ICM Acrylic Paint Sets

[Mike]

ICM Acrylic Paint Sets

ICM via H G Hannants Ltd

 

 

In 2021 ICM released their own Acrylic Paint range, and soon after began offering boxed sets that matched with their recent kit releases, which is good marketing, and helpful to the modellers building these kits.  The sets arrive in a cardboard box with six screw-capped bottles inside, each containing 12ml of paint.  The bottles are clear Polypropylene, and are capped with cylindrical tops that have knurled sides, and a one-time security seal that you break on first opening.  A label on the side gives you basic information about the colour and code, a little information regarding application in English and Ukrainian, plus a bar-code.

 

As is sensible with a new range of paints, we undertook some testing of the first issues to establish whether the paint was good for brushing and airbrushing, and what sort of finish you can achieve with their products.  They have released many sets since then, and so far we’ve been reviewing them separately, which is not only time intensive for us, but also means that they’ll be scattered throughout the Tools & Paint Review area, due to the time between releases and the volume of reviews that we post.

 

To counter this, we’ll be putting all the sets in this thread going forward, so that anyone with an ICM kit can check the availability of a suitable set, and only have to read that they have a polypropylene bottle holding 12ml of paint the once.  It should cut down on the instances of déjà vu too, which is always nice.  Below you can see the results of our initial testing, complete with painted spoons that help to show off the smoothness and effect that light and shade has on the colours.  The individual sets will be listed below these, with photos and a note of the colours included for your reference.

 

 

Testing with Airbrush

I used Ultimate Acrylic Thinners to dilute the paint to spray through my Gunze PS770 airbrush, which has a 0.18 needle chucked in.  The paint dilutes well once it has been mixed thoroughly, and sprays well through my airbrush, which has a smaller than usual needle that is a good test of the finesse of the pigment grind of any brand, some of which don’t spray very well though anything less than a 0.3mm needle.  There were no problems with blockages at all, and the coverage was excellent after my usual ad hoc dilution method, which was probably nowhere near the 40-60% thinners or water that’s suggested on the pack.  The photo below shows the five actual colours sprayed out onto plastic spoons that have been prepared by buffing with a fine grade flexible sanding stick of the kind you use in the penultimate step before buffing to a shine.  As the paint dried it obtained a highly matt finish with the exception of the Oily Steel paint, which is clearly semi-gloss.

 

 

 

The Satin Varnish also worked very well diluted with water, sprayed over the spoons that were also partially taped up to perform two functions at once.  The satin patina that resulted is exactly what was expected, and the tape lifted no paint at all, despite my best efforts to do so.  Bear in mind that the spoons were prepped by a buff with a very fine sanding sponge to give them a chance of adhesion.  There was very little damage to the cured paint from scraping my fingernails across the surface too.  There were track-marks of course, but no lifting of paint at all.

 

 

Testing with Paint Brush

As usual I used a #6 synthetic filbert brush from AMMO, which has slightly curved edges to keep tramlines in the paint to a minimum.  The colours brushed extremely well with one exception, which was the Oily Steel.  It appeared to pull up when over-brushed during application, despite the surface remaining wet, which resulted in the appearance of tiny fibre-like structures in the paint that led to a gritty finish that was also translucent even after two coats, obtaining a rather lumpy opaqueness after three coats.  The rest of the colours covered perfectly after two coats with minimal brush marks visible, which was thoroughly impressive to this long-lapsed brush painter, and some were almost completely opaque after one coat, save for the fact that they were laid down over a white surface.

 

 

 

The undiluted Satin Varnish brushed out well over the matt surface of the brush painted spoon undersides, and I had to leave it until the next day to have my evening meal.  The satin effect was excellent again, and the paint was tough enough to stand up to my fingernail test without lifting, although you can’t avoid leaving tracks across the surface due to the deposition of tiny particles from your fingernail on the surface.

 

 

The Sets

We’ve updated this review with all the sets that we’ve reviewed over the last couple of years (how time flies!), and will keep adding the new ones so that it becomes a comprehensive reference.

