Have read this thread and seen some mentions of airbush work and wondered if anyone uses them regularly and can answer the following:
- What are the difference between the bottom (jar fed) and top fed (Cup) style airbrushes. I ask as I found an old bottom fed one which states it would work for miniatures but all the tutorials on YT for example use the cup versions and I want to save some money
- Is there anything to consider with airbrushes, are cheap ones just as effective for BASIC hobby work? As above I dont want to spend lots of money and these things vary so much...
- Are airbrushes better than brushes, I am thinking of doing some vehicles soon and think the time saved would be helpful but with practice will it improve my painting standard overall?
- Am I ok using one at a covered table? Will I need one of the booths I have seen, or is using one in a well ventilated room ok, I dont think they do but do these things create a lot of over spray? Will I find spots on the curtains is my main question as the mrs would kill me
I use mine an awful lot. Not just for block colour either.
There are ways to shade a model using just black and white before you put the final colour on. It's all about layer thickness. You put a thin layer over that B&W layer but only just enough. The final outcome is a model with a tonal shift through the model.
For the actual airbrush, you can spend a lot or a little. The more expensive ones are not always the best to look at.
My go-to modelling airbrush is either a Mig ammo aircobra (£100+ expensive). Or an EXPO AB900 (£40). The AB900 can do everything the Mig brush can. It's just not as refined and struggles on very fine lines. It's normally the first brush I will grab as it's the one I allow to be kicking about on top of the desk.
https://www.expotools.com/acatalog/AB800-Easy-Clean-Airbrush-with-Small-2ml-Colour-Cup-AB900.html
For a compressor I have several.
I used for a very long time one of the cheap nail art compressors. They work but will only allow about 15-20 psi in continuous operation.
The next stage up from that are £60-100 and are generally called airbrush compressors. They tend to have small tanks and can be set to various pressure outputs.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AS-186-Compressor-Tank-Nail-Tatoo-Art-Spray-Gun-Complete-Airbrush-Kit-INCD-VAT/273503213852?epid=25031180469&hash=item3fae0fd91c:g:f9MAAOSw8MZbvs7q&frcectupt=true
Because they come with a couple of brushes as well they represent everything you need. Don't expect the brushes to be decent tho. Spending that £40 on the expo one is a good basic investment.
The final stage of compressors is getting something more professional. I have one of these. It doesn't offer anything over the Ebay kit other than the ability to produce air faster and quieter. You never need one of these, having one is a luxury not a requirement.
Your paint will govern the space you need.
Water-based acrylics need nothing special. Spraying using a box on your knee or desk is perfectly fine. You won't get much overspray, and the box will catch it.
Enamels and oil-based stuff you will need ventilation. The fumes build up, and you will need a mask as well.
Dual action airbrushes are very good on paint use, and the chances of getting a lot of oversprays are minimal.
Decent paint is key to the whole thing working well.
MIG AMMo and Vallejo model air are good starter paints to use.
Some airbrush flow improver and liquid airbrush cleaner are also worthwhile. Vallejo are decent for these.
Once you have a few paints and some cleaner you can start to play about with the setup. Masking a model is easy, but you can also mount the masks on balls of masking tape to get feathered edges on the camo effects.
Watch loads of videos. MIG videos are very good to learn basics from.
