Watch the full build on Wheels & Wings TV.

Tamiya 1/35 Renault R35 - 23rd Combat Tank Battalion, June 1940.

The lower hull assembles flat-pack style - bottom, front, back, left, right, and a supporting middle section that keeps everything square. The upper hull has a very nice cast texture. Two holes either side of the turret ring need to be drilled out early to accept eyelets later - easy to miss.

The suspension bogies showcase Tamiya's engineering: tapered axles on the bogie/wheel interface mean the road wheels only go on one way. Injection moulding limits mean you can't have a perfect 90-degree draw on parts, and Tamiya have used this to their advantage. If it doesn't fit, ask yourself what you did wrong.

The exhaust is assembled and left separate to allow easier painting and weathering later. Remove the plug end of the exhaust pipe so it can be fitted in place under its armoured cover once painting is done. Tracks are link-and-length - the best compromise between detail and ease of assembly.

Seams on the turret and upper hull are treated with Mr. Surfacer 500, then textured to blend with the moulded-in cast texture. A complete retexture of the upper hull is an option but the kit's moulded texture is perfectly adequate - a few passes with a fine sanding sponge to smooth the rougher areas is sufficient.

The AK 3rd Gen Primer can be airbrushed from the bottle with effort, but thinning to suit your airbrush and style is recommended. It lays down well, dries to touch relatively quickly, and levels itself out nicely - comparable to Badger Stynylrez or AMMO One Shot. The bottle recommends 24 hours drying time; in humid conditions or if the model will be handled heavily, waiting longer is wise. Once fully cured it is resilient to masking tape and resistant to scratching.

Command Green is airbrushed first as the base colour at 3:1 thinner to paint. The remaining three camouflage colours - Green Ochre, Faded Green, and Dark Brown - are brush painted. Sketch the outline of each area first before filling in with subsequent layers. Use a larger brush with a sharp point rather than a fine brush: the larger brush holds more paint and deposits it more evenly over these kinds of shapes.

The black outlines are painted with Rubber Black mixed with a small amount of retarder - this slows the drying time enough to allow smooth, continuous lines without having to stop to clean and reload the brush. Road wheels and suspension components are also taken care of at this stage.

A light coat of gloss is applied over the finished paint before decals go on, giving the decal film a smooth, non-porous surface to settle onto and eliminating silvering. Walther's Solvaset applied under and over each decal - a strong setting solution that works well with thicker Tamiya decals. The Tamiya decal sheet on this kit is notably thinner than previous generations.

Front detail - decals and tow cable

Looking down the barrel

A well-worn exhaust for relatively little extra effort. The sequence: lighter grey base coat, then a layer of AK Worn Effects chipping fluid, then a layer of darker grey over the top. A stout brush and water are used to chip away the top layer of grey, revealing the chipping fluid beneath as exposed metal. Rust Streaks applied selectively, followed by a Light Rust Wash to tie the whole pipe together.

Exhaust and rear detail close-up.

Selected detail areas washed with a dark enamel wash to pick out recesses and add depth.

A flat coat is applied over everything to seal the weathering and unify the finish. Testors Dull Coat is no longer imported into Canada - Vallejo Matt Varnish Spray is the recommended alternative. For any lacquer thinning needs, Tamiya lacquer thinner is also no longer importable - Mr. Hobby T104 Lacquer Thinner or T108 Leveling Thinner are the direct substitutes.

Tracks are painted with Burnt Umber as the base coat, then highlighted with metallic pigment applied directly with a fingertip - pick up some pigment and rub it onto the track's exposed surfaces. The best tool for this job is a finger. AK Gunmetal is used for the exposed metal on the idler wheel and drive sprocket. Final assembly joins all the separately painted components into a completed vehicle.

The commander figure is painted entirely with AK 3rd Gen acrylics. All the same paints, all the same formula - a good demonstration that this range handles both brush and airbrush work equally well.

Commander face close-up - Cork base, Luminous Flesh highlight.

The Verdict on AK Interactive 3rd Gen Acrylics

They've hit it out of the park. The 3rd Gen acrylics airbrush very well and brush paint very well - a rare combination. Very few paints work well with both methods of application. They dry to a beautiful matte finish and even without weathering or clear coats, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between an airbrushed area and a brush painted area.

Tip dry - the bane of water-based acrylics in the airbrush - is almost non-existent with this paint. Load it on Sunday, spray all week.

The Tamiya Renault R35 is a great kit. No surprises there - it says Tamiya on the box.

AK Interactive 3rd Gen Acrylics and all paints and supplies from this build are in stock at Wheels & Wings Hobbies in Toronto, available online with Canada-wide shipping.