Getting started airbrushing

ERen89

ERen89

Active Member
So I mentioned in another post about looking for a compressor, now that I have all the things needed to begin I wanted to ask if you guys had any good ways and advice on how to get started airbrushing. I never have done it before and was wondering if there's maybe some specific things you guys might be able to suggest on how to go about it .

The airbrush and compressor that I do have, even though that doesn't really matter I'm just throwing this out there, are:

Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS
Master Airbrush Model TC-40T
 
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Thats a great airbrush, but pretty advanced for a beginner. But hey, some learn different. I also have a paasche H for the workhorse, I learned on that one. There are a lot of great tutorials online for practicing. I just used to practice getting the flow down and paint on a piece of card board, just to get a feel for the brush, how much paint it coats etc. Since the brush is a dual action, it will take a lot to get used to at first.

TL:DR Check out some tutorials online to practice. I practiced a lot on cardboard/paper before I actually used it on a piece. Good luck!
 
I have the same airbrush and have grown to love it. I practiced with water based inks at first because they were cheap, already thinned for airbrushing, and odorless so I didn't need to worry about fumes. It will take some getting used to but Snikt is right. Look for tutorials and do the exercises. I also practiced on scrap kits and plastic sheets once I moved to acrylics and enamels. Learn to apply several light coats with just a few minutes drying time between them. I was frustrated at first by what it took to cover the primer coat, but have learned to subtly build up varied coverage for a more realistic finish. It really is fun once you get the hang of it.
 
This is a pretty short video from one of members here. I binge watched all of his stuff! I'm starting to get into airbrushing as well!

 
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I just got my first airbrush and just watched a few videos on YouTube then just jumped right in.

I found it it to be incredibly natural...it's like the brush is just an extension of your body and it just does exactly what you want it to. I didn't buy anything expensive or fancy, but I've been really happy with it. In fact, I've enjoyed using it so much that I am looking for more model kits to buy just so I can use it more.
 
I have the same airbrush. You chose wisely!

Thinning your paint properly and cleaning the airbrush are my 2 keys to success. As others said, watch videos and just start practicing.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Snikt said:
Thats a great airbrush, but pretty advanced for a beginner. But hey, some learn different. I also have a paasche H for the workhorse, I learned on that one. There are a lot of great tutorials online for practicing. I just used to practice getting the flow down and paint on a piece of card board, just to get a feel for the brush, how much paint it coats etc. Since the brush is a dual action, it will take a lot to get used to at first.

TL:DR Check out some tutorials online to practice. I practiced a lot on cardboard/paper before I actually used it on a piece. Good luck!
Click to expand...

My uncle actually gave me three brushes of his he used to use. That one, a spray gun, and Testors Aztek. I chose to start with the iwata right off the bat, i am pretty quick adjusting to things
 
Gimpdiggity said:
I just got my first airbrush and just watched a few videos on YouTube then just jumped right in.

I found it it to be incredibly natural...it's like the brush is just an extension of your body and it just does exactly what you want it to. I didn't buy anything expensive or fancy, but I've been really happy with it. In fact, I've enjoyed using it so much that I am looking for more model kits to buy just so I can use it more.
Click to expand...
Having to take it apart and clean it when it gets clogged is frustrating though, especially when youre in a hurry! Thats the only part about air brushing I dont like. Happened more when I was a noob though, now I know how to thin stuff, but sometimes it still happens.
 
I forgot to add: always clean your airbrush! It's a pain but it will keep it running smoothly and save you the frustration of inconsistent performance or, more likely, clogging and complete failure.
 
Snikt said:
Having to take it apart and clean it when it gets clogged is frustrating though, especially when youre in a hurry! Thats the only part about air brushing I dont like. Happened more when I was a noob though, now I know how to thin stuff, but sometimes it still happens.
Click to expand...
I clean after each use and have no problems. I use acrylics almost exclusively and use Simple Great as a cleaner. Takes me about 2 minutes to disassemble clean and reassemble.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
My advice, always run a couple of paint cups of cleaner through it between colors and then a paint cup of clean water. Then when you're done for the day, take it down, wipe down the needle before reinserting it. Avoid using cleaners that have ammonia in them as they will eventually eat away the chrome in the paint cup and internals. Iwata airbrushes are all pretty good workhorses and should last a lifetime with good care, I've had my HP-C for over 20 years and aside from changing out the needle for a thinner one, never had any problems with the parts.

On the subject of air supply, a simpler and much quieter alternative to a compressor is an air tank. If there's a place around where you live that rents air tanks, pick up even a little 3 lbs tank and it'll last you for a while (3-5 months depending on use). I used to use a scuba sized tank with a regulator on it, that lets you go up as high as 60 psi if you need to. The main benefit to the tank is no matter how long you're working you don't have to worry about condensation forming in the air line then suddenly getting a drop of water into your paint flow.
 
