Remember all of those White Dwarf Magazines you have purchased over the years? You know, the ones that are packed away in the closet that haven't seen the light of day in countless years! Now what about all of those collectors edition video games you picked up because you just couldn't bring yourself to buy 'just' the normal game. What ever did you do with those art books that came with it? All those old codex books, rule books, source books? Same place as the White Dwarf magazines, aren't they? Now, WHY AREN'T THEY ON YOUR BOOKSHELF?!
As you can see from the small cross section of material in the photo above, I never throw out ANY modeling, wargaming, or painting publication! Why would I keep so much information out and on the shelf instead of packed away? Because they're CHOCK FULL of useful info and inspiration! Not having all of this on hand for quick reference or ease of browsing would be a travesty!
There isn't a project I work on that I don't go back to reference something in this collection if not for direct painting techniques and colors then for the pure inspiration held in the myriad of publications I have accumulated over the many years I've been pouring my money into this wondrous hobby. If you're not going back to those old magazine articles and looking through, you're truly missing out. There is no better way to reconnect with why you got into the hobby than to see the old images that hooked you in the first place!
So find a spot on your bookshelf and put those books where they belong! Don't have a shelf? GO GET ONE! You won't be disappointed once you break that painters block with a short flip through a few books.
My charge to you, the community, is to go back and dig up an old publication and read through it, reminisce and find that one inspiring picture, article, or painting guide that catches your eye and share it here! That's what I'll be doing for the next couple of hours!
Edit: If you happen to have a MUST READ publication that you think everyone should check out, I, for one, would love to hear about it!
I pulled my copy of Space Marine Battle off the shelf...from back when Epic 40k was just called Space Marine. Awesome terrain articles and absurdly detailed battle reports set in the epic universe!
ReplyDeleteMakes me want to play epic every time!
Digging through my old White Dwarfs I came upon an old gem. It was the Third War for Armageddon (issue 247 I think?). The mag is filled to the brim with super cool tables and a huge battle report. The Ork Space Hulk table was really the eye catcher for me. I think that's really one of the best tables that GW has ever done. Really imaginative and a ton of tactical variety with so many hiding places.
ReplyDeleteIt's got me thinking about what my next table project is going to be for sure.
Excellent tip guys, I'm always going back and looking something up, I even had to do that very thing this afternoon for a project I'm working on.
ReplyDeleteAll my magazines are right in my closet on the shelf where I can grab them quick and thumb through them.
I love looking through old publications to reminisce in times past.
ReplyDeleteI had kept all my old White Dwarfs from 2nd ed. era packed away sitting in my mothers basement, but on a recent visit I found that she threw it all in the trash. :(