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Haven't heard anything from element games about my order but I'm really not worried. It will get here when it gets here.

So... How is the book? I haven´t seen any reviews yet.

It really seems like a professional expansion of those step-by-step guides that Giraldez posts on Facebook. The latter part of the book is just step-by-steps of different models highlighting different technique in the same style as the Facebook albums with regards to the paint color and location it's applied. However, the translation is much clearer and the explanations are slightly more in-depth. The majority of the "Masterclass" section is still mostly consisting of images with explanatory captions.

The first part of the book highlights techniques like NMM, stippling, and such. It's much more of a how-to guide on the techniques themselves rather than painting a specific model in a specific color scheme.

I'm happy that the book doesn't waste space on super-fundamental topics that other guides go into like cleaning your models and how to drybrush.

Overall seems like a solid buy. I'll still be looking at pictures online because they're bigger.

correct me if i'm wrong, Absolutionis, but my gut feeling is that a simple thing like Angel showing how he uses liquid mask will be a revelation for a lot of the airbrush guys...
it is not something i see a lot of people using, or at least talking about using...
did you have an "ah-ha" moment about the liquid mask???
it seems like a very useful product for airbrush mini painters...

cheers
jah

I started using it recently. There's a bit of a learning curve to it (especially masking crevices) and it destroys brushes, but it's really useful. I've only used it on terrain so far but I'll be trying it out on miniatures soon.

 jah-joshua wrote:
correct me if i'm wrong, Absolutionis, but my gut feeling is that a simple thing like Angel showing how he uses liquid mask will be a revelation for a lot of the airbrush guys...
it is not something i see a lot of people using, or at least talking about using...
did you have an "ah-ha" moment about the liquid mask???
it seems like a very useful product for airbrush mini painters...

cheers
jah

I did not, but that was only because he explained to me on facebook that he used it before when I asked about one of the models. And like others have said, it is not as easy as it looks, besides the brush thing and crevices, I find that if you are not very careful in its removal then you will scrap paint off as well.

 jah-joshua wrote:
correct me if i'm wrong, Absolutionis, but my gut feeling is that a simple thing like Angel showing how he uses liquid mask will be a revelation for a lot of the airbrush guys...
it is not something i see a lot of people using, or at least talking about using...
did you have an "ah-ha" moment about the liquid mask???
it seems like a very useful product for airbrush mini painters...

cheers
jah

True, which is why I appreciate how this seems to be a mid-range painter's book that skims the fundamentals. The liquid mask mention alone is simply a sixth of a page with a three line caption.

Is the book worth it?

I really want that model, but I don't want to spend $50 on the model alone. I'm not a good painter, but I'd like to think it's better for me to paint them than for them to have nothing on them.

 Slarg232 wrote:
Is the book worth it?

I really want that model, but I don't want to spend $50 on the model alone. I'm not a good painter, but I'd like to think it's better for me to paint them than for them to have nothing on them.

This is really my question about the book as well. The model is cool, but I am hoping the book has the paints used and how he achieves the look that he does.

This liquid mask thing surprises me. Modellers,especially military have been using liquid mask since the Stone Age and I find it surprising that across a lot of forums it being treated like some new found rare mineral.

Without being sarcastict have people really not heard of this stuff before or used it ? I'm just interested,perhaps it's just something that got forgotten about on the model shop shelf ?

 darkness screamer wrote:
This liquid mask thing surprises me. Modellers,especially military have been using liquid mask since the Stone Age and I find it surprising that across a lot of forums it being treated like some new found rare mineral.

Without being sarcastic have people really not heard of this stuff before or used it ? I'm just interested,perhaps it's just something that got forgotten about on the model shop shelf ?

This threads the the first time Ive heard of it. Sounds like witchcraft to me.

Waiting for the second printing for my book but looking forward to more paint sorcery.

Purchased the book from CMON today, I'll toss out a little review on it later.

You speak so nonchalantly about something I am eagerly awaiting!

Wish the orders for the UK would get sorted out, am still none the wiser about mine.. ~~

I have the English version of the book in hand.
I'll rate the book out of 10, so here goes.

Price: 8/10. Hard to judge this one since I regularly fork over megabucks for FW books and GW codexes regularly. I paid about $40 from The War Store. Seems like a fair price, but the quality is generally what i expect in the $30 range. BUT- it comes with a limited mini, so that justifies it for me.

Book itself: 7/10. A nice book with colorful pictures. Easy to follow translations. Softcover, with a nice satin-y front/back. Big, glossy pages.