Collektor said:
My advice, always run a couple of paint cups of cleaner through it between colors and then a paint cup of clean water. Then when you're done for the day, take it down, wipe down the needle before reinserting it. Avoid using cleaners that have ammonia in them as they will eventually eat away the chrome in the paint cup and internals. Iwata airbrushes are all pretty good workhorses and should last a lifetime with good care, I've had my HP-C for over 20 years and aside from changing out the needle for a thinner one, never had any problems with the parts.

On the subject of air supply, a simpler and much quieter alternative to a compressor is an air tank. If there's a place around where you live that rents air tanks, pick up even a little 3 lbs tank and it'll last you for a while (3-5 months depending on use). I used to use a scuba sized tank with a regulator on it, that lets you go up as high as 60 psi if you need to. The main benefit to the tank is no matter how long you're working you don't have to worry about condensation forming in the air line then suddenly getting a drop of water into your paint flow.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've cleaned it a couple times so far and it takes me a little bit of time since I'm new to everything. But do you think just spraying cleaner and water is sufficient enough and then cleaning the needle alone? Because I've been taking tiny pipe cleaners and stuff that came with the Iwata cleaning kit I got for each individual part such as the siphon straw for the feed cup, unscrewing the nose of the brush and cleaning the cone inside, on top of the needle and the entryway of the paint from the feed cup. I'm wondering if I'm taking the long way and if just spraying cleaner can shorten the clean time. That's something I also have to do as well is get a nice number of feed cups because I only have one right now
 
OK some tips I've learned:
1) as others have said - clean the bad boy.
2) mobile masking... post-its, drafting templates of circles and lines, window mesh... all make cool like and blotches and "quick" masking
3) Practice! I used old soda bottles with "stuff" glued on to try different techniques. some were just gettting a smooth coat down, some were weathering... practice
4) corallary to above... don't make your first adventure into airbrushing your grail kit... you're gonna mess it up.
5) Messing up is OK. its how we learn to hide/recover from less than optimal "stuff" happening when we model/paint etc.
6) Other painters have a bag of tricks they have learned - some are great - some not so much... what works for you may not work for others and vice versa... always try new stuff on things you don't mind if they are screwed up.

Jedi Dade
 
Another tip if using a gravity fed color cup: if spraying small amounts in your painting session, mix right in the color cup. Use an eyedropper to put thinner in first, than use the handle if a paint brush to mix your paint and "drop" it into the color cup. Mix with your brush handle in the cup. I also add drops of other colors to add tint and variation as needed.

Spray the first burst into a paper towel or cardboard until you get the paint stream you want. The first spray can be thinner heavy.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
ERen89 said:
Yeah I've cleaned it a couple times so far and it takes me a little bit of time since I'm new to everything. But do you think just spraying cleaner and water is sufficient enough and then cleaning the needle alone? Because I've been taking tiny pipe cleaners and stuff that came with the Iwata cleaning kit I got for each individual part such as the siphon straw for the feed cup, unscrewing the nose of the brush and cleaning the cone inside, on top of the needle and the entryway of the paint from the feed cup. I'm wondering if I'm taking the long way and if just spraying cleaner can shorten the clean time. That's something I also have to do as well is get a nice number of feed cups because I only have one right now
Click to expand...

There's no need to do a full take down between color coats. What I usually do for the nozzle is just retract the needle with the trigger (if your airbrush is double action) and give the nozzle a quick wipe with a cotton swab to remove any paint. I only take it apart when I'm done for the day and then clean it thoroughly. As long as you run a cup or two of cleaner through the paint cup between colors or after say every two paint cups if you're using the same color you should be fine.
 
Awesome thanks for the tips from you guys. I had another question also. Since mine is a siphon feed, I don't know if it needs more air pressure to get the paint out or if I am actually not putting enough paint in the cup. I heard you don't need that much but I've had some points where if my hand is angled too much with the brush, no paint comes out so I'm wondering if I need to be adding more paint or if I need to raise my pressure. I generally have been using just over 20 PSI for what I've been doing getting started
 
Sounds like you need more paint.
Raising the pressure to siphon paint when you don't have a complete vacuum in your siphon straw will lead to spits and splatters.
It'll make a mess and you'll wish you hadn't done that.
Always better to have too much paint than not enough, so invest in some compatible (with your airbrush) jars, and save your empties for storing new color mixes.
 
Axlotl said:
Sounds like you need more paint.
Raising the pressure to siphon paint when you don't have a complete vacuum in your siphon straw will lead to spits and splatters.
It'll make a mess and you'll wish you hadn't done that.
Always better to have too much paint than not enough, so invest in some compatible (with your airbrush) jars, and save your empties for storing new color mixes.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^
And that is why you practice :D

My main airbrush is a siphon... I usually fill the reservoir cup, but really all that is needed is that the siphon hose end be submerged. You'll need to get a feel for when you're starting to get low on paint and stop/reload before the sputtering... 20 PSI should be fine... practice...

Jedi Dade
 
Another vote to stay very on-top of the technical side of it. Clean brush, adequate and *consistent* air pressure, and thorough masking on the parts.

You need your artistic decisions to be the only "variable" in the process. If any of those other things are neglected then it introduces other variables. That sends your results off-course from what you intended. That makes you get burned out on messing with it.
 
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