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Found 11 results

  1. Acrylic Paint Sets New Packaging & Style Lifecolor via The Airbrush Company We have a long-standing review of the Lifecolor acrylic paint system that has been running and running since about this time of the year in 2010. We thought it was time to begin a new one to coincide with the introduction of new packaging and a more modern artwork style on the boxes. The product inside is unchanged, and you still get 22ml of paint in six stubby polypropylene bottles with a black screw-top cap that is always easy to open, no matter how long it is since you last used it. The paint seldom separates, and always appears ready for use, but it’s good practice to give it a good shake, or clip it into your mechanical paint-shaker of choice, just to be on the safe side. They have a good reputation for colour fidelity, and their sets have a quality feel, although they do take up a little more room than bare pots, but I can’t bring myself to remove any of mine from their boxes. The new style boxes have an outer sleeve that slides off to reveal the paints that are safely sheltered in the middle of the box, with two sloped buffer zones at the ends, and a two-layer shell that does a similar job. The one slight issue is when you slide the sleeve back on, it can get stuck on one of the edges of the ingeniously folded tray, but once you’re aware of the fact, it’s easy to avoid the hang-up. All acrylics are by their nature less robust than the old nasty-smelling enamels, so if you have issues yourself because you're having to handle your model more than anticipated, a coat of gloss varnish over the paint once it is dry will toughen it up admirably, and also help prepare your model for when it comes time to apply the decals. TOP TIP: the printing on the sides of the bottles can be susceptible to thinners and clammy fingers, so put a piece of clear tape over each label before you use them to keep them pristine. We have received a growing number of sets, and the new CE sets have eight pots in the box, the flesh set including some Liquid Pigments, as follows: US Army 1950/84 Vietnam & Korea Olive Drab (CS60) The set includes the following: UA276 Olive Drab 3412 Faded, UA277 FS24052 USMC Green Faded, UA278 FS34087 Olive Drab, UA279 FS24087 Olive Drab Faded, UA280 FS14084 Olive Drab Faded, UA281 FS24333 APC Interior Green US Army Uniforms 1948/80 Combat and Fatigue Clothing (CS61) The set includes the following: UA482 OG107 Dark variant, UA483 OG107 Light Variant, UA484 ERDL Brown, UA485 ERDL Medium Green, UA486 ERDL Light Green, UA487 M-1956 LCE US Air Force 1960/70 Vietnam & Cold War (CS62) The set includes the following: UA560 FS34079 Forrest Green, UA561 FS34102 Medium Green, UA562 FS30219 Dark Tan, UA563 FS36633 Camouflage Grey, UA572 FS16473 Air Grey, UA573 FS37038 Faded Night Black US Air Force Grey Schemes from 70s to Present (CE01) Contains: UA555 FS36251 Aggressor Grey, UA557 FS36270 Medium Grey, UA559 FS36375 Light Ghost Grey, UA574 FS35450 Air Superiority Blue, UA575 FS36176 Eagle Grey, UA576 FS36320 Dark Ghost Grey, UA591 FS36170 Have Glass Grey, UA592 FS36118 Gunship Grey USN & USMC Colours from 70s to Present (CE02) Contains: UA554 FS35237 Blue Grey, UA559 FS36375 Light Ghost Grey, UA560 FS34079 Forest Green, UA576 FS36320 Dark Ghost Grey, UA577 FS36231 Dark Gull Grey, UA578 FS36495 Light Grey, UA579 FS36440 Light Gull Grey, UA592 FS36118 Gunship Grey Flesh Paint 2 (CE03) Contains: UA7019 Light African Tone, UA7020 African Base Brown, UA7021 Dark African Tone, UA7022 Light Native Tone, UA7023 Native Warm Base, UA7024 Dark Native Tone, LPW36 Reddish Burn, LPW37 Purple Cooler Conclusion I’ve long enjoyed using Lifecolor paint on my models, and although it can occasionally be tricky to get the mix right for spraying, once you get a feel for it, the problems go away unless you’re having a bad day and over-thin it. They’re good for brush-painting too in my limited experience, and they have been doing these convenient sets for years now, long before it became a popular format. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  2. Lifecolor Acrylic Paints I was first introduced to Lifecolor paints by The Airbrush Company a good 8 months ago, maybe more, and as it happened had an immediate use for the colours that I received from them. Previously I'd never really heard of this Italian company's paint, although I had subconsciously taken them in on visits to various model shops over the years. This kit was painted by the author using Lifecolor paints, and an Iwata TR-1 airbrush. A build review can be found here. The paints are available in translucent plastic bottles of a similar shape to Tamiya's dumpy glass bottles, which is great for storage and makes them difficult to spill. The lids are all uniform black, which makes spotting them from above a bit tricky, but of no major consequence if you have either a colour marker or a label making machine. They are available singly, or in packs of 6 or 12 colours, with the packs being themed to certain types of modelling, such as WWII German Tanks, or more esoteric subjects like Polish Army 1939. Inside the chubby 22ml bottle is an acrylic paint that is somewhat different from most in that it doesn't dilute with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), or cellulose (lacquer) thinners, but will happily dilute with water, or Lifecolor's own thinner. A quick peek under the lid reveals a paint that looks as if it has been shaken and stirred