Greetings,

I want to buy one of the AK interactive DVD's. I went to the Cajun model store web site to order and there was a caution stating that you needed a special (PAL) DVD player to view and that it will not work with EVE players in the US. Is this true? Since I live in the US I am concerned and wanted to clear this up before I purchased one.

Thanks,

Cbreeze

Charles, this DVD should work fine on your computer (if you have a DVD player on your PC, that is), but the one that is hooked up to your TV will not work as US based is NTSC and not compatible with PAL. I don't know what EVE is, so can't help you there.

hello all
just a thought,can you not buy multi-region dvd players in the states?
although might seem a bit drastic to play 1 dvd.

Greetings,

Thanks for the reply guys and Merry Christmas. I do have a DV player with my computer so I now know I will be OK. Now I can place the order. James, you have a good question there. I never gave it much thought until now. I would imagine you can but I have no idea where.

Have a great day,

cbreeze

Its a good DVD ... stands up well on its own as far as the techniques are concerned. They are well explained and seeing them being done and the results is a mjor plus. If you have never seen any of them before, I would recommend it. On the other hand if you have seen other releases from Mig and Vallejo (Mig also) it gets a bit repetitive and even conflicting!

Hello All,
Just wanted to let you know that ALL AK Interactive DVDs are available at www.ak-interactive-usa.com. The new "Winter Techniques" will be available by the the first of the year! Visit www.ak-interactive-usa.com for full catalog and descriptions for each DVD release.
Frank:
I appologies if the techniques described are conflicting. As new techniques are developed by AK Interactive and modelers world wide, we strive to keep modelers up to date with thurough "How To" articles & DVDs. Also note that we as modelers have many techniques that will produce similar results. This may account for the impression of "conflicting" information. We at AK Interactive work to bring the best in products and information to the modelling world. Your feedback is important to our mission so please keep it comming!

Hi Iain. You have absolutly nothing to apologise for. I like all these DVDs a lot and would recommend them to anybody. I have the Mig Production pigments and the AKI enamels DVDs, and have watched both many times. I have also seen the Modulation and Vallejo acrylic DVDs, which on their own are excellent DVDs as well.

I prefer the enamel/oils techniques as I use them over acrylics, and the Vallejo DVD doesn´t say its a better method ... it clearly states that it is possible or an alternative for those who prefer to work with only acrylics. Fair enough.
The techniques, steps and results are pretty similar, but I guess this was the idea anyway. The conflicting part for me, is in the pigments DVD .... it goes into depth how good pigments are, and now on the AKI, it makes a total u-turn, and uses enamels, as they are much better, in fact they don´t recommend pigments at all.
Yes, methods evolve over time ... and Mig is definately leading the way with both the techniques and the products IMO, but as Im not aware if Charles owns or has seen the previous Mig Productions or Vallejo DVDs, I was offering my opinion on what has been released to date ... and not just on AKI.
Looking forward to the new "Winter Techniques" DVD. This will be a must for me!

Greetings,

Just got my AK DVD's and thought I would share my thoughts.

First I was impressed with the extremely fast shipping and customer service. I am in the middle of a build and was waiting for the DVD's to explain the technique for applying the AK enamel dust I just bought.

The DVD's do a great job of explaining filters, shading and the rest but I was left with one question which is a common one on the forums from people looking for info on these techniques. Are these supposed to go over a gloss or flat surface. Granted I did a quick run through looking for a specific technique but this important question seems to be missing.

The second issue is the most important one for me. I did not see any techniques or instructions on how to use the AK enamel dust. Pigments are explained but I personally don't have any trouble worknig with pigments. The liquid enamel dust is something totally new for me.

Except for the above, the DVD's are very well done and should clear up any questions one might have looking for info on these topics. I did send a e-mail to AK and I am sure they will help me.

Cbreeze

Cbreeze

Without viewing the DVD again (which I definitely need a refresher), I checked through the booklet real quick...

Filters- surface dull or glossy
Wash- glossy
Fading- glossy, or if matte then dampen it first with white spirit
Streaking- doesn't say in the booklet but I'd venture matte finish
Rainmarks- the same as streaking, and one of the uses for Dust Effects

Dust Effects are one of the products that, IMO, are very important as it can be mixed with other colors to lighten, used by itself, and help achieve the color variations throughout the model.

