Airbrushing - I need convincing

[rich2010]

I'm on the verge of doing the airbrush thing as I can see the benefits are pretty good (better finish, easier to do effects (pre-shading), etc). But, as a child of the eighties with a large collection of humbrol enamels and now living in an area with no local hobby shop, I fear I may have been left behind in the rush for air.

I find painting a bit of a chore anyway, as my favourite bits are sticking stuff together and putting the decals on, so I've always thought airbrushing as a bit of a faff. I don't really want to start from scratch, chuck my enamels out and buy acrylics instead, so do I do the following:

1 - bite the bullet and buy a compressor, tank, pipes etc and get on with it with enamels (may cause domestic problems as my house is full of people that want to use my modelling area to eat from/ do homework/ chat - they call the area the "dining table").

2 - as above but with acrylics (no experience with them, although sharing the 'area' may be more conducive to family harmony).

3 - find somewhere else to spray enamels and make noise with a shiny new sprayer.

I'm drawn towards option 3 in the medium term, but I need to be convinced about airbrushes anyway.

Help is appreciated...

[little-cars]

I'd suggest having a play with one first.

Remember there are many different types of acrylics, where enamels are generally the same.

I'd go for option 3 if you can, it will be simpler for you.

Turning your question around.....why do you think you need an airbrush?

Paul

little-cars

[Kallisti]

Airbrushing large areas can be quicker and easier to create a good finish that with brushing. I hate enamels now, won't touch them if I can help it, I'm a complete convert to acrylics - hell I even brush paint with Tamiya! Its not as difficult as people make out, so long as you keep it to small areas!

[NormanD]

The best advice would be to find a friend or fellow modeler in your area who uses an airbrush, and spend a few hours with then seeing how an airbrush is used, paint mixing, coverage and finish and cleaning, then make up your own opinion.

I'm sure they'll be only too happy to help with advice and other things.

Norman

[Giorgio N]

As you said you can see the benefits, then there's not much more that needs be done to convince you !

An airbrush allows any modeller to achieve results that would otherwise be impossible to achieve for the same modeller. Think of feathered edges or camouflages like those used by the WW2 Luftwaffe. Think of all the various effects, pre and post-shading, adding depth to panels and other areas. And also natural metal finishes using products like Alclads.. all of these things can be done with a brush by some very, very good modellers, but an airbrush allows everyone to do them.

Even relatively simple tasks like adding a primer coat or the various clear coats are easier with an airbrush. Yes, there are spray cans... but the results that can be achieved with an airbrush are better and the cost in the longer term is lower than using spray cans.

Yes, airbrushes require a bit of maintenance so this must be kept in mind. Depending on the type they may need stripping and in any case they need to be thoroughly cleaned every time... however as modellers we should already have the kind of patience needed for these tasks.

In any case, I would second Paul's suggestion to try one first, see what it can do and how you feel with it. Then if you like it, try and see if you can find a place to use one with your enamels. Airbrushes don't necssarily need acrylics and actually it's easier to spray enamels than many acrylics. If the humbrol paints you have have been properly stored, they can still be used today, I've sprayed 30 year old humbrols with no problem.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Giorgio N

[viscount806x]

You can get a one day beginners course in a couple of places which could be very useful to you and assist in your decision. One I know of has several airbrushes set up and tuition on hand. Would have helped me years ago when I started and didn't have a clue. Long before the days of the internet and helpful forums such as BM.

Nige B

[noeyedears]

Do it. You know you want to. Enamels, as you know, take an age to cure, acrylics cure much much quicker, so id give them a try. I csnnot brush paint anything bigger that a cockpit without brush marks ruining the finish, if i didnt have an aibrush id be lost.

[rich2010]

Having been on BM a while now, I can spot the brushed ones to the airbrushed ones. I reckon an airbrushed finish is much better and much more realistic. I'm 98.5% convinced, but for example, can I spray Humbrol enamels at the dining table in our dining room (not at mealtimes - I'm not obsessed!).

A bit of maintenance doesn't scare me, I quite enjoy whipping apart stuff, but there seems to be a bit of waste that goes on. So, using enamels does one use Humbrol thinners.