already, although I would always agitate any paint before use just in case there has been any separation of the constituent components. This kit was also painted by the author using Lifecolor paints, and an Iwata TR-1 airbrush. Lifecolor pride themselves on colour fidelity, and produce a range of 34 basic colours in matt and 20 in gloss, plus a general range of 101 colours covering many FS numbers (RLM, RAL too where appropriate). In addition is a primer, thinner and thickener for those unusual 3D effects, and an airbrush cleaner. In addition to these "general" colours there are the boxed sets. These cardboard encased sets are beautifully presented, and allow you the choice of keeping your themed paints in one place, so no more scrabbling around for that last German armour interior colour - they're all there. The range of boxed sets is large and growing, with 26 sets being shown in their latest catalogue, with more popping up all the time. Whilst there aren't yet any sets for British aircraft WWII and modern, the colours are available separately, and it's just a matter of time before they get around to covering it. How are they to use? You're dying to know how they are to use, I'm sure, so let's dive in. The paints dilute well with water - I use deionised water, and add a precautionary drop of Windsor & Newton acrylic flow improver more through habit than any actual recognised need with these paints. I'm not one for measuring my mixes precisely, as life is just too short, so I use the old faithful "consistency of semi-skimmed milk" as my goal, and that seems to work pretty well, with only one instance of me over-thinning the paint, which leads to a bit of a spidery mess. My own fault, and I should have paid more attention to what I was doing at the time! In action, they airbrush onto primed surfaces very well, and build up an opaque matt finish quite quickly, which will please the spendthrifts amongst you. I don't advocate using any acrylic paint on an un-primed surface, as they aren't as tough as the old enamel paints, but once dry the finish is excellent, but being matt you should be careful when handling the model so as not to get any finger oils on the paint, as it will darken the perceived colour. To get around this issue I use a photo-inspection glove on my left hand whilst holding the airbrush or whatever tool I'm using with my right. You can obtain these gloves from most industrial clothing factors, or on eBay, so I'm told, and realistically, we should all be using them anyway to avoid getting our models greasy before, during or after painting. The pigment in the paint is ground finely, and passes through my usual 0.15mm needle perfectly well with very little trouble with a clogged tip, which is the bane of some acrylics. The paints work very well together, and with a little finesse you can achieve a fine mottle, freehand camo, large expanses of a single colour, or any variation in between. Mixing your own variations on the colours is as simple as adding a few drops of the lightening or darkening colour, whisking it in, and off you go. I'll not leave the brush painters dangling in this review either, as I have used my bristled friends with some of the colours on a couple of figures, so that I could at least have an opinion. The paint brushes well right from the bottle, although I prefer a little thinning with distilled water to slow down drying. The first coat is translucent but uniform, with the second coat covering the majority of any primer showing through. Any remaining patches can be touched in with a third coat, and as the paint dries quickly, it doesn't take long to achieve full coverage. Of course there is bound to be a little variance between colours due to the pigments and chemicals used, but coverage is good, and the paint achieves good thickness (I really mean thinness) so that detail isn't obliterated. Mixing highlight/lowlight colours for shading figures with a brush is again easy, and the slight translucence is conducive to a smooth finished graduation of tone, providing you don't try and change hue too quickly. I'll leave the discussion of particular colour shades matching swatches and black & white photographs to others, but I will say that every colour that I have picked out meets with my perception of its "true" colour, and I've been impressed with attention to detail in some sets where the same base colour is offered in a number of hues to match different materials or the age of a particular cloth, or piece of combat equipment. I've amassed a pretty good selection of the boxed sets over recent months, and will add a few words about each one I have as appropriate, and a colour listing to give you an idea of the depth of research and choice available below. For those eager to see my conclusion however, here it is now so you don't have to scroll through potentially uninteresting paragraphs. Conclusion I love Lifecolor paints. They are now my paint of choice for airbrushing, and I would be happy to continue using them for brush painting due to the fantastic range of colours available. Of the various acrylic colours I have used from Xtracrylix, Tamiya, Vallejo, Airfix, I would say that only Vallejo offers better brush performance, and Vallejo comes close when used in the airbrush. The paint seems to get on perfectly well with my Harder & Steenbeck airbrush and my Iwata, seldom clogging unless I'm blowing air & no paint for too long (my fault!). For an acrylic paint the finish is tough (primed models are my modus operandi), and