Info about Airbrushing

haha...see thats what I'm talking Nightmare. You don't need anything expensive if you're just shadowing a figure. The only reason I've got the ones that I do is because they make me money everyday and if a part goes wrong, like I bend a needle or something, I know I can always order that part.

My airbrush cost $20 and it does everything I need it to do, I can only imagine how glorious a $140 airbrush must be, I'll be painting Mona Lisas or something :P

I paint and airbrush motorcycles, helmets, etc. for a living (a little over 2 years) and you don't have to go out and buy all the expensive crap. You don't even need a double action airbrush if you're jst shading a little on figures. I've got a couple of airbrushes including Iwata, Richpen, Paache. Everybody that wants to get into airbrushing thinks that Iwata is the airbrush of all airbrushes and to be honest with you, my Richpens are just as good as my Iwatas. My Richpens were about 140.00 each. And you don't have to go out a buy some fancy air compressor either. I use a Campbell Hausfeld that has a moisture tank, gauges, and 100 max psi...that's all you need. Of couse you're going to pay more for a quieter compressor that has a bigger air tank, but do you really need that? NO!
In order to learn to airbrush you need to do more than just read...you need to just pick one up and start to play with it. Get used to how it sprays and how much you should thin your paint. If it's not spraying very smoothly, then thin it a little more. And if it's spitting paint, then it's too thin...just add a little more paint. Make sure that your compressor is putting about 30-35 psi.

Ok, so, what kind of air hose am I supposed to buy to replace an exploded one? Are they all standardized sizes? I need the kind that has two female parts but I only see the kind with 1 male and 1 female part >_< And yeah, I've already repaired this thing like 4 times, I'd rather just get a new good one than fix this every time I use it

HA! The guy at my hobby shop is a freak too. He asked me about what I paint and I told him about customizing.... he FLIPED, and now is trying it out... I gave im my card and now I get an email every morning for 101 tips.. I have told him everything from boil and pop, to how I take pictures. BUT the good thing is. he uses Vellejo paint too and now he knows I do too and has had the store order the FULL RACK of GAME COLOR, AIR COLOR, and MODEL COLOR paints by vallejo. They just did that this past week and now I don't have to order my new bottles for my set...

Vellejop makes a full line of AIR COLOR for air brushing and it dosent need any thinning and comes in that sweet eyedrop bottle still... DOC those will rock for you too since you have that top fill brush like mine.. you can drop the paint in ONE DROP AT A TIME... last forever.

Oooooh, cool. That's good because I need to conserve paint. I really don't want to go back to buy more paint for a while, theres a new manager at the local Games Workshop and he's a freak! I'll be buying a pot of paint and he swoops in out of nowhere to ask the same stupid questions: HELLO! What will you be using this paint for! Want to play a game of Warhammer!? CAN I INTEREST YOU IN BUYING OUR NEWEST LINE OF CITADEL FOUNDATION PAINTS!? COME ON! BUY SOME!! THEY'RE REALLY GOOD!!! BUY!!!!!

WTF!? And then I always have to go through the same declining steps: Hey, nah, I don't play your game, I paint toys, your old line of paint works just fine, that's why I'm buying it. We've been through this 5 times already...lol...and no way I'm going to diss the guy and get banned, then my paint-supply gets cut-off xP

depends on your pace of hand. you can do it in one coat if you take your time and go smoothly (like a can of spray paint) but it your do have some spots of base color, 2 coats will do it for sure.

and I wonder what your doing cause I just painted some red plastic yellow too..lol.. with airbrush... did it in once coat

About how many coats does it take to cover an area with the airbrush? I mean, if you have red plastic and want it to be yellow, how many coats would that take?

yeh, citidal will need thinning, its about the same consistency as my Vallejo (they are primary competitors like McD's And Burger king..lol) and I have to this mine...

but for just shading after a main hand paint, I just use airbrush paint (various brands) cause they are already thinned.

I personally like thinner paints, so yea, id thin in. nice doc! yea let us know how that is. ^_^

~Gj

Model Masters is Testors isn't it?

Alright I bought this thing on ebay: Item#200145966173

I'll review it when I get it...

And can use Citadel paints with an airbrush, do they need thinning?

What about Testors paints?

You can! They make specific paints Createx is the most common for airbrush. But if you don't want to spend $5 for your bottles (I think its 4 oz bottles) then you can use your favorite hobby paints or those cheap Michaels paints that are like 88 cents.

The difference is:
Tamiya - don't need to do anything with just use
Model Master- They say you have to thin these, but I don't always
Valejo- definitely have to thin

Cheap paints from Michaels- Thin a tiny bit. These have no gloss & dry a little "powdery" looking.
(Thats why you use gloss sealer to shine it up!)