Once I've taken the plunge, would it be prudent to start buying acrylics on a replacement basis? I gather that you can't really mix and match on top of each other, but eventually I'd be wholly acrylics.

[CharlieNZ]

You could always invest in a small spray booth with extractor fan, but spraying enamels tends to be more smelly than acrylics. However acrylics are not without their smells and solvents too.

Being able to try an airbrush or two first would be helpful.

[noeyedears]

I wouldnt spray ANYTHING at the table. The paint will go everywhere. You wont notice it at first but it will build up. You wife will castrate you eventually. I have to stand in the kitchen doorway spraying outwards into the garden. If its raining or too windy its game over for me. During the nice weather i put up a pasting table on the patio. I can only dream of a dedicated workshop :'(

[tank152]

Buying a airbrush will be the best bit of modelling kit you will ever buy and something you will never regret. Like most have already said I'd also go for option 3. I wouldn't want to spray anything in the house whatever type of paint I was using, never mind the smell what about all the over spray? When I first started using my airbrush I did it in the kitchen, I couldn't believe how much over spray you got the kitchen work tops were covered with it.

If you're an enamel user then why change for changing sake? But if you are thinking of changing to using acrylic then I'd recommend either Tamiya or Gunze as these will give you far less grief than the likes of Vallejo and Xtracrylix . If you decide to use any of the last two just be prepared for loads stoppages to unblock your airbrush, something you rarely have to do using the first types.

Edited January 3, 2014 by tank152

[Tomjw]

I recently switched to acrylics from enamels and will never switch back. I use Tamiya for general use and Gunze when I can. Cleaning is so much easier. Try it.

If you want to practice with an airbrush, use food colouring. That what I did to practice with my new dual action airbrush.

Cheers,

Tom.

[Albeback52]

Well, I'm going to be the heretic here!! I'd have to be seriously convinced that owning an airbrush IS a change for the better. I used to have one. I was given an airbrush as a gift some years ago (Badger 350 I think). I became quite proficient with it but, I never really liked it. Why? Because it took all the fun out of painting. Using the wretched thing was a chore.. I got sick & tired of the constant cleaning,disassembling ,reassembling & maintenance. I've been using the same brushes for years. Expensive but worth it and the care and maintenance needed is a fraction of that required for an airbrush. I hated the constant need to thin & mix often silly little batches of paint AND, (worst of all) the inordinate amount of time wasted on masking that would otherwise be unnecessary for brush painting.

Worst of all in my view, it took away the sense of achievement I got after completing every model.

I have read all of the posts here and, they serve only to reinforce my view that there is a common perception amongst the modelling community that (1) you cannot achieve a good finish without an airbrush), (2) somehow,an airbrush makes you a better modeller. I do not subscribe to either view. I don't understand why people are so afraid of brush painting. Like any technique it requires constant practice and patience. There's nothing magical (for example) about painting without leaving brush marks!!

Of course you can achieve wonderful results and effects with an airbrush(as Giorgio points out) but, does everybody seek to achieve this? An airbrush, like any tool is only as good as the person using it. Not everybody will achieve the exceptional standards seen on this and other sites.

There is of course a place for both techniques and, ultimately it is down to the individual to choose. I have done both. I do not regret my decision to pass my airbrush on to someone else. Maybe it's an age thing!! (I'm 55 & been kit bashing for 47 years!!) and this has clouded my opinions? Because, when I were a lad, airbrushes were definitely the exception and a bit of a novelty!!

It's very easy to say "I cannot get a good finish by brush painting" but, there is absolutely no guarantee that everybody who feels this way is going to be able to achieve the results they aspire to with an airbrush.