clean-up is easy with a little water, and the residue removed using a little Premair acrylic airbrush cleaner - I've yet to try Lifecolor's own. I'll update this review as and when I receive new sets, so keep checking back. Essential Basic & Primary Colours Set (ES01) Includes: Matt White (LC01), Matt Black (LC02), Matt Yellow (LC03), Matt Red (LC06), Matt Dark Blue (LC10), Matt Clear (LC27). Essential Basic & Primary Colours Set (ES02) Includes: Matt Orange (LC05), Matt Light Blue (LC09), Matt Dark Green (LC12), Matt Raw Sienna (LC16), Matt Flash 1 (LC21), Matt Violet (LC28). Essentials Gloss Colour Set 3 (ES03) LC51 Gloss White, LC52 Gloss Black, LC53 Gloss Yellow, LC56 Gloss Red, LC60 Gloss Dark Blue, LC73 Gloss Clear Shell Case Perfect Metal – Set 1 (CS 47) Contains: (UA786) Polished Steel Modern Shell, (UA787) Lacquered Steel Later WWII German Shell, (UA788) New Shell Brass Shade 1, (UA789) New Shell Brass Shade 1, (UA790) New Shell Brass Shade 3, (UA791) Spent Shell Burned Brass Aircraft Perfect Metal – Set 2 (CS 48) Contains: (UA792) Polished Aluminium, (UA793) White Aluminium, (UA794) Dark Aluminium, (UA795) Steel, (UA796) Exhaust Jet, (UA797) Burnt Iron Engines Perfect Metal – Set 3 (CS 51) Contains: (UA7001) Weathered Steel, (UA7002) Framework Iron, (UA7003) Cast Iron, (UA7004) Piston Engine Block, (UA7005) Burned Pipes, (UA7006) Darkened Copper WWII US Army Uniforms Set 1 Contains: Olive drab light mustard, HBT dark shade, Olive drab M1943, Pink, Chocolate. WWII US Army Uniforms Set 2 Contains: Olive drab yellow tone, olive drab green tone, olive drab green tone (darker), russet brown, olive drab red tone, HBT light shade. British Tanks (CS43) Afrika & Balkan Caunter Scheme UA264 28 Silver Grey, UA265 34 Slate, UA266 61 Light Stone, UA267 64 Portland Stone, UA268 Desert Pink ZI, UA269 Dark Olive PFI British (CS-45) WWI Uniform & Equipment Contains: UA452 Webbing & Equipment 1, UA453 Dark Leather, UA454 Red Leather, UA455 Uniform Brown, UA456 Uniform Green, UA457 Webbing & Equipment 2 British (CS-41) WWII Infantry Uniforms Contains: UA440 Water Bottle Bag, UA441 Green Tone Gear, UA442 Yellow Tone Gear, UA443 Battledress Light Tone, UA444 Battledress Dark Tone, UA445 Leather Jacket Russian (CS-42) WWII Infantry Uniforms Contains: UA446 Helmet, UA447 M35 Tunic, UA448 M35-41 Tunic, UA449 M43 Tunic, UA450 M35-41 Trousers, UA451 M43 Trousers Polish Army 1939 Contains: Polish uniform wz36, Polish uniform wz19, helmet dark green, equipment light khaki, officer's field uniform, summer uniform linen. Feldgrau 1939/45 (CS55) German Military Uniforms WWII Includes: UA464 Feldgendarmerie Uniform, UA465 Feldgendarmerie Trousers, UA466 Panzer Div. Commander Coat, UA467 Artilleryman Trousers Early War, UA468 Waxed Coat M40, UA469 Coat M42 DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps) Uniform Colours (CS58) Contains: UA470 Extra Dark Green, UA471 Medium Olive Green, UA472 Faded Green, UA473 Dark Brown, UA474 Medium Tan, UA475 Light Tan German WWII Tanks Set 1 Contains: RAL 8020 Gelbbraun, RAL 7027 sandgrau, RAL 8000 Grunbraun, RAL 7028 Dunkelgelb, RAL 8017 Rotbraun/Schokoladen braun, RAL 6003 Olivgrun. German WWII Tanks Set 2 Contains: RAL 7021 Schwartzgrau, RAL 7016 Anthrazitgrau, RAL 8002 Signalbraun, RAL 7017 Dunkelbraun, RAL 8012 Rotbraun, RAL 7008 Graungrun khakibraun. Axis Tank Interiors Contains: (German) RAL3009 Oxid Rot (primer for engine bays etc.), RAL1015 Elfenbein (fighting compartment), RAL7009 Graugrun (Radio housings etc.), RAL5012 Lichtblau (some final drive parts), (Italian) RAL2001 Rosso Minio (primer), Bianco Avorio (fighting compartment). German WWII Luftwaffe Set 1 Contains: RLM 70 Schwarzgrun, RLM 71 Dunkelgrun, RLM 65 Hellblau, RLM 02 Grau, RLM 79 Sandgelb II, RLM 80 Olivgrun. German WWII Luftwaffe Set 2 Contains: RLM 74 Graugrun, RLM 75 Grauviolett, RLM 76 Lichtblau, RLM 81 Braunviolett, RLM 82 Hellgrun, RLM 78 Hellblau. German WWII Uniforms Set 1 Contains: Tropical Tan 1, Field Grey 1, Field Grey 2, Field Blue (Luftwaffe flight suits), Brown Service Shirt, Tropical Tan 2. German WWII Uniforms Set 2 Contains: Panzer Uniform, Light Brown, Dark Brown, Light Green, Dark Green, Extra Dark Brown. Italian WWII Regio Esercito Uniforms Contains: UA413 Khaki N. Africa, UA414 Tela Grigio Verde, UA415 Tuta Carrista, UA416 Verde Telo Mimetico, UA417 Khaki Telo Mimetico, UA418 Marrone Telo Mimetico. Austro-Hungarian Army Uniforms 1916-18 (CS.59) Contains: UA476 Faldgrau Uniforms, UA477 Leder Braun, UA478 Isonzo Braun, UA479 Dunkelgrun Grau, UA480 Kaki, UA481 Leder Schwarz WWII Battle of Britain Royal Air Force Set Researched by Angelo Falconi. Contains: UA546 FS34079 Dark Green, UA547 FS30118 Dark Earth, UA548 FS34102 Light Green, UA549 FS30257 Light Earth, UA550 FS34424 Light Earth, UA551 FS34226 Grey Green. WWII Royal Australian Airforce Set 1 Contains: UA513 FS20099 Earth Brown, UA514 FS24092 RAAF Foliage Green, UA515 FS25550 RAAF Sky Blue, UA516 FS36118 Dark Sea Grey, UA517 FS35042 Dark Ocean Blue, UA518 FS35231 Sky Blue Azure. WWII Royal Australian Airforce Set 2 Quite a few RAF colors amongst this set for obvious reasons. Contains: FS 30118 RAF Dark Earth, FS 34092 RAF Dark Green, FS 36493 RAF Sky Grey, FS 24110 Interior Green, FS 34087 US Olive Drab, FS 36173 US Neutral Grey. Armée de l’air (CS56) WWII French Aircraft Colours Includes: UA141 Gris Bleu Clair, UA143 Brun Foncé, UA142 Kaki Français, UA144 Chamois, UA145 Gris Blue Foncé, UA146 Vert Pomme Die Luftstreitkräfte (CS57) Imperial German Army WWI Colours Includes: UA566 