If you guys could recall, I made a post last month, reviwing one of the wonderful book published by a great company ( Link
HERE ). AK interactive has just release the 2nd issue of their '' Weathering Magazine '' and as soon as it hit the stores, I just jumped and bought 3 copies straight away ( the other 2 are for my friends if anybody wants any ). This 2nd issue is named '' DUST '' and was released in the third week of October. Because I was busy, I couldn't write a proper review until today so I do apologize for my delay in writing a review.
In this issue, Ak showed a even greater variety of methods (compare with Rust ) to apply dusts on a model, from heavily dusted helicopter in use in Afghanistan to a dusty and dirty figure, from simple trick as airbrushing on paint like Tamiya Tan to the complicated tricks of combining all the products ( washes, filters, pigments) to produce a ultra-realistic effect.
The magazine is printed on a very high quality glossy heavy paper, and is 63 pages in full color.
First you got this on the cover -
And once you turn the page, you are greeted with a wall of text from the chief editor himself ( I didn't take any photo of it, sorry ) ... and then after that, you will come to the contents
Again with the model but Im not really complaning about this one ... she's hot.. especially since she's holding a gun ( chicks + guns = hotness, u know hehehe )
and after that you will get straight into the first chapter -
'' Chopper Dusting '' is basically how an aircraft can get dirty when it is in service in a really really dusty and sandy area, in this case, a Black Hawk used by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ( Airborne ) in Afghanistan. In this chapter, AK showed step by step in using acrylic paints and enemal washes to create a well used aircraft operating in very dusty and sandy conditions. The chapter cover how to replicate dust sticking to the matt paint finish and how it collects on areas that are frequently lubricated with oils and greases.
In Chapter two '' Panzer Grey and Dust '' -
They talked about how to achieve a realistic dusty finish in on a tank. They took a Tiger I, somewhere in the eastern front, as a subject. They talk about how to acheive a various down of dusty finishes on the tank, and where dust would be thin and where it would be thick. I found this chapter very useful and very good as most tanks would be dusty in this kind of way, espeically tanks operating in climates like the russian summer.
Chapter 3 '' Space dust '' is all about how a sci-fi model offer a wide range of weathering potential.
The chapter talks about how to achieve a fairly used space hardware, with space dust and everything in between. Since this is sci fi, creative potential is high and too many a option are avaiable but they chose to go not too over board with a ton of dust but instead, showed how to make a suitable layer of dust using a minium amount of materials.
I wouldn't actually say this article is a chapter since it is only one page but this is one page that seriously helped me. TBH, I knew how to apply a dusty finish by airbrusing acrylic paint on a model but never knew about using ENAMELS to make it. Now I do ...
They choose to use Humbrol for the article and they couldn't have choose a better paint for the job .
'' Mucking up a Merkava'' is the title for chapter 4 and in this one, they talk about how to achieve a really really dusty and dirt-filled, dirt-stained tank that have undergone extensive services and opereations by using ACTUAL dirt as one of the materials
I find this article very interesting and eye-catching and actually useful for modellers who aim to work on vehicles that have been used and abused in numerous operations and humid,dry and sandy climates.
Again, this is another article too short to be a chapter and this article is aimed for those diorama builders.
Titled '' Dusty Cobble Stone Road'', they talk about how to get a realistic dusty Stone road and not only just dust, they also talk about how to enhance the texture of the stones as well. I really really like this article as they show how to acheive a nice dusty road in a matter of a few steps ( namely in 5 ) and with only 4 different materials.
Following this article is another Article for a diorama as well, with a title '' A dusty Diorama''.
What interesting about this article is that they actually used real sand ( fine sand ), real pebbles, some fibrous hairs ( don't ask me where they got the hairs from, that was the very first question I asked myself as well when I saw them ) and some dried lichen. Also to be of noted is the use a modelling clay as a base and for the sand to stick onto.
Chapter 5 '' Dust brings a tanker to life '' shows how some modellers forget to weather the crew figure according to the settings in which they weather their vehicles.
The chapter shows how to bring life to the figure using both enamel and acrylics for dust effects and how a figure weathered accordingly to the environment will add a ton of extra realism to the entire model or diorama.
The article following this is named ''Dusting Tiger Tracks '' which basically shows how to put on tracks on the tiger tank coverd in chapter two.
Quite a lot of materials is involved with this materials but the explanations are clear and easy to understand. Another great article that would be useful all the time if one if fond of making tanks ( like me ).
The next article to follow is an article named '' Airbrushing Dust and Dust Washes ''.
Basically, this is quite similar to the way we spray enamel and acrylics to produce a dusty finish but instead, they talk about using enemal washes and white spirit and another peculier instrument ( namely a artist fibre pencil ) to get a nice dusty finish. This method has been covered in Chapter 2 as well but this article covers in details about this method.
For the next article, it is titled ''VK4502 Dust and Dirt'' and they talked about how they get the dirt and dust that covered the VK4502 that was featured in the very first issue's very first chapter.
To be of note in this article is the use of Modellling product such as AK's Gravel and Sand fixer, some leaves ( not the big ones, the diorama accesories ). This articles is more about how to get a dirt ( or clumps or dirt) effect on a vehicle instead of a dusty layer and how to fix it properly on the model.
The next articles is kind of a like a combination of everything that has been said previously ( I beleive).
Basically, this articles shows how to get dust and dirt effect using every weapon in a modeller's arsenal: acrylic, enemal, enamal washes, pigments, filters and other products such as AK wet effect fluids. A particular part that is of great interest ( to me that is ) is the part where they talk about how a heavily dusted surface makes a great base for the dried mud and how pigments, applied correctly, create a cool looking and ultra-realistic cracks in the dried and caked mud.
Following this is a section dedicated to a fine selection of real life reference photos, just like they did in the first issue.
After this, we come back to another Chapter, Chapter 6, titled '' Br39 Before and After ''. Basically this is a chapter that shows, in great details, how a locomotive can get dust and dirt with all the oil, greases and cargo on board. The model used is Rivarossi Analogic H0 scale br39.
This chapter shows how to achieve some uber realistic weathering effects without the need to disassemble any parts to change a toy looking mass-produced model locomotive into a real looking one.
The Final Chapter, Chapter 7 is named dusty ground and they showed how to make a dried and dusty diormama from the ground up and with dust and dirt effects on the DIORAMA instead of the model.
The example setting they choose was Tunisial; which is a landscape of not purely desert sand but also comprises of different types of soil,rocks and vegatation. Basically, this chapter talks about how to make a real life enviorment with different kind of shades of soil and type of pebbles and rocks.
This book is a must have in my opnion. Packed with invaluable techniques for recreating all manner of dusts and not to mention beautiful photos, detailed "how to" information, and containing real-life examples, too.
VERDICT - HIGHLY, EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED.
