Thursday 4 October 2012

Review : AK's ''The Weathering Magazine'' Issue 1- Rust

A month ago, I was reading the latest ( then) issue of SMMI- Scale Modelling Military International and my eyes falls on a advert. To be honest, there was a hot model in advert, wielding a welding-torch and looking all dirty and greasy and that caught my eye ( LOL ) so I read through the advert and I couldn't be more glad that I saw that advert.

It was a advert for a magazine, dedicated directly to weathering, and the publishers are no other then the famous AK interactive. The name of the magazine also caught my attention; the name was just pure and simple '' The Weathering Magazine''. So, as soon as I got back home from work, I did a little research about that said book and found some reviews and I felt like trying out the book myself. And boy oh boy, I was right to buy it.

This is what you see on the cover -

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And, naturally, turning the cover, you will see the contents various ads and bits and bobs that you would normally see from a magazine.

The very first, you could say , Chapter comes into view like so -
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Oviously, as you can see from the title, they showed a step by step process of how to rust a prototype tank that went trough trials and just abandoned and sitting in a corner of a factor ( Porsche's factory to be exact). This chapter deals with how to make rust streaks of various shapes and sizes and how accumlated rain drops, which leads to a pool, can rust metal products.

The 2nd chapter tells you how rust can happen and how to acheieve rust on a Bare steel body
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The 3rd Chapter shows to acheive some hastily attached  armour without any paint on a vehicle can rust. This chapter also tells you how to achieve milling effect, complete worker's marking and wrting; the typical white chalk u would see on doors or frames when carpenters working on them, you know Photobucket

The fouth Chapter depict how a railway car can undergo rust after prolong usage and exposed to the elements-
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In the fifth one, you would see a chapter showing you how rust can occur on a ship currently in service and through heavy seas.
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I find this chapter exceptionally useful because they cover almost everything in there, from paint fade to rusts from scratches made by the anchor, and also along the anchor chains.

The sixth one teach you how to make a ultra-realistic, three dimensional chip effects that is complete with rust forming in that chipped paint area.
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This chapter is very, and I mean Very, interesting as well as it tells you how to achieve such realism by using pigments in a manner similar to the salt technique.

In the 7th one, you will see some simple steps how to achieve that old, used, metal fittings on furnitures, doors and so on so forth. In this case, the example is some metal fittings on some old barn doors.
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In the next one, you will see how to naturally rust metal parts. Of cos, the rust process is sped up using some chemicals and in this one, AK promotes their own product ( naturally ) to show some easy and simple steps how real metal parts can be rusted. However, I have to give it to AK for not turning a blind eye on the other product as well, as they review other products which can naturally rust metals ( this is covered in a diferent chapter )
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The 9th chapter shows you how easy it is to make some small, localized chip paint effects and rust streaks and rust effects from those chip paints. Apprently, all you need is a good eye and some proper colour.
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In this chapter, you will see a step by step tutorial of how rust can occur on a modern vehicle. The title says ''Less is more'' and what they say in this chapter is that how one can achieve a great looking model with a moderate amount of effects.
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Chapter 11 is titled '' Sand Blown Old Rusty Steel '' and it shows you how the adverse condition of the desert can rust away metallic .
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You will find quite a number of references photos in chapter 12 and there are some descriptions on the photos that actually helps understanding the concept of rusting more.
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Chapter 13 will shows you how an abandoned vehicle will slowly rust ups and how the rusts will show among the faded original colours of the body.
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And last but not least, in this chapter, they talked about how each and every products and paints has their own use in rusting. They also reviews some of the products and give some shout-outs on which brand has which kind of rust colour and which brand's colour is better then which. Yes, I know what you are going to ask, what is that woman doing in there. To be honest, I don't have a clue, i guess AK deem it to put in as something to be eye catching or something, but quite strangely and frankly, Im don't really like their idea of putting in something like that.

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This book is a must have in my opnion. The only draw back is those random appearces of those models ( as in, human, woman models ). I mean, if I wanted to see stuffs like this, I would have bought myself a Playboy mag. The price is not bad as well, for £8.99, you get a nice magazine, that actually, teach you how to do stuffs. Normally, ''how to '' modelling mags are around and above £15 (which I never bother buying cos of the price ).

VERDICT - HIGHLY, EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED.



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Tuesday 2 October 2012

Why do we build model?