Allan

Edited January 4, 2014 by Albeback52

[Beardylong]

The finish I'm getting with an airbrush is far superior than I could get with a brush (and I'm lucky enough to have some really posh brushes seeing as I used to work for an artists' brush company!). I'm finding it far better for area work as well as detailed work. I shopped long & hard for my first airbrush and ended up with a Badger 200 siphon feed. Found it almost impossible to use (albeit with canned air) and almost gave up. Paul @ Little Cars then showed me a Harder & Steinbeck Evolution 2in1 cup fed airbrush and his Sparmax Little Jet compressor and I'm completely sold. I continue to have the odd teething problem but am loving it. Yes, there's a lot of disassembling, cleaning & reassembling, but no more than taking proper care of your brushes, IMO.

In terms of smelliness, well, the whole experience is pretty whiffy & I don't feel that acrylics are that much friendlier than enamels on that front. Especially when you start splashing around thinners & cleaners. Try Alclad II cleaner - phew! I've bought a smallish fold up extractor booth off eBay and that helps control the overspray & general atmospheric wafting. OK, I've purloined the small spare room as my 'Man cave' so I can leave it all set up, but I wouldn't get away with using the airbrush in a room used by the rest of the family. N.B. watch the size of the extractor depending on the scale you prefer - I'm having a lot of fun trying to wedge my 1/72 Airfix Vulcan into my booth!

I'm using acrylics alongside enamels and managing OK so far. So far I'd say enamels are slightly easier to airbrush, but that's probably because I'm more used to them. Have some Vallejo, Mr Hobby & Xtracrylix for my next few models so will see.

So I'd recommend (budget permitting) that a decent airbrush is the way to go - but try to get someone to show you. Paul's demo (on a trestle table in his garden!) sold it to me!

Cheers,

Andrew

In terms of tank v. non tank - easy answer - it's all a storm in a tea cup! The tankless Sparmax really doesn't make too much noise (can still hear the radio perfectly well) and certainly doesn't travel round the house or reverb round the floorboards. It's completely drowned by the extractor anyway!

[Rick Brown]

Love my Iwata!

Like many have said an A/B is great but a hairy stick still has it's place.

I did a kit last year and to save time I hairy stick painted it. It took longer than using the airbrush due to using acrylics and loads of thinners to achieve a brush stroke less finish! It took more effort than masking etc in my opinion.

I do use hairy stick for all detailing work though.

I mainly use the a/b because I love using it in itself and cleaning is no more difficult than looking after a good set of brushes.

I certainly wouldn't spray in the living area of the house, I'd give you about 30mins before your missus would kill you!

Just one last point, do you really need to go down the acrylic route? I actually find the brush is easier to clean when using enamels.

Hope that helps.

Rick.

[little-cars]

Well, I'm going to be the heretic here!! I'd have to be seriously convinced that owning an airbrush IS a change for the better. I used to have one. I was given an airbrush as a gift some years ago (Badger 350 I think). I became quite proficient with it but, I never really liked it. Why? Because it took all the fun out of painting. Using the wretched thing was a chore.. I got sick & tired of the constant cleaning & maintenance, the constant need to thin & mix often silly little batches of paint AND, (worst of all) the inordinate amount of time wasted on masking that would otherwise be unnecessary for brush painting.

Worst of all in my view, it took away the sense of achievement I got after completing every model.

I have read all of the posts here and, they serve only to reinforce my view that there is a common perception amongst the modelling community that (1) you cannot achieve a good finish without an airbrush), (2) somehow,an airbrush makes you a better modeller. I do not subscribe to either view. I don't understand why people are so afraid of brush painting. Like any technique it requires constant practice and patience. There's nothing magical (for example) about painting without leaving brush marks!!

Of course you can achieve wonderful results and effects with an airbrush(as Giorgio points out) but, does everybody seek to achieve this? An airbrush, like any tool is only as good as the person using it. Not everybody will achieve the exceptional standards seen on this and other sites.

There is of course a place for both techniques and, ultimately it is down to the individual to choose. I have done both. I do not regret my decision to pass my airbrush on to someone else. Maybe it's an age thing!! (I'm 55 & been kit bashing for 47 years!!) and this has clouded my opinions? Because, when I were a lad, airbrushes were definitely the exception and a bit of a novelty!!

Allan

Allan,

The Badger 350 is a very basic external mix airbrush, I used to use something similar when I was a youngster, but gave up as it was a pain to clean and gave me no control over the painting process.

