airbrushing

[Gabekun]

I\'ve been modeling general plastic models (autos and sci-fi mostly) and painting for about 5 - 6 years, but I am now getting into miniature models, and having a blast.. but I have some questions.

I\'ve pretty much always used an airbrush to do my painting, but I realize i can\'t use it for details on minutes, but I would like to use it for priming and basecoating. Is this acceptable? If so, could I use my enamel paints to do the priming and basecoating? (For the most part, I use Model Master enamels, but I do have lots of Model Master Acryls in my collection as well)

Likewise, can I use Vallejo/GW paints in my airbrush? I imagine some thinning would be needed, so what ratio should I use?

Also, so far I\'ve only done some plastic minis, so much of my past experience with plastic models carried right over, but there are some metal minis I\'d like to get (such as the Necron Lord). I\'ve never worked with metal before, so is there anything I need to do differently, in terms of painting?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for so many n00b questions :~(

 

[War Griffon]

Who says you can\'t use it on mini\'s?

Admittedly some of the scales would be a bit too fiddly but there are people here that use one on the larger scale stuff and busts - 54mm and upwards scale.

Using liquid Latex as a mask I have seen some excellent work and having got an airbrush for Xmas I intend to have a go once I think my basic airbrush skills are up to the challenge.

 

[War Griffon]

Oops forgat to ask for myself .

I too would be interested to hear about others experience if they have used Vallejo or GW acrylics and how they have got on as at the moment this is all I have, do they work OK if thinned to milk as most of the manuals say.

In answer to Gabekun question yes you should be able to use your enamels if you prime first on metal, I have never liked enamels though and donn\'t really want to go back to them.

 

[finn17]

Using an airbrush for priming and basecoating is a great idea. Personally I wouldn\'t recommend enamels, but that decision is yours. I would guess 99% of people on this site are using acrylics. I would definitely prefer acrylics in an airbrush as it makes cleaning a blast.
I use a specific acrylic airbrush thinner from liquitex, but other companies supply similar.
Vallejo make a range of paints specifically for airbrushing called \'AirColour\'. These need no thinning at all but come in a more limited, muted range than either \'GameColour\' or \'ModelColour\'.
As regards ratio, that depends on the paint you are using. There is no hard and fast rule as paint thickens over time. It will also depend on your airbrush. Generally you are seeking a something with the consistency of milk.

 

[Gabekun]

Thanks for the replies

Generally, I prefer enamel paints because they are stronger. Cleaning them from my airbrush isn\'t really a problem for me, so I don\'t mind. I\'m only doing GW minis for now, WH40K to be exact, which are 25mm, I believe... ? I\'d be interested in trying to complete an entire mini with only an airbrush and minor washing... could be an interesting task.

I fully plan on using my airbrush wherever possible (ie. blending colors on a sword or the barrel of a gun so it looks used), though I would like to get my handpainting skills up to par.

I got my brushes, cleaner and everything else.. now to just get the proper paints and some good basing materials and I\'ll be set

Though I do have one more question... when inking/washing.. should the mini be gloss coated first? Or is gloss coating only really done when applying water-slide decals?

Thanks once again for answering my questions.

 

[War Griffon]

Originally posted by Gabekun
Thanks for the replies

Though I do have one more question... when inking/washing.. should the mini be gloss coated first? Or is gloss coating only really done when applying water-slide decals?

Thanks once again for answering my questions.

I have some strong views on gloss coating as do many others the mildest of which is yuk.

I never use a gloss varnish unless it as an undercoat to matt varnish for a playing piece.

If you are going to use inks dilute them first with water or water and a flow enhancer as this will help them run better and also not leave a shine on everything.

If you are going to use the liquid latex as a mask then it might be worth using a spray on matt varnish to seal between coats and protect the coat from the latex, don\'t take my word for this though as I have yet to try it but have seen it done to great effect.

 

[Gabekun]

Originally posted by War Griffon

Originally posted by Gabekun
Thanks for the replies

Though I do have one more question... when inking/washing.. should the mini be gloss coated first? Or is gloss coating only really done when applying water-slide decals?

Thanks once again for answering my questions.

I have some strong views on gloss coating as do many others the mildest of which is yuk.

I never use a gloss varnish unless it as an undercoat to matt varnish for a playing piece.

If you are going to use inks dilute them first with water or water and a flow enhancer as this will help them run better and also not leave a shine on everything.

If you are going to use the liquid latex as a mask then it might be worth using a spray on matt varnish to seal between coats and protect the coat from the latex, don\'t take my word for this though as I have yet to try it but have seen it done to great effect.

Oh, I would definitely matte/flat coat the mini to finish it off.. I just wanted to know if glossing had to be done before applying inks/washes.

 

[KatieG]

Originally posted by Gabekun
Oh, I would definitely matte/flat coat the mini to finish it off.. I just wanted to know if glossing had to be done before applying inks/washes.

Not usually, no. If anything, you might want to gloss coat after inking to prevent it from running or being reactivated if you try to paint over it. But most of the time I have found even this to be unnecessary.

 

[airhead]

An old Airbrusher Wades In....

Gabekun, welcome to the wonderful world of minis. This place is varied and sometimes opinionated (but a great place to learn skills) The beauty is that there really is no right or wrong.

