Airbrushing.......need some help

[frank h]

Hi all
About eighteen months ago I purchased an airbrush and compressor.
I have given it very little use and on the few occasions that I have used it, the results have been totaly unsatisfactory.

What I need to find out are such things, as suitable paints, dilutents
and operational techniques, that relate to figure painting mainly
base skintones.

The airbrush I have, is the AZTEK4709 (idiot proof) sealed unit
interchangable nozzle job.

Any help, advice, hints/ tips, words of encouragement
will all be gratefully recieved

Frank

 

[Johan]

Dilute your paint to the consistency of milk.
Adjust the pressure of that compressor - no more than about 1 bar should be ok.
First practise on a scrap figure.
Ambient temperature is also a factor...

The one you have, is that a single or double action airbrush?

Well, I'm not the airbrush expert here (only for undercoating now and then these days), but the above are things I keep in mind.
Perhaps somebody who uses an airbrush on a regular basis could give some more useful tips?

 

[frank h]

Thank's Johan
My airbrush is double action, although I have used single action
most times.

Thank's again

Frank

 

[KeithP]

Before completely converting to the "Dark Side" of Figure painting, I (like many) did alot or armor.

Johan directions are good. I'll add:
Like almost all painting 2-3 light coats are better than one heavy.
Use a moisture trap in line. Empty out moisture from compressor when done. Nuthin' worse than a spittin' AB :angry:
Wear a mist/dust mask and safety glasses.
Use distilled water!

I used a combo of Tamiya desert yellow+ Flt white+Tamiya clear (not gloss) diluted ~ 50% with distilled water for base flesh. Although I have moved away from that, it still works. BTW, the Souvenier Hunter in my gallery here was flesh base coated as described here.

Keith

 

[Johan]

Keith, a question about the all important task of CLEANING. Now, I clean the ab with white spirit after spraying enamels, but what do you do after you've sprayed acrylics? I tried Aeromaster paint which are acrylic, and first cleaned with water + detergent, and after that with alcohol ... I confess I haven't found a good method for cleaning out the ab after using acrylics, any good tips on this?

 

[Elia Cid]

Hi Frank,
First of all, when it comes to airbrushes, think clean, that’s the main issue with any
air brush. The way around it is to go chrome, it makes cleaning much easer,
I personally use an Iawata Brush! Stick to a double action brush, to control the air paint mixture better!

Frank, in essence, get rid of your brush and get an Iawata. They cost more,
But quality isn’t cheap. Then get your self a manifold for at lest three airbrushes,
next get you self a good compressor, the bigger the holding tank the better. This way you can run off the holding tank at night and leave the compressor off. Lastly get what are called nozzle crowns, they prevents paint buildups, and don’t get the cobra hoses, they tangles very easily.

Tip: use old needles to test for viscosity. Dip it in the paint, the faster the drip flow
The thinner the paint is. On Tamiya paints, as a rule I fill new bottles to the rim with alcohol.

I hope this helps
Happy painting
Alex

P.S. forgive any typos!

 

[quang]

Frank,

Also worth checking out is a water trap. If you don't have a water trap installed on your compressor, you're liable to have a sudden splatter of water (condensed humidity in the ambient atmosphere) at the most undue moment (just when you thought you've got it perfectly).

After-session cleaning is also essential. Always use the proper thinner and cleaner (no shortcut here). If you spray acrylics, use the Vallejo airbrush thinner (it's a definitive improvement over tap water). For cleaning, I use aceton followed with a quick spray of Vallejo airbrush cleaner.

The Aztek airbrush is a fine instrument (not a toy as it appears to be). You should get top results with it.

Good luck,
Q.

 

[Johan]

I got a Badger Crescendo 175T - maybe that's a steam locomotive compared to the others that are mentioned here :lol: . But years ago I could write my name with it, and spray a "star" on a black background. But I lost the hang of it.
It's something you should regularly practise, biggest mistake you can make is NOT to use it. :lol:

 

[quang]

Frank,

If you follow Alex's tip and want to get rid of your Aztek, just throw it in my direction. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Q.

 

[Elia Cid]

For cleaning use one part ammonia and one part Windex gets the same results and cheaper!!

Alex

 

[KeithP]

Johan -

I never have had problems with cleaning the Tamiya out. I always kept a jar of water or isoproponol handy. When I finished or switched colors I quickly rinsed out the cup and added fresh water or IPA and blew it out (in to a bucket) until all the color was out of the system. Voila as the spanish say... I have never had to clean ab needle / tips by hand.

Humbrol enamels also AB like a dream. But, clean up with thinner is nastier and harder. If I used enamels,I'd have to break down the unit.

