Fighting the Gray Tide (Miniature Painting)

[MGibster]

Looking good - that's definitely catch the party's attention! Airbrush?

Yeah. Airbrush combined with some good old fashioned brush work. I'm going to do some more airbrushing to make the bones in the wings pop out a little more.

 

[Clint_L]

Yeah. Airbrush combined with some good old fashioned brush work. I'm going to do some more airbrushing to make the bones in the wings pop out a little more.

I've never used an airbrush. I would like to learn how, though I fear the potential expense (and mess).

 

[MockingBird]

I've never used an airbrush. I would like to learn how, though I fear the potential expense (and mess).

Not sure if they still carry them but I found a airbrush kit (cheapo airbrush, air line, and a small compressor) at Harbor Freight for a really good price (can't remember how much). I eventually upgraded my airbrush. To be honest the only way to really learn is just do it. It tool me a little a bit but I eventually got semi decent with it.

 

[MGibster]

I've never used an airbrush. I would like to learn how, though I fear the potential expense (and mess).

There's certainly a cost associated with it and you've got to learn a new skillset to use an airbrush. Here's how I started:

1. Iwata Revolution CR Airbrish - $100 (Middle of the road airbrush good for starting out)
2. Air Compressor- $100 (several companies produce the same model AS182K)
3. Miscellaneous - $100 (hoses, connectors, airbrush paint thinner, etc., etc.)
4. Spray Booth - $150 (but a gift from my in-laws so I didn't buy it) - I started out painting outdoors, so didn't need the spray booth initially.

I typically don't paint an entire model with the airbrush alone. With this giant, I painted a lot of the skin with the airbrush but also did a bit of old fashioned brushwork to finish it up and of course his pants, arm braces, etc., etc. were all done with a brush. Once you get used to using it, an airbrush can really save you some time when you're painting larger models like monsters and vehicles.

When I took the plunge and bought an airbrush, I was really worried that I'd spend a bunch of money and end up not liking it. That's why I went for a middle-of-the-road airbrush. I've found that I simultaneously love and hate the airbrush. Sometimes, when everything is working, it's just great. But at other times it's very frustrating, particularly when there's a technical problem I have to solve. And then there's getting the paint thinned just right, making sure the air pressure is right, etc., etc. I still have problems getting the paint mixed up correctly.

 

[MockingBird]

There's certainly a cost associated with it and you've got to learn a new skillset to use an airbrush. Here's how I started:

1. Iwata Revolution CR Airbrish - $100 (Middle of the road airbrush good for starting out)
2. Air Compressor- $100 (several companies produce the same model AS182K)
3. Miscellaneous - $100 (hoses, connectors, airbrush paint thinner, etc., etc.)
4. Spray Booth - $150 (but a gift from my in-laws so I didn't buy it) - I started out painting outdoors, so didn't need the spray booth initially.

I typically don't paint an entire model with the airbrush alone. With this giant, I painted a lot of the skin with the airbrush but also did a bit of old fashioned brushwork to finish it up and of course his pants, arm braces, etc., etc. were all done with a brush. Once you get used to using it, an airbrush can really save you some time when you're painting larger models like monsters and vehicles.

When I took the plunge and bought an airbrush, I was really worried that I'd spend a bunch of money and end up not liking it. That's why I went for a middle-of-the-road airbrush. I've found that I simultaneously love and hate the airbrush. Sometimes, when everything is working, it's just great. But at other times it's very frustrating, particularly when there's a technical problem I have to solve. And then there's getting the paint thinned just right, making sure the air pressure is right, etc., etc. I still have problems getting the paint mixed up correctly.


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For me the biggest learning curve was getting the paint thinned just right. I went with the Vallejo model air. Supposedly you could use it right out of the bottle but I didn't have much luck. Once I got that down the rest was just reps. I started with plastic model kits though so admittedly I had more surface area on WW2 war planes to practice. There were several times I had to completely strip the paint and start over haha.

Never used the iwata but hear great things. I went with badger air. They were a good bit cheaper and I can't complain about there quality. I've seen some reviews not happy with that brand though.

 

[GwaihirAgain]

I splurged on an Airbrush a couple of Christmases ago. Ive found that I lack the talent/Knowledge for it to impact my painting. I probably should take a class. As it is, I mostly use it for priming.

 

[MGibster]

For me the biggest learning curve was getting the paint thinned just right. I went with the Vallejo model air. Supposedly you could use it right out of the bottle but I didn't have much luck. Once I got that down the rest was just reps. I started with plastic model kits though so admittedly I had more surface area on WW2 war planes to practice. There were several times I had to completely strip the paint and start over haha.

I bought my first airbrush in 2020 and sometimes I still have trouble thinning the paint just right. Just the other day, when working on my pink dragon, I was getting intermittent flow because the paint wasn't thin enough. And then you have to make sure the paint isn't too thin for the air pressure as that can cause other problems. And like you, I've had models that I've completly started over on. And cheap models are great to practice with. The dragon I'm working on was made by Reaper and only costs $30. You can get decent plastic kits for tanks and airplanes at your local hobby shop for reasonable prices too. Some people buy cheap toys and practice painting on those. I've also hear some people use coloring books to practice their airbrushing on.

I splurged on an Airbrush a couple of Christmases ago. Ive found that I lack the talent/Knowledge for it to impact my painting. I probably should take a class. As it is, I mostly use it for priming.

There are a lot of good YouTube tutorial videos out there. But there are a lot of people who mostly use their airbrush for priming.

 

[Mad_Jack]

Look out for 40% or 50% off coupons for places like Michaels or Hobby Lobby... Quite often, you can snag an airbrush and compressor for dirt cheap (relatively speaking).

 

[trappedslider]

Look out for 40% or 50% off coupons for places like Michaels or Hobby Lobby... Quite often, you can snag an airbrush and compressor for dirt cheap (relatively speaking).

Hobby lobby no longer does the 40% coupon

 

[MGibster]

Hobby lobby no longer does the 40% coupon

The Hobby Lobby's in mny area don't stock a lot of airbrushes or parts. A few, but I typically have to order everything online. My FLGS started selling airbrushes this year, and I bought one, but I suspect they'll stop selling them in not too long. I don't think a lot of people are buying them.