 

 

WWII Marder I (3003)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1060 Middle Stone, 1071 Camouflage Green, 1050 Saddle Brown, 1038 German Grey, 1027 Gun Metal, 1002 Matt Varnish

 

 

 

 

B-26K Invader (3007)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1072 US Dark Green, 1058 Tan Earth, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1002 Black, 1024 Silver, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

 

OV-10A Bronco (3008)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1071 Camouflage Green, 1031 Warm Grey, 1032 Blue Grey, 1026 Oily Steel, 1002 Black, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

 

 

Laffly (3009)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1072 US Dark Green, 1042 Pale Sand, 1052 Hull Red, 1039 Rubber Black, 1027 Gun Metal, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Colours (3010)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1001 White, 1002 Black, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1004 Deep Red, 1005 Dark Blue, 1006 Deep Green

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

USAAF Pilots 1944-45 (1012)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1002 Black, 1008 Deep Brown, 1052 Hull Red, 1068 Olive Green, 1044 Basic Skin Tone, 1059 Green Ochre

 

 

 

 

American Civil War Union Infantry (3013)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1037 Dark Grey, 1026 Oily Steel, 1075 Grey-Blue, 1050 Saddle Brown, 1017  Gold, 1043 Light Flesh

 

 

 

 

German WWII Aviation (3014)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1074 Pale Blue, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1070 German Field Grey, 1035 Grey-Green, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

 

 

WWII Soviet Aviation (3016)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1032 Blue Grey, 1033 Sky Grey, 1036 neutral Grey, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1071 Camouflage Green, 2003 Gloss varnish

 

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

Bundeswehr Vehicles & AFVs (3017)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1026 Oily Steel, 1060 Middle Stone, 1072 US Dark Green, 1039 Rubber Black, 1052 Hull Red, 1073 4BO

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

WWII Royal Air Force (3018)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1054 Chocolate, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1037 Dark Grey, 1032 Blue Grey, 1027 Gun Metal, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

US Cargo Trucks (3019)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1046 Blood Red, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1066 grass Green, 1068 Olive Green, 1001 White, 2003 Matt Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Try Me (3020)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1001 White, 1002 Black, 1027 Gun Metal, 1073 4BO Green, 1011 Clear Red, 2004 Grey Primer

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII Japanese Aviation (3021)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1063 Green-Grey, 1023 Aluminium, 1025 Natural Steel, 1062 British Khaki, 1073 4BO Green, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

US Helicopter Pilots – Vietnam War (3023)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1060 Middle Stone, 1062 British Khaki, 1002 Black, 1072 US Dark Green, 1073 4BO Green, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWI US Infantry (3024)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1059 Green Ochre, 1055 Deck Tan, 1061 Green Brown, 1050 Saddle Brown, 1008 Deep Brown, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Armed Forces of Ukraine (3025)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1072 US Dark Green, 1035 Grey Green, 1041 Buff, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1054 Chocolate, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

US Helicopters (3026)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1071 Camouflage Green, 1072 US Dark Green, 1001 White, 1007 Deep Red, 1027 Gun Metal, 1011 Clear Red

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Ghost of Kyiv (3027)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1028 Offwhite, 1033 Sky Grey, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 1037 Dark Grey, 1038 German Grey, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

 

 

US Aviation 1980-90 (3028)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1055 Deck Tan, 1056 Light Earth, 1039 Rubber Black, 1072 US Dark Green, 1032 Blue Grey, 1011 Clear Red

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Ships of the Kriegsmarine (3029)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1007 Deep Red, 1018 Brass, 1037 Dark Grey, 1056 Light Earth, 1027 Gun Metal, 1011 Clear Red

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Civilians (3030)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1005 Deep Purple, 1008 Deep Brown, 1009 Deep Green, 1030 Ivory, 1047 Matt Red, 1077 Dark Blue

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Fire Trucks (3031)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1001 White, 1007 Deep Red, 1039 Rubber Black, 1023 Aluminium, 1060 Middle Stone, 1012 Clear Blue

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII German Tank Crew (3032)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1024 Silver, 1004 intense Pink, 1002 Black, 1036 Neutral Grey, 1070 German Field Grey, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII RAF Pilots (3033)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1077 Dark Blue, 1075 Grey Blue, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1054 Chocolate, 1060 Middle Stone, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

American Civil War Confederate Infantry (3034)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1075 Grey Blue, 1076 Deep Sky Blue, 1036 Neutral Grey, 1055 Deck Tan, 1020 Bronze, 2002 Satin varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Personal Protective Equipment (3035)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1045 Medium, Orange, 1035 Grey Green, 1011 Clear Red, 1039 Rubber Black, 1015 Clear Yellow, 1024 Silver

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

WWII Aircraft Armament (3036)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1071 Camouflage Green, 1057 Ochre, 1037 Dark Grey, 1002 Black, 1072 US Dark Green, 1026 Oily Steel

