We've been getting a lot of queries of late from people curious about the new line of AK Interactive hobby paints and finishing products.

Through the years we at Metro Hobbies have seen a multitude of hobby products come (and sometimes go) through our shelves, and we're very happy with our growing range that offer the best to our customers. From enamel paints to acrylics, to the new lines of lacquer paints coming from Tamiya and SMS, as well as all their associated finishing products. Now we welcome AK Interactive to the fold.

AK Interactive Finishing Products

From the onset, AK Interactive is an impressive line. Our current line has the lot, from their base acrylic paint range to the Real Colour line, to their washes, filters and even weathering pencils. The Spanish brand has incorporated the lessons learned from established hobby brands like Tamiya and Vallejo, and combined it with the technical experience from well-known hobbyists the world over. The result is easily a line of products that are very easy to work with.

Trying it out

We put that ease of use to the test recently. We had a Takom 1/35 M3A1 Lee tank with a plain, standard olive drab finish. We decided to see how AK's base enamel effects stand up to a quick go on top of another brand's paints. The original paints used were just the base Vallejo black and olive drab primer, and a gloss coat to assist with decals.

We selected three enamel effects for this road test: AK012 Streaking Grime, AK015 Dust Effects, and AK027 Slimy Grime Light. Before anything though, we applied a base panel liner black wash to highlight the panel lines, using AK2071 Panel liner for Brown and Green.

The entire effort took exactly 27 minutes. Obviously you can take much more time than this for a more thorough finish, but we felt doing the quick application will test whether the product lives up to expectations.

Armed with a thin, precise .3 brush to apply the effects, and a thick 5mm brush with enamel thinner to wash and streak the effects, it all went on without fuss. What was great was the ease of controlling the amounts even after applying the effect. Adding more thinner wash diluted or removed the excess very quickly.

And it all dries up fast (but not too fast) as well. You could see the resulting finish right away, which means you can get back into it and remove or add to what you have on just like that.

The Verdict

As you can see, the final finish speaks for itself. Not overdone, nor not too subtle, all the detail comes out very well, and it doesn't overpower the finished subject.

We'll definitely be trying out a few more of AK Interactive's (as well as other brands) additions to our line of hobby finishing products. If you'd like to request a theme or topic you'd like us to focus on, do leave us a comment below or send us an email.