Using AK Interactive and Abteilung 502 Paints

Transcript*

Intro

I need you more than anyone, darling [music]. You know that I have from the start. So, build me up. So, build me up, buttercup. Don’t break my heart. I’m back. My name is Paul for those of you who are unaware. And yeah, welcome to the YouTube channel. Today is going to be a simple video on how to use my beloved Abteilung oil paints by AK Interactive. Wait. Don’t go anywhere. I know I’m the Warhammer guy here, but this is hobby agnostic. It doesn’t care whether you’re painting a Spitfire, a Space Marine, the Yamato, or a Sherman, even a Gundam. It doesn’t matter.

The process remains the same for oil paints. Literally does not matter. So, yes, I’m the Warhammer guy and only a dozen of you watch me. Welcome [laughter], if you’re one of the 12. Uh we will have fun today. It’s pretty simple. So, grab your miniature of choice if you’re following along, and let’s get started. Before we get started though, we hit 20K. Woohoo! Uh I remember when we used to beg [music] for 200 subs. That was about 3 years ago, I think, when we started taking YouTube semi-seriously. Uh now we’re here.

Secondly, every single item shown in this video is available on our website right now, sunwardhobbies.ca. Links in the description down below. As previously mentioned, if you’re following along, the miniature of choice doesn’t matter. The steps are the same.

Some Product Info

Obviously, acquire a Abteilung oil paint. And by the way, just an FYI, it’s not the black packaging and tube you’re used to, but it’s the exact same formula. AK just changed it to, well, AK. The second item that’s needed is AK odorless thinner. Abteilung does have its own version, which is just as good. Can technically use enamel thinners [music] for what we’re going to be using the odourless thinner for, but it’s just a little too strong and might ruin your paint job. [music] Be wary. The final set of items are brushes.

Now, this one is for application. Doesn’t matter the size, depends on your miniature. Then we have a sponge tip brush there, mainly for cleanup. You’ll be dipping that in your thinner. Now, this one is the true final item, and that is a clear gloss varnish. It could be any sort of make acrylic enamel lacquer, just as long as it’s clear gloss, because gloss is smooth, so it allows it to flow better, and [music] uh because you need it to protect the paint job. Now, if you’ve used enamels and lacquers, you’re okay, you can skip that step. If you’ve used solvent or water-based acrylics, I encourage you to please use some sort of gloss varnish.

Step 1: Gloss Varnish

Step one, put a thin coat of your choice gloss varnish over your miniature. If you’ve used enamels or lacquers to paint your miniature, you can safely skip this step and move on ahead to step [music] two. Otherwise, just apply one thin coat of said varnish. The thicker the varnish is, the cloudier your paint job will be, so be wary. And if you’re worried about your miniature becoming too glossy because of the varnish, not to worry, the oils themselves dry ultra matte, so you have nothing to worry about.

Step 2: Mixing

Step two [music] is to mix Abteilung and the odourless thinner on your palette. Now, you can buy and use whatever palette you want. I’m personally using D175, the 10 tray one from Mr. Hobby. So, just a little bit, just a tiny bit. And this is smoke, which is the premier oil if you want to use it for general shadows and panel liners. I’m not going to measure it, just a tiny amount, tiny amount. Of course, if you’re responsible, you’d measure it. It should be enough. So, long as the consistency is thin, you’ve achieved your purpose.

So, in this case, I actually need a tiny bit more. Now, I did add a bit more. The ratio is around three parts odourless thinner and one part of the oils. Now, obviously, that depends on what you’re trying to do, but if you’re trying to do what I’m trying to do, which is general purpose wash and weathering and capillary action, then it’s around 1 to 3.

Step 3: Application

And step three is just the genuine application of it. Now, you can go insanely crazy, or you can do what a lot of people do, which is let it flow onto the recesses. So, what we’re going to do is don’t overload your brush, but we’re going to go and apply it onto a surface, and just sort of let it flow. Let gravity do the work. Yeah, see? So, just go onto the panels and the recesses on your mini. Don’t worry about being too messy, because that can be easily cleaned up. Here it is on a white [music] miniature. Let me just put it on.

