Introduction

Adie Roberts from gets to have a look at MMPBOOKS latest modelling title JUST PAINT by Artur Walachowski to see if he can learn some new methods for painting military models.

Review

The book from publishers MMPBOOKSis a softback book with a glued spine is a reference book for modellers to learn different techniques, different methods and finishing skills of painting military vehicles. It has pagination of 104.

Authored by Artur Walachowski
Artur Walachowski has been making models for a number of years now since his young childhood. Starting of building planes, later creating figurines and dioramas. living in Poland with his wife Anna, he is a lover of history and military matters.
Currently specialising in military models and some non-military in various scales. If Artur is not busy building models, then he is usually travelling Poland and Europe accompanied by his wife Anna, often visiting model shows and competitions where he often enters his models and quite often achieves medal success.

Review

Contents
Introductions

Model Renault FT 17 1/16th scale from Takom

Model Bedford MWD 1/48th scale from Airfix

Model Scammel Pioneer 1/35th scale from IBG Models

Model M32-B1 1/35th scale from Tasca

Model Supacat Coyote 1/48th scale from Airfix

Model Lancia 3Ro 1/35th scale from IBG Models

Model Pz. Kpfw. II L Luchs 1/16th scale Classy Hobby
Model Sd.Kfz. 251 1/100th scale from Zvezda

Model V3000s/V3000 SMM 1/72nd scale from IBG Models

Model MSTA-S 1/72nd scale from Zvezda

Starting with the introduction Artur Walachowski gives the first account of himself building a Tamiya Panzer Kampfwagen II Ausf. F kit and started to build it, on visiting a local model shop and saw one of Francois Verlinden's book on making dioramas, he decided that this was how he wanted his models to look like. After a hurried build of his tank and figures (something I can relate to back in the good old days of getting my pocket money and cycling up to town visiting my local model shop either a Matchbox 1/72nd scale tank that came with a little diorama base or an Airfix Wellington bomber or other bombers would be coming home with me on the Saturday morning built by the Sunday morning and going straight into combat by dinner time) he realised that it did not look how the pictures looked, painting was his greatest problem.

After the very well written introduction explaining how it all started for him and writing candidly about his first few builds and how he felt about them, he moves on to say like most of us he did not read about the way to paint but just looked at the pictures fixated to how he wanted his models to turn out. I know he is not alone there! this introduction could be any one of us as we started out in this fascinating hobby.

Starting off with the Takom 1/16th scale Renault FT 17 is where the magic starts and Artur comes into his own showing some of the stages under construction, before moving onto the painting of the model in question. As he says in the introduction Artur uses a black primer base coat, then he starts to explain in an easy precise way the different steps of getting the effects that he wants to achieve, this is backed up with a number of fantastic Hi-Res photos showing some of the detail that he puts into each model and making the process easy to follow. This is done by a lot of these photos in which he uses captions and information so you can follow his work, for example on the build of the Renault he places some information under one of the pictures 16-20. Model after track wash AMMO MIG has been applied and the excess wiped off. Each of the pictures shot at different angles to show the work is very good, factual and his writing makes sense, after hump teen years of building models, especially dioramas, I am learning new techniques amazing!

I was completely astonished at one of the builds in the Just paint book, the Sd. Kfz. 251 in 1/100th scale from Zvezda which is more commonly used by wargamers and usually just painted in one colour without any weathering or detailing which is understandable with the small size of it. Artur makes it look so easy with some colour modulation, a picture showing just the modulation before he applies some washes, once the excess is taken off, the difference is quite breathtaking and makes you realise that even with such a small scale just some small tweaks can make it look so much better.

As you work your way through the different model kits in the book it is amazing how his work is just the same on the 1/16th scale as it is on the 1/100th scale it is also apparent just how much satisfaction Artur gets, not only building and painting these model kits but also helping other modellers, through, this book teaching the techniques and different skills to be able to take your painting skills to the next level.

Conclusion

I have seen many different books on modelling and painting in my time some of which the work that is done is amazing, but, some of these are not what I would call, user-friendly, and it always seems to be missing some text or pictures, showing or telling you how to follow what the author is trying to do. This book is just so different from those it is so easy to follow the text is written in an informal yet easy way Artur's work is truly stunning and it makes me want to pick up the nearest kit to me and start trying some of his techniques. When a book makes you want to do this you know you are on to a winner and I am sure this will not be the only one from Artur, at least I hope not!