German Pale Blue, UA567 German Mauve, UA568 German Red Brown, US569 German Light Green, UA570 German Dark Green, UA571 German Light Grey Green Hellenic Air Force Set 1 (XS15) UA554 FS35237 Aegean Ghost Blue Grey, UA555 FS36251 Aegean Ghost Grey, UA556 FS36307 Aegean Ghost Light Grey, UA557 FS36270 Aegean Ghost Medium Grey, UA558 FS35164 Aegean Blue, UA559 FS36375 Aegean Delta Grey Hellenic Air Force Set 2 (XS16) UA560 FS34079 HAF/SEA Forrest Green, UA561 FS34102 HAF/SEA Medium Green, UA562 FS30219 HAF/SEA Dark Tan, UA563 FS36622 HAF/SEA Camouflage Grey, UA564 FS37178 Flat Aluminium, UA565 FS36280 Aegean/HAF Spartan Grey Middle East British Vehicle Camouflage Contains Light Stone 61, Terracotta 44, Slate Grey 34, Light Grey/Silver Grey 28, Portland Stone 64, Desert Pink. British Tanks France – Europe – UK (CS44) Contains: (UA270) SCC 15 Olive Drab, (UA271) SCC 14 Blue-Black, (UA272) Light Mud Provisional, (UA273) SCC 1A Very Dark Brown, (UA275) 24 Deep Bronze. NATO and M.E.R.D.C Mobility Equipment Research & Design Command - as well as the basic Nato black/green/earth red, there were lots of other variations, which the committed modeller can depict with this set Contains: FS37030 Black, FS30051 Brown, FS34094 Green, FS30277 Sand, FS30257 Earth Yellow, FS30117 Earth Red. Soviet WWII Army Contains: Dark Olive FS34102, Dark Olive Variant FS34096, 4BO Variant FS34257, 4BG Light Khaki FS34259, 6K 6RP FS30117, 7K Green Yellow FS23578 Israeli Army Vehicles & Uniforms Contains: UA901 IDF Sandgrey1, UA902 IDF Sandgrey2, UA903 IDF Green, UA437 Dark IDF Green, UA438 Medium IDF Green, UA439 Light IDF Green. Italian Infantry Uniforms WWI (CS50) UA458 Tela Grigio Verde, UA459 Tela Bigia da Fatica, UA460 Cuoio Verde, UA461 Cuoio Naturale, UA462 Cuoio Nero Cromo, UA463 Tela Khaki US Navy WWII Set 1 Contains: US Navy Gray 5, Light Gray 5L, Ocean Gray 5O, Dark Grey 5D, Sea Blue 5S, Deck Blue 20B. US Navy WWII Set 2 Contains: Haze Gray 5H, Navy Blue 5N, Pale Gray 5P, Mahogany Stain, Flight Deck Blue 21, Neutral Haze Gray Kriegsmarine German Navy Set 1 Contains: Hellgrau Silbergrau DKM50, Dunkelgrau DKM51, Hellgrau DKM50 Var., Mittelgrau DKM51 Var., Dunkelgrau, Schiffsbodenfarbe Rot 5 Kriegsmarine German Navy - U-bootwaffe Set 2 Contains: Schiffsbodenfarbe III Grau, Schlickgrau 58, Blaugrau 58-1, Dunkelgrau 52, Dunkelgrau 53, Teerfirnis Tf 99 Faded.. Imperial Japanese Navy WWII Set 1 Contains: UA643 Sasebo Grey, UA644 Kure Grey, UA645 Yokosuka Grey, UA646 Maizuru Grey, UA647 Linoleum Deck, UA648 Antifouling Hull Red. Imperial Japanese Navy WWII Late War Set 2 Contains: UA649 Camo Green Type 1, UA650 Camo Green Type 2, UA651 Beimatsu Deck Tan, UA652 Hinoki Deck Tan, UA653 Camo Green Type 21, UA654 Camo Green Type 22. US Navy Ships & Submarines 1950 to Present (CS52) Includes: UA655 US Modern Haze Grey, UA656 US Modern Dark Gray, UA657 Light Teak Wood, UA658 US Modern Hull Red, UA659 Submarine Dark Gray, UA660 Submarine Black Finnish WWII Army Contains: Kenttäharmaa TY80001 Field grey, Harmaa N:o1 Grey, Sammaleenvihreä N:o2 Moss Green, Hiekanruskea N:o3 Sand Brown, 4BO Venäläinen vihreä Russian Green Finnish WWII Air Force Contains: Oliivin Vihreä (Olive Green), Vaalean Harmaa (Light Grey), Vaalean Sininen (Light Blue), Musta (Black), Keltainen (Yellow), Oranssi (Orange) Flesh Paint Set This set makes mixing of flesh colors almost redundant, with two tones of base, two highlights, and two lowlights. From there you can produce almost any skin tone other than African, which would need richer, darker browns as the lowlights. Contains: Flesh 2o Light, Flesh 1o Light, 1o Base, Flesh 2o Base, Flesh 1o Shadow, Flesh 2o Shadow. Tensocrom Active Surface Agents Sets 1 & 2 A series of pigments, dissolved in a special medium that allows the modeller to put glazes of color on their models. Set 1 contains: Medium (no pigment), Sand, Earth, Grass, Rust1, Rust 2 Set 2 contains: Oil, Smoke, Kerosene, Fuel, Burnt Brown, White Oxide Rail Weathering This one will be excellent for dioramas and weathering, although I don't know where some of the colour names came from. Contains: Frame Dirt, Track Dirt, Sleeper Grime, Roof Dirt, Weathered Black, Brake Dust. Weathered wood Excellent for rendering wooden parts of vehicles, as well as wooden sections of dioramas. Some examples of the finishes achievable are detailed on the back of the box. Contains: Warm dark shade, Warm base color, Warm light shade, Warm light shade 2, Cold base color, Cold light shade. Hemp Ropes & Tarps A range of shades to create realistic rope and material effects on your models and dioramas. Contains: Dark Umber Hemp (UA752), Medium Brown Hemp (UA753), Dirty Hemp (UA754), Worn Out Hemp (US755), Weathered Hemp (UA756), colourless Hemp (UA757). Leather Satin finish paints to give a natural tone to leather garments and goods. Contains: Leather Warm Brown (UA763), Leather Brown Shade (UA764), Leather Reddish Tone (UA765), Leather Yellow-Ochre Tone (UA766), Leather Cold Light Shade 1 (UA767), Leather Cold Light Shade 2 (UA768). White Wood (CS38) Matt finish paints with a high pigment content, including the following colours: Old Peeled Deck (UA774), Old Lightened Wood (UA775), Rough Light Grey (UA776), Rough Light Brown (UA777), Stripped Wood (UA778), Wooden Grey Umber (UA779). Leaking Grime, Stains & Damp (CS39) A mixture of matt and statin finishes, depending on application, containing the following colours: Lime Green (UA746), Dirty Green (UA747), Brown Green (UA748), Vegetable Origin Damp Green (UA749), Vegetable Origin Damp