A self-avowed “gear geek,” I love the latest and greatest in tools, whether it's woodworking, percussion instruments, or scale models. When I saw the new AK Interactive Real Colors Markers at the IPMS/USA National Convention, I had to buy a set. I normally airbrush small parts while they are on the sprue and then retouch them after removing the sprue gates and mold seams. I hoped the markers would be easier and cleaner than brush painting or running the airbrush a second time. Also available singly, in small sets, or in the big box of 34 colors, the markers have a conical tip 3/8 inch long and 3/16 inch wide at the base. I was able to get a 1/16-inch strip using the tip and used the side for wider swatches.
At first, I dove in and began using the AK Real Colors Markers on my current build — the HobbyBoss 1/48 scale B-24. Dark colors covered well and lighter colors needed multiple coats. Traditional brush marks were a nonissue, but the brush tips do push excess paint, which means start and stop marks that can leave streaks on larger areas, requiring multiple passes. Also, I soon discovered, with a couple of exceptions, that the colors did not match the Mr. Color equivalents that I’d been using on the B-24.
Better to compare AK colors to AK colors.
I made color chips from styrene sheet, planning to prime one side with Mr. Surfacer 1500 gray and leave the other side white, spray each side with Real Colors lacquer-based paint or the AK Interactive 3G equivalent of the marker color, and check for color match.
Painting the Real Colors swatches, I realized that while I always wash models to remove mold release, I hadn’t considered it necessary with the styrene sheet. Wrong!
I had some mixing issues with the 3G formulas—I have yet to master the mystical ways of airbrushing acrylics, so there were some thinning issues that led to runs on a couple of my paint chips. Still, they were finally made, although they weren’t the prettiest specimens. I made chips for Real Colors Flat White (No. RC806), Russian Cockpit Turquoise (No. RC980), Signal Red RAL 3020 (No. RC811), side-by-side samples of Real Colors and 3G Aluminum (Nos. RC820 and AK11207), Rubber Black (Nos. 805 and AK11027), and 3G Dark Aluminum (No. AK11208), RAF Cockpit Grey-Green (No. AK11847), and Light Green FS34151 (No. AK11335).
The only time I have seen the colors from two paint lines from the same maker match goes all the way back to Aeromaster enamels and acrylics. The streak continues. Real Colors Aluminum is much darker than the 3G equivalent, and the reverse is true for Rubber Black. As you can see, all of the Real Colors Markers are either lighter or darker than the Real Colors or 3G equivalent, sometimes substantially so. The dark colors are more opaque and cover better, while the light colors need multiple coats, and the white remained semitranslucent after four coats.
As a final test, I retrieved several spare instrument panels to see if I could simulate dry-brushing on raised details. The markers are wet, but with practice, I believe I could cleanly paint raised detail consistently.
Even though the AK Interactive Real Colors Markers acrylic paint markers do not match color for color with other AK Interactive equivalents, they will have a place in my toolbox. They’ve proven useful on the B-24 interior and hold up well under washes, glazes, and pencil work. The lack of brush strokes and odor are also positives. And because they’re acrylic markers, the paint dries fast. Depending on what you model, purchasing single pens or smaller sets may be more cost-effective, especially if you concentrate on a specific subject matter — the big box contains armor, aircraft, and naval colors. Just make sure you test the colors before you commit to using them on your model.