I'm in the habit now of adding semi-gloss to gloss to my paints, gives a nice sheen, enough gloss for weathering and this way I don't need to spray Future on anymore (was never a fan of Future)

HTH

c5flies,

Thanks for the response. I was just a little surprised that this very first step, gloss or flat, does not appear to be mentioned and I am sure would be on the mind of any "newbie" watching their videos. This would probably also eliminate a lot of posts on this and the other web sites :-)

Back to the AK enamel dust question. Maybe it is me but I am not sure how to apply this spedific product. Do you brush it, spray it with an airbrush or what. Seems like spraying it would be the way to go but I would like AK to explain what they suggest.

Happy modeling!!

cbreeze

Charles,
You ask great questions and I will explain. Here I will explain the most basic use for this effect, to create "Rain Marks" . If you are unfamiliar with this effect's occurance on real vehicles, just examine the lower edge of a vehicle that has not been washed in a while! You will see how rain carries dust downward and deposits it in streaks toward the bottom of the vehicle. There are many other uses for AK015 but I feel that once you have a handle on the following technique, many other uses will spring to mind.
AK015 "Dust Effects"
This will be applied in much the same way as "streaking Grime", the most important distinction is that you will apply the streaks from the BOTTOM of the surface to the TOP instead of the usual top to bottom.
Start by having all of your material ready. You will need a fine point brush, a chisel brush, clean white spirit, and a piece of paper towel.
1. Flip your model over and using a fine point brush, apply vertical streaks going from top to bottom. It is best to move in one direction at a time (front to back). Try to keep the length and color intensity of the streaks random.
2. Let the streaks sit for 3 - 5 minutes. Wet your chisel brush with clean spirit and let the excess off onto a paper towel. You want the chisel brush to be damp or humid....not soaking wet! Now, with the model still upside down, gently pull the streaks downward with your humid brush moving always in one direction (front to back). Your brush WILL pick up color, you will want to wipe the color from your brush after every third or ourth pass. You will see the applied streaks become more transparent as you go.
3. The application can be repeated as many or as few times as meets your taste! Obviously, the more times you repeat the process, the more intence the final result will be.
Please take a look at this link: http://ak-interactive.blogspot.com/search/label/AK015
If you scroll down through the tutorials, you find a photo demonstration of the AK015 "Dust Effects" being used to create both "Rain Marks" as described above, and another excelent use which is creating the effect of a light colored splashed mud.
Charles, please let me know if this has been helpfull. I will assist you in any way possible. I am unable to post a photo "how to" as I have family in town until next weekend, but, if the information listed here is not helpfull, I will post a photo walk through early next week. Just let me know.

Ian,

Thank you for the prompt response. I believe I understand how to do the rain and mud techniques. Perhaps I should have been clearer on exactly what effect I was trying to achieve. My current build is the Tamiya Humvee and I am doing it to represent a vehicle in the Iraq theatre of operations. When you look at the pictures of actual vehicles, they are dusty and it seems the dust is everywhere on the vehicle. At the very least a light coating of dust. Since this is my first weathered armour project, I want to depict a vehicle that is not heavily weathered, just light to moderate dusty. I could achieve the desired effect by using pigments and just spreading it over the vehicle with a brush. Obviously the last step in the process but I was wondering if the dust enamel could be sprayed with an airbrush to produce the desired look. One problem with using pigments is the fact that they are fragile and easily disturbed with handling (not that I move my models around a lot after completion). I would think that the AK enamel dust product would be more durable. Can the AK enamel dust be sprayed from an airbrush?

I thought I had read somewhere that pigments could be sprayed with an airbrush but I posted that question sometime ago and the general consensus was that you should not spray pigments with an airbrush. By spraying, I mean using some type of liquid to act as a carrier. I swear I read somewhere that someone sprayed pigments in alcohol to dust a model but I could be wrong.

Anyway, I just viewed the acrylic DVD again and it is great. I sure wish I could build like that. You sure have some great products.

cbreeze

Charles I would also suggest that the dust effect would look very good used as an overall wash on vehicles in desert use, and was one of the products that impressed me most. When I first looked at it I had doubts but after use I was left very pleased with the result.

Charles,
You most definitely can use with an airbrush! I posted up a topic here last week using "Winter Streaking Grime" through an airbrush on a winter white wash. You may need a small amount of white spirit to thin and play with your PSI until you have it right.
I can't wait to see your humvee for sure! Let me know if I canhelp.