My minis are mostly D&D type stuff (Reaper for the most part) I use my guns for a lot of stuff, but not painting minis (lots of very small details on the player character figs). But I do break it out for dragons and other larger pieces of lead. Were I to be a 40K player with those big wonderful tanks and stuff, my guns would never rest.

You can use your gun however you see fit. Some of us go back to the old days where all that was available was oil-based paints (testors, pactra military, humbrol, floquil and some others mostly designed for railroad or plastic cars.) the acrylics are much easier to blend and shade and wash and etc. than the oils ever thought about being. Durability is good with a good clearcoat (testors dullcoat is the perfered one here - I like the brush-on but seem to be in the minority on that point)

What gun (s) are you using? A good double-action with a very fine point is almost a must - Iwata HP-B is my tool of choice, only because I won\'t break down and get a CM.

thin your acrylics with airbrush reducer (liquitex [#5908] or createx transparent airbrush medium seem very similar)

 

[Gabekun]

Originally posted by airhead
Gabekun, welcome to the wonderful world of minis. This place is varied and sometimes opinionated (but a great place to learn skills) The beauty is that there really is no right or wrong.

My minis are mostly D&D type stuff (Reaper for the most part) I use my guns for a lot of stuff, but not painting minis (lots of very small details on the player character figs). But I do break it out for dragons and other larger pieces of lead. Were I to be a 40K player with those big wonderful tanks and stuff, my guns would never rest.

You can use your gun however you see fit. Some of us go back to the old days where all that was available was oil-based paints (testors, pactra military, humbrol, floquil and some others mostly designed for railroad or plastic cars.) the acrylics are much easier to blend and shade and wash and etc. than the oils ever thought about being. Durability is good with a good clearcoat (testors dullcoat is the perfered one here - I like the brush-on but seem to be in the minority on that point)

What gun (s) are you using? A good double-action with a very fine point is almost a must - Iwata HP-B is my tool of choice, only because I won\'t break down and get a CM.

thin your acrylics with airbrush reducer (liquitex [#5908] or createx transparent airbrush medium seem very similar)

Thanks for the reply

Yeah, for vehicles the airbrush is a godsend. I do lots of anime mecha models, so I know how important it is to get a smooth coat on those large flat areas. Also for large scale stuff like dragons I imagine it is *awesome*.

I use an Iwata HP-BS, which has served me very well with both acrylic and enamel paints. Though I still have a somewhat dificult time airbrushing acrylic white paints... can never get the thinning right. Enamel white works great though. *shrugs* go figure.

Now I just need to wash these 13th company storm claws with some water and I can begin priming them.. I can\'t wait ^^

If I basecoat with black, the end result will be darker colors, and if I basecoat with white, they will end up brighter.. if I basecoat with grey, will that yield fairly neutral colors.. ?

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by Gabekun
...If I basecoat with black, the end result will be darker colors, and if I basecoat with white, they will end up brighter.. if I basecoat with grey, will that yield fairly neutral colors.. ?

Now you\'ve opened up a whole new can of worms. there are several posts here about primer & colors. You should probably do a search or start a new thread, but...

I perfer white primer under flesh and heavy armor (shining plate mail) and black primer under fur (monsters). Again, personal preferance. Try it, see if it works for you. Some guys here even prime with clearcoat - go figure.

 

[frenchkid]

I was comtemplating buying an airbrush for some of my terrains and larger scale models but I was wondering can they be usefull on 28mm minis ??? And what airbrush would you recomand for painting minis ?

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by frenchkid
I was comtemplating buying an airbrush for some of my terrains and larger scale models but I was wondering can they be usefull on 28mm minis ??? And what airbrush would you recomand for painting minis ?

I see airbrushes as very limited in usefullness for minis. Very fine guns and tips are needed for the level of details that most of the 28 mm stuff requires. But cloaks, wings and other larger areas could benifit from a good airbrush. Not familiar with a lot of WH40k stuff so I don\'t know about that (other than tanks and other equipment where an airbrush could rule)

cheaper airbrushes could be used for priming & clearing (ideally, one gun is used for clearcoat only - but who lives in an ideal world?):innocent:

Great guns include (IMHO) Iwata CM (custom micron) and the Iwata HP line - both with 0.3 mm tips although different. Another great gun is the Paashe turbine AB gun = but this is probably the most finicky tool to ever learn to use. Other guns are out there, but stick with name brands - you get what you pay for.

IM or email me for some good sites for purchaseing - I\'m not sure if I am allowed to list them here.

 

[Gabekun]

For the love of all that is good and pure, don\'t buy a testors brand airbrush :|~

If you\'re going to invest in an airbrush, it would be wise to invest in one that will last a very long time, and is of good quality.

I\'ve owned four airbrushes over the years. One testors, two badgers and one Iwata.. I have to say that out of all of them, I like the Iwata the most. The badgers were okay, but I had a pisser of a time cleaning them, and it seemed like I had to replace parts quite often (badger likes to use these super fine threads, which get cross-threaded very easily. Not fun.)

I *love* my Iwata HP-BS. Even though it\'s not as good as the Micron series, it has done everything I could want from an airbrush, and for the price ($89), it was hard to beat.