See how it flows like that? Yeah. And this is the rougher patch, because this is not gloss varnished, whereas our Space Marine, the blue one, is. So, you can just touch it up like that. It kind of just goes into the recesses. Very easy weathering. So, if you have a lot of panel lines, uh or recesses, like Gundams, Space Marines, even cars and planes, like on the wings, especially, this is a very good technique for you.

Step 4: Clean Up

Now, I went absolutely crazy off camera, because step number four, and what is essentially the final step, is clean up. This is where we will be using our sponge brush. We will dip that onto our odourless thinner, and then just dab it onto the panels where we deemed it was too much. Now, mileage may vary, of course, cuz if you want it to be ultra grimy, you won’t dab too much if at all. You’ll keep it the way it was prior to me doing this. If you’re doing a plane or a car, I suggest you dab off most.

Final Model Look

That’s it. We’re done. We’re literally done. Congratulations if you’re following along. Uh very simple, I told you. Now, could I have gone harder? Absolutely, but [music] I didn’t want to muddy the tutorial with a lot more steps. Also, um it’s so that the plane and car guys can relate [music] because this is the equivalent of just subtly putting weathering on the panel lines on the wings and on the bumpers on the cars or the rims, right? Et cetera. Uh so, yeah, that’s about it.

Paul’s Thoughts

Do I prefer Abteilung [music] over, let’s say, enamel washes or acrylic washes? Absolutely. Uh especially when we’re talking about Abteilung oils versus acrylic washes, it’s not even close. This is the hydrogen bomb versus coughing baby argument. And if you don’t get [music] it, the coughing baby is the acrylic washes, aka, it doesn’t stand a chance. Because acrylic washes, as much as we love them and that’s what I, you know, that’s what what I used when I got started they kind of sometimes streak.

Or, if you misjudge the drying time you try to play with it, it leaves marks, which is terrible, which means you had to redo that entire part over again, and you have to use a lot of mediums to make it work sometimes. It’s just a mess. Whereas this, you can go thick, you can go thin, no streaking, no marking, and you can reactivate it once it’s dried with just a little bit of odourless thinner. When it comes to enamel washes versus oils, which one do I prefer? I love both. This is not a hydrogen bomb versus coughing baby argument. I love both. But, I think I slightly prefer oils just because they are slightly smoother, they don’t smell like death, and they’re a lot more gentler on your paints, especially if you’re using water-based [music] acrylics, which is always a plus. Um so, yeah.

Edge Highlighting Tip

If you’re wondering where to go from here, if you’ve never done this step before, and you follow along, uh, basically, you edge highlight, recolor using the original colors [music] spots where it got a little too dark for you, obviously after the cleanup, and do edge highlighting on stuff that needs edge highlighting, so that from afar, it shines even more [music]. It does sparkles more for some reason, even though you’ve only really done the edges. It makes the whole miniature that much brighter. If you’re a plane, car, tank hobbyist, even Gundam hobbyist, edge highlighting advice still applies to you [music] as well.

That being said, that’s it. So, thank you guys so much for watching, and again, we hit 20K, so thank you. And uh if you enjoyed the content, well, first and foremost, like and subscribe [music]. Hit the bell uh notification, so you don’t miss when we upload. Also, down below all our social media accounts. We’re active on all of them. Finally, as previously mentioned, the website contains a real-time inventory, Sunward Hobbies dot ca. Links in the description down below, as well. So, yeah. My name’s Paul. Bye-bye.

About the Author:

Paul Catindig As someone who’s been building model kits since he was 8 years old, Paul is very knowledgeable and adept at model kit building! When he’s not building or painting kits, he spends his free time cooking, playing video games with friends, or at a restaurant patio somewhere. Hopes to make his very own movie one day.

*Video by Paul Catindig
Video Edited by
Daniela Castellano and Leo Nguyen
Transcript generated by youtube
Edited by Angelo Castellano