Yellow (UA750), Dark Mold (UA751). Stone Grey (CS40) Matt finish paints with a high pigment content, including the following colours: Blue Stone (UA780), Brown Stone (UA781), Dark Sand Stone (UA782), Green Stone (UA783), Reddish Stone (UA784), Light Stone (UA785). War on the Road (CS 49) Includes: (UA743) Cement Board, (UA744) Middle East Asphalt, (UA 745) European Asphalt, (UA 769) Plaster Wall, (UA 770) Concrete, (UA 771) Stone Laying Mortar. USN & USMC WWII Colours (CS46) Contains: UA25 FS36440 Light Gull grey, UA40 FS34058 PBY Blue, UA44 FS35042 NS Sea Blue, UA45 FS35164 NS Intermediate Blue, UA147 FS35189 Blue Grey, UA148 FS37875 Insignia White Master Mixer Set This set should be useful for the inveterate mixer of paint shades. It contains 6 empty Lifecolor bottles, plus 6 labels, 6 non-absorbent white test cards to try out your mixes, 6 miniature pipettes, and a dropper, which is a small length of threaded rod with a rubber grip. As stated above in the main body of the review, there isn't a specific British set available, but the color chart listing reproduced below is entitled "British Aircraft WWII and Today", so should be of great interest to modellers of RAF subjects, and is pictured at the top of this review. LC35 15044 Oxford blue LC74 17178 Silver UA088 30109 Identification dark red UA092 30118 Dark earth UA097 30266 Middle stone UA019 30277 Hemp UA089 30279 Desert sand UA107 33448 Light stone UA140 33538 Insignia yellow UA091 34079 Dark green UA008 34092 Extra dark sea grey (must be a typo - it's actually green) UA095 34424 Sky UA045 35164 PRU blue UA098 35231 Azure blue UA022 36118 Dark sea grey UA046 36173 mixed grey UA093 36187 Ocean grey UA094 36270 Medium sea grey UA079 36314 Barley grey UA026 36375 Aircraft grey LC02 37038 Black - night Some of these colors have a different name on the bottle, but if you search by the UA or LC number, you'll soon find the correct one. I've petitioned The Airbrush Company for some RAF sets, so will cross my fingers that they come to pass. Review sample courtesy of:
  3. Non Metallic Metal (NMM) Acrylic Paint Sets Gold & Steel (CS53 & CS54) Lifecolor via The Airbrush Company We’re all familiar with the trials and tribulations of creating realistic metallic shades on our models, coping with the problems of scale effect, the size of particle size for suspension-type metallics, and many more issues that I can’t remember right now. Traditional artists that work on paper and canvas must create their metallics with non-metallic paints, instead creating the highlights, reflections, low-lights and different hues introduced from external sources nearby or from that big angry ball of nuclear fusion that we call the Sun. Some figure painters have taken this technique and attempted to apply it to 3D figures in an effort to create something new and impressive that will solve all the problems associated with the simplistic natural metal finishes that us modellers usually use. Lifecolor have collaborated with talented figure modeller Alessandro Gobbi to create sets of colours that will be useful for modellers to use in creation of their own masterpieces. They are designed to be used in conjunction with white paint from Lifecolor’s own range, which it is assumed that you will already possess if you intend to purchase these interesting sets. You’ll also need to purchase or already own a dose of skill and talent, as the process of creating these shades and shapes on your model will take some time and require you to have an ability with the paint brushes that you’ll use to apply the paint. As this technique may be previously unheard of by many modellers, Lifecolor have taken the trouble to create some helpful guides to assist us with learning the basics of this technique, which you can read by following the links below: NMM Steel (CS54) https://www.astromodel.it/media/fileexchange/cs54_official_guide_compressed.pdf UA 7013 Blinding Moon UA 7014 Riding Sky UA 7015 Thunder Vibe UA 7016 Phantom Blue UA 7017 Ambient Mass UA 7018 Revenge Black NMM Gold (CS53) https://www.astromodel.it/media/fileexchange/cs53_official_guide_compressed.pdf UA 7007 Bright Yellow UA 7008 Ochre Sandstorm UA 7009 Pure Green Light UA 7010 Rebel Brown UA 7011 Dark Code UA 7012 Poison Black Most of us will be aware of the quality of Lifecolor paints in general, and you can have a gander at my original review of their main range here when I was initially introduced to their brand many moons ago, and it’s a review that I have been updating ever since whenever new sets are launched. I thought that these sets were different enough in their intent that they deserved to have a separate review, especially for the PDFs above, for which you’ll need to either have a PDF reader installed, or have a recent browser such as Firefox, Chrome or if you really must, Microsoft Edge, all of which have PDF readers built into their code base, obviating the need for a download from Adobe of the traditional Acrobat Reader of yore. Conclusion It will take some skill and effort to make your work sparkle as well as Mr Gobbi’s work, but it’s an intriguing system that appeals to the dormant artist in me, although any talent I once had has long-since evaporated. If you manage to master the technique, you could just as easily apply it to two-dimensional artwork, should you be so inspired. Highly recommended. NMM Steel (CS54) NMM Gold (CS53) Review sample courtesy of
