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Video Review A detailed video review on the new Book F.A.Q. from AK-Interactive

Discussion in 'Reviews , Video Reviews and Open Book' started by Stelios Demiras, Jan 18, 2021.

  1. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Emile does it free because he scored with his kickstart and has cash to pay his success forward
    Nap and Babelfish like this.
  2. Mike - The Kiwi A Fixture

    Country:
    New_Zealand
    226k subscribers!
    Says it all.
    MikeTheKiwi
    housecarl, Babelfish and Nap like this.
  3. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Indeed..much of his you tube things are for gaming...he has a few others similar to this tho that are more relevant for us...to me, it adds to the Kirill book by doing demo ...and, starts to establish a work flow- prime, establish lighting, determine colours and harmony, base coat, highlight..with techniques somewhat different for metals, fabrics, skin, eyes...finally bringing it all together. The Kirill book is a bit disjointed with very basic stuff on tools, brushes, even the colour theory..but a bit lacking in work flow..practical matters of dilutions, additives, laying out his palette..so it’s very deep in places and lacking in others...your exercises in stippling worked for me..and Emile shows his way equally in visible simple steps..I suspect he was asked to do the book, and being the master he is, didn’t have some sort of ride along beta testing
    Mike - The Kiwi likes this.
  4. Martin64 A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    Thank you for the detailed review of this book Stelios. Many interesting links on youtube but I like a book that I can read where I want and there is never a replacement for practice although some products give the impression that you just have to buy them to paint like the masters.
    Cheers, Martin
    grasshopper likes this.
  5. Ronaldo A Fixture

    Yes Martin it seems like all these new paint variants have some magical attributions that will turn everyone into a Master if you believe the hype .
    Buy the Kimera paints and you are suddenly a Cartacci :rolleyes: . Games work shop had a go with there new stuff , scale 75 with there tube pigments
    and the others I have just forgotten about :D
    housecarl, Nap and Martin64 like this.
  6. Martin64 A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    Agree - SS-camo out of the bottle would be a seller:D;)
    Nap likes this.
  7. Stelios Demiras A Fixture

    Country:
    Greece
    So this detailed video review caused a lot of comments! So to quote some things...

    1. Are we talking about how useful a book is?
    2. The price of 75 euros, about the same amount to buy a big figure or a bust is too much, for 490 pages of information?
    3. When you are reading a book for your hobby is it boring? Whaou! Unless you know everything...
    4. Yes it is a general concept book but the other day some comments were done that the painting by numbers is not good. So none book is good.
    5. No book will make you an artist. But a lot of people they do not know how to start, the techniques, the products...some basic color theory.
    6. And I must say that for years a lot of people are continuing to paint only for fun and have the same quality over the years. They do not care to improve. So this is ok.
    7. As you may know my main profession is teaching physics to high schools. But my love for the hobby turned my hobby into my profession. So from my experience there no one will learn anything if
    he does not care to do so. And the easier way is not to search for anything that he can find a useful tip, information etc.
    8. I used to buy all the magazines just to read one article for painting figures....see different techniques, artists. Did I copy them? Of course not but they gave me knowledge and help me to try new things
    to see if could be adopted with my skills.
    9. As you may know I am producing Hobby Modelling Books. The market is there and the audience will make a book best seller or not. Our hobby of historical miniatures had some bad
    days in the past. Now it is up again. Support these efforts and if you see a good product advertise it. Because we usually spread only the bad things....
    10. As I told in the video I saw a very good book with a lot of contents that everyone can learn something. In such detail that I have never seen again.
    11. Except of video tutorials can you suggest other book so full of contents for our hobby?
    12. We can easily criticize a work but do you know how much time and money cost this to be produced in this form...I know the costs believe me.
    13. How many of you see the video until the end?

    That's all

    Keep up modelling
    Stelios
  8. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    I respectfully disagree totally. The thread here has contained ideas on how to improve..this book is an expensive coffee tsble book..it purports to offer something that is doesn’t- and such will always be the case so long as they are really just advertorials for paint brands. It’s poorly edited and lacking in coherence in key places..the best remains Shep Paine.
  9. DEL A Fixture

    Country:
    Scotland
    If you like retro..........Shep Paines contribution to the hobby was immeasureable but his techniques and style were out of date twenty years ago.
    custer760, Martin64, Airkid and 2 others like this.
  10. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    I guess so, but it’s stood the test of time for me..the AK Koloa idea is pervasive and I’ve put my money down for their much hyped 3rd gen, intense tube..this book..but at the end..it’s just high pressure marketing. The book needed editing, better translating, and to be at all effective, broken into holdable chunks ..it’s heavy, paper is strange slippery stuff..
  11. Stelios Demiras A Fixture

    Country:
    Greece
    You can not have it near to you that is truth! Also I prefer less pages books. See mine. But this series is a F.A.Q. book...After the review my wrists were in pain...Also I prefer velvet paper (see my books).
    I can not think anyone that he is involving seriously in our hobby that he will miss this book. I have also Cartacci book. Less pages but also there general knowlledge and information and a Best Seller for years!

