Open Book Scale Model Handbook 17 from Mr Black Publications

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Nap

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Hi everyone,

One of the best series of printed paper I have had the pleasure to see released are those in the series from Mr Black Publications.

Now a total of 20 books with 17 in the Figure Modelling series and a further 3 specials , 2 on diorama's and 1 on WW2.

I will be sharing my thoughts on no 17 in the Figure modelling series here so its not so much a open box as an open book!!!

Here's what we are opening up

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Those that have seen previous books in the series will know the QUALITY level of these , well this is also the case with issue 17 which has:

Matt covers with a A4 format
Total of 52 pages
Colour reproduction is 1st class resulting in wonderful pictures .
Type set is easy to read and all the articles are written in an easy to understand format

Artists are at the top of their game sharing both their skills and award winning models with obvious pleasure.

In this edition we have the pleasure of a new contributor in the shape of ANSON CHEN...so a BIG welcome to him.

Other artists include (You might recognise a couple..lol!!!)

MIKE "THE KIWI" BUTLER
STELIOS NEOFYTIDIS
RYOTA SAKAI
TOSHIHIRO SHANO
ERNESTO REYES STALHUTH
JASON ZHOU
MR BLACK STUDIO

Articles include all periods of history and interest from Ancient times to WW2

Articles are packed with hints and tips and paint mixes for everybody to enjoy and try out

Lets look at the articles highlighting what I found interesting

1.Trooper, 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys), Balaclava, Crimea 1854
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Written by Ernesto with flair covering prep work , painting of both figure and horse resulting in a fine piece to show to us . Mixes are everywhere with the flesh and uniform colour ones going straight into my files!!! Of interest to read was the painting of the horse a gray as befits the regiment depicted .
Needless to say the colours of the pictures are excellent with some fine full page shots of the completed figure .

2 Gaius Julius Caesar

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Written this time by Jason one of my favourite painters of busts the article covers 4 pages , with flesh mixes to dream about and metal finishes using AK products to achieve such great results . What did I keep for future well it had to be the whites of the cloak and the freehand decoration ...simply impressive.

3. Snow” and “Kiwi”, A New Zealand Battle of Britain Duo

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Yes its another bust and what a result from Mike , we saw this develop both here on PF and FB with such skill both in the prep and the research and now we have the delight of an article .
Highlights for me was the uniform mix which I saved as well as the way the dog was painted , especially the texturing.
Again great colour pictures and a very special piece of work displaying Mike's skill in his craft.

4. Templar Knight

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A contribution by Jason a regular contributor is always welcome and eagerly looked forward to by all in the hobby, A bust ( happy me!!) dealing with the different textures and weathering effects on the piece ..Again out came my save button on my PC and opening my little book ..the painting of the whites again drew me in , particularly texture addition methods .
Worth mentioning as well is the way Jason has done the blood effects you can almost see the blood dripping !!!

5. The “Periscope Rifle”

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This is a very special subject and one that pays tribute to those brave Anzac's that fought in horrific conditions on the Gallipoli front , what I am impressed with is not only the skilled modelling by Stelios which shows the danger and listlessness of trench warfare but the interaction of the figures themselves
The one thing to look at ( after the painting!!) is of course the way the groundwork has been achieved ...fine work
Full details of the mixes are included in the text ...I made a note of all of them !!!

6. Gallipoli 1915

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Stelios again is the author in this article he remains on the Gallipoli front showing an Aussie admiring his prize of a turkish helmet , the figure itself is on its own and this just goes to show how effective a single model can be telling the story well and in great simple groundwork.
All the mixes are in my references thats for sure particularly the webbing ones .

7. The “Battle of the Bulge”

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This is the 3rd from Stelios this time he looks at using commercial figures and products to achieve a award winning vignette , in which we move forward to WW2 and the Ardennes . I like the way the figures sit naturally on the groundwork working together to show the scene . Of interest to me was the camo mixes..Oh how I wish I could get these results!!!

8. Private, 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, Mons 1914
P
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Showing that the Mr Black Studios are also modellers in their own right we are transported back to the very start of WW1...Mons the beginning of 4 years of hell that saw warfare change so much . Again we have a single figure paying tribute to a particular regiment.....nicely modelled I made a beeline for the uniform colours but also liked the way the groundwork was achieved.

9. Joachim Peiper in Kharkov

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The final article is a joint effort by 2 extremely talented modellers , one doing the base (Ryota Sakai) and the other the figures ( Toshihiro Sano) . For me the figure are beautifully painted this time mainly with enamels I particularly liked the weathering and dirt effects on the uniforms depicting possibly one of the most famous tank leaders Joachim Peiper.
As I just paint busts the groundwork always make me look again and this is very much the case on this piece , the artistry of the tank is wonderful.

Final Thoughts

Another really interesting publication by Mr Black Publications , full of glorious colour , well written by skilled artists , a pleasure to read and a pleasure to buy .
Shipping is very fast and efficient , great customer services from the team at Mr Black Publications

AGAIN HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thanks also to the supporting companies in this volume we have full page details for :


images

and also 00.jpg

For more details and for great offers on this series of books visit the website at :
www.mrblackpublications.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MrBlackPubications

Thanks to you all for looking in




Enjoy the modelling and the reading
Nap
 
Always honoured to contribute to Stelios Demiras's Mr Black publications.
Have another of couple of articles with him for consideration, so pleased to hear you get value from these Kevin, Bob etc.

Sometimes wonder about the value of our articles, do people actually use them to learn, practice & grow their skills?
Well for me I certainly did in this one studying Jason's work, especially the tone he has used to show a bright sunlit subject.
Also the Gallipoli ANZACs also got my attention - no surprise there though ;)

It was also the first copy I shared with my wife, a fellow artist & her impressions were insightful too
 
Always honoured to contribute to Stelios Demiras's Mr Black publications.
Have another of couple of articles with him for consideration, so pleased to hear you get value from these Kevin, Bob etc.

Sometimes wonder about the value of our articles, do people actually use them to learn, practice & grow their skills?
Well for me I certainly did in this one studying Jason's work, especially the tone he has used to show a bright sunlit subject.
Also the Gallipoli ANZACs also got my attention - no surprise there though ;)

It was also the first copy I shared with my wife, a fellow artist & her impressions were insightful too

Hi Mike,
I have nicked some of your painting idea's and enjoy the results, so I will more likely pinch some more.
Regards
 
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