First Look at AK's NEW "Gen3" Acrylic Paints -- Airbrushing, Brush Painting, Thinning, and More!

Today we will do a full test these brand new "3rd Generation" acrylic paints that I was sent by AK interactive. I wasn't expecting much to be honest, but they impressed me a little bit :)
Review summary pinned in the comments below.
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DISCLAIMER: I am not paid to promote any specific products or brands; I just use the products I find work best for me through my experiences. There is no reason for me to promote a bad product, as then I would not enjoy using it, not like the result on my model, and not be proud of publicizing it in a video. There's also no point in me doing this to keep up relations with a company if the only benefit would be getting more of the same products that I didn't like. I have not used every product out there, but from what I have used, I keep using the products I like, and that's why I use them in my videos. You can use whatever other products you would like to and you can feel that they are better - that is your opinion, and is perfectly fine by me, thus I hope that feeling is reciprocated.

[@Panzermeister36]

Everyone. Please note that AK 3rd Generation Acrylic paints are no longer compatible with X-20A acrylic thinner or Lacquer Thinner as I showed in the video. AK has changed the formula without warning anyone so now the 3rd Generation Acrylics are only pure acrylic paints. I am making a video investigating AK's tendency to change the formulations of products without warning. This is an issue with the Real Color line, and these newer 3rd Generation Acrylics.

[@trollwholivesu7258]

Damn, that sucks, probably just gonna get AK real or some other brand

[@StrohmaniasFlyingCircus]

How long ago did they change the formula? I mostly brush paint with them so I hadn't noticed any change.

[@Panzermeister36]

They changed it very quickly. So, it's 99% of people have the paints that are different from what I show here. AK 3rd Gen is still excellent for brush painting, but it's not as nice for airbrushing compared to what I show in the video.

[@dangerpowers5939]

How do you thin the 3rd gen now for the airbrush? They seem Hard to get right even with their own 3rd gen thinner that has Iso in it.

[@Panzermeister36]

Sorry, I don't airbrush them anymore. I just use them for brush painting, since they are still excellent in that role. I wish I could spray the new mix better.

[@Panzermeister36]

I will summarize my review below for you all. But remember, I am not a super-duper airbrush guru...I'd say I'm average. THINNING Forgiving thinning ratios (you don't need to be that precise) Can be thinned with water, acrylic thinner, isopropyl alcohol, lacquer thinner I used about 70% thinner to 30% paint and had good results (I think they recommended 50/50?) SPRAYING Average spray coverage/opacity (same as old AK orange cap) Sprays more smoothly than the old orange cap MiG and AK paints did in my experience Pretty decent fine lines at 15 psi in my Badger Patriot Easy to clean out of the airbrush No smell when thinned with water or acrylic thinner No tip dry, somehow! BRUSH PAINTING Very opaque and smooth when thinned with just tap water Dries fast Flattens out once dry Absolutely awesome (this is where I'll continue using these paints in the future) DURABILITY Durable even without a primer coat (though you may still want primer due to the average spray coverage/opacity) Does not peel off with tape or masking fluid Does not get damaged by enamel thinner which I love (previous MiG and AK paints gave me trouble here) HAIRSPRAY CHIPPING Produces smaller (more in-scale) chipping than the other water-based acrylics I have used However, alcohol- and lacquer-based paints are still superior with HS chipping (no surprise) COLOUR RANGE Colours do not seem to settle in the bottle Metallic "gun metal" looked great for steel wheels and worn track surfaces For camouflage colours...decent I guess. Their German grey and 4BO Russian Green look good, but they don't yet have many historical camouflage colours like the AK Real Color lacquer paints do. Most of their paints are more generic colours that remind me of the Tamiya line, so mixing may be required to get precise colours. I hope they release the AK RC colours in this Gen3 line. FINAL THOUGHTS As far as I have seen, these are better than other water-based acrylic paint I have used; the Gen3 are more forgiving to spray and more durable...so definitely a 'step ahead' in their field. However, alcohol- and lacquer-based 'acrylic' paints still spray better in my experience, so I will stick with those paints for airbrushing (Tamiya and AK Real Color). If your environment requires you to use low-odour water-based acrylic paints, then you should give the AK Gen3 paints a look. The Gen3 are also really good for brush painting, so I will use them more in that area in the future.

[@laszloharsanyi8320]

Thank you very much for the review, I'm pretty interested in this new range, but don't trust in marketing hyperboles. If I may ask, could you do another round, this time tested it with different Acrylic thinners (vallejo, mig, meng)? is there any difference in the behaviour with the different ones or with simple distilled water? For airbrushing of course. Edit: and if you can, a little stress-test as as well, like how well they level when flooded, or is the specific thinner make any difference in that? (Not that I'm too demanding, nooo...)

[@Panzermeister36]

In the video I used Mig AMMO thinner as well as isopropyl alcohol as thinners and I discussed the differences. I did also show leveling when flooded.

[@linksng1]

I bought the paint and was eager to try it out. I realized that it is not resistant to enamel thinner, and when using masking tape, the paint will peel off also. disappointing after all the hype...

[@MF-kv8cn]

@@linksng1 i've seen plenty of test like on michigan toy soldier. i'll leave you a link michtoy-from-the-front.blogspot.com/2020/04/evolving-with-new-generation-of-paints.html the paints hold up to enamel thinners, and tape. i don't know what your doing but something on your sides not right. maybe you applied your paint to a greasy surface.

