I did a search and was getting dragged through all sorts of peripheral topics save one which amounted to a bash.

purchased a set of AK weathering pencils. I like the way they respond to a damp paintbrush and find them controllable, or able to be erased with water. completely understand the "cash-grab" criticism, but do not agree the pencils are comparable with art pencils in properties.

the set was an investment, but no more than anything else in a hobby. some things we try, keep, or toss, as we soldier on. let those among us without several years worth of unbuilt kits in the closet cast the first stone!

now that the product has been out for a bit, does anyone have positive results from their use? hints/ suggestions of color selection/ or methods of application?

thanks

I guess the non-responses pretty much tell me the story!

At the IPMS National last month, I sat in on demonstration of them. I was impressed with their easy of use and appearance once the water dried. But I can't say I was impressed enough to buy a set.

I think for some effects they are a good addition,I think to try them for the wooden propeller and wooden effects,probably also for scratches and stuff like that can be pretty interesting

The silver is pretty useful for bare metal highlights. I just don't have high opinions of AK as a company as their unauthorized usage of modelers work in their publications is running the rounds, among other controversies.

Wasn't there a clarification as to who's fault all that really was?

I have a set of pencils but have not had the chance/mood to test them... hope to try soon!

I bought a few different sets and will say that I am VERY pleased with them. They can be used in wide variety of ways, wet or dry. I've only gotten to use them on one model so far but I have absolutely nothing bad to say about them.

thanks for the input; makes me think i'm not the only person with this impression of the company or product.

I figured that the effect/ product would give more control than a wet product until I become more comfortable with the techniques of weathering and if I mess up, I would be able to 'stop' before total disaster.

the company? well, I don't know the politics involved, but usually I can separate [auto-censored] from shinola.

thanks again.

It was. There was some confusion with Garage Kit Colors (who make bloody amazing paint, BTW).

"For everyone who saw our post regarding AK Interactive’s use of our models in their book:

First and foremost, I must issue a complete and utter apology to both Fernando (the President of AK Interactive), and the company itself.

Last night it was brought to my attention that our models were being used on the cover of a book being published by the company. As I was not contacted about their use, I of course reacted swiftly and harshly on social media before attempting to contact them. It is not an excuse, but after three days of being under Hurricane Dorian, I was loopy to say the least.

In any evert, it turns out that the photos which were used by AK Interactive were provided (unbeknownst and unauthorized by me or GKUS ) by one of our painters.

AK Interactive had NO KNOWLEDGE that the models were not produced by the painter, but rather by Garage Kits.US.

This was horrible series of misunderstandings, and AKI in way no way acted in bad faith. As a matter of fact, I myself spoke with Fernando the President of the company and cleared the whole situation up personally.

Also, Jim Capone who provided the pictures to AK Interactive, has issued the following statement:

“I need to get this out. This whole situation with AK is my doing. They contacted me about using examples of my paint-ups in a book they were planning on the use of color and color theory. I was flattered and interested in the concept. Before I agreed to anything, I sent the following:

“It looks wonderful and addresses an issue I am constantly asked about. I would be pleased to be a part of the book. I do feel you should look over my work and let me know which pieces you would like to use. I must also tell you that most of the paint I use is GK.Kits US Colors. I do a lot of paint-ups for them and they promote the fact that I use their colors. Because of that I feel I could only be use as examples of color selection, use, and grouping, and not for product promotion. If this is a problem I completely understand.”

They replied: “No problem about the colors you use , we will show as examples of how to work in different colors, just for inspiration, and I will send you the final layout in order you give the ok or recommend me to use in a way or another”
I told them to give me a list of what they thought would work with the articles. I received a list of about 30-40, which would be divided among colors (some for red, blue, green, etc). Many, not all, were pieces I’ve done for Jesse. I also told them that I wanted credit for my work. They misunderstood and sent me a store credit which I never intend to use. I wasn’t after any money, I wanted to be sure readers knew who did the work. I liked the theme and thought it would be good exposure for me and for Jesse kits. I sent Jesse a link to the book expecting him to be excited, but it obviously had the complete opposite effect.

Unfortunately, I never considered how it would affect him or how he would view the project. I now understand his concern. I now see that the proximity of the photos could lead people to believe they were done with other products. I am sorry about this whole mess. I’m sorry for the grief it has caused him, and AK Interactive who worked in good faith with me.”

***********************************

I wish to extend my apologies to both Fernando and AK Interactive for any insinuation assumed that they “stole” anything: THEY DID NOT. As I stated, this was a horrible series of misunderstandings all around, and they should in NO WAY be held accountable.

AK Interactive has actually accommodating GKUS, by crediting us in further printings of the book, as well as letting people know where they can purchase the kits featured in it, which is very much appreciated by us.

As discussed with Fernando, in future we will be asking all our freelance artists to sign contracts with GKUS, properly outlining the specifications of our working relationships, so something like this doesn’t happen again.

I also ask those of you that shared our other post, to also please share this one one your various pages.

It’s been a long week, and it’s only Wednesday! "

how did the weathering pencils work out for you?

I bought a few of the sets that were available at my LHS, and I was very impressed with the control they gave me in creating chipping, general wear, scratches, etc. (I have not had luck making similar convincing marks with paint.) As someone said, if you are not happy with the result, you can take it off with water. (Scratches that you have put on dry do not easily rub off -- which I like.) I have not used them enough with water to create a more overall muddy/dirty effect yet.
But I was so happy with the dry performance that I wanted to get additional sets at the 2019 IPMS Nats. Many of the dealers had sold out -- especially the Rust set. I ended up getting all of the sets online when I got back from the Nats. As I had not invested in watercolor pencils yet, I felt this would be a one-time investment, like many other tools. The pencils are being sold separately by some companies, so you can try it out with a minimal expense. Check out AK's weathering pencil videos on youtube. I feel the effects they can get with them are pretty amazing. Just my 2 cents.
Gary

I agree the pencils should go a long way and figured it was a once in a lifetime investment with the contention that by the time I've used up a pencil, or set, my skills & confidence will have matured enough to try different methods. (oils/ enamels/ dry pigments)

Q: does anyone put much truck into the pencils' labels?

or do y'all just pick the color which you like for a given circumstance, and go to town?

maybe the answer is another "with practice you just know" things.

I ordered some of the pencil's and am looking forward to use them.

Just received the pencils today direct from AK and I am impressed with the company's service.
It is always good to experiment in new ways to broaden our horizons with different techniques.

I like how AK drops a gift in with the order.It was a nice touch of adding the scale ruler.


The box art on the rear is helpful showing the different applications. The best part is if the scratch or mark does not look right it can be removed.


AK also sell the retractable pencils.Used them recently on the Centurion wet and dry and they give the control over the marks and scratches. Quicker and easier than using a paintbrush or sponge technique.


Michael

I was surprised at how nice they are to work with. I ended up buying nearly all of them, and I tend to use them a lot. They blend MUCH better than either my Prismacolor or a few Derwent watercolor pencils I have.

The other interesting thing is that I can blend them with mineral spirits. I haven't seen anyone else talk about this, but it's possible. I have used oils and weathering pencils at the same time and blended both simultaneously. They are very versatile.

I have yet to try the metallics, but those are on my list.


Most of the effects on my 1/48 Type 16 were a mix of oils and pencils. http://www.rebelscale.com/models/military/type-16/

interestingly enough, this came up on my youtube subscriptions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lTTBXJuy4

I bought a set of 18 watercolor pencils at the dollar store...same thing

brand sharing?