Axineton Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 So I bought a cheap airbrush from Aldi to practice with and was wondering on a few issues from a complete noob at airbrushing so here goes. 1. Can I use my GW paints to airbrush or do I need specific paint? 2. Can an airbrush undercoat or prime and if so what paints do I use? 3. So after putiing down a basecoat or layer coat do I then use normal paintbrush techniques to do the detailing and edge highlights etc or can that be done with an airbrush? I'm sure theres more questions that I can't think of right now but any help with these I've asked will be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikhalLeNoir Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 From aldi? German? So i will answer your questions 1. Don't need specific paints. The gw are great, just thin them with water or airbrushthinner. Gw has even a thinner in stock. If you buy airbrush specific paints the amount of thinning is less, however I usually thin them down.as well. 2. Yes it can. You should buy airbrush primer. I love the.one from badger. Best you can get. Not a fan from vallejo anymore ( primer, I love the.paints) 3. The best result is a mix of traditional painting techniques and airbrushtechniques in my opinion. Look for shading tutorials on youtube and start to shade your minis with the airbrush amd then add details and additional effects.with your brush. An airbrush is a powerful tool, a great shortcut to a lot of things but you need practise. So don't start with you most valued mini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 From aldi? German? So i will answer your questions 1. Don't need specific paints. The gw are great, just thin them with water or airbrushthinner. Gw has even a thinner in stock. If you buy airbrush specific paints the amount of thinning is less, however I usually thin them down.as well. 2. Yes it can. You should buy airbrush primer. I love the.one from badger. Best you can get. Not a fan from vallejo anymore ( primer, I love the.paints) 3. The best result is a mix of traditional painting techniques and airbrushtechniques in my opinion. Look for shading tutorials on youtube and start to shade your minis with the airbrush amd then add details and additional effects.with your brush. An airbrush is a powerful tool, a great shortcut to a lot of things but you need practise. So don't start with you most valued mini. Aldi in the UK mate they’re going for £65. Won’t be the best I know but it’s a start. Cheers for answering my questions, you’ve put my mind at ease now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnboardG1 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Get yourself some decent airbrush cleaner like the Vallejo stuff too and strip and clean after every session. It'll make your life a lot easier. I found my first six months of airbrushing consisted of finding all the ways you can clog the brush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikhalLeNoir Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Amd if you remove the.needle. do it via the front..never ever via the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imren Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 You'll save yourself some headache if you buy some vallejo airbrush flow improver and mix some of that into your airbrush cup whenever painting regardless of what paint you use (Use less, like a drop or two when painting with prethinned airbrush paints). The flow improver reduces the tip drying and reduce the risk of paint coming out blotchy and cloggy. For primers I'd highly recommend the Vallejo mecha primers. Allow these to cure for 24 hrs before painting the model. These are very scratch and chip resistant. Way better than GW spray cans, Vallejo regular primers or Army painter cans. Also don't forget a face mask and spray booth. You don't want those paint particles in the air to go down your lungs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloody Legionnaire Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 So I bought a cheap airbrush from Aldi to practice with and was wondering on a few issues from a complete noob at airbrushing so here goes. 1. Can I use my GW paints to airbrush or do I need specific paint? You can use any kind of paint you want in your airbrush as long as you are using the appropriate thinners and thinning ratio. Do some research into airbrush thinners for acrylic paints. I had to use a lot of trial and error for Citadel paints specifically. They work fine once you have the proper mix down. I do NOT recommend using WATER alone as a airbrush thinner for any acrylic paint. 2. Can an airbrush undercoat or prime and if so what paints do I use? Airbrushes are completely capable of applying any and all of your painting needs. 