[@chrisc5275]

Thanks for the video, very instructive. I just bought a set of these paints for RAF aircraft. I’m an airbrush novice but I really couldn’t make these work with thinning with water. When I switched to Mr Hobby levelling thinner it worked just fine.

[@davidmaya8516]

I just want to say one thing well two, your work it’s just amazing and you are so young! Congratulations from now to go on you gonna be my teacher to build and paints my armored vehicles, I’m 52 years old and always made aircraft in 1/48 scale and now I just start with the Tamiya 1/48 vehicles too, so I gonna follow all your videos very carefully to learn as much I could! By the way, my name it’s David!

[@williamphillips24]

These Gen3 paints are fantastic for brushpainting with a wet palette. However, thinning them with x-20a in your airbrush will turn it to gum. Water or the AK thinner is the way to go.

[@steveej1558]

I know this is an old thread...but I recently just went "all in" with a purchase of an AK 3G set, singles, and thinner. It's not been a pleasant experience. Using AK 3G thinner (AK11500) seemed very much like my experience when accidentally thinning water-base acrylic with enamel/solvent paint thinner - didn't mix, clogs/glump in cup, splatters and "spits worms". Tried AK 3G thinner with multiple 3G paints with same result. I had acceptable results when I tried Vallejo thinner and an alcohol/water home-brew that works well with Vallejo and Testors MM...but still lot of tip drying/clogging. Added a drop of flow improver with moderately better results. You thin with plain distilled water?

[@williamphillips24]

@@steveej1558 I've had no luck with them at all. I tried the AK acrylic thinner and there didn't seem to be a goldilocks zone of paint/thinner. It just seemed to be too thick to spray properly, or basically just spraying thinner. Every now and again I go back and try again on a test mule out of spite, but I've been unsuccessful so far. I'm planning on trying the AK 3rd Gen thinners sometime, but really, when Tamiya and Mr Hobby work so well with x-20a and/or MLT it seems a bit unnecessary to mess around with yet another brand. Having said that, I got the Vallejo Model Air SEA camo set recently and that's not too bad. Thins and cleans up easy with water.

[@steveej1558]

@@williamphillips24 I like Tamiya a lot...but very hard to color match FS colors of USN/USAF. Did a lot of research and settled on AK and committed. Just saw the box said "Dilute with water or AK11500". Nothing left to lose, so tried just distilled water. Worked better than anything I've tried so far. Not Tamiya or MM good....but better. But still haven't found sweet spot for paint/thinner mix yet. Tnx for responding.

[@williamphillips24]

@@steveej1558 Yeah, the Tamiya range is somewhat limited imo, but you know what you're going to get and it will just work.

[@geekyrocket9714]

The Nashorn is alive!!! We must have started that group build with Alex half a decade ago now... low and behold mine is still unprimed, but fully built, seated as a shelf queen. I digress... brilliant review vid! I was very confused at first, when AK rolled these out, as to why they would be releasing yet another range of "acrylics", thinking it was all just a marketing ploy to empty out our wallets. I gotta say I wanted to fall in love and master those original AK & Mig Ammo acrylics, but like you, Tamiya and now AK real colours are my old faithful's when it comes to airbrushing as well. Not a bad alternative by any means as a backup go to when you're in a pinch for paint though I suppose. But nothing lays down in my experience better than an acrylic lacquer or pure lacquer paint. Brush painting, that's another story, big win! Stay safe and all the best Ev! Cheers!

[@richharris1562]

Tremendously helpful review. Great news about the imperviousness to enamel thinners -- less time spent with varnish is more time spent with the fun stuff. That's a sub from me.

[@BennyCFD]

Looks like AK has a nice improved product I think I'll give them a try. Badger Patriot 105........... My mainstay goto airbrush for 90% of all my work. Great review.

[@ModelNerd]

Great, thorough review - thank you. Really useful that you've covered so many different aspects - even hairspray chipping! I'm very surprised these aren't damaged by enamel thinners. The metallic colours look very nice.

[@Diregecko]

Nice review, I really enjoy your videos. Being hyped by all the hype around these paints, I got some of them today and unfortunately I did have quite a different experience. Using their thinner was a constant thinning/thickening and the paint came always out either spattery or speckely (wet/dry) and fine detail work, as I am used from my H&S Infinity 0.15, was really not possible. The best result I could get was when thinning with Mr.Leveling Thinner but then I don't need to switch ( I also tried IPA - bit better than their thinner). I usually use MRP, Gunze, Real Colors and other lacquery paints. In betweewn attempts with these colors, I quickly switch to some MrColor with Leveling thinner and was able to spray the finest lines without any overspray. Most bottles needed proper shaking before first time use. They were not very resilient and my experience with masking tape differed massively from yours. All in all, quite the disappointment. I do expect it is possible to work with them somehow but with all of the paints, I ever used (which is close to all of them), I never had so much hassle with getting the mixture right. Also the cleaning, I found far from easy. If I didn't clean with lacquer, and would change colors and then clean with lacquer, I regularly got some of the previous color out the nozzle. It was quite impervious to Vallejo airbrush cleaner.

[@Panzermeister36]

Hmm, that's unusual, and a little worrying. I hope they did not change the formula. AK told me they sent me some of the first paints and they came right from the factory to me.