BTW, for this type of acrylic base coat all you need is a single stager. This is my opinion ONLY! I have 30 year old Paasche H1 with the orignal needle and tips. What a work horse...

Lovely subject...

Keith

 

[bobparker]

Hi Frank I have the same airbrush and have had no problem with it so far, I have some books on the subject and you are welcome to them, will bring them up to the club next week.
Bob

 

[Johan]

Check your nozzle - look through it against a light, it should shine like a dancing hall :lol: just like a rifle barrel! And your needle should be smooth, shiny and in perfect condition - no bent tip! It might be good advice to slightly oil the needle, I don't know?
Oh and in my experience acrylics give much more clogging on the needle tip than enamels - so during a painting session of fe. a large area to paint it might be necessary to check and clean carefully with a q-tip and alcohol !

 

[Elia Cid]

Frank,
Johan is correct , that being said most damage is done to the tip of needle ,by cleaning the air brush!

Tip: take an old needle and rub it against ,a damaged or bent needle on a hard surface like glass or steel!

happy painting
Alex

 

[quang]

Keith,

Does your Paasche looks like this?

I used to give airbrush techniques courses in the 1980's. A student came in with this near-mint 1940/50 Paasche which belonged to his late uncle. I proposed to swap it for a brand-new one. He gladly complied. So here it is, still in working order, with original needle and nozzle.

Nowadays I use a Badger Crescendo (like Johan's). Built like a brick and prone to as much abuse as it can get. I've also have 6-7 other airbrushes left from my other life but none has the charm of this little corker.

You've said it, great topic!

Quang

 

[KeithP]

Guang-

That is indeed a beaut. And, in the original box! There is something in a well crafted tool that give me alot of pleasure and enjoyment and this is one of them. Frankly, I still drool over WN Series #7 Mini's.

But, no... mine looks like this... I don't think Paasche has changed the basic design of this in many decades...

Keith

 

[quang]

There is something in a well crafted tool that give me alot of pleasure and enjoyment and this is one of them.

Same here!

No, the design hasn't changed at all. All they changed were the alloy and the plastic of the handle (modern ones have a vinyl/abs feel while the original were bakelite).

I just found out I also have the AB (turbine) model. Cost me an arm and a leg when I bought it, tried to use it once or twice with no success and put it back on the top shelf. The design of this particular model came from the turn of the century (19th) and it shows!!!


Quang

 

[btavis]

Quang, I have an AB as well when I was an illustrator and also used to sell Paasche. The AB is without a doubt THE most finicky airbrush there is. However, when you know how to use it, it can produce results very difficult to do otherwise. The problem most people have with the AB is the amount of care and feeding it needs to function and operate correctly. The needle has to be bent at a certain angle and all of the little thumb screws have to be adjusted correctly and operating it requires two hands (one to operate air and one to operate needle/piston). Also because of the open cup if the needle or airflow is not correct you can create back pressure and the paint/ink will literally blow out of the cup all over your work. Trust me!

Having siad that, I have seen a couple of good instructional videos out there and if you really want to know how to use the AB (and it IS worth it) I suggest watching one of those tutorials.

The Iwata is also probably one of the best ABs out there. I have so much Paasche stuff but I was really tempted to buy an Iwata but they are pricey.

Here's a tip for all airbrushers: get some 12XX silkscreen silk (a yard is plenty) and a funnel cup. After you have mixed your paint to a milky consistency strain it through the silk streched across the funnel. This absolutely guarantees there are no impurities or clumps and hence, no clogging in the middle of a session. If you spray acrylics a drop or two of Windex in the mix serves as a water tension breaker to eliminate beading especially when spraying on raw resin or plastic.

Finally, DO NOT RUSH! Multiple thin passes where each is allowed to dry is the best. I use a hairdryer in my other hand to ensure the paint is drying immediately so there is no chance of drips, runs or beading. If you want opaque coverage you have to do it gradually to achieve the most evenly coated finish.

If I was to do larger scale figures I would definitely use an airbrush more. You cannot beat it when done correctly. The one thing you can do with an airbush is take advantage of its abilty to provide even translucent layers. If you know how to make a warm color appear through a cool overlay color you will see what I mean.

I also used to airbrush motorcyles, T-shirts, murals, etc.

 

[quang]

What REALLY put me off the AB was the (bad) vibrations and the noise. Reminded me too much of my dentist's drills for comfort. :lol:

Thanks for your input

Q.

 

[frank h]

Thank's to everyone for their input, it has been a great
response.
I take onboard, all that has been said and I feel a little
more confident to practise and achieve the results I want

Once again many thanks

Frank