Ammo Modelling School – The Modelling Guide for Rust and Oxididation (A.MIG-6098)

[Mike]

Modelling School – The Modelling Guide for Rust and Oxididation (A.MIG-6098)

Ammo of Mig Jiménez

 

 

AMMO have a sizeable library of books under their belts, ranging from magazines to reference guides, as well as technique masterclasses such as this one.  This volume is focused tightly upon the decay of our technological marvels after they fall out of use, although the techniques expounded can also be used with more restraint in almost any weathering task by just dialling back the application of the various effects used.  The author Jari Hermilä professes to have a liking for all things rusty, and enjoys modelling decaying vehicles more than most, all of which is evident through his enthusiasm for the subject.

 

The book is perfect-bound in a thick card cover, with 175 pages inside, and a skill level marked in the top left corner of 3, indicating that it's suitable for your average modeller, but as long as you can read English and have paints, washes, brushes etc., there's nothing to stop even an absolute novice from diving in, as long as they take it easy and don't try to learn too much with one model.  Having fallen into that trap myself many moons ago, it can become a bit over-facing.

 

 

The pages are broken down into chapters, starting with the basics, going through step-by-step examples, and then incorporating those techniques into finished models, again showing the process in detail.  The chapters are as follows:

 

0.0 Prologue

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Tools needed

2.1 Paintbrushes

2.2 Airbrush

2.3 Other Tools

3.0 Materials Needed

3.1 Paints

3.2 Washes

3.3. Pigments

3.4. Special Effect Fluids

3.5 Reactive Chemicals

4.0 Basic Techniques

4.1 Chipping

4.1.1 Paintbrush

4.1.2 Sponge

4.1.3 Chipping Fluid Technique

4.2 Washes

4.2.1 Pin Washes

4.2.2 General Washes

4.2.3 Streaks

4.3 Pigments

4.4 Reactive Chemicals

4.4.1 Burnishing Fluid for White Metal Tracks

4.4.2 Burnishing Fluid for Photo-Etch and Other Brass Parts

5.0 Rust Effects

5.1 Rusty Exhaust

5.2 Fresh Rust

5.3 Old Rust

5.4 Unpainted Steel

5.5 Bronze Rust

5.6 Oxidised Aluminium

5.7 Rusty Tracks on Abandoned Vehicles

5.8 Rusty Burned Vehicle

6.0 Special Effects Over the Rust Surfaces

6.1 Welded Joints

6.2 Dust and Mud

6.3 Water

6.4 Oil, Grease and Fuel

7.0 Example Models

7.1 Submarine Type XVIIB (Revell 1:144)

7.2 Il-2 (Tamiya 1:48)

7.3 Chieftain Mk.11 Range Target (Takom 1:35)

7.4 Panther scrap yard (Dragon 1:35)

7.5 Rusty Locomotive BR-42 (hobby Boss 1:72)

8.0 Gallery of Rust

9.0 Epilogue

 

The techniques are simple to understand, and as long as you have the tools and supplies necessary, you are limited only by your imagination and artistic skill, as well as your ability to "see" realistic patterns and transfer them to your model in scale.  Each of the models are discussed and pictured over several pages so that enough space can be devoted to the description of the techniques used, which is good to see, as people often learn better when they see things carried out in a practical manner.  Also, don't lose sight of the fact that these models have been made to display what's possible, and it is then up to you to apply what you have learned, whether you choose to dial it back to a particular scene you wish to portray, or take it up to 11 to show off what you have learned.  It's your hobby, so crack on with it as you see fit!

 

 

Photography is first class, showing every step of the way in clear detail, with accompanying text and captions filling in any blanks.  In between each section of the techniques there are a few photos of real examples of rust and oxidation, which is carried through to some of the models later on.  You might wonder how an Il-2 could rust out, but as they carried heavy armour on their forward fuselage this rusted badly, as evidenced by pictures taken by Mig Jiménez himself.  It's not a case of an aluminium tank covered in rust, or a wooden prop with metallic chipping marks!  Of course there are a great many AMMO products on display here, as why wouldn't you use your book to advertise your own stuff?  There are also other brands shown, and if you have pinned your colours to another brand of paints and washes, or that's simply what you have, it's not difficult to transpose your own stocks into the process in place of them.

 

Conclusion

If you have some of the other How To books from AMMO, there may be an element of cross-over in terms of general content, but having a "rust bible" in one place is definitely something worth having.  There is a boat-load of content in the book, and if you have a hankering for decay and rust, you will keep coming back to it again and again, especially if your modelling is sporadic or memory poor like mine.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Pete in Lincs]

Mike,

Thanks for the review. I just found an online price. 

I may have to ask Santa about this one then.