Series: Static Model Manual step by step
Volume nr 5
Title: Painting Figures
Published by: Auriga Publishing International
Text: Italian and English
Author: Aleksander Michelotti
ISBN: 88-88711-38-6
Price: €19.90 Italy
€24,- World (plus shipping)



My first review ever, but that is to tell everybody how excited I am about this book.
I was already familiar with the SBS books of Auriga from my AFV Modelling time. And they were pretty good and informative. So I had to get me a copy of this one.

I ordered directly at the Auriga website and payed with paypall.
Although the site is partially in Italian, some parts are not that clear, soI hoped for the best once I made the moneytransfer. I didn't get an order confirmation from Auriga, only the standard confirmation from paypall. So fingers crossed.
Two weeks later I received the book in my mailbox. Nicly packed in a brown bubblepack envelop.

The book:
Everything is printed gloss paper and has a glossy flexible cover. The book consists out of 100 pages.
The book has no real sections. There is an extentive index in the front, but it's mainly one long read.
The chosen font is clear. The Italian text is printed in bold and the English text in Italics.
For me, as an english reader, this can be confusing sometimes. You tend to read the bold part first.

Content: continued in next post.

Content:
As mentioned, there is no real index. But that doesn't mean it's all chaotic.
You can divide in into the following sections:

-Tool, materials, brushes, paints and advice;



-Preparation, cleaning, assembly, setting, minor modifications, basework;



-Painting, light, contrast, color theory, saturation





-Step by steps: Flesh, eyes, hair, other fleshtones, wood, leather, metals, freehand design



-Painting a figure from a to z



All paint types are mentioned, with their pro's and cons. But the focus is mainly based the use of acrylics.

The photo's are all in color and the quality is very good. Accompanied with text and arrows to make things clear.
The SBS parts are very clear and to my opinion very well done. Not a step has been left out.

Continued in next post.

Final thoughts:

There are a lot of books on the market about figure painting and none of them are "bad".
But most of the books I own don't show how figure painting is exactly done. The techniques are mentioned only in text or only by photograph. So most of the time you still have to figure out what the writers mean.
This book does both and make things more clearer.
Esspecially for the novice painter. But I do think that even an experienced painter can learn a few tricks from this book.

Small remark: The english translation is not always fluently. But in general everything is in understandable English and they didn't want to use expensive words to keep thing clear.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Available from Auriga website:
http://www.aurigapublishing.it/libri_elenco.asp?collana=STATIC MODEL MANUAL

Grtz
Patrick

Grtz,
Awesome review.
Help me out a little on this one. Is there any other how to books that this is really similar too? How would it compare to mike blanks books?

First class review Patrick. Looks like a very informative and well illustrated book.
Much appreciated
Cheers
Derek

Seems like a good book but these type of books don't really cater for oil painters.
Brian

looks a great book to me. But as there is nothing for us oilpainters I let it pass my doorstep.

Marc

I have the Cartacci book, it is from the same publisher.

The problem, to me, is having both languages in the same book. In the end, a 100 page book is, really, a 60-70 page book.

this is the book i have been waiting for, for so long, how can it get this book in the uk

Poor old oil painter gets left behind again perhaps because oils is also about feel and with Acrylics the colours are mixed for you
so a beginner doesn't have to worry about ,getting English red ,french blue and so on and especially with world war two stuff its all there,
so market demand rules

Books are helpful especially for the beginner but for the intermediate nothing is better than sitting in and watching an experienced painter with oils,
you'l learn more in ten minutes than ten hours with a book.

Ron

Thanks for a great review Patrick always nice to see that people take time to help other figurepainters or even write a review in there own time.

Many thanks and i will order this one!

Gr.JW

Thanks for the comprehensive review Patrick. It was very much appreciated. .... I, like 'Ron Tamburrini, and many others', am an oiler, at heart!... but there may be some elements that could be used... It's always nice to get a heads-up, on a book, before buying to see if its going to be of any use. Cheers!

Mark

The book of my Big AleKs is available in www.bestsoldiers.com
Marco Ganghini

O yeah...Oils, Oils, OILS...let the chant begin! Would kill for a similar book in oils! Well, maybe...at least maim.

My two cents worth....by the way....the book does look informative, very nice.

Kevin D.

I received the book and is a really great book! I have to see they have great service also because something went wrong with my order. I bought 2 books, also one for a friend of mine who is also into acrylics, but received only one book. Send them an e-mail and now they send me the other copy also. That's what i call great service from Auriga Publishing International

Gr. Jan Willem