Customer Reviews

Airbrushing and Finishing Scale Models (Modelling Masterclass)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just finished reading this book and am still forming an opinion of it. I expected a bit more on the technique of using an air brush, meaning how to physically hold it and maneuver it. Instead, it shows various models, mostly aircraft, in various stages of being painted. While I did pick up a few tips applying masks and such, the actual information pertaining to what I was looking for was scant. Maybe I read more into the title than it suggested. The pictures are all superb and well sequenced. Instructions were fairly clear, but the author confuses air flow and air pressure in the compressor section as so many others also do. I likely still would have bought this book had I looked through it all beforehand. However, if the title was simply Finishing Scale Models it would have more accurately defined the contents.

Joining others in Osprey's 'Masterclass' series from professional modelers who share their experiences, this survey is perfect for any working with models, and provides a in-depth guide to creating a realistic, solid paint finish for any kind of model from military to civilian crafts. The basics of airbrush use are explored from fundamentals to advanced techniques, freehand, and masking. A lay-flat spiral bound hardcover with spine lettering makes it particularly valuable to practicing home modelers.

I ordered this book for my boyfriend as a Valentine's gift after he bought himself a model airplane. He loved the book! Said it was full of useful information. He particularly was interested in the info on airbrushing. I loved the quality of the book. It comes in a kind of binder format with thick colorful pages that will definitely withstand much wear. Also their are lots of helpful illustrations. I suggest this book for anyone who is interested in expanding upon their scale model hobby.

Great book!!!!!Really informative,step by step instructions from beginning to end.Lots of hints ,and techniques.A great book for the novice and the Pro.

got this book for father's day. I love this book, it is a great resource for a newbie like me.

If you are seeking an overview of airbushing techniques, or even airbrushing models in general, this is not it. Instead, I would high recommend "The Ultimate Airbrush Handbook" by Pamela Shanteau. If, however, you build WWII-era plastic model airplanes, then this is definitely the book for you.

I agree with many of the other reviewers that this book places too much emphasis on WWII-era plastic airplane models. While the first few chapters are excellent, the prose suddenly stops and the majority of the remainder of the book is devoted to photographs of WWII airplanes in various phases of assembly.

It is not terribly difficult to transfer many useful ideas from one type of modelling to another, however these tips are often hidden in captions to photographs of step-by-step instructions to painting very specific WWII plastic models.

There are many very useful tips and techniques in this book, and therefore it still rates 4 stars. It would be better if the author didn't make it so difficult for the reader to glean these tips from reading photo captions.

This book is "real word" right down to the binding: it's a wire spiral, glued to a hardcover (rather well, too), so once you read it, you can take it to your model room/shop as reference and not worry about ruining it. The examples are all real models the author and mates have built. I learned a good overall amount, but a few gems, too.

I carefully read reviews and product info, and chose this over the Finescale Modeler book on airbrushing, which was recently confirmed by a mate as being overall nothing (too little info).

I wouldn't have minded some detailed info on some of the techniques, almost a Dummies version, but I think the real lesson is to build and paint as much as you can to gain experience. AS they say about writing, "Writers write", so I guess airbrushers airbrush!

I certainly found the book useful and recommend it.

This book is nicely presented with many pictures illustrating beautifully finished plastic models, mostly airplanes. I purchased the book because after a lapse of forty some years I decided to again take up the hobby and acquaint myself with the latest finishing technology available to model makers.

The author describes the tools and materials he uses and prefers but doesn't go into that much detail about how to use them. I was hoping to find information on filling and scribing. The author touches on the subject and even names products but doesn't show or tell how it is done. The one exception is camoflage paint, an area in which he is keenly interested and talented.

Overall, I'm glad I bought the book. I just wish it contained more of the information I was looking for.

As a side note, while I bought the book through the Amazon website, it was shipped from another Amazon referred retailer, Indoo.com. This was a mistake I will not make again. I ordered the book January 4. It arrived January 27 and was so poorly packaged that it was damaged in shipment.

This airbrushing book is great if you are into military aircraft and want to learn camouflage techniques. That is what accounts for 75% of the information. The author obviously knows his stuff. It would be nice if he would have covered much more about basic airbrushing techniques. Unfortunately I did not know enough about the subject to understand all the book was missing. I later learned you need to know much more about nozzle sizes and how they are used based on the material you are spraying, how to cover large areas effectively without leaving dry/wet lines, a LOT more about cleaning/maintaining the airbrush, and when/how to use various PSI settings. The author shows a couple of pictures of figures with only a caption underneath/beside them. There is no information about airbrushing figures or small parts.

The author does do a great job of explaining the effects of color, hue, and shading on scale subjects. His information about adjusting hue/shade to account for small scale is outstanding.

Too much of the information is repeated. There is prose to explain the subject matter. Then there are photos whose captions simply repeat the prose. That, to me, is a waste of space and the reader's time. The book could have used that duplicate space to include the topics mentioned above.

Very informative, easy to read, and with useful tips. It is helping me a lot to improve my airbrushing skills.