[@Diregecko]

@@Panzermeister36 I don't know. In cases like these I look at myself first for any mishandling but after trying for 2 hours, I couldn't be bothered anymore. I will give it another try at a later point. From the marketing blurbs I expected easy and carefree paints.. ;) But hey..

[@Diregecko]

Fiddled around a bit more and found that the paint, applied to bare plastic, could just easily be scraped off in big bits with a fingernail. That is after about 14 hours of drying. Applying it over Mr. Surfacer, it couldn't be removed with any scratching after drying - it was rock-hard and had a good smooth and flat finish. Trying to spray fine lines is still not nice with them, the edges are still quite ragged. Won't be too noticeable when doing camo that is not too intricate. But doing the little dots and slightly sharper edges of ambush camo on a KT, which I easily sprayed without a stencil, using MRP paints, would not be possible for me with this paint, at least not after my first experiences. All in all leaves me a little bit more jaded when it comes to paint marketing. ;)

[@majorbloodnock4281]

Thank you for your review, not so much just your opinion but lots of actual usage examples which is an excellent format, on using isopropanol/thinners an advantage which you partly alluded to is not only that you can get a smoother finish but it massively reduces drying times as well.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed my review and found it useful :) I have not reviewed paint before but I made a list of everything I should note beforehand, and I had the advice of others on what they wanted to see about the paints.

[@alexwilliamson1486]

Thanks for informative vid, paints do look good, I had so many issues with AK in the past , it’s actually put me off using them, In the U.K. it’s easy to get access to MR PAINT, I know it’s a lot harder in the US, they’ve changed the game in my eyes, I don’t use anything else. These new colours however, do look good.

[@hedleycarter3020]

cheers for the review pal , after seeing how good they are for brush work i will be adding some to my collection when the range gets more option

[@hk_brit_fisher]

I think I found my dream paint, thank you Panzermeister36 !

[@GryphonArmorer]

Wow. Now Tamiya has some competition for their paint now. I believe the point of being able to thin with water, iso or lacquer thinner is so that you have one paint that has different properties/workability (“post processing”) depending on what thinner you use. For excellent hairspray “chipping”, use water. If you don’t like lacquer paint but want a more durable “acrylic”, use iso. If you want to sand it or not want to clear coat before hairspray, use lacquer. Of course there’s many other reasons but these are obviously the most basic. I’m glad to have another option to Tamiya, not because I don’t like them, I’ve been planning to switch over to their hybrid but really don’t want to have to buy or build all new paint racks. I will still have some Tamiya jars because their clears are amazing, but I already have a home for those. Great video though. Thanks for introducing me to these new paints and thanks for sharing your thoughts on them. 👍

[@joshfoss7407]

Vallejo, Citadel, Scale75, Warcoulours, P3, Reaper, Army Painter?

[@GryphonArmorer]

Josh Foss none of those are hybrid paints. They are basically regular water based acrylics thinned with water. Yes you can use iso, but most of them give you problems with straight iso, especially Vallejo. I screwed up my first set of Vallejo thinking I was being smart pre-thinning them a bit in the bottle. Problem was my DIY acrylics thinner had too much iso and degraded the paint to a point that it was speckley. I use Vallejo now, refuse to buy anything GW, tried Army Painter, and P3. I live on an extremely tight budget and have to be dang sure before I switch to a whole new paint line. Now it’s between Tamiya hybrid acrylic or AK gen 3.

[@joshfoss7407]

@@GryphonArmorer all makes sense Just not sure why it's valuable to use iso unless you have to. Water based acrylic seems way easier

[@JensenTaylor2804]

Excellent review. As soon as these were announced I wanted them but it is always nice to see them in use before purchasing. Thank you

[@franklinlewis6059]

Thanks,I'll be on the lookout for them.

[@BrotherHoodMovies331]

I think where these will do really well is actually on figures and miniatures. Really good review, convinced me to by even more paint (which if we are being honest isnt too difficult). ~J

[@cliffherring7006]

Informative and thorough as usual. Gonna stick with my Mission Models. The thickness of the new AK paints is similar to MMP and I dont really get tip dry with the MMP. The lids are cool though.... I'll give them that.

[@shutterfish]

Tried 10 diferent colors of AK 3 gen and so far no luck with the airbrush. Using H&S Ultra with 0.4 needle appr 20 psi. Bought AK 3 gen thinner and tried different mixes, air flow improver, you name it. Clogges up and tip dries very fast…. Not impressed yet…

[@Panzermeister36]

Yeah, I think they changed the formula after I got these. Something is different about these paints now and they suck!

[@johnalecsscalemodeling]

Yeah, it sprays for crap, I've tried 5 different thinners and clogs and gloops

[@vintageracer3734]

Worst paint that I have ever used in my life! I have to wonder if they have tried it at the company? Joke!

[@stefans.2834]

Thinning them with alcohol or lacquer thinners will be very handy if/when the airbrush clogs up because they "reactivate" the paint. Vallejo paints just clogs even worse with those.

[@joshfoss7407]

why not just use water or matte medium for acrylics?

[@Panzermeister36]

Stefan is just talking about using alcohol or lacquer thinner to clean out the airbrush. Doing so with Vallejo would make even more of a mess, but not with AK Gen3.

