Real Colors is the lacquer range from AK Interactive, and it is built around one thing – fidelity to the original. Every shade is mixed to an official standard, whether that is the German RAL, the American Federal Standard or the British BS, and the standard is stated right there in the colour name. It is not “roughly the green in that photograph” but a specific number you can check. That is why the range is reached for mostly by modellers building historical subjects who want the camouflage right.

How they differ from acrylics

Real Colors are not water-thinnable acrylics. This is an alcohol-based lacquer, and that brings different behaviour: the pigment is extremely fine, the layer comes out very thin and once dry the film is hard and cohesive. On the model this means fine detail is not lost, the casting keeps its crisp edges and the surface takes masking tape and subsequent enamel and oil weathering without the base coat breaking up.

How they are used

• They are made for the airbrush – most shades spray almost straight from the bottle.
• They are thinned with the dedicated Real Colors lacquer thinner; water and acrylic thinner do not belong here.
• They dry fast, so modulation and transitions can be built up in quick succession.
• Shortly after spraying the layer can be re-dissolved with thinner and gently blended – this is what panel modulation relies on.
• The finish is matt, so it pays to gloss-coat the surface before decals.

What to combine them with

Underneath goes a primer, on top a varnish depending on whether you want a matt or gloss surface. Everything for thinning and cleaning the airbrush is in thinners and cleaners. Once the camouflage is done, pigments and weathering effects take over. If you are after water-based brush paints, see the 3rd Generation acrylics.

Frequently asked questions

Can Real Colors be brush-painted?
They can, but the range is built for the airbrush. Brushwork suits small details and touch-ups; for a large area an airbrush or an acrylic range is better, because the lacquer dries too fast for the strokes to level into each other.

Do they need a special thinner?
Yes. A lacquer base is not thinned with water – use the Real Colors thinner. The same thinner cleans the airbrush straight after spraying.

Do they take masking tape?
Yes, and that is one of the main advantages of the range. Once fully cured the film is hard enough that masking tape will not lift the paint – which is exactly why it is used so often for multi-colour camouflage.

The brand's full range is in the AK Interactive category.