UMS "Agram" : Science behind Acrylic Paints < Articles < Hobby

Science behind Acrylic Paints

Krunoslav Belinić, 20th November 2025

In this article, our Dunja takes us behind the science of acrylic paints!

Acrylic paints – high pigment content and good coverage. If they are well formulated, they stay where you apply them, don't leave "brush marks" and dry slowly enough to do what you want on the miniature, yet still fast enough.

Composition:

Binders (eng. resin) – form a film – in our case probably pure acrylates, I suspect they are styrene acrylates.
Fillers – in addition to adding volume to the paint, they also affect the viscosity, coverage and appearance of the dry film
Pigments – the main division is into organic pigments and inorganic pigments. Inorganic ones are more covering but have less vivid shades, while organic ones are often quite poorly covering (yellow for example) but their shades are vivid and bright

Additives:

Anti-foam
Rheological modifiers – affect the behavior of wet paint on the substrate (e.g. spillage) and the behavior of the paint when a force is applied to it (brush, roller, spray, airbrush). Rheological modifiers also include thickeners that affect the viscosity of the paint.
Dispersants – envelop pigment and filler particles and prevent their agglomeration during standing. Good dispersion of pigment and filler affects the coverage and uniform appearance of the dry film. There are a bunch more but I won't go into too much detail
Solvent – in this case water.

Contrast paints and speed paints – high pigment content, but not so much that it causes high coverage. They are formulated to spread, not to stay where you put them. The result of spreading is that the paint collects in the recesses, where a thicker film of paint remains than on the protruding parts of the miniature. Where the film of paint is thicker (the recesses), the shade of the contrast paint is more pronounced, unlike on the protruding parts where the film is thinner, which is why the shade is then influenced by the color of the substrate.

Composition:

Binders
Pigments
Additives – all listed above + surfactants that reduce the surface tension of the wet paint film, which is why it flows
solvent
I would say they do not contain fillers, or contain very, very little of them

Washes – similar in formulation and behavior to contrast agents, only they have a much lower proportion of pigments, certainly no fillers, a higher proportion of surfactants, lower viscosity, and probably less binders.

If we want to greatly dilute acrylic paint or contrast, it is better to use a product intended for this purpose from the manufacturer of that paint rather than water, because it contains all the necessary amount of binders and additives for that paint to retain its properties.

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We visited: Kup Zagreb 2025

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	U subotu 6.12. naši članovi su nastupili na 20. Kupu Zagreb. Natjecanje se održalo u OŠ Juraja Kaštelana na zagrebačkoj Savici.

	

	

	

	

	Rad kojem smo dodijelili naš tradicionalni Best of Show voted by Agram je došao iz Mađarske iz radionice Akosa Szabe.

	

	

	Na kraju, osim nekoliko specijalnih nagrada, naši članovi osvojili su dvije zlatne, dvije srebrne i dvije brončane medalje.

	
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Krunoslav Belinić, 10th December 2025

We visited: Museum Slovenia v Malem and Back to Basics in the Kovačnica incubator in Kranj

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	After the performance at the National Championship in Ljubljana, our team went on a trip to Kranj on Sunday morning at the invitation of our partners from Back to Basics!

	

	The day was beautiful and we soon reached the first point of our excursion. The Museum Svet v Malem.

	

	The lecture about the museum was given by our friends Bine Logar, Luka Jančič and Milan Hrestak.

	

	After the lecture, there was free time to view dioramas related to the history of Slovenia.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	After looking at the models on the ground floor, we went up to the first floor to the workshop area. The first thing that impressed us was the representation of Triglav. A train runs around the entire room, showing the past of Slovenia.

	

	

	

	

	The second thing our hosts surprised us with was a commemorative plaque rewarding us for successfully conducting Back to Basics workshops in 2025, in which we had 100 participants.

	

	On the way out, we signed the Guest Book.

	

	After visiting the museum, our hosts took us to lunch at Walter's (all recommendations for real Bosnian grill!)

	

	After that, we visited the B2B headquarters at the Kovačnica incubator in Kranj, where we discussed the state of technical culture in both Slovenia and Croatia over coffee.

	

	

	

	

	To end the gathering, the hosts took us for a short walk in nature.

	

	And this wouldn't be a hobby trip if we didn't take a peek at at least one LGS - Park Enigma in the center of Kranj!

	

	

	Before returning, there was still time for a coffee and a chat about the weekend's impressions!

	

	As always, more and bigger photos are on our social networks!
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	Nakon nastupa na Državnom prvenstvu u Ljubljani, naša ekipa se u nedjelju ujutro uputila na izlet u Kranj na poziv naših partnera iz Back to Basics!

	

	Dan je bio predivan i ubrzo smo stigli do prve točke našeg izleta. Muzej Svet v Malem.

	

	Predavanje o muzeju su odradili naši prijatelji Bine Logar, Luka Jančič i Milan Hrestak.