[@joshfoss7407]

@@Panzermeister36 right on. Thanks for the clarification.

[@irishmarine3]

Thanks so much for this video - decided to pull the trigger and pickup some of these paints

[@MrSepoy1857]

Got to try these! WoW!. Trying out some of the Russian greens from Mission Models. They are pretty good.

[@Kaleb_B]

Thanks for the review! These look to be pretty good, I will probably get me some to try out for sure.

[@WHJeffB]

Good review of this product. I mainly use Vallejo or craft paint, but I'll have to give this a try... FYI, Tamiya X-20A is NOT Isopropyl alcohol. It is an alcohol, but certainly not Isopropyl.

[@crazylegsmurphy]

I just tried these paints and I had clogging and spattering so bad I spent more time cleaning my airbrush than actually painting.

[@shutterfish]

same here….

[@johnalecsscalemodeling]

Yeah - this stuff does not thin at all for functional spraying.

[@kristermadsen7181]

Same here! I only use Vallejo Air collors

[@vintageracer3734]

Worst paint I have EVER used.

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

Interesting demonstration! Saw those advertised at the toy fair and was not certain at that point, because it felt like they were pretending they had invented the wheel a second time. The comparison to the other paints you are using shows the differences very well and now i understand what these paints are about. Will stick to my Revell paints though, because i am simply so used to them and they work for what i do. But its great to know that there is other good stuff out there as well.

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes, I think AK saying that they reinvented the wheel is a bit of an exaggeration :) But they are better than the previous AK paints by a lot, so that is good. You are the Revell paint master so there is no need to re-learn everything with a new brand of paint!

[@christopherscott934]

I've been looking into these the past couple days. I like the regular AK paints vs Mig's as they spray better IMO, they cover better as well in my experience. Good video as always.

[@ArmourEmpire]

Thanks for sharing Evan. Was really keen to see these mate

[@theenigmaticgamer]

Thanks for a very informative review, much appreciated. I have always used Vallejo acrylics and have struggled using my airbrush with them, especially with the dry tip problem. I'm not an experienced airbrush user, but these seem so forgiving I'll give them a try...especially since I can use them with a brush which covers most of my Wargames painting time. Thanks again!

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you :)

[@timothywood4402]

Great review..It was very interesting and nicely revealing on these paints.you did a great job.helped me alot as i wondered what all the fuss was about with these newer paints.I always thought these paints were "brush only" and never tried airbrushing them or model color brand..anyway thanks for the review.

[@RobPearlman]

Great! Thanks for this fantastic review. I look forward to trying these out. I have a nasty paint addiction!

[@captainsledge7554]

Once I finally found a good way to thin it and keep a good flow.. the coverage was nice. But if u accidentally touch the painted surface... u will scrape the paint off. It barely bonds to plastic.. at all

[@jacobrichards8359]

Great review bud!

[@richardcraig5608]

great review .. watching the video I would think if you had diluted the hull red a little more , you probably wouldn't get as much splattering .. but I think I'll stick with Tamiya and AK Real colors for spraying .. but they really look good for brushing on details ! Thanks!

[@Panzermeister36]

Once I reduced the pressure from 18 to 15 psi and switched to my Badger Chrome there was no splattering. I am not really skilled enough to spray fine camo with my Badger 105 as I was doing at the beginning.

[@nadiedeinteres1285]

I just bought ak real colors two weeks ago because I had enough of the shenanigans of water based acrylics but then this comes out, perfect timing hahaha

[@Panzermeister36]

Oh well, you can never have too many paints :D

[@nadiedeinteres1285]

Panzermeister36 true

[@antiwaifus1325]

@@Panzermeister36 I won't buy AK paints after real colors. When the youtube rounds were happening I saw people thinning them with all kinds of products. Part of their marketing material was how they could be thinned with nearly anything. Then when the actual product hit the street they didn't work with half the stuff people said they could. After contacting AK support I got completely ignored. I wasn't the only one who had this issue according to several forum threads I saw. Would be very interested in you picking up a few of these paints in a few months time from your local shop and seeing if they perform the same.

[@135thscalefiguresinreview4]

Great job with the review👍! I work with both figures and armor and to have one paint that can do both effectively is awesome.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you!

[@crimsonfields9883]

very nice and helpful review, great job! Thank you.

[@gaetamodeler]

Nice demo,thank you!👍

[@BrettG64]

Holy cow, Evan! Is that the airbrush I think it is? As far as tip dry goes, after watching this video they seem more like Tamiya paint that a plain water based acrylic and for me tip dry is non-existent with Tamiya. The chipping works really well to it seems. After seeing this, I may have to get a few colors I use frequently (black, white, etc.) just to try them out. Interesting paint, and great review.

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes, I still use your 105 for 90% of my painting. It is super nice :) thank you so much for sending it to me...two years ago? Maybe more? I have gotten a ton of use out of it!

[@messer1096]

Okay, I'm sold on them! Anyone know who sells them? As for the video, I'm always impressed by the production quality of your videos. The slightly muted music in the background is wonderful; the camera work is spot on! You're videos are appreciated and a great addition to plastic modelling online. Your time isn't wasted, don't forget. 🙂

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you very much! I am glad you like my videowork itself...I have been trying to make the videos more professional lately :) I think that currently these paints are hard to find considering they were made available for ordering on the AK website just yesterday. That might be the only place to get them right now, since most hobby shops and other websites haven't received their orders yet as far as I know.