Now how do you thin Denatured Alcohol found at any Osh, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Found in the paint department.
You can also use this to clean your airbrush after use, if you don't want to buy the cleaners.

Im gonna go out on a limb here and sound like a moron-I take it I have to buy specific paints for the AB right?

If you are just getting it for general painting and not really fine detail. Get the Paashe VL or the cheapest Iwata. I actually want to get into finer detail so I'm saving for either a Iwata HP-C, HP-S or the HP-BC. You can get these between $160 & $200.

The places with the best prices are coastairbrush.com & dixieart.com. they have many companies to choose from. Dixie art has free shipping over I think its $50.

You can just get a regular hardware compressor at any flea market or a hardware sale. But you need a control valve and a moisture trap.

I paid $250 for my Iwata compressor.

Right between the squid-market and the guy selling the grilled rats-on-a-stick, that's where the real deals happen

Exactly, go there looking to haggle. These guys have to pack all that stuff back up at the end of the flea market and take it home. If you are at all skilled at haggling, you can convince them your deal is better than hauling the item back and forth! Oh and I know that Bandanna place, it was between the tshirt booth and the knife place right?

Yes! Flea Markets! I got 10 bandanas for a buck once! I never used them, but still, you can't beat that kind of haggling! xD

Can I just mention FLEA MARKETS? You rarely pick up fleas there but you can get some great deals. I got my compressor for $20, I also got a vacuum pump to make my vacuum chamber (for mold material) for like 5 bucks. Then I made a plywood housing, and use a cake plate dome for the top. Works great! The compressor has served me well too, but the chinzy hose that came with it was doodoo, I did have to buy a better hose. you know, now that I think about it, I also picked up a Paasche Double action airbrush at a flea market, that cost me like $40 but that's like a tax return splurge for me. I have even found the occasional figure sitting abandoned on a table in Grandma's booth, you know the one between the Avon Lady and the funnel cake place...

Other things you might find are heatguns, dremel tools and heads, routers (which let me tell ya, a router can hog off parts of a body in no time!) sanders etc. Even got a whole nifty set of dental tools for $5.

The air-can works just as well as a compressor, but it isn't very reliable for consistent performance, and yeah, it's a money pit...I used the air-can in art class before, it would flow beautifully and then GLOOP! big blast of air and the paint would be blotched. It's not a great AB to start with, you'll just destroy your self-esteem

as I said in my post above. I have had that AIR CAN BS and is isnt that great not even for 20 bucks... the can runs out FAST and it is a constant money pit... it also tents to SPIT globs no and then..... you also have to keep the can at a perfect temp.. even in my my house it got to cold and would get fapor lock.

I would go with the one I posted a pic of above. it is in the same section at wally's and has a nice compressor. I like it.

your salvation is at hand.... testors makes a small air brush.. and it runs from a can propelant... usually you can find this at your local wally world.... here is sits in the fodder isle.. or toy isle scince we can't seem to get new stuff out here... price wise $20 bucks... can't say I've used one yet.. but am looking into it.. I mean hey its 20 bucks

First off, I love airbrushing, I do it more in my non toy related art though.... Like doc said, I use it for base coats and that about it.. I like drybrushing more, but thats just me... Im a really good airbrush artish out side of toys and just never found it completly nessasary to bring the skill to my figs, though I might. I sold my old air can style testors brush on ebay... THOSE ARE CRAP IMO.... I bought a Testors Mighty Mini at wal-mart for 60 bucks... It has a nice compressor and they even sell it at my collage's art store for 120 bucks..lol.. it works great... As far as skills go, you don't need to be picasso to air brush a 6 inch man..lol.. just ask jin.. he will tell you for sure he is no pro and look how cool his stuff turns out... But one major point I think doc will agree with is that thease figs are 3-D and I like natural shading myself... but I think it looks col either way.

So if you really want one you should shell out the 60 bucks for the one I got (but be warned..lol.. I never use it, its a mess to clean and just not conveinent , and that goes for all airbrushed.. BUT FUN!)

Thanks Buzzy!!!

I think I hit a chance of luck when I started customizing, I found not only a good Dremel but a new Air Brush already in my basement, minus a tank. Id like to use it someday though and thats a nice link for learning how too.

Yep it do get expensive fast. I'm still debating with my wallet.

Actually I was interested in using it to do insignias and symbols.

But since I don't have an airbrush yet - Krylon Fusion Thread

Well, if you're going to be a professional and paint porcelain with delicate shades of primrose, then yeah, there's a ton of stuff you need to learn, but if you just need it to shade, it's no biggie. You just have to get used to how much paint comes out the nozzle.

I wanted to get one for base-coats on my figures (and because I hate the way I paint, so inconsistent) but 100 bucks for a decent airbrush and then I have to buy an air compressor?

Your customs are great, so I'm sure this'll help you even more!