The content: 6/10
1. Introduction and "Method" - A nice intro from Angel Giraldez, and an explanation (with step by step photos) of his approach to painting.
2. Product list - Shows the various paints and tools that he prefers. He pretty much exclusively uses Vallejo paints, so it's kind of a letdown to not see any other products, but there's probably some contractual obligations that factor in.
3. Tips - A couple of pages showing various tips/tricks for painting (for example: using a hairdryer, liquid mask, mixing your paint, etc...). Nothing really groundbreaking here, but still some useful information if you're fairly new to painting.
4. Techniques - These cover a few pages, and show step by step instruction for NMM, Stippling, Glazing, points of Light, and Washes. Again, nothing really new, other than to show off how awesome his techniques manage to turn out.
5. Masterclass Showcase - The bulk of the book is step by step of a lot of his big projects. Many of them are the very complex models and a lot of busts. While these are good for technique, I was disappointed that there is really no step-by-step for the standard paint schemes for each faction. The busts are a nice showcase, but I found them useless since I don't forsee painting up any busts in the future (again though, good for spotlighting technique). He does break down his mixes and ratios, which is nice.
6. Gallery - The book finishes with a handful of Infinity miniatures, really just your standard show pieces, with some telling you to reference his blog for detailed step by steps. It's frustrating to see some models (re: female Authorized Bounty Hunter) that the common gamer will not be able to obtain in the near future here, but oh well.

Overall, I give the total product a solid 7/10 rating. If you've ever purchased a Forgeworld Model Masterclass book, that's basically what you're getting, albeit with a more personal flair from Giraldez (since he did all the work).
The included Joan of Arc model is pretty badass, and a nice "bonus". It's also useful personally since I have a PanO army.

If you're into Infinity and an avid painter, it's kind of a must-have.

If you're a very new painter, it may be a little bit advanced for you; I'd say it's targeting the painter who has made the leap to using an airbrush and is looking to up their game in other areas. If you're not an airbrush user, this book may not be for you; Angel relies heavily on airbrushing for a lot of the techniques he shows, and does not present an alternative for strict brush-only painters.

BL: I am pleased with my purchase, and I think I will get some moderate use out of the techniques presented.

 House Griffith wrote:
He pretty much exclusively uses Vallejo paints, so it's kind of a letdown to not see any other products, but there's probably some contractual obligations that factor in.

You didn't notice the vallejo logo on the cover?

That's what he paints with. My guess is being in Spain, they're just down the road. Given how driven they are to keep it all in Spain, it's not unexpected to see them exclusively use vallejo. Any time he shows his work desk he has every single vallejo paint on racks around him, plus boxes of more piled around.

Many thanks for the write-up House Griffith!

I'm worried reading that that it will probably be above my skill level, but I suppose there might be some stuff in there that I can give a try with. And, at least there are the pretty pictures which are always nice!

 -Loki- wrote:

 House Griffith wrote:
He pretty much exclusively uses Vallejo paints, so it's kind of a letdown to not see any other products, but there's probably some contractual obligations that factor in.

You didn't notice the vallejo logo on the cover?

That's what he paints with. My guess is being in Spain, they're just down the road. Given how driven they are to keep it all in Spain, it's not unexpected to see them exclusively use vallejo. Any time he shows his work desk he has every single vallejo paint on racks around him, plus boxes of more piled around.

Oh yes, I noticed.
I was hoping he might have other recommendations out there for products Vallejo doesn't make, but that appears not to be the case. Vallejo suits all needs and all techniques he uses.
Compare this to FW Masterclass. They exclusively use GW products when possible. But for what they don't, pictures and product listings are provided to give the reader an idea of what they use instead.

 House Griffith wrote:
I'd say it's targeting the painter who has made the leap to using an airbrush and is looking to up their game in other areas. If you're not an airbrush user, this book may not be for you; Angel relies heavily on airbrushing for a lot of the techniques he shows, and does not present an alternative for strict brush-only painters.

I find this very disheartening, I've been painting for roughly 20 years and i decided to never use an airbrush (somehow it feels like cheating to me). If you're creating a miniature painting book/guide, then I fully expect the brush to be your main focus, with maybe some airbrush tech added into the mix, def. not the other way around.

Anyway, I rarely get any use out of books like this other than the enjoyment of seeing high quality WIPs of different projects, so i bet I'll be happy with the purchase nonetheless.

 Müller wrote:

 House Griffith wrote:
I'd say it's targeting the painter who has made the leap to using an airbrush and is looking to up their game in other areas. If you're not an airbrush user, this book may not be for you; Angel relies heavily on airbrushing for a lot of the techniques he shows, and does not present an alternative for strict brush-only painters.

I find this very disheartening, I've been painting for roughly 20 years and i decided to never use an airbrush (somehow it feels like cheating to me). If you're creating a miniature painting book/guide, then I fully expect the brush to be your main focus, with maybe some airbrush tech added into the mix, def. not the other way around.

Anyway, I rarely get any use out of books like this other than the enjoyment of seeing high quality WIPs of different projects, so i bet I'll be happy with the purchase nonetheless.

You might want to have a look at FIGOPEDIA then. I got both books this week, and Jeremy Bonamant Teboul's book is all that Angel Giraldez's "Masterclass" is not.

I am happy to have bought both, since I am looking to get into painting with an airbrush.

But where Angel's book is basically a collection of airbrush step-by-step guides, Figopedia is a full tutorial book on theories and techniques of painting the french way, with (obviously) beautiful examples of Jeremy's miniature painting work.

 treslibras wrote:

 Müller wrote:

 House Griffith wrote:
I'd say it's targeting the painter who has made the leap to using an airbrush and is looking to up their game in other areas. If you're not an airbrush user, this book may not be for you; Angel relies heavily on airbrushing for a lot of the techniques he shows, and does not present an alternative for strict brush-only painters.