[@HalidesAndHollowness]

@@Panzermeister36 A bit late to the video here but Sunward Hobbies in Ontario has the full line available and I believe they ship to the USA.

[@JeiBeeBee]

Nice review. You should just get rid of those understatements like “I’m not good at brush painting bla bla”. 😃👍

[@JuergenGDB]

I have Vallejo, AK Real Paint, AK and it seems they all take different thinners. Getting to the point where airbrushing is too expensive, and they do change the paints, finding it odd that some thinners actually destroy the paint creating a large blob.

[@MottysMilitaryModels]

Fantastic review Ev, really looking forward to perhaps trying these one day. Your very lucky I never ever get sent anything to review, it must be my dorcet tones...... Lol I'm hoping you've video that beauty of a tamiya nashorn is it in the background???? One of my favourite ever vehicles

[@Panzermeister36]

Hello Steve, thank you for the comment. Sadly the Nashron is really just a paint mule for me...the kit had a lot of pin marks and stuff on the inside of the open fighting compartment and it doesn't look that great. It's a very old build of mine.

[@MottysMilitaryModels]

Oh no one of my fav vehicles to. I'm hoping to get hold of a dragon one soon. I might hold of building the tamiya one. Glad you are all well

[@Ryan64987]

Interesting review, I just bought some of these paints and my experience has been somewhat different from yours. Constant, constant tip drying, issues mixing the paints together, the paint simultaneously showing evidence of being too thin and too thick at the same time, finishing as a very rough surface, etc. Thinned with X-20A and sprayed with a Badger Patriot and Badger Sotair with the same results. Pretty disappointed in the product so far.

[@Panzermeister36]

I have heard some people say the same. They might have changed the formula. I got some of the first batch straight from the factory. I really have no idea. That's something to ask AK about.

[@fwsauerteig]

This is a water based acrlyic, at least mine was. Mixing with tamiya thinner or alcohol will not work. I am not sure if they are conflating liquer acrlyics witha water based formula, regardless, if you follow the advise of this video you will be throwing away that bottle of paint and have a bear of a job cleaning the airbrush. This video needs to be edited with a disclaimer.

[@DNModels]

I would expect dry tip during the summer. Not during this season in Canada. But who knows, they might've thought of some solution.

[@Panzermeister36]

Well when I spray Mig AMMO is get some tip dry issues in this weather :)

[@VGModelling]

With brush are OK, but cannot spray them, the primers rub off easily.

[@Dean-Trower]

Brilliant review, thank you :)

[@gkspain1]

Really nice paint review, have subscribed, all the best, Garry

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you!

[@maamold]

Tamiya acrylic paint has no lacquer to its base, It can be thinned with Mr. Color thinner which is a Lacquer based thinner though. Tamiya spray and new LP paints are lacquer based. AK Real Colors are Acrylic-Lacquer based.

[@Panzermeister36]

Tamiya is an alcohol-based acrylic which makes it compatible with lacquers and also make it behave exactly like them. I don't think I said Tamiya had an acrylic base. I just treat them like lacquers and thin them with lacquer thinner.

[@ScaleModelAlberta]

Good review man👍.

[@brucethemodelnoob]

Great review! Two questions: I may have missed it, but what pressure were you spraying at? Also, when you had the paint on the inverted cup for brush painting, how quickly did it start to dry out? You pretty much have to use a wet pallets with other water-based acrylics like Vallejo, because they dry so quickly.

[@Panzermeister36]

It didn't seem to dry fast on my pallette when I was brush painting since it was in a big blob. I think it has built in retarder which is why there is no tip dry. But when it's sprayed or brushed on thin it dries quickly then. I was spraying at my usual pressure of 18 to 15 psi. Though that really depends more on what airbrush you're using anyways.

[@pglx68]

Hi thank you for all the great content. Is this a sponsored review? If not, did you buy the paints yourself? It would be good for us viewers to know.

[@Panzermeister36]

It is not sponsored. I have never gotten paid to promote anything. Video description always mentions that.

[@johnathan133]

I just got around to trying these and they do not thin down with Mr Color Thinner or IPA at all. It just turns the paint into a goopy mess. I wonder if AK changed the formula since the review?

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes I suspect they did change it. There are plenty of other comments of people saying the same. Some people have examples that work with IPA, but most don't. And I would not be surprised given AK changed the AK Real Color paint formula without warning anyone.

[@johnathan133]

@@Panzermeister36 Interesting, I didn't know they changed the RC formula.

[@Panzermeister36]

It was originally acrylic hybrid like Tamiya, so you could thin AK RC with X-20A and shit for easier HS chipping. Now AK RC is pure lacquer.

[@robertgraham1511]

I like this kind of information thank you very much.

[@jerryvolpini7987]

AK: "Hey, we screwed up the first couple of times but we got it right this time, HONEST!" I will stick with my regular paints, in no hurry to give AK my money. Thanks for the review though, Evan 👍

[@Duececoupe]

Cool! I wonder what Vallejo will come up with!? 🤨🤔😳😲

[@wolfmanjack3451]

I'll stick with Mig and Vallejo.

[@nodnodnod2063]

Have you tried the paints from Mission Model and if so, how would you say they compare to them?