  4. Paint Rack (Tamiya & Gunze PR002) EBMA Hobby & Craft Paint storage becomes a necessity when you accumulate more than a few dozen tins/bottles/tubs, and wall racks are a great place to store them and retain complete visibility to the contents. There are lots of brands on the market, and many of them use MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) or Perspex that is laser cut to shape and can be self-assembled, which is great for keeping shipping costs to a minimum. EBMA have created their own line of racks, drawers and caddies from 6mm and 3mm MDF that are pre-cut ready for assembly. This one holds 42 bottles of Tamiya, Gunze or similar sized brands in a small wall-mounted form factor of 305 x 305 x 70mm. It arrives in a long narrow box that contains 15 parts, some of which are separated by card dividers for safety, with a small sheet of “instructions” completing the kit. The speech-marks are there because the sheet refers you to the EBMA website where you’ll find complete colour instructions in PDF form, which does a little bit to help reduce consumption of our forests, on the basis that every little helps. Your tablet, phone or screen are also less likely to blow away during construction. Construction is simple, and will require some PVA to glue the outer sections together, and having some clamps handy will be a boon for getting strong joints. The joints will also be stronger if you use proper woodworking PVA glue, which can be sourced online easily and cheaply if you’re in need. Don’t use your Klearfix, as it probably won’t have the necessary strength and is almost certain to be the most expensive way to put it together. What were you thinking? The end panels are slotted into the offset bottle rack parts, then two stiffeners are placed from top to bottom in the centre section, followed by adding the top and bottom panels, which are glued in, as are the two rear stiffeners that are fitted to the top and bottom of the back plane. The top stiffeners have two key-hole shaped holes cut into them that accepts a pair of screws to allow you to fix the rack to the wall. There is also a curved cut-out in the top rack part to allow adjustment of the screws if you should need to. Don’t forget to let that glue cure fully before you load it up though, or you’ll be sad. I tried Gunze and Tamiya pots in the rack and they fit great, as do Lifecolor pots, although there’s a wee bit more play around the pots. Other brands such as AK’s Real Colors (sic (if you’re British)) should also fit perfectly and I can attest to that having done so, as you can see above. The shot above shows the strengthening plates that also hold the rack square, as well as having holes for attachment to the wall. Conclusion These are well-designed paint racks are extremely space-friendly, assuming your modelling area has walls of course. They are neat and will keep your paints tidy and visible, and at the price they’re selling them for they’re absolutely excellent value. Get some – I’m going to be putting in an order for three or four more as soon as I can, as they’re so compact on the wall that you can put your whole paint stash out of harm’s way and free up some desk or drawer space for other things. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Aircraft Perfect Metal – Set 2 (CS 48) Lifecolor via The Airbrush Company We’re always on the look-out for new or better ways to recreate the shine and patina of natural metal, so my modelling ears always prick up when I hear of a new one. Lifecolor of Italy have been producing some good acrylic colours for years, and this new set contains a half dozen shades of metal colours, handily grouped together in a cardboard box to add to your collection. Each one comes in a 22ml plastic bottle with a black cap and sticky label to identify the contents. Inside the box are the following shades: (UA792) Polished Aluminium (UA793) White Aluminium (UA794) Dark Aluminium (UA795) Steel (UA796) Exhaust Jet (UA797) Burnt Iron As they’re a metallic, I thought it would be a good idea to spray some out onto the back of some spoons (can’t imagine where I got that idea!), as some metallics are better than others. I found that spraying the paint as a first mist coat was the best way to get a good finish, and finish off with successive light coats building up the colour. They’re absolutely FULL of pigment which is why they separate out quite readily when not in use, hence the note on the front of the box that says “BLACK BASE NOT REQUIRED”, so I took them at their word. There’s nothing harder to cover than a white base with metallics, so having recently bought 100 white plastic spoons, I was quite pleased. You can see the shades below, and on my screen they’re pretty much as they are in the real world, but I’d bet that a black or at least dark base would give a slightly different tone to them, so have a play around if you pick up a set. I wouldn’t say they’re the absolute easiest paints to use, and correct thinning is key as is the case with the rest of the range, so take your time and experiment with mixing, adjusting it as you progress until you have a mix you’re happy with. I’m very pleased with the finish overall, and of course I had a few mis-steps on the way, but that’s part of the learning process. They’re acrylic, so a lot less harmful for you and the environment than some of the lacquer metallics, and they don’t smell bad, however I still wouldn’t want to drink them, and would recommend you carry on wearing a proper respirator, especially if you’re spraying in a confined area. Tiny particles of any kind aren’t good for your lungs. Highly recommended.
