New Citadel paints and the airbrush

[amrogers3]

Airbrushing with the new Citadel paints

Anyone tried airbrushing the new Citadel paints? I was told if you airbrush them, they turn out chalky and/or inconsistent.

If you have used them in an airbrush, I would like to hear your experience with them and get your feedback.


Thanks!

 

[Zarr]

I've actually had good results using the new citadel paints in an airbrush. I've been mixing it with plenty of Tamiya Color Acrylic Paint Thinner. I'm using a Badger Renegade Krome just for the record. I haven't had any inconsistencies or chalkiness, though I have had to experiment a bit to figure out how much thinner should be put in each paint. I mostly just try to get a certain consistency. I suppose it's something like milk in consistency, though I count it more by swirling it in the airbrushes' cup. If it doesn't cling at all to the side of the cup, it's too thin.

 

[Einion]

Anyone tried airbrushing the new Citadel paints? I was told if you airbrush them, they turn out chalky and/or inconsistent.

Both of those could easily be down to user error - you can get the same problems spraying VMC for example.

You should try spraying them yourself, see what kinds of results you get.

One thing to mention, there's a good chance that there are easier and more difficult colours in the range to work with due to significant differences in formulation from one to another; mixes with significant amounts of white and colours that require more matting agent for example may require a bit more care. Neither of those mean they can't be sprayed properly, just that you need to be more on top of agitating the paint properly to begin with and keeping the diluted paint mixed well (settling can begin very quickly in the colour cup or jar).

Einion

 

[RuneBrush]

I've used quite a few of the new citadel paints in my airbrush too and not had any major issues. Diluted with car screenwash to the consistency of semi-skimmed milk. Some colours are more of a pain to spray than others (requiring more regular cleaning of the needle end) but on the whole they're similar to the old citadel range and p3 that I've used. The black is no where near as smooth as the old Chaos Black though.

My biggest tip (and I'd recommend this with any paint) is to filter it through some thing to remove any lumps. The new paints use a liquid pigment which can contain thicker bits. Filtering your paint makes a surprising amount of difference and I find I get a much more consistent flow through my brush. I've simplified it to basically cutting a 2" square of brewers muslin, securing it to the top of my airbrush cup with a cardboard tube (the middle from a roll of tamiya masking tape) and then pouring my paint into the cup. The gauze gets binned. I also use plastic pots (used for tattoo ink) for mixing & thinning my paint.

 

[amrogers3]

Thanks for your replies.

Comparing the widely used paint brands such as Vallejo Model, Vallejo Game, P3, or the new Citadel paints used for 40K minis. Of those I listed, is any brand easier to use in an airbrush?

Of course, excluding those paints that are designed for airbrush such as Vallejo Air.

 

[skraaal]

Thanks for your replies.

Comparing the widely used paint brands such as Vallejo Model, Vallejo Game, P3, or the new Citadel paints used for 40K minis. Of those I listed, is any brand easier to use in an airbrush?

Of course, excluding those paints that are designed for airbrush such as Vallejo Air.

You need to try and experiment for yourself. What others are comfortable using may not work as well for you and vice versa. Pretty much anything can be put through an airbrush without too much trouble as long as it's been cut (thinned appropriately). Having said this, there are a fair number of posts on the forums that relate to this topic, try using the search function to look for them, however most people will make the point I've just made; you need to see what works for YOU and there is no answer saying one type of paint is better than the next, as even within a given paint range different paints will have different viscosities, so their thinning will need to be different in and of themselves.

Once your comfortable thinning your paint and cleaning your airbrush, the make of paint that you use will be of little consequence to you.

 

[Einion]

Comparing the widely used paint brands such as Vallejo Model, Vallejo Game, P3, or the new Citadel paints used for 40K minis. Of those I listed, is any brand easier to use in an airbrush?

No.

Very good reply above from skraaal, as you can see this reiterates a point I made above. To reiterate a point he makes, any recommendation or reassurance you get from someone (anyone) about using one brand over another comes with one basic problem: they aren't you. That truly is one of the bottom lines with this kind of thing.

Even if someone tells you one of those paint ranges is the best for airbrushing I can assure you they're wrong; they're not wrong for them, but as the saying goes, individual mileage varies - every single variable (and I can think of at about a dozen offhand) can make some difference.

Einion

 

[Jbickley00]

I will add one caveat, and it's a small one. Paint ranges that are formulated for airbrush, like gamecolor, can include some drying retarder in the mix, which decreases the clogging in the airbrush. Conceptually, these colors are also based on pigments that are most suited to airbrushing as well. It's a consideration when deciding what ranges to buy. In any case I suggest buying a deadicated acrylic airbrush thinner to thin any paint you shoot through an airbrush.

 

[amrogers3]

Was Game Color formulated for an airbrush?

Also, I have read that you shouldn't use alcohol with acrylic paints.

Personally for GW-colours I always only would recommend water and flow aid, never alcohol.

Any input on using alcohol with the new Citadel paints?

 

[RuneBrush]

Was Game Color formulated for an airbrush?

Game color isn't, but Vallejo Model Air is - the metallics are fantastic to use both in and out of an airbrush

Also, I have read that you shouldn't use alcohol with acrylic paints. Any input on using alcohol with the new Citadel paints?

It depends entirely on the paint. I've used alcohol (Tamiya stuff) with an old foundation paint and it basically congealed into a rubbery mass so I gave that up as a bad job. I've used car screen wash very successfully with all of my Citadel paints (new and old). It contains a little amount of wood alcohol which helps the atomisation of the paint through an airbrush and the soap component helps the flow through the brush. And despite the fact it's blue it doesn't change the colour of the paint

 

[ARBAL]

You can use Citadel Paints with airbrush without any problem. Use Vallejo Airbrush thinner. Read about it in my article please:
http://www.coloureddust.com.pl/2012/06/modelling-materials-part-1.html

 

[MAXXxxx]

Was Game Color formulated for an airbrush?

no, on the contrary, it's the color-line that has the most problems with an airbrush because of the binder used.
All others (VMC, GW, P3) spray with much less hassle.


alcohol in acrylics: I wouldn't really recommend it, but it's not unheard of. I've seen them used quite a lot in body-painting competitions. What you have to make sure is: never mix water and alcohol.
So if you use alcohol to thin a paint, then you'd have to clean the same airbrush with alcohol and not with water or all kinds of problems arise.