3. So after putiing down a basecoat or layer coat do I then use normal paintbrush techniques to do the detailing and edge highlights etc or can that be done with an airbrush? I do all of my layers and highlights with my airbrush. The only things I don't do with my airbrush are fine line highlights and small details like weapons, eyes, etc. It's even possible to do skin tone with an airbrush leaving you with only needing to paint the fine facial details with an airbrush. I'm sure theres more questions that I can't think of right now but any help with these I've asked will be appreciated Airbrushing is not hard so don't be scared away or intimidated by the learning curve. The first airbrush I used was my dad's Testors brush and with his guidance I found it very easy to use. Some years later my first airbrush purchase was a Masters kit. The compressor lasted a lot longer than the airbrush did. I now use an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS.. I type all of that up to let you know that getting into airbrushing is a bit of an investment and while it may cost you a little more in the beginning to get something nice it absolutely will pay off. The quality in my HP-CS makes it so much more user friendly and easier to maintain than the formerly mentioned airbrushes. Airbrushing for me, got a lot easier once I figured out how to use my HP-CS and working with it is now a breeze. While you're playing with your new airbrush and getting used to it you should be saving your pennies and researching and eyeing your next airbrush. The Badger Patriot 105 and Iwata Eclipse HP-CS are two workhorses that will not hurt the piggy bank very much and will be lifelong tools. You very well could get either one of those and never need to make another airbrush purchase again unless you wanted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Well this Aldi one turned up yesterday and it’s definitely cheap and nasty so I reboxed it and I’m sending it back. I then went on the element games site and purchased this one that I think will do for me https://elementgames.co.uk/paints-hobby-and-scenery/AA/airbrush-and-compressor-bundles/the-workhorse-airbrush-bundle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facmanpob Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Well this Aldi one turned up yesterday and it’s definitely cheap and nasty so I reboxed it and I’m sending it back. I then went on the element games site and purchased this one that I think will do for me https://elementgames.co.uk/paints-hobby-and-scenery/AA/airbrush-and-compressor-bundles/the-workhorse-airbrush-bundle I bought this package in April (or, rather, my wife bought it for me for my birthday) as my very first airbrush https://www.everythingairbrush.com/airbrushing-kits-brand/value-kit-range/harder-steenbeck-kits/ab-as-186-airbrushing-kit-with-ultra-airbrush.html Great package with an awesome brush. I am enjoying painting again with a relish I thought I'd lost. Here are a few of the things I can pass on from my first 2 months of airbrushing: 1st: Watch this video https://youtu.be/tsW-vN0_lHw?t=1s Think about everything you saw, then watch it again. Then do as he says! 2nd: Use Vallejo Flow Improver to thin your paints. You won't need retarder, you won't need windex or any other crazy thing people will advise. Just Flow Improver. 3rd: Clean your airbrush after every colour, just as Ken shows you in the video... seriously, I have only had about 3 clogs in 2 months because I clean my brush as I go 4th: Practice techniques. Watch videos on how to pre-shade, zenith highlight etc 5th: Ventilate properly - no sense in poisoning yourself for the hobby! 6th: Watch Ken's video again! 7th: If you get a bit of tip dry, and your paint isn't coming out properly, put a little bit of flow improver into your mix, crank up the pressure to 40psi and blast it out onto some paper, turn your pressure down and carry on - works a treat. 8th: try out different pressures and paint consistency. You can get totally different results going from 15 to 30 psi, and no one pressure is right or wrong. 9th: Have fun and don't worry about screwing up - it's only a bit of plastic 10th: Watch Ken's video again! Finally, here's a couple of things I've airbrushed in the past 2 months (the terrain was the first thing I did) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Cheers for the tips there facman much appreciated. My new airbrush will be here tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll have it all set up by the weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 20, 2018 Author Share Posted June 20, 2018 Had my very first go today! Loved it! Albeit my paint was too thin but I practiced on an model I’m never gonna use. Hopefully I’ll get the thickness of the paint right next time. Also cleaned the airbrush out afterwards thoroughly so I’ll have to get into the habit of doing that. Why don’t GW put their paints in dropper bottles??? It’d be so much easier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikhalLeNoir Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Because of that i puty gw colors in dropper bottles and added thinner.and flow improver to the mix. Makes life easier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 Yep I’ve just brought 100 dropper bottles and some flow improver just waiting on delivery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceGuyAdi Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Well this Aldi one turned up yesterday and it’s definitely cheap and nasty so I reboxed it and I’m sending it back. I then went on the element games site and purchased this one that I think will do for me https://elementgames.co.uk/paints-hobby-and-scenery/AA/airbrush-and-compressor-bundles/the-workhorse-airbrush-bundle I may be moving to a bigger place this year with space to airbrush, and I’m always eyeing up money-saving shortcuts, so thanks for the warning on the Aldi brush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughingman Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Relatively new airbrush painter here (2.5 month) so I have so input... --Some thinning agents are Alcohol based and have a tendency to gum up airbrushes when added to the wrong paint, avoid them when you are starting out, I recommend getting a bottle of Acrylic Airbrush medium for a art store, in