Tank Art 4
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.

Over the last couple of years, Mike has released three publications from his Rinaldi Studio Press imprint, Tank Art 1 – WWII German Armor, Tank Art 2 - WWII Allied Armor and Tank Art 3 - Modern Armor.

Considering the wide variety of finishes and potential finishing techniques applicable to Axis subjects, is hardly surprising that German armour makes an encore performance for the next release in the series.

In common with the first three titles in the series, this book succeeds as a step-by-step painting and weathering guide for modellers.

The hefty volume is presented in a squarish format and is printed on 224 pages of glossy, high-grade paper between its soft covers.

The contents are broken down logically, commencing with a discussion about some common and important techniques – Pin Wash, Blending, Hairspray Chipping, Whitewash Chipping, Mapping, Pigments, Disc Camouflage SBS, Whitewash SBS, and Panzer Grey SBS 1, 2 and 3. These sections are lavishly illustrated and introduce new and modified applications of these essential techniques.

This large Chapter is followed by a more detailed application of winter whitewash techniques on a number of different vehicles in different scales. Other subsequent weathering techniques are also offered to completion for all of the whitewash case studies.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to four master class examples of painting and weathering. Mike uses four models as the blank canvas to demonstrate his wide range of techniques: a Dragon Tiger II, Dragon Nashorn, Dragon Grille Ausf. M and a kitbashed Tamiya/Dragon Sturminfanteriegeschutz 33B. All these vehicles are 1:35 scale.

Mario Eens wraps up this new title with a Guest Chapter on Tamiya’s 1:35 Char B1 in German service.

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.

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The overall layout is bright, attractive and consistent too.

Tank Art 4 – German Armor is a fantastic guide to painting and weathering the Rinaldi way. The techniques are extensive, the photography, presentation first rate and the text ably supports the images. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to obtaining high quality painting and weathering finishes for modern vehicle subjects, 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
Page Created 1 November, 2015
Page Last Updated 1 November, 2015