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

WWII US Infantry (3037)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1041 Buff, 1058 Tan Earth, 1031 Warm Grey, 1072 US Dark Green, 1008 Deep Brown, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Wehrmacht Trucks (3038)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1038 German Grey, 1040 Beige, 1029 White Grey, 1052 Hull Red, 1072 US Dark green, 2003 Gloss varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Combat Vehicles Armed Forces of Ukraine (3040)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1001 White, 1011 Clear Red, 1027 Gun Metal, 1072 US Dark Green, 1039 Rubber Black, 1073 4BO Green

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

WWI British Infantry (3042)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1018 Brass, 1059 Green Ochre, 1071 Camouflage Green, 1062 British Khaki, 1052 Hull Red, 2001 Matt Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Military Equipment Armed Forces of Ukraine (3039)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1027 Gun Metal 1008 Deep Brown 1072 US Dark Green 1041 Buff 1002 Black 1073 4BO Green

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Armed Forces of Ukraine (3041)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1028 Off White 1072 US Dark Green 1058 Tan Earth 1062 British Khaki 1054 Chocolate 1031 Warm Grey

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWI & WWII Weapon & Equipment (3043)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1025 Natural Steel 1027 Gun Metal 1035 Grey Green 1031 Warm Grey 1053 Leather Brown 1002 Black

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWI German Infantry (3044)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1008 Deep Brown 1037 Dark Grey 1070 German Field Grey 1034 Dark Sea Grey 1038 German Grey 1072 US Dark Green

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWI French Infantry (3045)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1075 Grey Blue 1076 Deep Sky Blue 1046 Blood Red 1055 Deck Tan 1008 Deep Brown 1002 Black

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Luftwaffe Pilots (3046)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1077 Dark Blue 1002 Black 1003 Deep Yellow 1054 Chocolate 1028 Off White 1024 Silver

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII US Aviation (3047)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1071 Camouflage Green, 1001 White, 1068 Olive Green, 1002 Black, 1023 Aluminium, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Wehrmacht Afrika Korps (3049)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1059 Green Ochre, 1041 Buff, 1038 German Grey, 1058 Tan Earth, 1060 Middle Stone, 1061 Green Brown

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII British Royal Navy Aviation (3050)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1074 Pale Blue, 1069 Extra Dark Grey, 1033 Sky Grey, 1022 Burnt Tin, 1028 Off White, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWI US Vehicles (3051)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1071 Camouflage Green, 1056 Light Earth, 1002 Black, 1060 Middle Stone, 1037 Dark Grey, 1051 Dark Rust

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII Military Vehicles of Britain (3052)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1069 Extra Dark Green, 1060 Middle Stone, 1061 Green Brown, 1028 Off White, 1071 Camouflage Green, 2002 Satin Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII German U-Boats (3053)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1033 Sky Grey, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 1037 Dark Grey, 1018 Brass, 1026 Oily Steel, 1011 Clear Red

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

US Cars 1930-40s (3048)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1077 Dark Blue, 1009 Deep Green, 1007 Deep Red, 1031 Warm Grey, 1064 Lime Green, 1065 Interior Yellow Green

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII British Infantry (3054)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1069 Extra Dark Green, 1027 Gun Metal, 1062 British Khaki, 1059 Green Ochre, 1008 Deep Brown

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Civil Aviation (3055)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1001 White, 1077 Dark Blue, 1007 Deep Red, 1024 Silver, 1045 Medium Orange, 1034 Dark Sea Grey

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII Japanese Pilots (3056)

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1050 Saddle Brown, 1026 Oily Steel, 1061 Green Brown, 1052 Hull Red, 1041 Buff, 1072 US Dark Green

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

Firefighters (3057)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1059 Green Ochre, 1002 Black, 1038 German Grey, 1011 Clear Red, 1054 Chocolate, 2007 Green Primer

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Humvee US Military Cars (3059)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

2005 Black Primer, 1056 Light Earth, 1052 Hull Red, 1072 US Dark Green, 1073 4B0 Green, 1038 German Grey

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII Royal Navy (3060)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1049 Medium Rust, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 2004 Grey Primer, 1074 Pale Blue, 1037 Dark Grey, 1042 Pale Sand

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Animals (3061)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1039 Rubber Black, 2009 White Primer, 1043 Light Flesh, 1008 Deep Brown, 1006 Deep Orange, 1053 Leather Brown

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

American Cars of the Early 20th Century (3058)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1010 Deep Blue, 2005 Black Primer, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1068 Olive Green, 1066 Grass Green, 2003 Gloss Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII US Armoured Vehicles (3062)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1027 Gun Metal, 1041 Buff, 1071 Camouflage Green, 1072 US Dark Green, 2005 Black Primer, 1001 White