[@Panzermeister36]

I have not tried MMP sadly, so I can't compare. People say MMP has tip dry issues and does not brush paint well, so AK Gen3 seems better in those areas. However, I cannot compare how MMP sprays with AK Gen3 through the airbrush, sorry.

[@sgtrock2175]

@@Panzermeister36 The consistency of these remind me of Mission Models, which I really like and have great results with. I don't have any tip dry issues as long as I thin according to their instructions and use the medium additive.

[@cocobill2222]

Good video,question,let me know,the correct,mix thinner/colori,and air pressure,PSI/BAR

[@derelict7222]

I was hoping to get one single set of paint colors that I could use for both brush and air brush. Just to save money. Do you think this Gen of paints would pull that off?

[@RollingThunderModels]

Thank you for this review! Highly informative! These paints look like something i might buy. At the moment i'm using Ammo paints, but now and then i have some trouble with them. enamel paints are not really an option for me because they clog my nose when i airbrush with them.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you! Will I be seeing more of you on your KZbin channel soon? :)

[@RollingThunderModels]

@@Panzermeister36 I hope so, i might make a video on my KV-220-2 or a STZ T-34 soon. :)

[@Panzermeister36]

STZ T-34 would be epic!

[@johnalecsscalemodeling]

I love your channel mate. But. as a user, these do not thin well (at all) with Mr Color leveling thinner, Mr Hobby aqueous thinner, X-20A, or Vallejo thinner. It forms a gloopy mess. That I spent a half hour cleaning my brush from. The only thinner that may work with AK acrylics is AK thinner.

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes, they changed the formula of these paints and they're nowhere near as good as they used to be. I'll have to make an update to this video.

[@johnalecsscalemodeling]

@@Panzermeister36 No worries mate. Glad to see you're settling back in. It's on AK not you. You weren't the only one at the time. Cheers

[@southpaw5483]

Thx; Are you Brush Painting on Primed plastic or non-Primed?

[@cdpgbc-mw2kz]

I am no expert, but I get better results with spraying Tamiya acrylic paints with lacquer thinner. They thin and spray smoother. I wonder if lacquer thinner would do the same with these?

[@Panzermeister36]

I think that's what I said in the video -- I get better results with Tamiya and these Gen3 paints spray more smoothly with hotter thinners, but using odorous thinners kind of defeats the purpose of spraying odorless paints like Gen3.

[@cdpgbc-mw2kz]

@@Panzermeister36 . Thanks for the reply. I must have missed that, sorry.

[@fwsauerteig]

You stated you can thin with isopropyl alcohol. Just tried this with their Gelbbraun, and as with other water based acrylics, no. This ruined the paint and was a bear to clear from my airbrush. Not sure if they are conflating lacquer based with acrylics with true water based acrylics, which in itself would be insane. If they have done that, it would be beneificial if you edited this video to indicate that. Also, I (good thing I ordered two bottles!) I found the paint way too thick for airbrush uses. Doubt I would try it with a standard paintbrush. I had to decant the paint in a tamiya mixing jar and thin it with a lot of water. Probably 50-50, maybe even 60-40 water.

[@Panzermeister36]

I have heard other people say this. It seems like they changed something about the paint. I got these super early paints right from the factory and they still work with alcohol and lacquer thinner and everything. I've bought more since and they don't. It's strange. But then again they also changed the formula of the AK Real Color lacquer line...

[@fwsauerteig]

@@Panzermeister36 so please edit the video w a disclaimer....

[@Panzermeister36]

I will make an update video once I have some free time.

[@DavidThomas-ke7ih]

i had a bottle with a ball in it and the ball blocked the nozzle and i squeezed a little to hard and had paint all over my model and desk

[@fidinboca]

Thanks Man !!! Just for the fact: "No tip dry" It is worth trying. For me it is a sadness because I still have many bottles of the previous formula.

[@Panzermeister36]

Me too. I have a number of their older paints which I have never even opened...oh well

[@keithsmodelsandrcs6593]

can ye use water on the 3rd gen acrylics from AK and are the new enamel pretinned it's very watery in bottle ?,,thanks👍

[@matador8822]

i like the range and i need more colors than tamiya can offer many times so i tried those new paints. i tried lacquer thinner. paint coagulated immediately. non usable at all. they say you can use water and IPA. i went with IPA and disaster. then i used arylic thinner. it was better but still very bad. almost unusable. then i tried destilled water. and thats ok. 50% thinner? crazy. 1:1 can be ok. more thinner is better than less. i had to be extra soft and careful while airbrushing. not like tamiya or lacquers. extra thin layers otherwise paint runs immediately. it can be seen on also in your video. but drying on needle tip is killing me. i beleive i had to clean the tip like once a minute of airbrushing. and after few minutes the paint has built up on the needle inside and clogged the airbrush (at least cleaning is very easy with water). what could be wrong that my experience is pretty far from optimal...

[@Panzermeister36]

I have heard from a few other people about this. I worry that they changed the formula shortly after release. They did that with the AK Real Colors....and they didn't tell anybody about it.

