Compatibility Test between AK Interactive and Tamiya Acrylics - A "Highball" Experiment

In early May, I ran an experiment to test the compatibility of Tamiya acrylics with AK Interactive’s 3Gen and Quick Gen paints. It led to some interesting discoveries, which I'd like to share with you.

Tamiya acrylics have been a market staple since the 1980s, yet they’ve always been notoriously difficult to brush paint—mainly because a second coat usually strips the first. Using AK Interactive 3rd Gen Thinner (AK11500) completely solves this. It thins the paint beautifully while subduing its corrosive properties, enabling seamless layering over previous coats.

Pair that with using AK’s Ultra Matt Varnish as a medium to boost translucency and eliminate watermarks, and the workflow transforms entirely. This discovery has allowed me to yield better results in a fraction of the time.

The test subject is a 1/35 scale figure from Tamiya's German Infantry Set (Mid-WWII, item 35371). The figure was primed using AK Interactive’s Real Colors lacquer-based Flat Varnish (RC801) to create a porous tooth without adding unnecessary paint thickness.

• Tunic: Undercoated with Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey. Shading was done with Quick Gen Field Grey (AK17072) thinned with 3rd Gen Thinner. Highlights were applied using a mix of XF-65 Field Grey and Ivory (AK11004), thinned with Ultra Matt Varnish (AK11252).

• Trousers: Undercoated with Tamiya XF-63 German Grey. Shaded with Quick Gen (AK17071), and highlighted with a mixture of XF-63 and Ivory (AK11004) thinned with Ultra Matt Varnish (AK11252).

• Helmet: Undercoated with a 3:2 mix of XF-63 German Grey and XF-65 Field Grey.

• Collar: Undercoated with XF-61 Dark Green and shaded with Quick Gen Space Dark Green (AK17019).

• Webbing & Ammo Pouches: Undercoated with Tenebrous Grey (AK11026) and shaded using Quick Gen Black (AK17047).

I will elaborate on the painting of the web equipment on the next update, so stay tuned.

Cheers,

Calvin