Having limited exposure to Model Art Magazine except for thumbing through them occasionally in a vendor room, I was more than eager to do a review on this product. Even though the text is in Japanese (except for some English text sprinkled in), the photographs are excellent and really make it easy to follow along. Even though this is a magazine, the print quality and binding is more like a softcover book.

This is a special issue dedicated to airbrushing. It is broken down into four chapters.

The first chapter is further divided into ten stages. In the ten stages you are taken from setting up a compressor through using different diameter airbrush supply hoses and couplings. They also cover setting up an exhaust hood and different types of airbrushes (single action, double action, and a pistol grip type). The last of these stages focuses on getting proper paint-to-thinner ratios and, in conclusion, they cover airbrush cleaning and maintenance.

Chapter two covers the painting of seven different aircraft models. The models used are the 1/72 Tamiya A6M5 Zero, 1/72 Tamiya M6A1 Seiran, 1/72 Italeri FW-190D-9, 1/72 Tamiya Bf-109E-7, 1/72 Italeri JU-188 Rache, 1/72 Tamiya Macchi MC.202 Folgore, and the 1/72 Tamiya F6F-3 Hellcat. As you can tell just by looking at this list of aircraft, there are many different schemes and effects that can be used.

One of the interesting effects shown in the chapter is on the JU-188 that has a squiggle camouflage. They use modeling clay to replicate this. They roll the modeling clay then entwine it with itself – kind of like a funnel cake at the fair. Then they apply it over the area to be painted, spray, and then remove it. Voila! Instant squiggle camouflage made easy.

To finish off chapter two, there is a section on canopy masking, how to make an airbrush holder out of a clothes hanger, and how to deal with blemished finishes.

Chapter three goes over painting modern aircraft. One of the subjects used is the Tamiya F-4E Phantom II in 1/32nd scale. They cover prepping the model using Mr. Surfacer, laying down the base colors, and adding the camouflage. The natural metal on the lower tail surfaces is also covered. They cover several other modern jets as well.

The next part of chapter three deals with natural metal finishes. They cover different metallic paint, using several manufacturers (Alclad, Tamiya, and Mr. Hobby, as a few) and spray test samples with them. The example model that is used is an F-104J. Again, many pictures cover the steps, which makes it easy to follow along.

Chapter four is basically a listing of different airbrush components – compressors, canned air, airbrushes, stands, exhaust systems, regulators, and hoses. The two main manufactures are Tamiya and Mr. Hobby. There are many accessories that are found in the issue that I had never seen before and some seemed to be very handy.

Overall. I enjoyed the magazine and I recommend it to other modelers as a way of expanding your modeling skills.

I would like to thank Model Art for supplying the example and IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.