ICM Invader B-26K Acrylic Paint Set (3007) ICM via Hannants

[Julien]

Invader B-26K Acrylic Paint Set (3007)

ICM via Hannants

 

 

ICM have been a plastic model company that is well-known to most of us for quite a few years now, and until today(ish) they haven’t had their own paint range, which is now changing.  There are 77 acrylic colours in the initial range, plus three varnishes in matt, satin and gloss, all in the same 12ml plastic bottles.  A conversion chart is available that will give you equivalents in AK, Tamiya, Humbrol, Gunze, Testors, RLM, RAL, FS, Revell, AK Real Color, and even Citadel paints, although there aren’t many cross-overs in that last one. This set is designed to complement the new 1/48 B-26K which we reviewed here. However these can be used on any SEA Camouflaged Aircraft. You get Tan, and the two greens, plus silver, black and Satin Varnish in the set. 

 

 

 

This set arrives in a card box with a header tab at one end, and inside are six 12ml plastic bottle with white plastic lids.  While they bear a passing resemblance to another brand of paint from ICM’s neighbourhood, they have stated categorically on Facebook that it is not a collaboration. The paint is undiluted and quite thick, so will need thinning with water or acrylic thinner for use with an airbrush, and they naturally have a matt finish that can be adjusted by the use of varnishes, and are waterproof when dry. During testing, I used Ultimate Thinners, my now go-to thinners for any acrylic paint I use.  The paint comes out of the bottle quite thickly, so it’s possible you’ll have to dilute for good brush painting, so a small bottle will go a long way in either case. It sprays well when diluted, and like a lot of acrylics a light coat is best initially, then lay down heavier coats until you have the coverage you require. It dries quite quickly, and is touch-dry in 5-10 minutes in 20^oc temperatures.  All the solid colours went down without any major issues

 

 

Airbrush

I sprayed out a patch of each colour on a test plastic plastic sheet I picked up at a model show.  I chose to spray out the 3 main SEA colours and the silver.  You can see below.

 

 

They are very densely packed with pigment, and the paint is almost of the consistency of custard from some of the pots, so a little will go a long way.  I thinned them by eye based on other apints with Ultimate thinner which is my got product for any acrylic paint. I primed the cards to obtain a good consistent surface, for which I used a rattle can of Tamiya grey, as it was close to hand and convenient.  Primers give a surface a microscopic key that helps acrylic paint stick, as well as providing an even colour over which to paint, and show-up any blemishes before you put the final coats on your models.  The three main SEA colours laid down without any real issues and I liked the finish which is very matt. The Silver seemed very translucent so I checked it had been stirred correctly and laid down some more with no discernable difference. 

 

The airbrush I used for the test was my Iwata with a 0.3mm needle, and it suffered zero blockages and no paint drying on the tip even though it was a warm day, so if your airbrush has a nozzle larger than that, and most are between 0.2 and 0.35mm, it should give you no trouble at all in that respect, although I think I needed to thin the dark green some more as it started to clog. Overall I do like the three SEA colours, but im less impressed with the silver. This could be used with other paints I suspect to get a good metallic sheen on things. 

 

 

Paint Brush

@Mike who is not a brush painter, tested an earlier set for the German Marder here, and  was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to lay off the paint to reduce the appearance of brush strokes.  The paint is very nice to use, and it spreads around well on all but the driest of surfaces.

 

 

Conclusion

For a company that hasn’t been in the paint game before, ICM have hit the ground running with the quality of the paints.  Some people have wondered at 12ml being a little small, but you’re not paying for any extra water to be delivered to you, so it should balance out when you’ve thinned them sufficiently.  They seem good for airbrush and paint brush work. We very rarely mention price in any reviews as this can vary a lot, however these new sets from ICM do seem very competitive!  Im not Sure TBH if I would change my existing paint brands for these, but paint is quite a personal choice for modellers. Give them a go, see what you think. 

 

Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd.

 

Review sample courtesy of