Formed in some sort of weird split from the equally excellent Portal magazine from WAMP, Figure Painter is in it’s second issue and is already starting to make some waves. It’s easy to see why, it is a well constructed and finely written e-magazine dedicated solely to painting. If you’re looking for tactica, battle reports, pictures of that cute green haired bird, or articles about gaming hills then you’re out of luck I’m afraid. Don’t be disheartened though, there is a lot of great content contained herein that may really help out your style.

Unlike Portal magazine, Figure Painter will set you back a quid if you’re interested in picking it up, but trust me, it is worth it. While I found the first issue a little shabby, it was brimming with potential. And while there is still some way to go, I was extremely excited to read the interview with Karol Rudyk, winner of the Slayer Sword in the 2012 Games Day UK, having long admired his fascinating eye for colour. What I found however was a short, inconsistent article more interested in the gossip surrounding his sale of the Slayer Sword and very little content discussing style, or theory. Again however, the potential was there, and I opened issue two with an open mind.

In true magazine format, Figure Painter starts with a few adverts, and a comprehensive news section. This month brought some great revelations. Fernando Ruiz will be doing a two day painting seminar focussing on painting large scale (bust) faces at Dark Sphere on the 17th and 18th of August. This will be insane. If I had the spare wedge I would be there in a heartbeat. This, and a whole slew of other interesting things pepper the news section, be it new forms of putty, paint racks, or paint-company news. Is it anything you can’t find already online? No, it’s all there if you care to look, but having all the information there in front of you in a few digestible pages is perfect for someone like me, since I don’t have a lot of time for forum/site trawling.

Next up they have a letters section. This is an excellent addition. Not only does it give readers a chance to give their views, but it shows that the editors recognise, and definitely don’t shy away from the fact that there is room for improvement. Excellent stuff inflatable water slide canada.

The interview this month is with Chris Clayton. And I’m sorry to say that once again, it is a disappointment. Is it a bad piece? No, not at all. My concern here is that for a magazine focussed on painting, the interviews with these wonderful painters seem to have nothing to do with painting at all. I would have loved to have read about why Chris chose such a cold, desaturated palette for his famous Ultramarine, or the base of his Giant Killer… But the interview focusses (very well I hasten to add), on his own miniatures range Gigantic Miniatures. It’s a great interview, but I feel it is a little out of place in a magazine that is to focus on painting, and feels like a missed opportunity.

This however does not detract from the overall quality of the magazine, and please don’t think I’m banging on about the negative aspects. It is still a great interview, just not for my tastes. The next piece is an unboxing, and a very exiting one too, as it is by one of my current favourite painters, Marta Slusarska, who writes the excellent Twisted Brushes blog. Her painting is really exiting, and her attention to texture is truly inspiring. She is unboxing the fantastic Norse Lord from Andrea Miniatures. Usually when I see an unboxing, I skip it. What do I give a shit about someone opening a box for? But the fact that this miniature is so interesting, and the article is as concise as it is well written makes it a good quick read.

Viking Chief by Marta Slusarska – www.twistedbrushes.blogspot.co.uk

Now we’re starting to get some real meat. Next comes an article by Camelson, on painting NMM. It is short, to the point, and tells you exactly what you need to know. It also has an image of his Barbarian Dude, reminding you, (or me at least ) of how you have missed out on one of the most amazing miniatures you are likely to see this year.

The Expose section is also really interesting. While appearing as a list of items coming out this month, it is more than enough to keep the attention of collectors. There is another painting tutorial by Barry Ford, author of How To Build Better Dioramas. I’ve not paid much attention to this as it doesn’t speak to my particular interests, but it is focussed, and interesting. It pays attention to things you may not usually care for, like tiling, and is definitely one to keep on file for those occasions where you might well need them.

Next up is another excellent regular article on Hobby Tools, this time focussing on sanding and filing and sanding, with some really nice, out of the box views on how to get shut of those mould lines. The remainder of the magazine is much the same, another unboxing, a show report, an article on Malifaux, and some more fascinating adverts. The magazine closes in old school White Dwarf fashion, with a great gallery of reader submissions, some of which blew my socks off.

In closing. Figure Painter magazine is a young venture, and one which has not yet found its feet. However, it is definitely on the right track and I have absolutely no doubt that in a few issues time you will see that it really comes in to its own. It has a high page count, and very little filler. It is more than worth your quid, and I’m extremely exited to see how this great project progresses.