This sort of brush has it's uses and used to be a cheap way dipping your foot in the water, but to my mind has very little in common to the brushes that I demonstrate.

If you see my stand at a show come over and have a play with one. Hopefully you will feel and see the difference and how enjoyable airbrushing can be.

I would also second Tom's idea of using food colouring to get used to the brush. I've been using Cassie Brown's red (ready to use to paint cakes) to demonstrate for the last year & have some in stock. It's in a standard 17ml vallejo bottle and sells for £2 a bottle. [There are another 11 colours available, but the red shows up nicely on an A4 pad.]

Ta,

Paul

[plasmahal]

I'm about to venture into the world of airbrushing for the first time.

I have invested in a compressor with tank that came with a decent double action airbrush and I got a bargain of a new unused paasche VL a while back.

I have also this week, got myself a indoor spray booth ( i'm only going to spray acrylics indoors).

I have my man corner (aka my computer desk and corner with shelving) now set up for modelling too.

Yesterday I got my compressor set up on a little shelf I added to the end of my computer desk and also have my monitor wall mounted so within a minute I can clear the desk are and move my DIY modelling station onto the desk. I plan to use the same space to set up the spray booth as above. It takes a minute to setup and is very compact.

I've bought some clear disposable shot glasses from poundland for mixing paints in before decanting into the airbrush cup. It's all new to me but it's part of the learning curve. My biggest concern is getting the paint mix right and learning to control the airbrush. I just need to get stuck in and learn it.......

It's a shame you can't get somewhere a bit more dedicated than the dining room table but Good Luck.

[Decoman]

I imagine it is a good idea to test and try an airbrush on old models, or even non finished models. Some of the kits I bought doesn't appeal to me after I have had a good look at the spruces.

[Giorgio N]

I totally agree that the traditional brush can be used to great effect: there are modellers who can do with a brush things others can't do with an airbrush ! I remember well a local modeller who did a number of impressive Lufwaffe models with squiggles, mottling and every type of camouflage without every buying an airbrush.

However on average it's easier with an airbrush to achieve certain results than it is with a brush. Of course masters will excel with any tool, but 95% of the people are not masters.

My personal experience is that I know I can get decent results on basic finishes with a hairy stick using the right paint, the right brush and the right amount of patience. However there are things I can't achieve: WW2 Luftwaffe camouflages are one of these, no matter how hard I try, the mottling on the sides of an Fw.190 are something I can't do with a brush. With an airbrush it's much easier.

Another example are certain "difficult" paints: I can paint a grey aircraft with a brush without leaving marks, when I have to paint a large area with yellow things change. The airbrush lets me do this without problems. And more,natural metal finishes: there products that allow great results however the vast majority of these need an airbrush to be applied.

Then there's weathering: the tonal variations I can apply on panels with an airbrush are something that will take me ages to do with a brush and I'm not sure I'd do them right. I know some modellers who can but I'm not in the same league. Using my airbrush (a Badger 200, not really a tool for professionals) my models are now better painted than they were in the days when I used brushes only.

One thing on which I'm sure we all agree here: any result can only be achieved with plenty of practice regardless of the tool. While there are people who are clearly more talented than others, nobody can really expect to use an airbrush for the first time and achieve the results that some very good modellers show here. But with practice, I believe everyone can arrive at a result that is 99% close.

[goggsy]

The elephant in the room here is the paint that you use. If the only acrylic that you can get is humbrol then I wouldn't bother trying to airbrush. I've never come across anything less airbrush friendly; it's like trying to paint with treacle.

[kwaterous]

You asked earlier about thinning humbrol enamels, its as simple as getting a bottle of humbrol enamel thinners. The stuff doesn't smell too bad, and it works like a charm.

Personaply, I use an airbrush for the main colours,as I get better coverag and I find I like the look of it better. Howerever, I still use a brush for painting small details.

I am currently using a paasche talon airbrush and it cleans up remarkably quickly, in 5 minutes I can take it apart and wipe all of th parts down, the 5 minutes later, spray the next colour. I use a no name brand compressor, it works almost as well as an expensive one, for 1/10th of the price, and it only makes a quiet purring noise.

