The Painting Guide is now available…………

[Darkson Designs]

What will be the deciding factor on how often we release the volumes will depend on how many submissions we get for articles and gallery photos. The second factor will be the response we get on this first volume.

Ideas on what future volumes should contain is always helpful.

You can post ideas here or email them to

info@darksondesigns.com

Cheers
Robert

 

[Klute]

How about a sculpting guide,incorporating conversions.

Ive recently started messing about with the greenstuff myself and the online info is all over the place.Theres not much at all after 1list.

I think it would go down a storm.

 

[Klute]

Right Ive just recieved mine through the post and first off heres the bad points for me

@Darkson Design\'s

for the sake of future buyers PLEASE PUT DO NOT BEND ON THE PACKAGE.

Mine was nearly in 2 pieces when I got it.It wasn\'t the postman,I opened the door for him.
I was expecting a hardback for the price.
As soon as I opened it I was hit by colour charts.I wanted to put it down straight away.These IMHO should be at the back.
Too much emphasis on Vallego paints.The Vallego painting guide is good but available online and in the form of a leaflet you should be able to get on the paint rack.
I feel this space could have been used for more in depth articles or for more articles or gallery pics.

Things I do like are...

Lots of colourfull pictures.Loads in the gallery and plenty to accompany the articles.
I havnt read any articles yet but they look to be ok and you are resticted by the submitters.
There is a wide variety of people who have submitted article which means a lot of techniques are covered.
I like that there are a wide range of skill levels shown in the gallery..ie..not just Demon winners.This helps the begginner/average painter IMHO.
There does seem to be a lot of multiple submissions in the articles but thats down to submitted pics really and not you.Hopefully in next issues you will get more submissions.
I was chuffed to see 2 of mine in when I thought there was only 1
It is a very unique book in that there are not many others like it.

EDIT nearly forgot......colour wheel..champion.
Hope that helps.

 

[Legacy Account]

I got mine today.

As Mark said, the parcel needed a stiffener. The Vallejo stuff was a bit of a waste, but still looks good in print. The articles are useful. The gallery section is a little hit and miss. I don\'t want to see only half way decent minis. There\'s enough of those in my cabinet If it\'s in a glossy book, I want shit hot pics of the most inspirational stuff around! Thankfully, many of the submissions fell into this category, so I was still pleased.

The most useful part of this book for me are the pages of metal oxidation photos. Linked to a painting article similar to the one by Allan C on CMON, there is scope to cover all manner of things. Worn cloth, leather, stone, rocks, burns, wood............ Really in depth step-by-steps, with reference material. Even (non) metallics would benefit from this treatment and it\'d be a great excuse to print a few pics of some large axes and swords!!

I\'m very pleased with the book overall. It\'s an excellent effort worthy of much praise. Well done and if you ever need any submissions in future....:bouncy:

 

[Darkson Designs]

Thanks for the info about the packaging, we really didn\'t think that the post would be so harsh on the package. We will put \"do not bend\", use a box, or put in a stiffener in all furture shipments, thanks again.

Cheers,
Robert and Crystal

 

[Klute]

Like Scott,overall Im very pleased with it.

Have you thought about doing this say bi-monthly in a magazine format.I think the cheaper price would attract more people and the book itself could have been done as a magazine anyway.

 

[Broke n English]

Got mine today...

...at the moment I\'m still perusing but it looks to be just what was missing!

 

[Ritual]

I got mine this morning. I am a bit biased, but I\'d still say this is in most ways a splendid publication. I haven\'t read all articles yet, but I\'ve found at least something useful in those that I\'ve read so far. Seeing how Alexi paints faces for instance. I\'d say the article from Vallejo has it\'s use for those that are beginners, since it deals with the basic techniques in a very instructive way and everyone has not read that article. Maybe the colour charts could have been at the end, but that\'s a minor point for me. I think different people will find different things useful about the book.

All things considered, I am proud to have contributed to this publication.

 

[BrianFowler713]

I know I should have spoken up and I\'m sorry

But I still haven\'t received the book, or the sculpting tools i ordered with it. Seeing as i\'m in Canada, haven\'t and a guy in Sweden just got his I\'m a little upset and worried.