  6. Shell Case Perfect Metal Acrylic Paint Set 1 (CS47) Lifecolor via The Airbrush Company Contains: UA786 Polished Steel Modern Shell, UA787 Lacquered Steel Late WWII German Shell, UA788 New Shell Brass Shade 1, UA789 New Shell Brass Shade 2, UA790 New Shell Brass Shade 3, UA791 Spent Shell Burned Brass I decided to test the “perfect” part of this set, as it’s always tempting to investigate an acrylic metallic to see if it’s a viable alternative to the lacquer paints I’ve used for years, but degrade and turn gritty after a while. The paints arrive in the usual 22ml plastic pots with black screw-capped lids. Inside the paint is quite viscous, so as I was spraying it for this test I thinned it with Ultimate Thinners. I used the upper wing halves from a kit that I’m never going to build, as my Fw.190 fuselage halves need stripping right now. After a little trial-and-error with the thinning, which was probably due to my rustiness having not used my airbrush for at least 3 months now, I sprayed out patches of each shade, and once dried the paints looked pretty good. The first three shades are pretty different in shade to each other, while the last three are similar, especially when painted right next to each other. This won’t matter when you’re painting a complete shell, and you can also mix them or overspray to give variations in tone, which is nice. The flake size of the paint is pleasingly small, which is often a cause for complaint about metallics, especially when exposed to artificial light. My photobooth is fairly strong indirect lighting, and although it exposed some poor airbrushing on my part, the flakes didn’t jump out at me. Lifecolor describe the paints as pigment rich and not needing a black undercoat. To test this hypothesis I put a quick coat of Tamiya rattle-can primer down beforehand, which seems to have been adequately covered by the paint where I applied it properly. As with most acrylics I gave the subject a light coat first, then put a heavier coat over after a few seconds, which on a model likely means you’ll never have to stop for a rest while the dust coat dries. Conclusion I like Lifecolor, and this set is a good one for metallics. The only drawback of all acrylics is their robustness, and if you scratch the paint it will damage. I usually get around this by adding a coat of clear gloss to most of my models once primary painting is complete (I think I can remember that far back). Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  7. Acrylic Primer Set (PS01) LifeColor via The Airbrush Company You may prime your models or not – it's a choice that we make with some pros and cons on either side, but generally speaking I fall into the category of being a modeller that primes my models. I feel it gives a standard colour and texture over which to paint your top coats, shows up imperfections that might need some attention, and generally gives the model a key onto which you add your next layers. This brings with it some requirements for a good primer. I prefer using a primer that is sandable, and adheres well to the plastic so it doesn't pull off the paint when you remove any masking. I also spray my primers predominantly, so the ability to run them through an airbrush is also a must. This new boxed set from LifeColor is mainly aimed at armour modellers judging by the colours, but as I only had an aircraft fuselage to play around with them, that's what you get! The paints arrive in the standard box with the six colours all held in a card insert. The bottles are 22ml and have black screw caps keeping the paint in and new labels with their name and number at bottom centre. Opening up the lids you can see what they mean, as it is immediately obvious that they are pigment rich, and thicker than the usual consistency of LC paints, as evidenced by the slow sinking of my glass mixing beads into the pots. In the set you get the following 6 colours: BC01 Primer Panzer Dark Grey BC02 Primer Red Brown BC03 Primer Olive Drab BC04 Primer Tank Interior BC05 Primer Burned Base BC06 Primer Panzer Yellow Airbrush Use The thickness of the paint has a knock-on effect of requiring more thinners to get it to spray through an airbrush (my nozzle is 0.2mm), and clean-up is extended slightly due to the pigment content. I got the mix a bit wrong in the Burned Base, which explains the slightly spitty demarcation with the Tank Interior White. It's easily corrected with a bit more thinner though, and for this review I used Ultimate Thinners, as usual. When thinned correctly it sprays well and covers well, as you'd expect with the whitish shade of Tank Interior White requiring a little extra care initially to mist on the primer with heavier coats to follow. Ignoring clean-up between the colours, there was little to slow me down and my ad hoc thinning method (i.e. "that looks about right") seemed suitable. Adhesion seems good from the outset and upon trying the aggressive masking, burnishing and ripping off the tape again there was almost no paint removed despite my best attempts. The paint that was removed appeared to have possibly had its adhesion reduced by some exterior factor – possibly a little oil from my fingers. Fresh paint didn't fare too well against a sanding stick and it peeled off rather than sanded off. After the paint had cured overnight on a warm day (21oc) however it reacted better to sanding sponges, but was still a little prone to tearing with sanding sticks of coarser grades that had no cushioning layers behind the abrasive. Saying all that, you're a lot less likely to need to sand seams with AFV models, which is where these paints are aimed. Brush Painting This was a bit of a novelty for me, as I'm a dyed-in-the-wool airbrush user. I painted the insides of the fuselage halves with an AMMO #6 flat brush without thinning, and was very pleased with the results. The paint goes on very smoothly and brush marks don't seem to be much of an issue. Whether there's an element of self-levelling in the formulation I can't say for certain, but the effect suggests that there may be. Only the Tank Interior White, which is actually a slightly off-white with a hint of yellow-brown needed a second coat to achieve even partial coverage with a brush. I would have added a third coat if I was actually building the model rather than just testing the paint. The Dark Yellow also needed a second coat, but would not need another one on the basis you would be painting over it. I'm sure a veteran brush-painter could make a better job of it, and the fact that I was painting around lots of internal ribs didn't help, but overall I'm quite impressed with the quality of finish. I'm not going to throw out my airbrushes just yet mind you! Conclusion LifeColor paints are good acrylics and clean up with water, Ultimate Airbrush Cleaner or their own thinners. If you're not using it on subjects that may need further sanding after application, they're a good base for your work. Airbrush or brush painting gives a good finish, and using a similar shade primer to your top coat allows greater freedom to achieve the results you're after. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  8. Royal Navy WW2 Colours Lifecolor I’ve been trying these paints out now for the last couple of months so thought it was about time I wrote up the review. I won’t reiterate what Mike has already said about Lifecolor paints HERE. These two sets have been out for quite a while now, but they have only just arrived at BM’s London offices. Fortunately though, I have already used some of the colours on my builds and they do work very nicely. My normal media is enamel but every now and then I like to get the acrylics out, particularly on cold days when I can’t have the patio door open. The first set covers mostly the greys used by the RN, and include:- UA631 – Dark Admiralty Grey 507A UA632 – Medium Admiralty Grey 507B UA633 – Light Admiralty Grey 507C UA634 – Light Grey B20 UA635 – Medium Green-Grey MS3 UA636 – Dark Blue-Grey B5 The second set covers the rather more garish and unusual colours, but also some of the most commonly used:- UA637 – Hull red UA638 – Western Approaches Blue UA639 – Western Approaches Green UA640 – White UA641 – Semtex Green UA642 – Corticene Whilst most of the colours have looked to be just about spot on when used, I found the Hull red a little too brown and dark, there should be a hint redder in my view. Detail painting using a brush proved to be a delight. The paint going on well and drying to the same tone as the sprayed paint, which I’ve found is not always the case when using enamels. For those times when you've left your airbrush uncleaned, or even the brushes you've used, then this new product will be just the job for you. It's designed to be used in conjunction with tap water, much like the paints, and all you have to do is give the brushes a rinse in water, before using the cleaner until the hairs are devoid of paint, when you give them another rinse in water and dry. For airbrushes, you will need to disassemble the airbrush and place in a carton to soak fro between fifteen and twenty minutes.Once cleaned, reassemble the airbrush and spray water through it. It might be an idea to use this cleaner in an ultrasonic bath, should you have one. Conclusion These are great paints, easy to use and with good colour density. The pigments are quite fine and definitely need to be thinned before using in the airbrush, although I found they didn’t clog as much as some. The cleaner is another handy item to have in you paint collection, especially as we don't always clean our airbrushes or brushes as well as we should. The cleaner is just the job for those times when we haven't cleaned our airbrushes or paint brushes as well as we should. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of:
  9. Good afternoon all, Hope you like my take on the 1/72 AModel Shavrov Sh-2 Hydroplane in Finland. AModel kits are good fun but you need a lot of patience... Kit required all parts to be removed from the runners with a razor saw, much reshaping and sanding (using wet n dry paper), and model filler smoothed flat using wet n dry paper - Preferably wet to cut down the dust debris. I used the new range of Lifecolor acrylic paints covering colors used by Finland - Brush painted as always. The big surprise for me was the decals they worked really well and even submitted my rough handling and application. I thoroughly enjoyed making this model kit and this won't be my last AModel kit for sure ! Comments and advice welcome.