[@egyeneskifli7808]

@@Panzermeister36 Well, that is precisely what they did after the release of the Real Color line (they changed it at least 3 times to date). AK is the most unreliable paint manufacturer. They are dilettants, have absolutely no clue how to make a proper paint. Changing their paints formula over and over. While Gunze (now GSI Creos) and Tamiya make the same paint since the 1970s. And those paints still the best. Or the first batch was only served promotion purposes, sent to the "influencers". And the real mass produced versions are much worse. A few days ago I tried to use one of my older AKs (older menas almost a year old). But I can't, because the pigment and some other stuff just formed a solid cake in the bottom of the bottle. Its only a year old man! My 25-30 years old Tamiya, Gunze, Model Master enamel, Humbrol enamel paints just still work fine. I use some Vallejo paints from 3-4 years, but those are still good too. People should stop using AK paints. If you read my original thought of these paints under these video, you will see I foreseen this. AK is so predictable. They should be sued for flase marketing.

[@richardzawada8992]

When I thin this with Tamiya X-20A this paint just become a sticky sand medium. So tap water is better for me :/ .

[@robertbarker2672]

Thanks very informative but Haha what about application of decal and decal setters, softeners and alike enjoyed your review as always

[@Panzermeister36]

Dammit, you're right, I forgot to test decal setters, sorry. Well, I expect MicroSet and MicroSol will be fine, but hotter stuff might damage it. That is what I estimate given how they felt during the durability tests. I will update you on this.

[@Serviervorschlaghammer]

They developed some really good paints, you could airbrush them very well and paint them excellently, and what do they do? They change the formula for some reason and make the stuff completely useless for airbrushing - even with the AK thinner! Annoying for us customers! I hope it will be a lesson for AK if the customers turn away from them!

[@Panzermeister36]

AK has done this like 3 times. Changing formulas for their paints. AK 3rd Gen, AM Real Color, and the Metalizers. And now they are redoing the Real Colors again!

[@joelwaite8882]

Thanks for reviewing this paint! Where could I get it at?

[@Panzermeister36]

It's still pretty new, so I don't think too many shops have it in yet. Ordering from AK Interactive's website might be the way to go.

[@XxBloggs]

What’s the advantages and disadvantages of lacquer paints as compared to acrylic paints?

[@Panzermeister36]

Advantages: Lacquers are more durable, spray more smoothly, and as of right now they have a lot more historical camouflage colours so you don't have to mix your own. Disadvantages: Lacquers smell pretty bad so you should really have good ventilation when spraying them otherwise it csn be dangerous. Some people hate this about them.

[@Razento25]

Do you know if they thin well with Mr.Color line of thinners?

[@andreaserna9503]

What about using them with brush in a large area?

[@CJ-jh9ri]

Got an unrelated question for ya, is that the Ace Combat 4 OST playing in the background?

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes, "Prevail" from Ace Combat 04 :)

[@MegaScotsman1]

Another set of paints to collect 😂

[@jlpytlewski]

If they use alcohol or lacquer to thin this paint, are you sure it's water based? Doesn't sound right to me. I use Tamiya paint mainly, but also use Vallejo. Vallejo paint is truly water based... alcohol will turn it into an airbrush clogging goop. I tried thinning Tamiya paint with water... wasn't too good.

[@Panzermeister36]

They do not have any smell, so I assumed they are water-based... which is why I was surprised they did not turn into goop when I used X-20A and lacquer thinner, and also why I was surprised when they survived enamel thinner. They might be some unique hybrid, but they are meant to replace water-based acrylics. It is interesting!

[@WHJeffB]

Depends on the alcohol you use... I use windshield washer fluid which is mostly alcohol and it is a fantastic at thinning Vallejo. Not all alcohols are the same, especially for thinning or cleaning "water based" paints.

[@MrJerczu]

Would you say they are just acrylic inks?

[@Panzermeister36]

No, they're acrylic paint. And they're definitely not thin enough to be an ink.

[@lentorpe8099]

So good it is that thick in the 17 ml bottle, then I suppose I can thin it with my homemade ultra-cheap isopropyl-based thinner and save a lot of money in paint. Yuck!

[@harleywolf5028]

What is their color for German Oxide Red paint?

[@Panzermeister36]

They have a Hull Red in the selection I have here. It's AK11108.

[@federicofreiria3450]

Which airbrush are you using? Regards from Argentina

[@Panzermeister36]

I use a Badger 105 Patriot for 90% of my work. I also have a Badger Renegade Khrome that I use rarely for super-fine camouflage lines.

[@federicofreiria3450]

@@Panzermeister36 thanks my Friends regards

[@jmg7842]

How many drops is 70 percrnt thinner

[@Panzermeister36]

7 drops of thinner for every 3 drops of paint.

[@martingates1364]

Ive used the AK 3G afv series british desert colours with a paint brush while it goes on neat ok if you mix it with an retarder ( mr hobby) it turns nearly into a solid. Ive tried air brushing and mixing it with nearly all thinners and it does not like it, tried water and it was the worst coverage iv'e ever had. All the thinners never worked, mr hobby leveling TamiyaX 20A nothing worked, what a waste of paint and thinners AND what a clean up, both air brush and mobel

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes, unfortunately they changed the formula so they are no longer compatible with alcohol or lacquer thinner. It's unfortunate as they were excellent in their original formula.

[@hash1el947]

Is there any way to fix it? Because I'm having the same problem😢

[@Panzermeister36]

You have to use the thinner that AK makes for the 3rd Generation Acrylics. Or you could use water but that's not great.

