Since is the 14th installment in their figure series, they've been providing similar inspiration for a while now.
Recommended!
My sincere thanks to Stevens International for this review sample!