  10. Liquid Pigment Sets LifeColor I've been a LifeColor user for some years now, and I really like their handy boxsets that include pretty much all you need to accomplish a task. These new sets are a bit of a new thing however, as they profess to be "Liquid Pigments", which is a new term to me. They are odourless, and can be washed off with water if wet, or removed using a special Remover liquid once dry. This gives the modeller a lot of leeway in weathering their model, applying effects here and there, or all over and then cutting any over application back as needed. They apply on a satin or gloss surface for best effect, and there is no stipulation of enamel or acrylic paint, so they're good to go for all surfaces. Each set contains six bottles with green lids containing 22ml of product, which I suspect will go a long way if used sparingly, and can be thinned with water if a more subdued effect is required. You can apply the liquid with a paintbrush or airbrush to achieve different effects, so their usefulness is quite varied. They are also able to be used as filters if diluted, and you can mix the colours together to obtain new shades for a specific use. If you decide to put a different colour over the original application, you'll need to fix it with a coat of varnish so that the shades don't bleed together, so you'd better be happy with the original coat before you fix it! The Remover is included in each set, and is a clear almost odourless liquid with just a faint hint of the chemicals that make it up. This is probably best used with a brush or cotton bud to remove any excess pigment after it has dried. The sets are themed for a particular subject, and are aimed primarily at Armour modeller, although like so many modelling techniques they would be equally at home on a heavily weathered aircraft, ship, vehicle or diorama. Brief instructions are given on the back of each box in Italian and English, with a few colour photos of the process to assist you in understanding their use. Detail Emphasiser (LP01) Contains: LPW01 Burnt Umber, LPW02 Black Umber, LPW03 Burned Olive Green, LPW04 Black Grey, LPW05 Colonial Dark Sand, RE Remover. Rust Wizard (LP02) Contains: LPW06 Deep Rust, LPW07 Eroding Light Rust, LPW08 Eroding Dark Rust, LPW09 Orange Marks, LPW10 Yellow Marks, RE Remover. Rain and Dust Makeup (LP03) Contains: LPW11 Rain Marks, LPW12 Road Dust, LPW13 Light Earth, LPW14 Dark Dust, LPW15 Soot, RE Remover. Hulls & Wooden Decks (LP04) Contains: LPW16 Fouling Green. LPW17 Surfaces Shadower, LPW18 Wooden Deck Darkener, LPW19 Wooden Deck Shadower, LPW20 Dried Salt, RE Remover. Wings & Fuselages Detail Emphasizer (LP06) Contains: LPW26 Black Liner, LPW27 Grey Liner, LPW28 Paynes Grey Liner, LPW29 Landing Gear Dust, LPW30 Blue Burned Exhaust, RE Remover. You can purchase the sets, or get individual colours to either suit your needs or top-up your sets after use, as well as getting the Remover separately in case you run out. Conclusion I haven't had chance to use these yet, so will report back when I have. That said however, LifeColor do make some good products, and I'm not expecting to be disappointed. I'm actually looking forward to using them – now where did I put that Jagdpanzer IV? Review sample courtesy of
  11. After many, many years, I have returned to modelling, and, having learnt the art of patience, do not want to make a complete bottom of my models like I used to(!) My first build will be a Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk22/24, and I will be airbrushing for the first time. I have read reviews concerning Lifecolor acrylic paints and would like to give them a try. However, I am having a few problems deciding on certain colours and I was hoping some one might be able to help. Most of the Revell colours listed in the instructions I can source as Lifecolor paints using one of the on line comparisons that are out there. However, there are a couple of blends that may have an equivalent Lifecolor match without having to do any mixing. The blends in question are: Revell Kit ID G, 40% matt black 8, 40% granite grey matt, and 20% aluminium metallic 99 Revell Kit ID H, 75% leather brown matt 84, 25% aluminium metallic 99 Revell Kit ID J, 33% yellow matt 15, 33% seagreen matt 48, and 34% stone grey matt 75 Revell Kit ID N, 60% blue matt 56, 40% mouse grey matt 47 If anyone has built this kit using Lifecolor paints I would be very interested in how you got on, and any advice on colour schemes in general for this build would be most gratefully received. Thanks in advance, Chris
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