What would you recommend as a good book on painting, weathering, etc... I would like to improve my skills. I have heard mixed thoughts about MIG's facts book. Any other suggestions?

Mark

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Osprey has some good titles. The Mig book IMHO is excellent. Also your nicer armor modelling magazines like AFV have a TON of how too articles. The older Verlinden Way books still have a lot of useful stuff. Even though his "wash and drybrush" approach is somewhat out of favor, its still a very useful technique and you can add it to your box of modelling tricks. Shep Paine's old armor and diorama books by Kalmbach are also decent. Nothing fancy, but for the basics you can't go wrong. Plus its nice to see models built and painted the good, old fashined way without pre-purchased filters, pre-purchased washes, pre-purcahsed accessories, etc.

many people state that these older techniques are dated and obsolete but I actually think of them as the fundamentals of finishing. You won't go wrong with any of these publications.

I say skip the books and go straight for MIGs DVD on using pigments as well as their second DVD on utilizing the Modulation Style of finishing a model.. With the pigments DVD you get to learn about making mud, dust, chips, rust, grease, fading and general wear. With the Modulation DVD you learn about weathering in the sense of faded paint and differentiating areas of a model by simulating different exposures to light and shadow. .... then again.... who needs books when you have the endless resource of the internet?

The trouble with online or a DVD is you have to be sitting in front of your computer. With a book, I can read it over and over at my own leisure away from the computer. And if you want to check things, you can just open the book and not have to boot up, get the dvd, load that up, etc.

I use the computer a lot for modelling reference, but still given the choice I would always opt for the book.

Also dont forget your local modeling club. You can learn and ask direct to the experts there.