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWII Imperial Japanese Navy (3064)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1049 Medium Rust, 1036 Neutral Grey, 1047 Matt Red, 1038 German Grey, 2004 Grey Primer, 2003 Gloss Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

German Civilian Cars of the 1930s (3065)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1046 Blood Red, 1040 Beige, 1002 Black, 1024 Silver, 1010 Deep Blue, 2003 Gloss Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Medieval Warriors (3066)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1025 Natural Steel, 1026 Oily Steel, 1058 Tan Earth, 1053 Leather Brown, 1017 Gold, 1019 Rusty Brass

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Ancient Warriors (3068)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1024 Silver, 1020 Bronze, 1047 Matt Red, 1019 Rusty Brass, 1026 Oily Steel, 1053 Leather Brown

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

WWI German Aviation (3069)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1001 White, 1002 Black, 1046 Blood Red, 1056 Light Earth, 1072 US Dark Green, 1076 Deep Sky Blue

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Napoleonic Wars (3072)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1006 Deep Orange, 1007 Deep Red, 1009 Deep Green, 1017 Gold, 1028 Offwhite, 1077 Dark Blue

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Leopard Tanks (3073)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1070 German Field grey, 1039 Rubber Black, 1026 Oily Steel, 1028 Offwhite, 2005 Black Primer, 1052 Hull Red

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

’Flak Bait’ B-26B (3074)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1002 Black, 1036 Neutral Grey, 1068 Olive Green, 1071 Camouflage Green, 1072 US Dark Green, 2004 Grey Primer

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Black Hawk US Helicopter Acrylic Paint Set (3067)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1002 Black, 1033 Sky Grey, 1038 German Grey, 1056 Light Earth, 1072 US Dark Green, 2003 Gloss Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Hochseeflotte WWI Imperial German Navy (3075))

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1047 Matt Red, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 1056 Light Earth, 1008 Deep Brown, 1033 Sky Grey, 2005 Black Primer

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Wargame Colour Set #1 (3076)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1007 Deep Red, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1044 Basic Skin Tone, 1025 Natural Steel, 1010 Deep blue, 1042 Pale Sand

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

Luftwaffe Night Bombers (3085)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1071 Camouflage Green, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1074 Pale Blue, 1039 Rubber Black, 1037 Dark grey, 1002 Black

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

The paints were excellent through the airbrush with nothing in the way of drama during the testing process, including the metallics and varnish.  The solid colours also brushed out very well, as did the varnishes.

 

There is a little less paint in the bottles than some brands, but a shade more than others, so it’s about average.  That is more than offset by the very reasonable price they’re asking for the set, even at RRP.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd.

Review sample courtesy of

 

 

[bootneck]

Wow! Now that IS a review.  Nice one Mike.

 

cheers,
Mike

[Mike]

1 hour ago, bootneck said:

Wow! Now that IS a review.  Nice one Mike.

I was going to leave the older sets until another day, but knowing me, if I didn't do it then, I'd only forget, so that's all of 'em so far, with the new ones down the bottom.  Took quite a while, but at least most of the photos were already done

[psdavidson]

that's a lot of paint (you must have a lifetime supply of satin and matt varnish from those sets)

[Mike]

5 hours ago, psdavidson said:

that's a lot of paint (you must have a lifetime supply of satin and matt varnish from those sets)

Gave it all to Julien, as I don’t have enough storage space. He’s probably drunk it all by now  

[nheather]

I get quite attracted by paint sets, usually a little cheaper than buying the paints individually but I am often frustrated to find sets bulked out with basic colours that I already have.  For example, I’ll see a set of Luftwaffe colours or German Armour and find that there is black and gunmetal in there to bulk out the numbers.

 

A real example - I am doing a Napoleonic skirmish game so was attracted by the Vallejo French and British Napoleonic sets - you’d think it were a common scenario to buy both but if I did I’d find I had two bottles each of off-white, London grey and oily steel.  So I ended up buying one set and individuals for the others which was a little irritating.

 

Also, I find the names of some of the colours a little disconcerting. They may very well be exactly the correct shade but it still doesn’t feel right painting my Bristol Beaufort using Extra Dark Green, Chocolate and Blue Grey.

[Mike]

Six new paint sets added to the bottom of the review

[Mike]

Topic updated with six new sets at the bottom of the mega-review.  The sets are as follows:

 

• WWII US Aviation (3047)
• Wehrmacht Afrika Korps (3049)
• WWII British Royal Navy Aviation (3050)
• WWI US Vehicles (3051)
• WWII Military Vehicles of Britain (3052)
• WWII German U-Boats (3053)

[Mike]

Topic updated again with the following sets added to the bottom:

 

• US Cars 1930-40s (3048)
• WWII British Infantry (3054)
• Civil Aviation (3055)
• WWII Japanese Pilots (3056)

[Mike]

Thread updated again with the following sets added to the bottom:

• Firefighters (3057)
• Humvee US Military Cars (3059)
• WWII Royal Navy (3060)
• Animals (3061)

[bootneck]

It's good that you display them all under the same thread Mike,  it helps when I am trying to find the next set that I want to get.

 

cheers,
Mike

[Mike]

14 minutes ago, bootneck said:

It's good that you display them all under the same thread Mike, 

I just hope I don't reach some limit in the number of pics, as there used to be one in version 2.x

[Mike]

We've updated our review to include the following TEN new and recent sets:

 

• American Cars of the Early 20th Century (3058)
• WWII US Armoured Vehicles (3062)
• WWII Imperial Japanese Navy (3064)
• German Civilian Cars of the 1930s (3065)
• Medieval Warriors (3066)
• Ancient Warriors (3068)
• WWI German Aviation (3069)
• Napoleonic Wars (3072)
• Leopard Tanks (3073)
• ’Flak Bait’ B-26B (3074)

(HINT: They're at the bottom of the first post)

[Philly1860]

Fantastic reviewing Mike. Thanks for this.

Colin

[mick]

great review

[ckw]

I'm a bit dubious about these with regard to the actual colour - aside for giving some of the paints rather unexpected names, there appears to be no reference to any standard colours (e.g FS, RLM BS) - so exactly what are these colours? For example I see they use US Dark Green and 4BO Green (amongst others) on a variety of subjects from a range of nations and periods. That can't be correct (or if it was, then a number of other paint makers and experts have been conning us for years!). 

 

Now I get the point of them - it's a nice idea to be able to buy a kit along with the required paints, and for the casual hobbyist, an approximate colour match is probably good enough. But I don't think ICM can be taken as a serious paint producer with this rather generic approach to colour. I expect some of the colours are actually a very good match to something, but its going to take someone considerable time to create equivalence tables so that we know what the good matches are.

 

Of course many, perhaps most, modellers are not so hung up on colour accuracy (despite what the postings on BM suggest ) and perhaps the key take away is ease of use, sensible price and the convenience of paint sets.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Graham Boak]

A generic (let's be kind) approach to colour naming and accuracy doesn't seem to have hurt Vallejo commercially.  I have a couple of acrylic sets for experimental/specialist use but don't find having to pay for paints I don't want "sensible" pricing.  OK for starting off with generics that might well prove useful in the long run.  Mind you, I'd love to have the money back for paints I haven't used since buying because I might.

 

[Mike]

Review updated to include the following:

 

Black Hawk US Helicopter Acrylic Paint Set (3067)

 

 

This set contains the following colours:

 

1002 Black, 1033 Sky Grey, 1038 German Grey, 1056 Light Earth, 1072 US Dark Green, 2003 Gloss Varnish

 

 

The rear of the box shows the following:

 

 

[Mike]

Review updated with the following three new(ish) sets:

 

Hochseeflotte WWI Imperial German Navy (3075))

 

 

Wargame Colour Set #1 (3076)

 

 

Luftwaffe Night Bombers (3085)

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

Without giving their paints proper names (eg putting RLM numbers on RLM paints) I don't think these will be popular

[Troy Smith]

On 10/01/2025 at 09:17, ckw said:

I expect some of the colours are actually a very good match to something, but its going to take someone considerable time to create equivalence tables so that we know what the good matches are.

 

8 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

Without giving their paints proper names (eg putting RLM numbers on RLM paints) I don't think these will be popular

 

@Casey 

has analysed them, says many are single or simple  pigment mixes and are very good for mixing,  complex pigment are not, and has also provided mix recipes.

I know many people don't like mixing, but bitter experience with supposed matches is unless you have a reliable review or a company dedicated to to getting it right then it is the only way to get close to given standards.

HTH 

[Casey]

I have tested those paints much more extensively than many others. 

 

I quickly noticed that someone who knows a lot about painting designed the colors and pigments in them. I am not sure if it was someone from ICM or someone who actually got contracted to do so but here are my observations:

 

The paints are small and relatively expensive compared to buying artist paints in bulk, but compared to other modeller paints they price is excellent. The consistency is aimed for brush painting and you need to thin them for airbrushing.

 

Paint color gamut is on par with artist paints. If you look for a set that will let you get most of the colors with relatively small set of paints, this is a very good choice. The paint color gamut refers to the range of colors that can be produced or represented using a specific set of paints, pigments, or colorants under defined conditions. It defines the boundary of achievable colors within a color space.

 

Here is the full range as measured in reality - this is a snapshot from my paint mixer, so bear in mind some extra columns used to control the mixing:

 

 

ICM-1001 till ICM-1010 contain basic paints. Black, White, and single pigments. 

ICM-1011 to ICM-1016 contain paints marked as 'Clear' - those are diluted single pigments without filler. They are marketed as 'clear paints' by vendor but I feel this was not their designed use - those are paints that seem to be made by an artist to easily shift the other paint hues since adding a small amount of them can make all the difference. 

ICM-1028 to ICM-1039 are base greys, in addition to brightness ladder they contain greys tinted towards yellow (like ICM 1030), blue (ICM1032) or green (ICM1035). They will probably be a base for most of the mixes.

ICM-1040 to ICM-1044 are skin tones. ICM has a lot of figures so it makes full sense to me. Those colors are of course very useful for mixing too since they contain small amount of red/sienna/orange pigments and can be used for more precise tints. 

ICM-1045 to ICM-1054 is the red/brown ladder. One of magic exceptions there is Wine Red. This is very pigment heavy paint, much more than any others in the range, in fact it is a perfect mauve color - if you dilute it 1:10 with white that is.

ICM-1055 to ICM-1062 is the Sienna/Khaki ladder and together with

ICM-1063 to ICM-1073 which is the similar ladder to above but olives/greens - they are great base for many military shades.

ICM-1074 to ICM-1077 is a blue ladder.

 

Those colors do not seem to be designed for aiming for color equivalences though. If there are any, they accidental and more like "If it looks eye squinting right then it will do". That's why they do not seem to have names that modellers might expect/want. 

They are great compromise of not having 1000's colors in range nor having a 80 similar colors in range that have tiny gamut (hello Tamiya XF). 

 

And, since I have very detailed data about those paints, I am able to use them for preparing recipes. For example, I was able to achieve very precise color matches (far above most of the modeller paints out of the bottles) for whole RAF MAP range without issues. To not to be empty handed, here they are:

 

Spoiler

RAF MAP recipes for ICM by VOLUME

 

Light Earth
1 parts ICM-1041 - Buff
1 parts ICM-1044 - Basic Skin Tone
2 parts ICM-1059 - Green Ochre
DE00: 0.64

 

Dark Earth
1 parts ICM-1008 - Deep Brown
1 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1061 - Green-Brown
1 parts ICM-1062 - British Khaki
1 parts ICM-1074 - Pale Blue
DE00: 0.42

 

Light Green
4 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1068 - Olive Green
2 parts ICM-1072 - US Dark Green
DE00: 0.30

 

Dark Green
1 parts ICM-1002 - Black
1 parts ICM-1042 - Pale Sand
1 parts ICM-1057 - Ochre
1 parts ICM-1072 - US Dark Green
DE00: 0.64

 

Extra Dark Sea Green
1 parts ICM-1030 - Ivory
1 parts ICM-1069 - Extra Dark Green
1 parts ICM-1073 - Russian Green
DE00: 0.77

 

Grey Green
4 parts ICM-1014 - Clear Green
2 parts ICM-1035 - Grey-Green
2 parts ICM-1041 - Buff
1 parts ICM-1076 - Deep Sky Blue
DE00: 0.75

 

Medium Sea Grey
1 parts ICM-1013 - Clear Smoke
2 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
DE00: 0.35

 

Dark Sea Grey
1 parts ICM-1029 - White Grey
1 parts ICM-1038 - German Grey
1 parts ICM-1063 - Green Grey
DE00: 0.47

 

Extra Dark Sea Grey
1 parts ICM-1038 - German Grey
1 parts ICM-1042 - Pale Sand
DE00: 0.40

 

Ocean Grey
1 parts ICM-1029 - White Grey
1 parts ICM-1038 - German Grey
1 parts ICM-1044 - Basic Skin Tone
1 parts ICM-1056 - Light Earth
1 parts ICM-1075 - Grey Blue
DE00: 0.72

 

Light Slate Grey
2 parts ICM-1014 - Clear Green
1 parts ICM-1034 - Dark Sea Grey
1 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
DE00: 0.60

 

Dark Slate Grey
1 parts ICM-1008 - Deep Brown
5 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1066 - Grass Green
1 parts ICM-1073 - Russian Green
DE00: 0.32

 

Sky Grey
2 parts ICM-1029 - White Grey
1 parts ICM-1034 - Dark Sea Grey
1 parts ICM-1043 - Light Flesh
1 parts ICM-1074 - Pale Blue
DE00: 0.70

 

Sky
1 parts ICM-1028 - Off White
1 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
1 parts ICM-1040 - Beige
DE00: 0.87

 

Deep Sky
1 parts ICM-1005 - Deep Purple
1 parts ICM-1034 - Dark Sea Grey
1 parts ICM-1077 - Dark Blue
DE00: 0.82

 

Sky Blue
3 parts ICM-1001 - White
1 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
1 parts ICM-1033 - Sky Grey
DE00: 1.15

 

Azure Blue
2 parts ICM-1001 - White
1 parts ICM-1005 - Deep Purple
1 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
1 parts ICM-1076 - Deep Sky Blue
DE00: 0.91

 

Light Mediterranean Blue
1 parts ICM-1005 - Deep Purple
1 parts ICM-1074 - Pale Blue
3 parts ICM-1075 - Grey Blue
DE00: 0.79

 

Dark Mediterranean Blue
1 parts ICM-1010 - Deep Blue
1 parts ICM-1033 - Sky Grey
1 parts ICM-1045 - Medium Orange
DE00: 0.44

 

P.R.U. Blue
2 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1056 - Light Earth
1 parts ICM-1077 - Dark Blue
DE00: 0.81

 

Middle Stone
1 parts ICM-1016 - Clear Orange
1 parts ICM-1031 - Warm Grey
1 parts ICM-1057 - Ochre
DE00: 0.50

 

Night
1 parts ICM-1002 - Black
1 parts ICM-1013 - Clear Smoke
1 parts ICM-1039 - Rubber Black
DE00: 0.19

 

Yellow
1 parts ICM-1003 - Deep Yellow
2 parts ICM-1016 - Clear Orange
1 parts ICM-1044 - Basic Skin Tone
DE00: 1.10

 

Red
1 parts ICM-1047 - Matt Red
1 parts ICM-1049 - Medium Rust
1 parts ICM-1061 - Green-Brown
DE00: 0.88

 

Blue
1 parts ICM-1010 - Deep Blue
1 parts ICM-1011 - Clear Red
2 parts ICM-1012 - Clear Blue
1 parts ICM-1037 - Dark Grey
DE00: 0.63

 

Matt Red
1 parts ICM-1005 - Deep Purple
3 parts ICM-1046 - Blood Red
1 parts ICM-1057 - Ochre
DE00: 0.37

 

Matt Blue
1 parts ICM-1007 - Deep Red
1 parts ICM-1010 - Deep Blue
1 parts ICM-1012 - Clear Blue
1 parts ICM-1028 - Off White
DE00: 0.57

 

Semi Matt Black
2 parts ICM-1002 - Black
1 parts ICM-1039 - Rubber Black
1 parts ICM-1052 - Hull Red
DE00: 0.30

 

With these paints I can produce excellent approximations of virtually any military colour - excluding fluorescents - that’s available straight from the bottle in most model‑making paint ranges. A little mixing is enough for a decent match, and if you need an almost perfect one, a slightly more involved mixes like the example above will do the trick.

Edited October 26 by Casey

[Casey]

And just to add the above, here are recipes for RLM colors (based on M&K reference source, with extra addition of the RLM83 blue color reproduction from the research I've explained here 

 

 

 

Spoiler

RLM - Merrick and Kiroff - Vol 2 Card 2 - in der Luftwaffe verwendete Farbtöne in den Jahren nach 1941

ICM Recipes by VOLUME

 

those three numbers after | represent gloss level at 20/60/85 degrees gloss meter

DE00 is in D65 light conditions, matches are low metameric wherever possible

 

RAL 6006-840 R (feldgrau) | GU 0.3, 2.7, 10.4
1 parts ICM-1038 - German Grey
1 parts ICM-1061 - Green-Brown
1 parts ICM-1069 - Extra Dark Green
1 parts ICM-1071 - Camouflage Green
DE00: 0.82

 

RAL 7028 - 840 R (dunkelgelb (II)) | GU 0.6, 1.6, 6.7
2 parts ICM-1016 - Clear Orange
1 parts ICM-1060 - Middle Stone
1 parts ICM-1063 - Green Grey
DE00: 0.50

 

RLM 02 | RLM-grau | GU 0.5, 2.2, 8.4
2 parts ICM-1041 - Buff
1 parts ICM-1070 - German Field Grey
1 parts ICM-1074 - Pale Blue
DE00: 0.61