Darkson, do you have a tracking number I could use to find out where in the nine hells the bloody thing is?

 

[marineboy]

Picked ine up from the post office yesterday. My impression is mainly good, wiht some minor points that detract.

The minus stuff: The Vallejo articles. Most of this (or all for that matter) is covered in the pamphlets Vallejo supplies to buysers as handouts. The info and tutorials from Vallejo are fine (the ones online even better), but maybe this could have been written up by someone especially for the paint guide? Okay, that was the minus.

The rest of the guide is wonderful. Clear and concise how-to\'s, suggestions and tips on planning color schemes, etc. Best book around on the subject. A BIG round of applause to all involved!

Please keep these volumes coming!

 

[Darkson Designs]

@BrianFowler713
Please email me at darksondesigns@yahoo.com
or
info@darksondesigns.com

we will get you sorted out.

Cheers
Robert

 

[BrianFowler713]

Got it today!

Sorry to be bitchy about it , but considerig I got this after Ritual, who\'s on the other side of the Atlantic ocean kinda bugs me a little.

But it\'s a cool guide, maybe just what I need considering I\'m thinking of a new warhammer army. And I can\'t wait to get in trouble with the new tools that came with it! :idea::innocent:

 

[finn17]

It\'s good!

Money well-spent...

I\'d buy it again

And, I would be prepared to pay in advance for the next one.

Course it\'s not perfect...what did anyone expect??? It\'s damn close though and a million times better than the GW equivalent:|~

Buy this NOW!

 

[supervike]

they shipped fast here.

I ordered it and got it two days later.

I was a little disappointed in some of the gallery pics being too small, and a few tutorials being nothing more than \'I used this color paint, highlighted with this color\'.

But overall, well worth the money!!

 

[EavyMetal]

Here\'s my thoughts on it, the biggest thing that bothered me about the guide (yes, I do have one ) was the lay out of the gallery. If someone was picking this book up for the first time, looking to learn how to improve there painting and seeing all the wonderfully painted models and fancied picking up one of them to paint themselves they would have a hard time telling the scale of the model. eg Big boris, on one page he is 28mm scale and 1 or 2 pages later he fills the page.

I understand that it is possibly down to the image quality and size of the image that has meant that it was unable to get them all to the same size, it would still be worth while trying to get the submissions to an agreed size and quality.

 

[MarkusTay]

Better late then never...

I just picked up my copy at my LGS today. It is rare in life when you can accomplish something that benefits EVERYONE involved.

My hobby store owner is an older well-meaning fellow thats a bit of the absent-minded-professor type. After asking him about getting the book THREE times, I took matters into my own hands and PM\'d Darkson to call my retailer directly. They talked, my friend checked out Darkson\'s website, and decided to order 1/2 a dozen just to test the product/company out.

It came in this morning, I went to pick it up a short time ago, and the shopkeep had already sold three! After making my purchase, he merrily added that he would have to be re-ordering, and that he was VERY pleased with the product.

I too am very pleased. I got my book, I helped Darkson get its product \'out there\', and my retailer is happy about making money. It\'s all good.

The book is gorgeous. My only suggestion would be to do something different next time out. Maybe do one about basing models (my idea), and/or do one about conversions and modeling(Klute), and then in a couple of books go back to the original format. Don\'t make each one \'just more of the same\'; mix it up a little.

Sorry about revivving this, but I really needed to Thank Darkson designs for being such a \'customer-is-our-priority\' company. If I wore one, my hat would be off to you. - Mark

 

[finn17]

I agree with you Mark....

It\'s a book, especially for us...It\'s not overly expensive and I feel we should be celebrating...Not picking holes about minutiae......

No pleasing some people however....

 

[marineboy]

And when are the next volumes scheduled to come out?

 

[Ritual]

I think it will be a while before they start with the new one. They said to me they were going to consider new ideas for next volume before they start to contact possible submitters.

 

[MarkusTay]

The thing that impressed both my retailer and I was the incredible level of proffessionalism in the production of the book. It\'s hard to believe this was their first effort.