Book Review of
David Parker’s Crew School
Techniques to Bring Your Armour Model Crews to Life
Author: David Parker
AFV Modeller Books
ISBN: 978-0-9935646-7-3
MSRP: $35.00
Publication date: February 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9935646-7-3
MSRP: $35.00
Publication date: February 20, 2020
Possibly the biggest barrier to the modeler using crew figures is the idea that “I cannot paint faces”. Over the years It has been a struggle with establishing a consistent technique that could be employed without the process becoming a fight with consequent variable and unpredictable outcomes.
The author of this book has developed for himself what he thinks is a quick and simple approach which gives a realistic result with a small palette of colors using simple paints.
For the novice face painter it can seem to be a daunting process, with the smallest touches of the wrong color resulting in an apparent startled expression on the face of the serious Panzer commander that you are trying to model. Before beginning to ever consider paint it is well worth paying attention to the quality of the face that you are trying to bring to life.
If you start by trying to paint a 1970’s injection molded crew figure, you will have soft, poorly defined facial features which will simply make the whole process far more difficult. Conversely, if you start with a well sculpted resin head as your canvas, you will be working with crisp definition and well defined details which will make the process far easier an inevitably give you a better result.
As a good rule of thumb, always replace your crew heads with a resin replacement when possible. This book looks at how to replace heads at the later stage, but first the book examines basic face painting process.
THE BOOK:
AFV books is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 112 pages in 8 ¼”x 11 ¾” page format.
It contains 370 color illustrations. Mostly as the walk-around type.
The cover art has a color illustration of a Israeli Merkava tank with 2 crewmen looking out the top of it.
Chapters are: the introduction, Basic Face Facts, Strike a Pose, Switching for Effect, Creating Creases, Factory Fresh, Armed & Dangerous, Holt, Who Goes there?, One Step Beyond, Working With Mannequins, Communication Breakdown, Panther Personnel, Charm Offensive, Ardennes Advance and the appendix.
The book starts with a color photo of a diorama of a Panther tank in a grassy field with 4 crew-men standing atop it.
Another color photo shows the author David Parker looking out the top of an unknown tank.
The Basic Face Facts chapter has 16 step by step color photos
for face painting. Including Canadian tank crew man looking out of the top of an unknown tank.
Five color photos of Chadian soldiers (negro’s) in camo uniforms.
Six color photos of 1/10th scale German tank crew faces and one color photo of a German infantry man.
In the Uniform Approach chapter there are nine color photos of German tank crewmen in short-sleeved shirts, black cloth field caps and camouflaged trousers.
Two Soviet crewmen atop an unknown tank in 3 color photos.
Twelve color photos of German crewmen in camo shirts.
Two color photos of 1/16th scale German tank crewman in camo uniforms.
In the Strike a Pose chapter there are 10 German tank crewman atop a Tiger tank.
Ten color photo of Israeli tank crewmen atop a Merkava tank.
The Switching for Effect chapter has 18 color photos of German tank crewmen atop a Pz.Kpfw. IV tank The man in the cupula has his left arm raised and a second man is sitting in the turret side hatch.
The Creating Creases chapter has 7 color photos of shirts.
The Factory Fresh chapter has 10 color photos of French civilian workmen standing by a French Samoa tank.
The Armed and Dangerous chapter has 19 color photos of Israeli crewmen with a Merkava tank.
The Holt Who Goes There? Chapter has 17 color photos of the Holt steam powered tractor pulling an unknown cannon in a diorama.
The One Step Beyond chapter has 9 color photos of German tank crewmen on a Tiger tank.
The Working With Mannequins chapter has 29 color photos of German tank crewmen.
The Communication Breakdown chapter has 46 color photos of German tank crewmen using their raised arms for signaling.
The Panther Personnel chapter has 11 color photos of Panther tank crewmen atop Panthers.
The Charm Offensive chapter has 11 color photos of French tank crewmen talking to girl next to a Samoa tank.
The Shell Stinger chapter has 18 color photos of a German tank crewman throwing a spent shell out the turret side hatch on a Panther tank.
The Ardennes Advance chapter has a whopping 65 color photos of a diorama of Pieper in a Schwimmwagen parked next to a road sign in the Ardennes. This is copying a well known wartime photo that shows this scene.
