AK Interactive Dual Exo Paint?

[Dave Ward]

Has anyone seen/tried/heard about this range? https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/dua...k-interactive/ I've read the spiel, and still a bit baffled - it says acrylic, but are they water based?
This is the one that originally caught my eye https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/dua...k-interactive/ a two bottle pack - is this why they are called Dual Exo?
Dave

[Guest]

All I could find is this Dave .
Dual Exo is a simplified color system and a paint range designed for sci-fi vehicles, gundams, mecha, robots etc. It is technically developed through an ultra-resistant aqueous acrylic copolymer to paint with maximum covering power and resistance. It is a self-leveling acrylic paint with a satin finish that facilitates weathering processes once the base coat has been applied. Its high-quality additives provide us with a multi-adherent capacity never seen before, as well as high durability. Its low viscosity makes it ideal for use with an airbrush, although it can also be used with a brush.


Does this mean it's just another paint to confuse people ?

[Tim Marlow]

Does this mean it's just another paint to confuse people ?

Almost certainly yes John.

[Dave Ward]

ultra-resistant aqueous acrylic copolymer

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Dave

[Tim Marlow]

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Dave

Sounds like it’s just coloured primer to me…..ultra resistant compared to what is the question I suppose…..the rest of that statement could be said of any water based acrylic paint…..

[PaulinKendal]

I had a good friend staying over Xmas. She's a very talented professional artist, and took a real interest in the mechanics of my figure painting. Although she uses acrylics all the time she'd never even seen, much less used, a wet palette. And she suggested that the paints we use might be the same as she uses, just a) in much tinier quantities, and b) much more expensive!

[John]

a two bottle pack - is this why they are called Dual Exo?

watching the video and reading about them, I think the 2 paints are used together for shading

[Dave Ward]

I had a good friend staying over Xmas. She's a very talented professional artist, and took a real interest in the mechanics of my figure painting. Although she uses acrylics all the time she'd never even seen, much less used, a wet palette. And she suggested that the paints we use might be the same as she uses, just a) in much tinier quantities, and b) much more expensive!

I often wonder how many paints are made from the same formulation & sold under different names ie Mid-Grey, Neutral Grey Sea Grey etc etc?
Dave

[Guest]

she suggested that the paints we use might be the same as she uses

Not quite the same, I would think — I find it hard to imagine paint with the consistency of typical model paint coming in a tube, or paint of the artist’s acrylic type having to be scooped from a bottle I suppose it must be possible to thin artist’s acrylics for spraying through an airbrush, but I don’t want to even try …

much more expensive!

Welcome to the hobby of modelling. Just be glad you don’t do F/SF wargaming

[Tim Marlow]

I had a good friend staying over Xmas. She's a very talented professional artist, and took a real interest in the mechanics of my figure painting. Although she uses acrylics all the time she'd never even seen, much less used, a wet palette. And she suggested that the paints we use might be the same as she uses, just a) in much tinier quantities, and b) much more expensive!

Interesting….my first dabble with acrylics was using artist heavy bodied paints on a wet palette. I got the wet palette idea from an artists text book borrowed from the local library (very much pre internet days) at least thirty years ago. Daler Rowney, who’s user base is rooted firmly in the artists camp, have been making a commercial one (stay wet palette) for at least as long, but I was too cheap to buy one as a trial so used the book idea to make my own LOL. There are many additives available to the artist as well. These enable them to modify the heavy bodied acrylic paint so it performs as they want it, but I never got it to work well for miniatures painting. I went back to Humbrol paint and oils paint until the early 2000s when I restarted the hobby. Great paint for scenery though.

I would say that artist acrylics and modellers acrylic paints are similar, but not the same. Theirs are formulated to mimic oil paints, so are too thick to use on fine detail. Ours are formulated to brush paint smoothly, and latterly, to work well through an airbrush (though that’s still open to debate).

i found artists acrylic invaluable when painting a flaming sword on a miniature balrog for a mate though. Being able to get the paint to stand up was excellent for reproducing nicely textured flames, and the high pigmentation made the yellows and reds cover better than any hobby paint I’ve used.

As to costs, look at the price of some Artist quality oil tubes and you will change your mind. Some of them come in at over 40 UKP for a 40 mL tube

[PaulinKendal]

I was really surprised she'd no knowledge of wet palettes - she makes video content for artists' materials manufacturers, run online courses, paints huge murals for restaurants, bars and hospitals, designs wrapping paper - it must be said she works lightning-fast (a pre-requisite if you're going to make a living at it?), so perhaps the paint doesn't stay on the palette long enough to dry out! :smiling5:

I'd agree that our paints are not the same, just broadly similar. And I don't think of them as expensive, even if they do cost more ml for ml than (some) artists' tube paints. Access to a huge range of colours, presented in a pretty useable consistency straight from the bottle, and in appropriate quantities (for most of us, anyway) is well worth the prices we're charged, in general.

[Ian M]

While on the subject: What is a wet pallet, how does it work and what do you use it for.

I often wonder how many paints are made from the same formulation & sold under different names

Not many

[Tim Marlow]

Ian, here are your answers…

A wet palette keeps acrylic paint workable for ages.

It works thus…..it has a semi permeable membrane on top of a water reservoir (usually a sponge) on which you put your blob of paint. The membrane allows water to migrate to the acrylic paint (by osmosis) as you work, so keeping the paint at the right moisture content and preventing it from drying out.

It is primarily used by figure painters while painting with acrylics. I do find it useful for detail painting on AFVs and aircraft as well…..

Page 6 from my Simon T group build entry shows my old one in use….

https://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/s-model-1-72-3-7-cm-pak-36-auf-renault-ue-build-simon-t-tribute-group-build.36367/page-6

[Komedy]

Ian M

As Tim mentioned above, a wet pallete keeps Acrylics hydrated and are very popular with brush painters, in particular miniature and figure painters

Its pretty easy to make your own, a shallow tray with a moistened flat sponge or several sheets of absorbent kitchen towel placed inside, then apply a membrane which is nothing more that a sheet of grease proof baking paper. Will keep acrylics fresh for days.

How to Make a Cheap Wet Palette

[Ian M]

Ian, here are your answers

Its pretty easy to make your own,

Thanks chaps.
My figure builds are about five or six every ten years lol.