A while back while browsing figure painting tips and techniques i stumbled across a website called MrBlack Publications. It looked interesting and i book marked it for future reference and sort of forgot about it. Not long ago i read review on the latest issue which really gave a great report. I sought reviews on other issues and found more great reports and praise for the excellent service by MrBlack.
http://www.mrblackpublications.com/
So i revisited the website and decided i wanted some of these books. The website also links to some figure modeling sites, one of which i had not seen and has some truly stunning work featured. I didn't know wether to be intimidated or inspired! This is it.... http://www.puttyandpaint.com/
Back to MrBlack. Not knowing what postage would be, i emailed the chap at MrBlack, his name is Stelios, and a nice chap he is too. I got a reply super fast with a postage quote. It was probably more than i wanted, so i sourced a local supplier with which the postage would be much cheaper, but the books were a little more expensive. While i was mulling over my options, Stelios came back to me of his own accord (this impressed me as he obviously values his customer)) with another email saying i should look at a particular combo deal.
Now this combo deal, at first glance, was not cheap at 309euros. But looking closely, it is 18 books. This was the first 15 issues of the regular publication and three special editions and it is free shipping. Doing the math, if i took the combo offer, it would be over $200 saved than if i was to buy all those books from a local supplier
So i bit the bullet and splurged my money off to Greece 
This is the combo deal..... http://www.mrblackpublications.com/BIG_ ... 14150.aspx
Last week, two weeks exactly after ordering i was browsing through the issues. These are some of the finest modeling how to manuals i have seen. Very well presented books. But the articles are excellent! I find a lot of publications these days have a lot of photos but not a lot of text and i struggle to follow the layout and steps that are described in the articles. Now, like to read! Yes photos and illustrations are important to visually confirm what the text is stating, but i like to read more detailed descriptions of how the model is done. MrBlack publications has the right balance of both as far as i am concerned!
Terrific photography, excellent, practical, useable and most informative text, mixed with a fantastic variety of subjects makes these books really worth collecting. One thing that sold me is that the articles list very clearly the colours that the modeler is using, a big bonus in my opinion. There are also some very innovative ideas for making bases. I have yet to discover the wealth of information hiding between the covers of these books. But i feel i now armed with some great information to start working on some figures, and making a decent go of it.
Anyway, i was most impressed with MrBlack Publications and i thought i had better share. I am in no way affiliated with the company or Stelios himself, but i know a great place to deal with when i see one!
Thanks Stelios!
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