[@hash1el947]

@@Panzermeister36 thanks for the reply, and yes that's what I did, but now im thinning them with extra drops of Vallejo's airflow improver, and the problems went away , cheers

[@TheWGLOVER]

Have you tried Hataka paints?

[@Panzermeister36]

Yes and I was not really impressed. However, I ended up with some of the first batches which were full of issues. Apparently they changed it afterwards.

[@dagatleomland]

Are you paided from AK?

[@Panzermeister36]

Nope, and I had to pay import taxes on these paints.

[@ralex3697]

I would not put alcohol in a airbrush

[@Panzermeister36]

...uh why not? Tamiya paints already have alcohol in them to begin with, and they're meant to be airbrushed...

[@Flyboy2003]

Maybe he thinks you mean vodka...

[@zzz7zzz9]

look at the 2 caps, the new and the old one. 0:30. and then you say the new one has less space inside it for paint to collect????? it literally has probably 400% more space inside it.

[@Panzermeister36]

The old cap hugged the nozzle, while the new one only hugs like 50% of the nozzle since the cap has those parts sticking out.

[@zzz7zzz9]

@@Panzermeister36 ahhh, i hear now how you were saying it. Makes sense now.

[@ratled1]

HA! @ 2:09 "I'm not that great with airbrushing..." Wanna bet? In fact I would ask you for an overview video of your airburshing methods in a single video

[@Panzermeister36]

If you say so! I am not that skilled but I make do :)

[@Savchenkov1]

I would have to rate these paints as the absolute worst I've ever experienced in my 50 years of modelling. The ooze out like jello and no matter what ratio I thin them with their own brand, they splatter and spit. Best way to ruin a well built model !

[@vintageracer3734]

I couldn't agree more! Worst paint I have ever seen! Joke, complete trash!

[@queencinn4964]

Dont trust anything he says this is a sponsored video

[@Panzermeister36]

Lol buddy, I've never made a cent from any manufacturer or sponsor. I actually had to pay $35 in import duties on this "free review sample".

[@user-ro1cs5hp5e]

if u r reviewing a product u received from a manufacturer u should highlight THAT fact in the beginning by stating that ur video includes PAID PROMOTION" !!!

[@Panzermeister36]

Nope, because I was not paid. In fact, I ended up paying $22 in duty fees in order to receive these items. Regardless, getting something for free is not the same as being paid to receive it. How would you feel if your job paid you entirely in food, clothes, and furniture, instead of in money with which you can buy anything you'd like?

[@user-ro1cs5hp5e]

@@Panzermeister36 ok thanks for clarifying it Meister. It is always good to share and exchange points of view when doubts arise.

[@rethans]

Those AK "Real Colours" are NOT accurate colours don't be mislead by their marketing scheme!. AK only used the names of researchers!. I will stay with accurate enamels!.

[@Panzermeister36]

I have tested a bunch so far and they are great. Only one was wrong.

[@rethans]

@@Panzermeister36 AK colours are Artistic not Accurate. For Accurate samples you better contact the researchers.

[@Panzermeister36]

Look, I disagree entirely but I doubt that will change your mind. I personally (face-to-face) know one of the researchers who helped AK develop some of those colours, and that researcher seemed very pleased with their work with AK. And given the colours I have used from the AK RC line so far have been very accurate, I'm not sure what the problem is.

[@egyeneskifli7808]

Quite hilarious how they launches these "new" paints. They did this a few years ago. Because this is non other then the original Real Color. Which they modified a few times, and now it's a pure lacquer, not a hybrid acrylic. So you can buy Tamiya Acrylic as these Gen3 paints, or Tamiya Lacquer as AK Real Color. Why even bother myself with AK paints? All of them are simply ripoffs. But they add a few things to them all the time just to meke them worse than the original. AK paints don't saddle? That is BS. All of my original (Vallejo ripoff) AK paints saddle in a day, more quicker than any other of my paints. Even the Humbrol enamels saddle much slower. And I need to shake them for minutes. Enamel thinner eat up your acrylics? That means you use poor quality enamel thinner. Those are not pure mineral spirits, but contaminated with more agressive components, like cellulose thinner and even nitro thinner. BTW: AK sent you a batch of good paints. They will eventually produce them in worse quality, as they done with all of their paint line so far. If you want a real test, then wait 5-6 months and BUY some paints from any shop. Real Color was good in the beginning, and as time passed became more and more worse. AK promoted them as well as those paints very resilient, don't need priming. In real life those paints just chipping away from the surface by the slightest "impact". Primed, not primed, cleaned the surface or not (with various cleaners). Before you say that's my fault: all of my other paints stay in the surface even after serious beating. Only the AKs chip off.

[@Panzermeister36]

Like I said in the video, the point of these water-based paints is that some people try to avoid paints that produce smells (like Tamiya, AK RC, etc.) and these paints have no smell. And like I said, I will be sticking with Tamiya and AK RC because in my experience the RC line is excellent. Not sure what you have been using, but they're as good as Tamiya in my experience so far and I've painted a number of models with them, hairspray chipped them, and so on. I found them to be excellent.

[@MattStunts-]

Great video Evan. It seems that they are great paints for brush painting and that resistance for enamel thinner and flat finish make them most wanted for me for detail painting without any varnishes etc. Can't wait to buy a few bottles.