Painting and Finishing Techniques Book Review

By David L. Veres

Review

Poor painting.  Messy masking.  Clumsy clear-coating.  All familiar hobby hazards!

Most modelers manage basic construction techniques.  But mastering finishing problems can separate success from failure in model-building projects.

That’s why Osprey Publishing’s Painting and Finishing Techniques remains such a useful handbook for hobbyists seeking to turn good efforts into truly great ones.

With eight kit examples, Gary Edmundson superbly distills sound methods for achieving realistic, colorful model aircraft and armor finishes.  Contents include:

• Introduction
• Paints and finishes
• Setup and tools
• Painting and finishing model aircraft
• Painting and finishing armored vehicles
• Figures and presentation

Ostensibly for novice and intermediate modelers “looking to improve their skills”, the book confronts common conundrums like detailing, priming, “pre-shading”, hard- and soft-edged airbrushing, weathering, and decaling.

Clearly and copiously illustrated, coverage offers practical, step-by-step advice that experienced enthusiasts should also value.  And the coda on painting figures should prove especially helpful to diorama modelers.

But unless you prefer “curbside” or “junkyard” projects, car modelers must look elsewhere.  This title includes no techniques for achieving hi-gloss paint jobs.

And maybe it’s Osprey’s page design.  But lengthy paragraphs and avoidable verbosity sometimes shroud worthwhile tips.  Bullet points would help.

Still, neither remark distracts from this truly useful guide.  Author Edmundson’s nifty little tome deserves a spot on every military modeler’s workbench.

Recommended!

My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!