AK Interactive QuickGen Dark Steel (AK17067) is a metallic acrylic paint designed for miniature painters, wargamers and hobbyists who want powerful metal effects with minimal effort. The QuickGen Metallic Range uses a unique pigment formula that naturally flows into recesses, producing instant shading and highlights in a single coat. This makes it a favorite among both beginners who want fast results and experienced painters who value efficiency and consistency.

Dark Steel offers a deep, rich metal tone that works beautifully on armor plates, mechanical elements, weapons, industrial scenery and sci-fi miniatures. The shade blends the darkness of black with the reflective shine of polished steel, giving your models realistic depth and visual impact. Painters often praise how smoothly it applies by brush or airbrush and how evenly the metallic pigment distributes across the surface.

Features & benefits

• Special metallic pigments that naturally settle into details for instant depth.
• Deep steel finish ideal for mechanical textures and armored surfaces.
• Smooth, even pigment dispersion without graininess.
• Effective in one coat but easily layered for extra intensity.
• Compatible with common primers, varnishes and miniature painting methods.
• Suitable for beginners seeking simplicity and veterans aiming for quality results.

Technical details

• Water-based acrylic formula.
• 18ml. bottle suitable for brush and airbrush work.
• Metallic pigments engineered for natural flow behavior.
• Fast drying and low odor.

Applications & examples

Dark Steel is especially popular in sci-fi miniature projects where darker metal surfaces dominate. It is ideal for robots, exo-suits, spacecraft, armored plating and industrial constructs. Fantasy painters also use it frequently for weapons, chainmail and dark armor segments.

A commonly recommended technique among experienced wargamers is using Dark Steel as a basecoat, followed by light dry brushing with brighter metallics such as Cold Steel or Silver from comparable ranges. This creates a realistic worn metal effect with minimal time investment.

Similar and compatible colors

Cross-brand comparison charts list several dark metallics that serve a similar purpose in shading and highlighting metallic surfaces. While no exact match exists across ranges, painters often incorporate Dark Steel alongside corresponding metallic tones from other series to maintain consistent visual harmony in large army projects.

Part of the complete Metallic Range

AK QuickGen Dark Steel is part of the 6-color Metallic Range, including:

• AK17065 – Gold
• AK17066 – Copper
• AK17068 – Old Gold
• AK17069 – Bronze
• AK17070 – Cold Steel

This range is frequently chosen by hobbyists who want full coverage over the metallic spectrum, from warm copper tones to cool steel highlights.

Final inspiration

Whether you're preparing a full wargaming army, upgrading a character model or bringing industrial scenery to life, Dark Steel offers the depth, shine and ease of use that many miniature painters appreciate. Explore the QuickGen Metallic Range and enjoy how effortlessly you can achieve striking, realistic metal textures.