Introduction

The fourth book of Theme Collections, dedicated to a specific category or period, is World War One, also known as The Great War.

As in all theme books, it is in A4 format with a laminated cover and 84 pages.

Review

Including 13 articles of award winning models or commercial boxarts from well known modelers, it provides many different approachs and techniques for sculpting, converting and painting 1/35 scale figures, larger scale figures and busts, making figure bses, vignettes and dioramas. Color codes and mixtures for acrylics, enamels and oils to paint different unifoms and texture patterns are explained. Authors share their methods by useful hints.

The book starts in Sergey Popovichenko’s article on painting a WWI Large Scale Bust with Acrylics &Oils. He makes a fantastic painting on Young Miniatures 1/10 scale British Soldier - Somme 1916. A great step-by-step article for the first pages of a book. 58 color photos in numerical sequence explaining how to paint flesh tones, helmet, uniform, field gear and rifle in details. Artist also gives his color codes and recipes for Maimeri Polycolor acrylics and Master Class oils and shares 5 photos of the finished work. Blood effect on the face is outstanding.

Dave Youngquist created a large scale scene named Back to the Front with 1/16 scale John Smith Modelbau and Jeff Shiu figures and accessories. He builts a WW I German trench in full details. Besides telling how to paint the figures, he describes making a trench using basswood, plaster and papier mache. Color recipes for figures and 18 photos in 10 pages.Close-up photos of the barbed wire and trench floor worth to see in this article.

Another large scale bust article. This time by Toshihiro Sano.He paints Alexandros Models 200 mm Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richtofen - Red Baron bust using Tamiya enamels in his updated painting technique. After priming the bust, he starts painting the face and shares it in 12 step-by-step photos and color codes for face, eyes and hair. He continues with the body part - uniform, baton, gloves, cap,scarf and leather coat in 24 photos and 5 photos for the final. Painting of the wrinkled leather jacket is really amazing.

An interesting article for a scene in 54 mm like a screen shot of Anzacs on Chunuk Bair in Gallipoli Campaign, August 1915. Figures on the vignette are named like Bill, Archie, Harry,Tom and Vic. Steve Warrilow - The Fusilier shortly explains how he sculpted The Lads and Mike Butler - The Kiwi shares his painting in color codes. 33 photos in numbers and 8 photos of the finished vignette. Besides being a masterpiece, the vignette base also worths to notice with a commemorative medal and a bottle with real soil from Gallipoli.

David Hernanz Caldevilla paints Andrea Miniatures 90 mm German Stromtrooper 1918. No step by step photos but a very detailed text with color codes and techniques on acrylics and oils, 13 close-up photos, 3 full figure photos. He also shares how he made and weathered groundwork. One of the best 90 mm WW I figures I have ever seen.

A short article on face painting by Javier Gonzalez - Arsies. Using Latorre miniatures 54 mm Royal Flying Ace figure, he gives his color recipes, a photo of his palette, 10 photos for progress on face painting and 3 photos of finished model.

Two articles by Stelios Neofytidis on Gallipoli subject.

Great built and article on building and painting a 1/35 scale WW I vignette. Firestorm 35114 is such a nice kit with figures and base depicting Gallipoli snipers inspired from a real photo. Stelios Neofytidis shares his built from start to end. He shows us the kit content, assembly and priming process first in 15 photos. Then 22 photos for figure painting with text in Vallejo color codes and 11 photos for the painted trench vignette.

He paints Tommy’s War 54 mm Australian Infantry figure and base in Vallejo Acrylics. Text in color codes and 10 photos of the painted scene.

Christos Katselos shares his paintwork of Young Miniatures 1/10 bust Stormtrooper, Battle of Somme 1916 bust with 9 photos and color codes . He captures the young look very nice.

Another nice article of this book with many step by step photos. Man Jin Kim shares his paintwork for Tommy’s War 54 mm six figure set Gassed inspired by an oil painting depicting British soldiers suffered gas attacks in World War I. After a short intro and assembly part, he explains painting the figures and scenic groundwork in 60 photos in numeric sequence supported with short notes and 9 photos for the final scene.

Alex Varela-Iguazzi brings a very a good step-by-step article for Tommy’s War Miniatures 54 mm figures TW54013-TW54014 and TW54D01 Trench section. 58 photos in numeric sequence and 4 photos for finished scene. Very good photos to build, paint and weather a trench section.

Fantastic face painting article by Ernesto Reyes Stalhuth but only 4 photos of the final. He paints Young Miniatures 180 mm bust, World War I German Stormtrooper in Vallejo acrylics and Andrea inks sharing his recipes. All textures are very nice painted on the bust.

Stelios Demiras, publisher of these great books, paints and shares his experience of his work on Tommy’s War 54 mm Private London Scottish at Messines 1914, a nice posed dynamic figure. After a historical note and brief info about the construction of base and figure, he gives his color mixes. 10 photos for nice painted figure and realistic groundwork.

Conclusion

High printing quality, high resolution photos showing close-up details, explanatory texts with acrylic and oil color codes for base colors, shadows and highlights, personal paint recipes , ease on understanding with numeric sequence on photos. This is really a very worthy reference for all modelers that wants to paint World War I figures and improve their painting quality.

Highly recommended