Fighting the Gray Tide (Miniature Painting)
- Thread starter MGibster
- Start date
trappedslider
Legend
Is that what they mean by “big brain energy “?
Mad_Jack
Legend
Not an actual miniature, but close enough scale-wise - I recently finished assembling the Metal Earth model of the Millenium Falcon... The ship is about 3 inches long front to aft.
My miniatures skills (and my magnifier) have been invaluable in this endeavor, lol.
Currently in-progress on the deluxe Deadpool model, and I can't imagine how daunting it would be to attempt something like that with no previous experience or knowledge of bending and shaping metal.
My miniatures skills (and my magnifier) have been invaluable in this endeavor, lol.
Currently in-progress on the deluxe Deadpool model, and I can't imagine how daunting it would be to attempt something like that with no previous experience or knowledge of bending and shaping metal.
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MGibster
Legend
I've got two of those, the Adam West Batmobile and one other, that I've had for years but have yet to assemble. That Falcon looks sweet.
Mad_Jack
Legend
That was roughly six hours of work right there, factoring in the learning curve. If you do decide to build yours, I'd recommend picking up a ring mandrel at a craft store to help with the curved bits. I used a lot of different round objects to bend the metal over: the mandrel, my pin vise, some hobby drillbits, etc.
payn
Glory to Marik
I wouldnt know where to start with that. It looks good tho.
MGibster
Legend
While it won't ever completely supplant my brushes, the airbrush really speeds things up, especially for larger models. Though I've also started using one of my airbrushes for work on smaller miniatures. I've got plans for that myconid queen if I ever get my hands on it. Yours looks great by the way.
The biggest drawbacks to an airbrush are cost, space, and the learning curve. Let's talk about cost first.
Iwata HP-B Plus (left) - $210 - .2 mm needle (Not a good starter brush. More on that later.)
Airbrush Compressor w/ Air Tank - $100 - (There are more expensive compressors but this is a good start.)
Spray Booth - $100 - (You could make one, but I'm lazy and got this one using Amazon gift cards.)
When I started airbrushing in 2020, right out the box I was out a little over $300 (I didn't buy the HP-B Plus until 2023). That's a decent chunk of change that didn't include supplies like an airbrush cleaning kit, paint thinner, or broken nozzles. The nozzle on the Revolution cost about $40 and I had to replace it twice the first year because I broke it. I could have practically bought a whole new airbrush for that price. While they do make airbrush specific paint, you can use thinner and flow improver to get it to work with your airbrush so that's a plus. Speed/Contrast paints don't usually need any thinner in my experience.
Space is another consideration. You've got to set yourself up in a work area you don't mind getting dirty. Even if you're on target all the time, a little of the aerosolized paint will settle down and things nearby will take on a dusty appearance. This can be mitigated with a spray booth which has a fan to direct the spray where you want it to go. Larger models can actually be a problem because they might not fit inside your spray booth! But it's not a very common problem unless you're regularly painting abnormally large miniatures.
Then we have the learning curve which is actually simultaneously fun and frustrating all at once. Playing with the airbrush is fun...until it becomes frustrating. Not only do you have to figure out how to best make use of the airbrush but you've got to maintain it properly or it will cease to function.
This is my Revolution when I break it down for a deep cleaning. The nozzle, that dot in the upper right, is fairly delicate and in my first year I had to replace it twice. Note: Do not use the tool that comes with the airbrush to put it back on. But a special tool ($12) to do that. It'll save you some grief.
I had to do a lot of deep cleanings that first year, and the second year, and even the third year because learning how to properly thin your paints is a process. Sometimes I still get it wrong, but if you're doing it right you won't have to perform a deep clean on your airbrush as often. This is the first time I've broken down my airbrush this much in a few months. At some point you're going to bend your needle tip and will have to replace it for about $12.
Then there's actually painting with it. If you're already good at color theory and basic art concepts then you're ahead of the curve. But you'll have to learn how different paints work through the airbrush, what PSI to set your compressor at, what you can do with the airbrush versus your brush, etc., etc.
But while I like my airbrush, you don't need one to paint miniatures with.
trappedslider
Legend
I could never see myself using my air brush for miniatures unless like you say it's a larger one like cthulhu, that said I don't think i'd go back to using brushes as a primary way to paint scale models.