my experience in behaves well with most paints I've tried with it (Vallejo Model color, Minitaire, Citadel)... -My big trouble starting out was getting a bottle of Valljeo primer I learned was overexposed to sunlight to shoot properly. I later substituted it for Badger primer, which worked much better... -Airbrush clog and dry tip rather easily... Keep some Interdental brushes and old toothbrush handy, a Sonic cleaner is also helpful if you happen to have one... Note: I started out with dedicated airbrush paint specifically Minitaire (badger).... Then learned how to thin regular paint I made the whole process less daunting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Lots of good input here so not really much left to say, so I will just mention the things I have noticed over a year of learning how to airbrush. Get familiar and comfy with cleaning the brush, if you decide to get into airbrushing heavily you will need to be field stripping it like a bootcamp soldier with a rifle. Paint to thinner ratio is something you will learn over time, but once learnt you will be able to use almost any paint on the market. Experiment with the compressors pressure flow, you don't need to be extreme but you will get vastly different results from 25 psi as opposed to 35 psi, and all this combines with how much you have thinned your paint. Ultrasonic cleaners for about £35 are something to look into as they will remove gunked paint from places inside the airbrush that you cannot reach with interdental brushes (IE inside the main body housing behind any seals). When using alcohol thinner like tamiya x-20a, open all the windows in your room.... Be aware that after acheiving that super smooth glosslike coat of paint on your new tank it will do it's damn hardest to attract every particle of dust in your house. I tend to put tanks and large vehicles away in a little box between coats otherwise they always seem get covered in dust and grit. Your airbrush is also great for applying varnish and achieving a far smoother coat than any handbrush or rattlecan. Make sure you thoroughly clean it afterwards though because dried varnish could be a bugger to remove. Personally I swear by Vallejo, Minitaire and occasionally Tamiya but I dislike using that boozy tamiya thinner. You have already clocked that dropper bottles are the future Good luck with the airbrushing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 The more tips the merrier guys and gals! Keep em coming. Another question... I have a bottle of Vallejo primer that I bought a while back when I first got back into painting so my question is if I prime with it do I thin it or just put that in the cup straight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Vallejo primer should do just fine straight from the bottle. Its almost impossible to apply too thickly unless you really go heavy on the trigger for extended periods of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovidius Incertus Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Be aware that after acheiving that super smooth glosslike coat of paint on your new tank it will do it's damn hardest to attract every particle of dust in your house. I tend to put tanks and large vehicles away in a little box between coats otherwise they always seem get covered in dust and grit. Ain't that the truth! Do try to keep your work in some place that is not immediately near where you spray, and every once and a while change out whatever you keep under your painting, because you'll collect paint "dust" when you airbrush and it can really build up...and then go airborne and get incorporated into a nice freshly painted surface. Also, intermittently clean the tip of your needle. Nothing like having a chunk of dried paint blow into your fresh work.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 Another Question.... So the dropper bottles arrived today and it got me wondering about the metallic paints like leadbelcher and retributor gold etc etc. Can they be put in the bottles with a bit of flow improver as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Fortis Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I add flow improver to all my GW paints as I put them in dropper bottles. I wait until I'm down to the last few drops of paint then add a little flow improver and an AK mixing ball to the pot, shake really well, then pour into the dropper bottle. It helps get the last of the paint out of the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnboardG1 Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Another Question.... So the dropper bottles arrived today and it got me wondering about the metallic paints like leadbelcher and retributor gold etc etc. Can they be put in the bottles with a bit of flow improver as well? Sorry I'm a little late to this one, but the only GW Air paint I really like are their metallics. Which is a shame because Vallejo metal color is better and can be brushed on quite nicely too! EDIT: I think I saw that pack in Aldi the other day. Is that the one with the tanked compressor? If so it looks like a decent little air-driver so once you outgrow the brush you can buy a Harder and Steenbeck or something and put the money into the brush rather than the compressor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axineton Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 I got rid of it last week mate and brought a Iwata airbrush kit and compressor from element games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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