Another super title comes our way on painting and finishing techniques by Gary Edmundson. The 80-page paperback book covers paints and finishes, tools and set-ups, covering scale model aircraft, armored vehicles and figures. Kits used to cover the areas include:

Hasegawa 1/48 Junkers Ju 87B-2 Stuka # 09113
Hasegawa 1/48 Typhoon IB # 09283
Tamiya 1/48 Bristol Beaufighter TF.MK.X # 61067
Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.Va Profipack kit number 8110
DML 1/35 SD.Kfz.234/4 Panzerpawagen # 6221
DML 1/35 EL Alamein Sherman # 6447
DML 1/35 T-34/76 Mod. 1941 cast turret kit # 6418

Section 1

The first subject Gary talks about is paints and finishes broken down into two parts. The first part covers types of finishes covering lacquer and enamels on what brands are out there such as Humbrol, Floquil, and Testors along with their thinners and alterative options as subtitles. Acrylics are also covered - Vallejo, Tamiya, Pollyscale with means of thinning. You will also learn how to apply both types of paints and what to do for different effects achieving a level of realism. He goes over the use of pastel chalks for adding dust, mud and other effects.

The second part covers Paints and finish on Colour authenticity, how the colour looks over different primers and mixes on subjects, covering lightening colours for a more scale appearance.

The next chapter is on set up and tools starting with work bench space. Choices to make on where and how while reminding on keeping your space free of dust and hair (a part my cat should read).

Airbrush are also added to the list with types of compressors for your modeling needs. For the builds in the book, Gary used a Paasche’s single action. You don’t need the more fancy airbrushes to get excellent results.

Paintbrushes are the most common tools we all use. Gary covers the different sizes and types used from oo to ooooo for fine detail painting. Masking tape is used for doing camo paint schemes covering soft edge to a hard edge. Tamiya tape is used through out the book.

Miscellaneous tools are talked about, covering handy items for different task. Everything from old film canister for thinning and washes, files for shaping and so on.

Section 2 - Painting and finishing model aircraft

This part covers all areas from painting cockpits and interiors. To demonstrate this, Gary uses Hasegawa’s Stuka , Typhoon. Tamiya’s Beaufighter and Eduard’s Albatros D.Va, covering oil washes, dirtying up engines, applying oil and fuel stains to the surrounding areas. Dry brushing with lighter shades to make details pop out. From there canopies and clear parts are up next. For new modellers or ones who have had troubles before (such as me), Gary describes his method of using Tamiya masking tape. He even covers touch ups on areas which have paint bleeding under the tape, cleaning up with Windex.

Exteriors and Camouflage
Camo can be hard to apply at times and down right frustrating for some at times. Gary uses Eduard’s excellent kit of the Albatros D.V, Hasegawa’s Typhoon and Stuka, and Tamiya’s Beaufighter. Topics covered include schemes, priming, and various pre-shading techniques - such as rib tapes on the D.V wings, and panel lines on the other kits for a more realistic appearance on your finished model.

For the WW 1 fans wood grain is covered using oils over acrylics. Starting with Tamiya buff as a base coat and then using (oil paint) raw umber and burnt sienna to create a very realistic wood finish . Props are also covered using the same method.

Fuselage bands and other markings are talked about using Tamiya’s Beaufighter to show how invasion stripes are done with the addition of tail bands for those who don’t care for the decals that come in the kit .

Decals - no worries here. Every step is covered from applying them to lining them up. How to use solvaset is described, and how to fix the damage it can cause when mishaps happen.

Aircraft weathering
Here you will learn how to use your airbrush and pastel chalks to add effects like exhaust stains, weathering tires, oil stains and streaking to control surfaces as well as trim tabs. Dry-brushing is discussed as well for adding chipped paint and scratches to a worn out look on the surface. The dot method is covered as well using oil paint to give that worn look to the camo colours for a more realistic finish .

Section 3 - Painting and finishing armored vehicles

Areas covered in this part are the same methods used for painting aircraft . Some differences are talked about, such as dirtying them up more, starting with interiors moving towards the hull and turret. AFV camo is also covered and the methods of doing this. Painting tracks are included with adding mud and dust using pastel chalks. Steps are as follows:

Step 1 - overall light dust
Step 2 - painting silencers and exhaust pipes
Step 3 - oil-paint wash
Step 4 - dry brushing
Step 5 - mud and dust
Step 6 - chipped paint
Step 7 - finishing touches

I didn’t go into this like I did with the first part of the book for I feel it’s just repeating what has been discussed already on methods used .

The last part of the book covers Figures and Presentation. Here you we will see how to do flesh tones and painting the smaller details on the face such as the eyes, lips and hair. Gary covers shadows using oil paints.

Uniforms are covered as well, with the aid of oil paints and the pros and cons of different paints to achieve a realistic finish and how to display them with the subject you are modeling.

Conclusion

Well, that’s it in a nut shell. It was a fantastic book to read and I really enjoyed it. It’s perfect for the beginner or someone looking to improve on their finishes to give their projects that little something extra.

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