	

	Nakon predavanja, uslijedilo je slobodno vrijeme za razgledavanje diorama vezanih na povijest Slovenije.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Nakon razgledavanja maketa u prizemlju, popeli smo se na prvi kat u prostor radionice. Prvo što nas je impresioniralo bio je prikaz Triglava. Oko cijele prostorije prolazi vlak koji pokazuje prošlost Slovenije. 

	

	

	

	

	Druga stvar čime su nas naši domaćini iznenadili bila je prigodna spomenica kojom nas nagrađuju za uspješno vođenje Back to Basics radionica u 2025. u kojoj smo imali 100 polaznika.

	

	Na izlasku smo se upisali u Knjigu dojmova.

	

	Nakon posjeta muzeju, domaćini su nas odveli na ručak kod Waltera. (sve preporuke za pravi bosanski roštilj!)

	

	Nakon toga posjetili smo i B2B sjedište u inkubatoru Kovačnica u Kranju gdje smo uz kavu prodiskutirali stanje u tehničkoj kulturi kako u Sloveniji tako i u Hrvatskoj.

	

	

	

	

	Za kraj druženja, domaćini su nas odveli na kratku šetnju u prirodi.

	

	A ovo ne bi bio hobby put da nismo zavirili u barem jedan LGS - Park Enigma u centru Kranja!

	

	

	Prije povratka još je bilo vremena za jednu kavu i razgovor o dojmovima vikenda!

	

	Kao i uvijek, više i veće fotke su na našim socijalnim mrežama!
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Marko Paunović, 9th December 2025

We attended: Slovenian State Championship in plastic modelling, Ljubljana 22.11.2025.

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	On Saturday, November 22, 2025. in Ljubljana, the National Championship of Slovenia in Plastic Modeling was held. It was a jubilee, their 30th edition. For this occasion, our delegation performed in several categories, but also for the first time we had a presentation stand as well.

	

	After the set-up, the competition opened at 11 am with the cutting of a celebratory cake.

	

	Throughout the competition, our booth was very popular, and the biggest hit were the homemade chocolate chip cookies made by Marko's wife!

	

	Below is a gallery of exhibits.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	In our opinion, best of show went to Slovenia. Anže Zorko made a fantastic chieftain!

	

	The best part of the event itself was hanging out with fellow modelers and gamers. Many thanks to Amulet D20 for the Middle Earth SBG demo which our Seb thoroughly enjoyed!

	

	

	Finally, the tradition is that the most awarded member pays for the booze!

	

	Look for more photos in better resolution on our social networks!
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	U subotu, 22.11.2025. u Ljubljani održavalo se Državno prvenstvo Slovenije u plastičnom maketarstvu, jubilarno, 30. Tom prilikom naša delegacija je nastupila u nekoliko kategorija, ali i po prvi puta sa prezentacijskim štandom.

	

	Nakon postavljanja, u 11 je natjecanje otvoreno uz prigodno rezanje slavljeničke torte.

	

	TIjekom cijelog natjecanja, naš štand je bio jako posjećen, a najveći hit su bili domaći chocolate chip cookies koje je izradila Markova supruga!

	

	U nastavku slijedi galerija radova.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Po našem izboru, best of show otišao je u Sloveniju. Anže Zorko napravio je fantastičnog poglavicu!

	

	Najbolji dio samog događaja bilo je druženje s kolegama maketarima i gamerima. Veliko hvala Amulet D20 na demonstraciji Middle Earth SBG u kojoj je naš Seb izrazito uživao!

	

	

	Za kraj, tradicija da najnagrađivaniji član plaća cugu!

	

	Više fotografija i u boljoj rezoluciji potražite na našim socijalnim mrežama!
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Krunoslav Belinić, 9th December 2025

Back to Basics Workshops in Galerija VN, a part of Libraries of Zagreb

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	During October and November, we held our Back to Basics miniature painting workshops for the youngest at the Zagreb City Libraries.

	

	

	The second set of three workshops was held in the Gallery VN on October 30, November 6 and 8, 2025.

	

	

	During the workshops, our youngest participants painted chibi figures from the UMS Agram line and made a castle from upcycled materials.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	More photos can be found on our social media.

	
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	Tijekom listopada i studenog u Knjižnicama Grada Zagreba smo održali naše Back to Basics radionice bojanja minijatura za najmlađe. 

	

	

	Drugi set od tri radionice održan je u Galeriji i čitaonici VN 30.10. te 6. i 8.11.2025. 

	

	

	Tijekom radionica naši najmlađi polaznici su bojali chibi figure iz linije UMS Agram te izrađivali dvorac od upcycle materijala.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Više fotografija potražite na našim socijalnim mrežama!

	
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Krunoslav Belinić, 4th December 2025

We attended: Monte San Savino 2025

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Our Ivan brings you a report from the best miniature painting competition in the world.

In a small town in Italy, one of the largest and most prestigious miniature exhibitions in the world has been held every year since 2006, bringing together miniaturists from all over the world. The Knezović clan decided that it was a shame that Croatians did not come to the Monte San Savino Show, so after a great time at Kontrast, a miniature exhibition in Warsaw, we decided to visit Italy as well.