    Keep your brush wet!
    Stelios
    Chrisr, Martin64 and Mike - The Kiwi like this.
  12. Fokionas Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Greece
    Certainly there is an audience for this kind of books no matter the genre.
    This is a book that covers most of today’s techniques and materials and as such has its own place....
    I have dozens of “How to” books on figures including Shep Paine, Bill Horan,Danillo Cartacci ,AMMO figure encyclopedia and another series ( MINIPEDIA by Scale 75 ) are coming ......
    After so many years of figure modelling I feel that there are various types of modellers: Those who have a gifted talent , others that have an artist background and those who are neither talented nor have any knowledge on color theory ,mixing etc -like myself- and do need some kind of guide, suggestion ,tips etc that you can find only in good quality books as this one or in articles in magazines such as these in Stelio’s books.
    By no means all these books “is a must” for everyone.......these books are targeted either to those who want to enter the hobby or those who seek ways to improve their work but cannot get one to one classes, or get advice from an artist.
    Stelios books are not for the beginner , by no means.....Kanaev’s book goes far beyond basic techniques and gives inspiration to hobbyists like me to try something different especially with the existing wealth of materials.
    The audience will tell if a book is good or not.....Personally I find it amazing and I really hope that more publications like this will come in the future.....and yes it is expensive but at a cost of a good miniature like the thousand ones that we keep in our grey armies......
  13. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Fokionas, I totally agree..ditto Stelios: I try them all..usually pick up something..it’s a journey. The books of past were not sponsored so didn’t have the same paint by numbers tendency that’s comes with Ammo, AK..I’ve been harping on this book because I’d like to see what we can devise as a more useful guide..contemporary, yet grounded in fundamentals..and something I might have on my worktop, or as aide memoire
    Mike - The Kiwi and yellowcat like this.
  14. smartinalfageme Member

    Country:
    Spain
    Hello,
    First post in PlanetFigure.
    Like many others I have returned to the hobby after a long absence. By the way, many years ago I bought Shep Paine's book and now I have reread it. It is a frankly good book and highly recommended and above all complete. Cartacci's too.
    But if we were to recommend Paine's book to someone who doesn't know anything... he would start by using oils rather than acrylics.
    I was a bit lost among the amount of techniques and materials that exist now. Searching the Internet is a time-consuming activity. And I don't have time to spare.
    Kanaev's book is just what I need to "catch up". And I'm enjoying reading the book. Sure, I think there are some pictures left over and I miss some things: painting horses, terrain bases or modelling figures.
    But as it has been said here, renewing Shep's book would turn it into an encyclopaedia.
    I am a mediocre painter and I would like to improve. This is my second 54mm painted figure (an old Beneito one, dated 1995 ) after the come back to hobby.
    [IMG]


    I sincerely believe that what I learn from this F.A.Q. can help me to become a better figure painter. And practice of course. But "Übung macht den Meister" (practice makes master) as as the German saying goes is no news flash. Is the first thing you have to learn, before reading any book.
    Mike - The Kiwi and Chrisr like this.
  15. Chrisr PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Australia
    Well said Stelois, Fokionas and smartlfageme. Yes Kanaev's book is missing a few things, especially Ron's point on painting horses, which is disappointing, but I am finding it useful on a several fronts. Some of the criticism is fair, but to continually harp about its supposed deficiencies, or what he focusses on, is not. It has several step by step examples of how to paint a particular item in both oils and acrylics, and they are as good as Cartacci's examples, so I am not sure what is meant by the lack of exercises. It seems the criticism has more to do with the cost, size, and a dislike of AK.

    This book has far and away more in it regarding painting, and that's its focus, than the others I have, including Cartacci's, Shep Paine's and Bill Horan's all of which are very good in their own way. Sure it doesn't cover everything, but which book does? I doubt we will ever get the ultimate book which spoon feeds us. Certainly, the book is not for everyone, especially for experienced painters, but for standard painters like me to my mind it's worth the money if you can afford it. I guess to each his own.

    Regards
    Chris
  16. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada

    emile just posted on Ytube. Marco is well known...Alessandra is fine artist herself and much more than eye candy per here. Sound dodgy, but concepts match Kirill
    housecarl and Mike - The Kiwi like this.
  17. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Anyone want a free copy? Mailing might be pricey but would investigate for someone wanting a copy..am done with mine..nice indulgence but not a keeper
  18. Mike - The Kiwi A Fixture

    Country:
    New_Zealand
    I’m guessing you had a slew of folk rip your leg off for this Hopper
    MjB
    housecarl likes this.
  19. Tecumsea PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    England
    I agree totally with the comments made by stelios so l only wish to add a couple of comments.

    1) this book offers nothing apart from colour and light theory for oil painters.....so to answer ron... don't bother. I think the few pages concerning oils are just to add a few sales to suckers like myself who bought it expecting more on their chosen medium.

    2) in my opinion it is a must have book for anyone using or intending to use acrylics, l have dabbled and found the book interesting. There is however no substitute for practical demonstration. So join a club, watch utube or go on a course.

    3) l suspect with continued use the book will fall apart, l would have paid more for a hardbound copy.

    Keith
    housecarl likes this.
  20. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Cant even give it away!..Keith says it all. And every one of the techniques is more thoroughly covered by canvass painting guides..and one topics I see unaddressed in our world is missing- colour theory and harmony concepts applied to historical subjects ..plus reprise of the kalmbach book format that’s user friendly on a bench and quick aide memoire...a minor gripe- since the book came out, which uses AK colour codes..AK has already introduced some 40 “new” colours for figures..come on...
    Mike - The Kiwi, Nap and housecarl like this.

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