Tank Art 2
WWII Allied 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.

A few months ago, Mike released the debut publication from his Rinaldi Studio Press imprint, Tank Art 1 – WWII German Armor. Mike has now followed up with the logical extension – Tank Art 2 – WWII Allied Armor.

The sub-title to this book debut is “A Guide to Painting and Weathering WWII Allied 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 (with an emphasis on distressed whitewash) 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 Churchill Mk.III in weathered Russian whitewash, an M26 Pershing, a Char B1bis (Marseille), a Sherman Firefly Mk.Vc and a KV-1s Ehkranami.

The finishes demonstrated are:

• Distressed winter whitewash

• Overall Olive Drab

• Hard-edged camouflage schemes

• Heavy mud and weathering

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 sculpting figure models. This Chapter has been prepared by Radek Pituch.

Tank Art 2 – WWII Allied 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 Soviet, British Commonwealth or US 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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Text and Images by Brett Green
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