I have been thinking about this for quite some time and every time I think about this, even more follow up questions came up and I always become lost in thought and could never get an answer.  I don't really want to blog about this subject but a little small inconvenience happend with one of the winner of the Mecha Contest 2012 and the way he ''acted'' tempted me to make this blog post.

There's so many things I want to talk about regarding this issue; '' Why do we build models?? '' but let's talk about the d-bag who did that little inconvenience. I won't say who ( I could but I won' ) but he's one of the various winners of the mecha 2012. Long story short, just becase Ogami won 1st place in two category, he claimed that we weren't fair in our judging and blah blah blah and quit the forum, and said he will not accept any prizes.

The question of '' Why we build models ? '' have always been in my head and this guy actions just tempted me. Why do we even build models? Is it to win competation? Is modeling not one's hobby ? Is modelling something we do to pass our time? It modelling not a form of art, to be crafted, to be valued, to be appreciated by the amount of sweat,time and energy put into it ? What it is then ?

This ''hiccup '' with the winner is not the only reason I decided to blog about this. 5 years ago, when I first arrived to London from Burma, I got into modelling as soon as my sister gave me some allowance to buy models. I grew up with lego, by the time I came to London, I was 17 yet I was still making lego models, and for me, putting up things, watching something I'm building take form and come alive has been always a fascinating thing. Back then, even just snapping together a very very badly done 1/35 tank is enough for me, I would be happy. Obviously, I got into FB that same year and I had a chance to meet great modelling friends. We always chat about modeling, weathering and tanks and it was amazing, no elitism, no nothing .

2009, I got into gunpla and boy oh boy, I saw a great difference from the scale modelling world. People make so much of a great deal over something they buy with their own hard earned money to satisfy their creative side. '' Im better then you cos I can paint better '' .. '' no, im better then you cos I can do kick-ass mods '' ..... '' I do such great Scratch building that people regard me as a SB god '' .... What is this ?? What are all those ?? Is that even necessary ?

2010, December, I finished my first modded kit ( the Nataku ), I spent 9 months working on that single kit; yet, foolishly, I f**ked up the painting step and the finishing wasn't that great. OH MY GOD, some people really tore my ass off with the comments they give. Don't say that I cannot take feedback, I like feed back, thats how my current WIPs are much much more tidier then they used to be. Its just the sense of elitism that pisses me off.

I don't want to sound too contradicting so I will admit it, there are some really sucky works out there, I often do see them alot. And IF I do see them, if i don't have anything good at all to say, I don't say anything at all. If I think there's a feed back or two that I can give, I just post a comment like '' Good job finishing this but here is something or two that you can improve one; - seam lines .... blah blah so on so forth ''... I won't go there and say like your work is SHIT cos that would be insulting. I know and give respect to that fact that the as long as the modeler is happy with their own work, that's the end of it, period. Like I said, if we do not build models to satisfy our creative self, then what are we building for?

And recently, (but not too recently, say; these past months ), I have been reading up too much about weathering and finishing so that I can improve my finishing skills. The reason behind of me wanting so badly to improve my finishing skills is that quite a number of guys have said shit regarding my finishing ( no, not my friends ) and I was like '' F**k it, I'm gonna improve myself so that I can show them blah blah''. But then I realized I was wrong. I thought back to the time I started building AFVs, back then, Im just happy seeing my models sitting on my shelves, cabinet (even though back then, there will filled with brush strokes). Just because some idiots that I don't care about nor won't even have any impact in my life said shit about me, I shouldn't change my mindset over building. I have always thought building models is just for my own pleasure, but lately, it has become like a competition, this lingering thought in my head '' I must get better then those people '. So I have been asking myself '' Why do I build models ? Why do I sink all those money into those plastic if it is not for myself ?? '' but I know, I have known ever since I started, that I build models as a hobby, to enjoy myself, to pass free time in a good way and to make friends and comrades.


What about you guys, dear readers ?
What do you think ? Why do we even build models ?
Is it for our own satisfaction? or is it for other people to appreciate you?
Is it to win contest? Is it to gain Fame?
OR is it something else entirely ??

Foot note -
After talking to a comrade ( tember) about this blog post, I forgot to make a disclaimer; I didn't post this up just cos of some lame-ass things like some idiot ripping on my work or something. I just wanted to post some of my feelings and things I have been witnessing regarding the hobby and how people are so arrogant about it and why I see people spending more time arguing about who is better than actually spending time modeling or having fun.





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