Simple Airbrush question

[Prosedragon]

Good day everyone,

 

I'm learning to use my airbrush, and among the many problems I've had is getting the paint into the bowl. I use mostly GW and p3 paints, so I've been using a dropper (blanking on the real name) to put paint in the bowl, and its killing me how much paint this wastes. Other than changing paint brands (which I will do as my current paints dry out/get used), is there an efficient way to do this? I can't think of one, but there are many smarter people than me out there, and maybe one of you has figured it out.

 

As an after thought, if anyone knows of a good beginners airbrushing tutorial, a link would be great.

 

Also...is airbrushing white over a very light bluish gray going to work any better than painting white on?

 

Thanks for your time everyone!

[winterdyne]

I use a pipette to add water and flow improver to the bowl, then use an old paintbrush to add paint to that mix, stirring before the brush touches bottom of the bowl. This helps prevent pigment immediately dropping in (as happens if you splurge a load of paint in) and clogging the nozzle. Avoid the temptation to pour paint into the bowl. It's a better idea to prepare a mix in a separate jar if you're worried about consistency.

[Br0ther Rafen]

A teaspoon could work, they are those rediculously (spelling?) small spoons, and can fit into almost any small space, even those that are like 1" wide.

Aside from that, mabye a brush could do it? not very experienced in this matter, sorry.

[CarbonCopy]

A paint brush. Then use the same brush to mix your thinner/flow improver/water/whatever in.

 

I have found, over the years, that pipets and droppers are incredibly wasteful in delivering paint from a pot to the air brush's reservoir.

[Prosedragon]

Pipette is the word I was thinking of - that's what I've been using. My initial thought was that it would be more efficient than a paint brush, but I guess you are right, its really not.

 

For GW paints, do you use water or paint thinner? At the hobby store I went to the employee told me paint thinner even for GW paints.

 

How about a flow improver - is that good for an airbrush?

 

Thanks for your comments everybody!

[winterdyne]

I use plain water with a dash of acrylic flow improver for most general purpose work. If I need a fast dry (fine lines under higher pressures) I use Tamiya thinners which is isopropyl alcohol. Note that fast dries will make your finish look lighter than it really is as the paint goes on slightly powdery. When varnished it'll drop back to the pigment colour.

[CarbonCopy]

For GW paints, do you use water or paint thinner? At the hobby store I went to the employee told me paint thinner even for GW paints.

 

How about a flow improver - is that good for an airbrush?

 

To be as literal as possible, water IS a thinner -- it's the most common solvent on the planet.

 

I use Future acrylic floor polish in a ratio of 5:1 (water:future). This is the base ratio, thinned more with just water as needed. I use the base ratio for airbrush AND regular painting, adding less paint to the mix for airbrush work (mixed completely by eye).

 

Sometimes I add more future to increase the transparency of the paint (making a kind of "candy" or glaze coat).

 

Sometimes I add isopropyl alcohol if I want to decrease drying time, but it should already dry very quickly if put on in thin enough coats.

 

Also, Tamiya's thinner is a little more than just isopropyl. It's the main carrier, but they have some other stuff in the mix. Exactly what that is, I'm not 100% sure.

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

A paint brush. Then use the same brush to mix your thinner/flow improver/water/whatever in.

 

I have found, over the years, that pipets and droppers are incredibly wasteful in delivering paint from a pot to the air brush's reservoir.

 

This is what I do as well. The cheapy (black bristle - white handle) testor synthetic brushes are perfect for grabbing and mixing paint/water/thinner, and they clean off with just a few swishes around in your water cup.

 

I always mix first in a clear plastic cup... then pour it into the airbrush, sometimes with a filter (you can use pantyhose). This also helps me see better what my mixes look like before I start spraying.

 

I would also recommend using a proper AB thinner/medium, like Vallejo, Golden, or my favorite - Liquitex Airbrush Medium. You can get a lot for relatively cheap... and it's better than windex or alcohol mixes because it does not evaporate as fast... keeping your tip wetter, longer, and making the experience that much easier.