Tank Art 1
WWII German Armor

by Michael Rinaldi

Reviewed by Brett Green

Summary

FirstRead

Michael Rinaldi is a world-class armour modeller whose work will be familiar through his extensive portfolio appearing in magazines and on the Internet.

Mike’s painting and weathering techniques are particularly striking, so it was with great interest that I received this new book, “Tank Art 1”.

The sub-title to this series debut is “A Guide to Painting and Weathering WWII German Armour”. The book succeeds superbly in its stated aim as a step-by-step painting and weathering guide for modellers.

The hefty volume is presented in a squarish format and is printed on 208 pages of glossy, high-grade paper between its soft covers.

The contents are broken down logically, commencing with Products and Materials before moving on to three Chapters discussing specific techniques - Weathering Principles; the increasingly important Hairspray Technique and Oil Paint Rendering.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to five master class examples of painting and weathering. Mike uses these five models as the blank canvas to demonstrate his wide range of techniques. The five models are a Panther Ausf. G, Tiger I Initial Production, Hetzer, Sd.Kfz.251/22 Pakwagen and a Panzer IV Ausf. E.

The finishes demonstrated are:

• Soft two-colour camouflage finish

• Distressed winter whitewash (these first two finishes are both demonstrated on the Panther)

• Overall Panzer Grey with mud and dust effects

• Hard-edged three-colour scheme

• Overall Dark Yellow, heavily chipped and rusted; and

• Desert Yellow over a Panzer Grey base

The finishes are described using three parallel narratives. If you are a visual learner, the photographs will provide a comprehensive guide to the techniques on their own. However, each photo is accompanied by detailed and useful captions that describe the technique in more detail, along with insights into their application by the Author. The body text is very readable and adds another layer of detail to the descriptions.

Each model Chapter is rounded out with a two-page Quick Reference guide summarising every step of painting and weathering for the specific subject.

The photography is the other highlight of the book, beautifully complimenting the outstanding quality of the finishes. All the subjects are evenly lit and brightly presented against a crisp white background. The photos are large - the two page spreads are particularly impressive - and outline the techniques in the most useful sequence.

The overall layout is bright, attractive and consistent too.

The last Chapter is a Gallery and some points on painting figure models. This Chapter has been prepared by Marijn van Gils.

Tank Art 1 – WWII German Armor is a fantastic guide to painting and weathering the Rinaldi way. The techniques are extensive, the subjects widely varied, the photography and presentation first rate and the text ably supports the images. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to obtaining high quality German WWII painting and weathering finishes, this really is the ideal one-stop manual.

Highly Recommended.

Available online from Rinaldi Studio Press www.rinaldistudiopress.com

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