The AMMO range of acrylic paints for figures has recently been expanded to include two new sets of paints specifically designed for the late war German Eichenlaubmuster (‘Maple Leaf’) and Erbsenmuster (‘Pea Dot’) camouflage schemes, the former of which is the subject of this review.

Opening the box reveals a set of six industry-standard 17ml. ‘eyedropper’ style bottles of high-quality acrylic paint from their Ammo line. The assumption is that the paint set would serve as a one-stop shop for producing the intricate uniform pattern that bears its name. These complex schemes have been a favorite for military figure painters and armor modelers alike.

From the Manufacturer’s Website

The Eichenlaubmuster (‘Oak leaf’) Pattern - This set includes the colors required to paint the distinctive and complex German Eichenlaubmuster (‘Oak leaf’) camouflage in its Autumn version, worn by units of the Waffen-SS from 1941 (Oak A) and 1943 (Oak B) through the end of WWII. Most garments were reversible, with spring camouflage on one side and autumn camouflage on the other. These colors have been selected through rigorous research to ensure accuracy when creating highlights, adding volume, and define details.

Included in the box are:

• AMMO. F-502 Figure Paints Outlining Black
• AMMO. F-507 Figure Paints Matt Earth
• AMMO. F-533 Figure Paints Dark Brown
• AMMO. F-557 Figure Paints Brown Orange
• AMMO. F-558 Figure Paints Beige Pink
• AMMO. F-559 Figure Paints Orange Rust

The AMMO range of acrylic paints for figures has been designed to make your painting sessions a more enjoyable experience thanks to the speed and simplicity of use. New materials for new techniques that are accessible to all modelers.

All of the colors in this series can be mixed with one another and with the full range of AMMO acrylics. This line of colors is perfect for the usual layering and blending techniques used in figure painting as well as the most recent mixed blending techniques. Formulated for maximum performance with both brush and airbrush. Water soluble, odorless, non-flammable and non-toxic.

My Experience Using These Paints

First and foremost, I attach each figure to a wooden dowel or block for better handling, and I use good quality nylon/polyester brushes to apply the paint. I thin these paints using the manufacturer’s recommendation; A.Mig 2000 Acrylic Thinner [ACRYLIC THINNER (60 mL) - Ammo of Mig Jimenez - Acrylic colors].

I prime my figures with an acrylic flat black, and then dust them from above using an acrylic flat white to create a modulated effect under the paint to follow. Before I weather my figures, I coat them with an acrylic clear gloss to protect the paint from enamel washes and oil-based dry brushing. I finish each figure with a dead-flat coat using A.Mig 2050 Ultra-Matt Lucky Varnish [ULTRA-MATT LUCKY VARNISH - Ammo of Mig Jimenez - Acrylic colors].

The one critique I have is that I could have used more instruction on which of the six colors are used for the different parts of the complex camouflage pattern – some arrows and color call-outs – that kind of thing. The artwork on the box ends up being just enough, however, with a little experimentation.

Here are the steps I used to produce the figure in the images (Figure is from the TriStar 005 ‘German Panzer Grenadiers, Vol 2 kit):

1. Primer (1): Rattlecan Acrylic Flat Black
2. Primer (2), from above: Rattlecan Acrylic Flat White
3. Base: F-507 Matt Earth
4. Second Color: F-502 Outlining Black
5. Third Color: F-557 Brown Orange
6. Fourth Color: F-533 Dark Brown
7. (Dots): All of the above, plus F-558 Beige Pink, and F-559 Orange Rust

Thinning Ratio is 1 drop paint, 4 drops thinner

I clean my acrylic brushes with tap water

Clean Up

Cleaning up Ammo paints is a breeze. These are true acrylics and clean up with tap water just fine. I will also draw my brushes through a cleaner/preserver cake once in a while to keep the bristles supple and the points true.

Conclusion

I am a big fan of Ammo paints, and I have been using them for several years now. The rich pigment has excellent coverage when brushed, and can be thinned to a point of near transparency for laying down thin layers of glaze. The range of their colors, and the use of a subject-orientated naming convention greatly enhances the painting experience for military modelers.

I would like to heartily thank Ammo by Mig for providing these paints for review, and to IPMS USA for giving me the opportunity to use and review them.