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Book Review
Airbrush Painting Techniques
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by: Martin Ramsden [ BRANDYDOGUK ]

Format
Soft-back, 64 pages, 248 x 184mm.

Airbrushes and compressors
This section looks at various types of airbrushes and spray guns. It describes the main differences between each and shows cutaway and parts breakdown diagrams. There is then a series of step by step photos showing how a typical double action airbrush should be stripped down and cleaned, showing the tools that may be used to thoroughly clean away any paint residue. Then follows an explanation of the different types of air supply that can be used, from air propellant cans to compressor types. Finally a section on building your own compressor using a refrigerator motor and small fire extinguisher as the main components!

The theory of colour and colour mixing
This section explains the theory of colour mixing, the different categories of colour and shows how combinations of colour can be used to produce colours for military modellers. Colour chips are used to illustrate these combinations.

Painting Techniques
This final section shows some exercises to do to get practice with the airbrush followed by sections on painting four different models. The models used are a 1/24 Suzuki jeep (including some wonderful artwork on the car's hood), a 1/48 Fw 190, a 1/35 DUKW, and a figurine of a naked winged female (a fairy perhaps?). Each is illustrated with photos of each step and the fine result of the techniques speak for themselves with the photos of the finished models.

Conclusion
I found this book to have a lot of useful information on airbrushing. The section on colour mixing is really informative. The sections on painting the four models could have been renamed Masking and Re-masking as that is the main technique used. However on the figurine it does show freehand airbrushing to produce skin tones. My overall thought on this book is that it falls between two stools. It does not have enough basic information on techniques for the beginner, nor does it go into great detail for the more experienced airbrusher. However there are some useful tips and explanations and for the price is reasonable value for money.
SUMMARY
Number 6 in the Osprey Modelling Manuals series, this is a guide to airbrushing and airbrushing techniques. It is split into sections on each topic and these vary in length and depth of information.
  TEXT:70%
  PHOTOGRAPHS:90%
  ARTWORK:70%
Percentage Rating
80%
  Scale: N/A
  Mfg. ID: 1902579224
  Suggested Retail: £12.99
  PUBLISHED: Aug 29, 2005
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 83.06%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 90.16%

About Martin Ramsden (brandydoguk)
FROM: ENGLAND - NORTH, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling off and on for 25 years. Thanks to this site I'm really into the hobby in a big way, and although I've a long way to go my skills are definately improving.

Copyright ©2021 text by Martin Ramsden [ BRANDYDOGUK ]. All rights reserved.


   
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