The Appendix shows sculpting clays, tools and paints in 24 color photos.
The last page of the book shows the cover art of the AFV book on the German BMW R75 motorcycle.
All these color photos in the book are of models.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of AFV books for this review sample.
All AFV titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web site at:
The author of this book has developed for himself what he thinks is a quick and simple approach which gives a realistic result with a small palette of colors using simple paints.
For the novice face painter it can seem to be a daunting process, with the smallest touches of the wrong color resulting in an apparent startled expression on the face of the serious Panzer commander that you are trying to model. Before beginning to ever consider paint it is well worth paying attention to the quality of the face that you are trying to bring to life.
If you start by trying to paint a 1970’s injection molded crew figure, you will have soft, poorly defined facial features which will simply make the whole process far more difficult. Conversely, if you start with a well sculpted resin head as your canvas, you will be working with crisp definition and well defined details which will make the process far easier an inevitably give you a better result.
As a good rule of thumb, always replace your crew heads with a resin replacement when possible. This book looks at how to replace heads at the later stage, but first the book examines basic face painting process.
THE BOOK:
AFV books is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 112 pages in 8 ¼”x 11 ¾” page format.
It contains 370 color illustrations. Mostly as the walk-around type.
The cover art has a color illustration of a Israeli Merkava tank with 2 crewmen looking out the top of it.
Chapters are: the introduction, Basic Face Facts, Strike a Pose, Switching for Effect, Creating Creases, Factory Fresh, Armed & Dangerous, Holt, Who Goes there?, One Step Beyond, Working With Mannequins, Communication Breakdown, Panther Personnel, Charm Offensive, Ardennes Advance and the appendix.
The book starts with a color photo of a diorama of a Panther tank in a grassy field with 4 crew-men standing atop it.
Another color photo shows the author David Parker looking out the top of an unknown tank.
The Basic Face Facts chapter has 16 step by step color photos
for face painting. Including Canadian tank crew man looking out of the top of an unknown tank.
Five color photos of Chadian soldiers (negro’s) in camo uniforms.
Six color photos of 1/10th scale German tank crew faces and one color photo of a German infantry man.
In the Uniform Approach chapter there are nine color photos of German tank crewmen in short-sleeved shirts, black cloth field caps and camouflaged trousers.
Two Soviet crewmen atop an unknown tank in 3 color photos.
Twelve color photos of German crewmen in camo shirts.
Two color photos of 1/16th scale German tank crewman in camo uniforms.
In the Strike a Pose chapter there are 10 German tank crewman atop a Tiger tank.
Ten color photo of Israeli tank crewmen atop a Merkava tank.
The Switching for Effect chapter has 18 color photos of German tank crewmen atop a Pz.Kpfw. IV tank The man in the cupula has his left arm raised and a second man is sitting in the turret side hatch.
The Creating Creases chapter has 7 color photos of shirts.
The Factory Fresh chapter has 10 color photos of French civilian workmen standing by a French Samoa tank.
The Armed and Dangerous chapter has 19 color photos of Israeli crewmen with a Merkava tank.
The Holt Who Goes There? Chapter has 17 color photos of the Holt steam powered tractor pulling an unknown cannon in a diorama.
The One Step Beyond chapter has 9 color photos of German tank crewmen on a Tiger tank.
The Working With Mannequins chapter has 29 color photos of German tank crewmen.
The Communication Breakdown chapter has 46 color photos of German tank crewmen using their raised arms for signaling.
The Panther Personnel chapter has 11 color photos of Panther tank crewmen atop Panthers.
The Charm Offensive chapter has 11 color photos of French tank crewmen talking to girl next to a Samoa tank.
The Shell Stinger chapter has 18 color photos of a German tank crewman throwing a spent shell out the turret side hatch on a Panther tank.
The Ardennes Advance chapter has a whopping 65 color photos of a diorama of Pieper in a Schwimmwagen parked next to a road sign in the Ardennes. This is copying a well known wartime photo that shows this scene.
The Appendix shows sculpting clays, tools and paints in 24 color photos.
The last page of the book shows the cover art of the AFV book on the German BMW R75 motorcycle.
All these color photos in the book are of models.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of AFV books for this review sample.
All AFV titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web site at: