Mike Posted September 18, 2023 Posted September 18, 2023 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: 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 6 1
bootneck Posted September 18, 2023 Posted September 18, 2023 Wow! Now that IS a review. Nice one Mike. cheers, Mike 1
Mike Posted September 18, 2023 Author Posted September 18, 2023 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 1
psdavidson Posted September 18, 2023 Posted September 18, 2023 that's a lot of paint (you must have a lifetime supply of satin and matt varnish from those sets) 1
Mike Posted September 19, 2023 Author Posted September 19, 2023 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 3
nheather Posted September 19, 2023 Posted September 19, 2023 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. 4
Mike Posted November 25, 2023 Author Posted November 25, 2023 Six new paint sets added to the bottom of the review
Mike Posted April 1, 2024 Author Posted April 1, 2024 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) 2 1
Mike Posted May 24, 2024 Author Posted May 24, 2024 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 Posted July 26, 2024 Author Posted July 26, 2024 Thread updated again with the following sets added to the bottom: Firefighters (3057) Humvee US Military Cars (3059) WWII Royal Navy (3060) Animals (3061) 1
bootneck Posted July 26, 2024 Posted July 26, 2024 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 Posted July 26, 2024 Author Posted July 26, 2024 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 1
Mike Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 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) 2
ckw Posted January 10 Posted January 10 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 Posted January 10 Posted January 10 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 Posted January 15 Author Posted January 15 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: 1
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