 

RLM 65 | hellblau | GU 2.2, 14.2, 37.8
3 parts ICM-1001 - White
1 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
1 parts ICM-1075 - Grey Blue
DE00: 0.82

 

RLM 66 | schwarzgrau | GU 0.2, 2.1, 8.6
1 parts ICM-1035 - Grey-Green
1 parts ICM-1039 - Rubber Black
DE00: 0.38

 

RLM 70 | schwarzgrün | GU 0.7, 6.8, 24.7
1 parts ICM-1069 - Extra Dark Green
1 parts ICM-1070 - German Field Grey
DE00: 0.53

 

RLM 71 | dunkelgrün | GU 0.5, 5.1, 19.8
1 parts ICM-1070 - German Field Grey
DE00: 0.68. That was easy

 

RLM 72 | grün | GU 0.7, 7.0, 22.9
2 parts ICM-1039 - Rubber Black
1 parts ICM-1073 - Russian Green
DE00: 0.40

 

RLM 73 | grün | GU 1.1, 10.7, 38.2
3 parts ICM-1012 - Clear Blue
1 parts ICM-1072 - US Dark Green
DE00: 0.71

 

RLM 74 | graugrün | GU 0.2, 1.5, 6.3
1 parts ICM-1039 - Rubber Black
1 parts ICM-1055 - Deck Tan
1 parts ICM-1060 - Middle Stone

DE00: 0.66

 

RLM 75 | grauviolett | GU 0.3, 2.5, 8.4
1 parts ICM-1006 - Deep Orange
3 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1037 - Dark Grey
DE00: 0.84

 

RLM 76 | lichtblau | GU 1.0, 4.1, 13.5
1 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
1 parts ICM-1033 - Sky Grey
DE00: 0.70

 

RLM 77 | (dunkelgrau) | GU 0.8, 2.7, 8.5
2 parts ICM-1001 - White
1 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1055 - Deck Tan
DE00: 0.60

 

RLM 78 | (blau) | GU 0.7, 3.9, 12.7
1 parts ICM-1012 - Clear Blue
2 parts ICM-1032 - Blue Grey
1 parts ICM-1036 - Neutral Grey
1 parts ICM-1043 - Light Flesh
DE00: 0.33

 

RLM 78 | (himmelblau) | GU 0.6, 2.6, 8.9
1 parts ICM-1012 - Clear Blue
2 parts ICM-1031 - Warm Grey
1 parts ICM-1043 - Light Flesh
1 parts ICM-1074 - Pale Blue

 

DE00: 0.39

RLM 79 | (sandgelb) | GU 0.4, 1.8, 7.0
1 parts ICM-1049 - Medium Rust
1 parts ICM-1056 - Light Earth
1 parts ICM-1061 - Green-Brown
1 parts ICM-1074 - Pale Blue

DE00: 0.61

 

RLM 80 | (olivgrün) | GU 0.5, 4.9, 18.1
1 parts ICM-1069 - Extra Dark Green
1 parts ICM-1071 - Camouflage Green
DE00: 0.89

 

RLM 81 | (dunkelbraun) | GU 0.2, 2.2, 10.7
1 parts ICM-1013 - Clear Smoke
1 parts ICM-1037 - Dark Grey
1 parts ICM-1050 - Saddle Brown
DE00: 0.50

 

RLM 82 | ((oliv)-grün) | GU 1.1, 9.6, 28.2
3 parts ICM-1035 - Grey-Green
1 parts ICM-1071 - Camouflage Green
1 parts ICM-1073 - Russian Green
DE00: 0.52

 

RLM 83 | (dunkel-grün) | GU 0.5, 4.9, 20.7
1 parts ICM-1038 - German Grey
1 parts ICM-1060 - Middle Stone
1 parts ICM-1061 - Green-Brown
1 parts ICM-1070 - German Field Grey
DE00: 0.49

 

RLM 83 | (blau) - Casey from the https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235129691-rlm-83-color-reproduction-its-blue/
1 parts ICM-1007 - Deep Red
1 parts ICM-1010 - Deep Blue
1 parts ICM-1016 - Clear Orange
1 parts ICM-1067 - Dark Green
DE00: 0.27

 

RLM ? | (hellgrünblau) | GU 1.3, 3.3, 9.2
1 parts ICM-1001 - White
1 parts ICM-1014 - Clear Green
1 parts ICM-1029 - White Grey
2 parts ICM-1063 - Green Grey
DE00: 0.69

 

Edited October 30 by Casey