The exhibition is held in Tuscany, and all the content related to it is located within the walls of the castle around which most of the town is located. The exhibition is set in an exceptionally beautiful setting of a medieval castle, with which no other similar miniature event can be compared. The town itself allows visitors to easily get to know each other, as most of them gravitate to the square in the center of the castle.

We set off on Friday, November 14, 2025, and it took us about eight hours to get to our accommodation. Italian motorways are good, but Italians themselves often don't know what lanes are for or how to use turn signals. Large trucks often swerved left and right, and drivers usually only turned on their turn signals after they had finished changing lanes. Fortunately, none of the miniatures were damaged in transit. The Patafix and plastic box are more than enough protection for the models.

We distributed a large number of flyers in the hope that some of the visitors would come to our Black Queen, and some even promised us that they would (try to) come. We also awarded the UMS Agram Best of Show medal. We did not proceed in a "judgmental" manner, but rather we sought the work (or works) of a miniaturist that we enjoy the most. I have long appreciated Magnus Fagerberg's works and have often used them as references in my own work. They were even better in person, which is usually the case with all top-notch works. Therefore, UMS Agram presented Magnus, in addition to the Best of Show medal, with a terranino to accompany the Monograph on our work.

The exhibition itself featured the best works that we usually see on social networks, and there were about 2,000 of them in total. Almost all of the winners of this year's Golden Demon also brought their models to Monte San Savino.

The results we achieved were very good, considering the exceptionally high average quality of the works. Filip won one gold with his works in the Storytelling Standard category, while I (Ivan) won one bronze in the Storytelling Master category and one bronze in the Fantasy Painting Master category.

I'll leave the best part of the article for last, photos of some of the models we saw. Filip has since learned how to use a macro lens, so I'd say the photos turned out great.

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Naš Ivan vam donosi reportažu sa najboljeg natjecanja u bojanju minijatura na svijetu.

U malom gradiću u Italiji svake se godine, još od 2006., održava jedna od najvećih i najprestižnijih izložbi minijatura na svijetu, koja okuplja minijaturiste iz cijeloga svijeta. Klan Knezović zaključio je da je šteta što na Monte San Savino Show ne dolaze Hrvati, pa smo nakon odličnog provoda na Kontrastu, izložbi minijatura u Varšavi, odlučili posjetiti i Italiju.

Izložba se održava u Toskani, a svi sadržaji vezani uz nju smješteni su unutar zidina dvorca oko kojeg se nalazi veći dio mjesta. Izložba je postavljena u iznimno lijepom ambijentu srednjovjekovnog dvorca, s kojim se ne može usporediti nijedan drugi sličan minijaturistički događaj. Sam gradić omogućuje posjetiteljima da se lako upoznaju, jer većina njih gravitira trgu u središtu dvorca.

Na put smo krenuli u petak, 14. studenoga 2025., te smo putovali oko osam sati do našeg smještaja. Talijanske autoceste su dobre, ali sami Talijani nerijetko ne znaju čemu služe prometne trake ili kako se koriste žmigavci. Veliki kamioni često su lelujali lijevo–desno, a vozači su pokazivače smjera uglavnom uključivali tek nakon što bi već završili prestrojavanje. Nijedna minijatura srećom nije nastradala u prijevozu. Patafix i plastična kutija sasvim su dovoljna zaštita za modele.

Podijelili smo veći broj letaka u nadi da će dio posjetitelja doći na naš Black Queen, a neki su nam čak i obećali da će (pokušati) doći. Dodijelili smo i UMS Agram Best of Show medalju. Nismo se vodili „sudački“, nego smo tražili rad (ili radove) jednog minijaturista u kojima najviše uživamo. Već dugo cijenim radove Magnusa Fagerberga i često sam ih koristio kao reference u vlastitom radu. Uživo su bili još bolji, što je u pravilu slučaj sa svim vrhunskim radovima. Stoga je UMS Agram Magnusu, uz Best of Show medalju, poklonio i jedan teranino za uz Monografiju o našem radu.

Na samoj izložbi mogli su se vidjeti najbolji radovi koje inače viđamo na društvenim mrežama, a ukupno ih je bilo oko 2000. Gotovo svi pobjednici ovogodišnjeg Golden Demona također su donijeli svoje modele na Monte San Savino.

Rezultati koje smo ostvarili bili su vrlo dobri, s obzirom na iznimno visoku prosječnu kvalitetu radova. Filip je sa svojim radovima u kategoriji Storytelling Standard osvojio jedno zlato, dok sam ja (Ivan) osvojio jednu broncu u kategoriji Storytelling Master i jednu broncu u kategoriji Fantasy Painting Master.

Za kraj ostavljam onaj najbolji dio članka, fotografije nekih od modela koje smo vidjeli. Filip je u međuvremenu izučio korištenje makro leće pa su fotografije rekao bih odlično ispale.

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Marko Paunović, 24th November 2025

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