There's my two cents about this.

[MikeC]

I convinced myself that I did not want an airbrush, but I finally decided to try one and bought a Badger 200: it was best decision of my modelling life! On the first model I tried with it I, as an airbrushing novice, achieved a much better finish that I ever got with even the best brushes. And I enjoyed it. I was hooked.

The second best decision of my modelling life which I made shortly afterwards was to switch from Humbrol enamels to acrylics. At that time lived in a small flat and had to model on the dining table, so I thought they'd be more user-friendly. As with others above, my brands of choice are Tamiya and Mr Color.

[CharlieNZ]

Don't skimp on the compressor either, a good airbrush with a poor compressor is certain to drive you to frustration. You really shouldn't consider an airbrush without also considering the compressor.

[Sean_M]

Don't skimp on the compressor either, a good airbrush with a poor compressor is certain to drive you to frustration. You really shouldn't consider an airbrush without also considering the compressor.

I can only agree with the above having come back to modelling like most, I bought cheep. (AS type and the blue foam airbrushes). I sadly sit with three airbrushes and a Tank compressor. I am too embarrassed to sell them or even give them away to anyone because I would hate for anyone to go through what I did. I nearly gave up on the idea and the hobby. I picked up an Iawata compressor at a good price and I started with the H & S Evo. What a difference. I then accidentally landed up with a Aztek 777 (Metal body) I haven't used my H & S in months. For me the one major thing was finding an airbrush that strips down and is easy to put back together. The Evolution has the triger and rocker in one so its a doddle. I cant speak about other types. The Aztek v other airbrushes is ongoing and has been dealt with elsewhere. They arre expensive but if you look around you can pick up a bargain on Ebay if you keep looking. I like that I can hot-swop paint cups and its on the side. Cleaning is as simple as dropping the plastic cup and nozzle in some Tesco all purpose cleaner.

Paint is going to be where it is all at. It took a little while and some practice to learn how and when to thin paints. I have found Tamiya and Mr Hobby work for me with X-20A as a reducer.I also like using Vallejo with there reducer. However their pre-packages sets RAF Desert etc. are usually the wrong shade so I wrote to them and got a colour chart. Now I ignore what they label the colour as and choose the shade I want.

Here is a few tips.

1. Enjoy it. Once you get the hang of it, you will find you use your airbush for even the small jobs.

2, Use acrylic - if you mess up just soak the bits in Tesco all purpose cleaner (Purple and white bottle). Acrylic comes off and your are back to bare plastic and then have another go.

3. I have read this in so many places, but ignored it until I do it as standard now. Prime your model. Different plastic and paints react differently. I find that some kind of plastic primer (Haldfords) or Tamiya are a must. This allows me to put down thin coats that stick and don't run.

I hope that helps from someone who considers themselves a novice air-brusher

Regards

Sean

[steveinns]

Airbrushing you won't regret it !

Good Points :

Superb realistic finishes.

Plenty of paint choices

Quickly applies finishes.

Not so good points :

Subject needs to be blemish free & preferably primed. I've found Model Master paints although a joy to spray, have very poor adhesion & easily come away when using Tamiya masking tape ALWAYS prime !

For a process that lays down very thin layers of paint, airbrushes have an insatiable appetite for paint !

Clean up times can be lengthy but ABSOLUTELY necessary !

As previously mentioned a good airbrush is only as good as the compressor, buy the best you can. It's a sound investment,

As with most things good quality doesn't come cheap.

Odour, acrylics are generally fairly inert especially when thinned with water or IPA. However, enamels their thinners & especially lacquer's are best used with an effective spray booth & probably NOT in the house without risking the wrath from her that must be obeyed !

Whatever medium you use ALWAYS where a dust mask, I get charcoal impregnated one's from work generously donated by my employer ! I'm sure these can be sourced without too much trouble

There's no substitute for practise to avoid getting disillusioned

Enjoy, spraying gives a whole new & exciting perspective to modelling !