I find this very disheartening, I've been painting for roughly 20 years and i decided to never use an airbrush (somehow it feels like cheating to me). If you're creating a miniature painting book/guide, then I fully expect the brush to be your main focus, with maybe some airbrush tech added into the mix, def. not the other way around.

Anyway, I rarely get any use out of books like this other than the enjoyment of seeing high quality WIPs of different projects, so i bet I'll be happy with the purchase nonetheless.

You might want to have a look at FIGOPEDIA then. I got both books this week, and Jeremy Bonamant Teboul's book is all that Angel Giraldez's "Masterclass" is not.

I am happy to have bought both, since I am looking to get into painting with an airbrush.

But where Angel's book is basically a collection of airbrush step-by-step guides, Figopedia is a full tutorial book on theories and techniques of painting the french way, with (obviously) beautiful examples of Jeremy's miniature painting work.

Is the Figopedia book available to buy right now or only being shipped out to people who backed the kickstarter? (cant find where to place the order on that website.)

anab0lic wrote:
Is the Figopedia book available to buy right now or only being shipped out to people who backed the kickstarter? (cant find where to place the order on that website.)

They said the book would be available to buy from the shop once all backers had been served.

You can contact Jeremy / David at jbonamant@yahoo.fr if you want to be sure.

 treslibras wrote:

anab0lic wrote:
Is the Figopedia book available to buy right now or only being shipped out to people who backed the kickstarter? (cant find where to place the order on that website.)

They said the book would be available to buy from the shop once all backers had been served.

You can contact Jeremy / David at jbonamant@yahoo.fr if you want to be sure.

Ahh ok, looks like I may have to wait a little while for this one then. Sent him an email to see whats up.

I'm picking up my copy this weekend from my FLGS

 treslibras wrote:

anab0lic wrote:
Is the Figopedia book available to buy right now or only being shipped out to people who backed the kickstarter? (cant find where to place the order on that website.)

They said the book would be available to buy from the shop once all backers had been served.

You can contact Jeremy / David at jbonamant@yahoo.fr if you want to be sure.

How is it for beginners

 Havok210 wrote:

 Slarg232 wrote:
Is the book worth it?

I really want that model, but I don't want to spend $50 on the model alone. I'm not a good painter, but I'd like to think it's better for me to paint them than for them to have nothing on them.

This is really my question about the book as well. The model is cool, but I am hoping the book has the paints used and how he achieves the look that he does.

If you want Joan of Arc, we're supposed to see a new sculpt released in the next few months.

This was just intended to be a variant released for a "partner", like the "Cosplay Bolt".

Too late; already ordered.

Nice model, and if anyone remembers my Chaos Space Marines uploads, I'm not exactly in the position to be turning down painting advice

 carlos13th wrote:


How is it for beginners

That depends. The book is all about theories and their application but there are NO technical tutorials included (how to thin paint, which brushes to use, palettes, wetblending, feathering, freehands, NMM, weathering, using washes, using inks...)

I assume those will be explained in a second book yet to come. (With hopefully a third one on sculpture)

As such it is great to understand light and color and what to look out for to achieve the desired results, but it is not how-to manual.

 treslibras wrote:

 carlos13th wrote:


How is it for beginners

That depends. The book is all about theories and their application but there are NO technical tutorials included (how to thin paint, which brushes to use, palettes, wetblending, feathering, freehands, NMM, weathering, using washes, using inks...)

I assume those will be explained in a second book yet to come. (With hopefully a third one on sculpture)

As such it is great to understand light and color and what to look out for to achieve the desired results, but it is not how-to manual.

That sounds really useful actually.

 House Griffith wrote:
Same here. If I didn't have a job with significant responsibilities, I'd be camping out at the front door for the UPS guy for the next few days.

Funny/infuriating story about that, I actually didn't get my book because I missed every single delivery attempt by UPS all through the week because I had to leave for work. I work nights and I have to be on the clock by 5pm, and the delivery window is 2-6. I waited around as long as possible, until about 10 minutes before 5, and was almost late for work two days in a row because of it. When I got home Friday morning after the final delivery attempt I went on their website to see what my options were, preparing to eat another shipping charge or having to drive to the nearest hub and pick it up in person, only to find that they immediately put it on a truck back to the fething store after they failed to deliver Thursday. I'm still fething mad about it.

I suppose I could have just changed the delivery date to Friday when I knew I'd be home if I had ever thought about it. I guess I was too optimistic and thought for sure they'd show up early enough at some point to get it to me. Still waiting to hear back from MM, I suppose I won't be until at least Monday so I won't have the book to look through this weekend like I was planning. For what I'm going to end up shelling out for this damn thing I could have almost bought two of them, so it better live up to the hype. lol

So I grabbed my book from my FLGS. If I used an air brush it might be a good book. Thisi s no kind of hate towards the painter. I wish I was a 1/10th of how good he is. Its just not a good how to paint book. I knew though going in that I am paying 50$ for a joan of arc model I really want so it doesent disappoint me as bad.