Painting figures with an airbush

[iceman]

I have a badger 150 and as I'm still new to figures have not tried painting figures yet using an airbrush.

I have started on a Le Cimier 180mm French Hussar and feel that the large scale of this kit would be better suited to applying the colour of his uniform by airbrush.

My questions are quite simple, I use Andrea and Vallejo Model Colour acrylics.

1. What's the best ratio of thinners to paint?
2. What's the best thinner to use for spraying, (I currently use just tap water for thinning my paint when using brushes.)
3. I do not own a compressor and use air in aerosol form , will this be a drawback?

Thanks in advance of any replies and I apologize for my ignorance.

Tim

 

[Figure Mad]

Hi Tim

Here is a subject I am very close to, I paint the base colours for all my figures with an airbrush, I too use acrylics in various forms. with Vellejo and Andrea I tend to mix at about 50-50 (about the look of semi skimmed milk), with distilled water as this does not give a slight white residue in the colours, but with some figures you can achieve the final uniform colour from these base colours.

For example if you just doing a jacket of one colour, after masking the rest of the figure. I start with the dark shadow colour first over the whole jacket, let dry while mixing the actual mid colour, this is then airbrushed from overhead in a light sweeping motion so that the in the main the colour settles on the upper surfaces of the figure to give a look the figure having the shadows on the underside of all folds. then while this dries, I mix the highlight colour. This is then applied in the same manor as the mid colour, just a lot less of the colour is sprayed. I tend to make the firs light passes directly from the top, then I make the next few from the direction of the light source that I have chosen. then with whats left of the colours I have mixed, I add the final touches to edges and button holes...

The aerosol Air can be a drawback if you want to use it for a prelonged amount of time, as the can gets cold and you loose pressure, they are also very expensive, if you can gat ahold of a second hand compressor, the better itwill be.

I hope this helps, obviously this is a little more than just priming the figure...

But it giives the results I like

Dave

 

[megroot]

Tim,

in our club there is a member Oswald Ketels who do almost the whole figure in 54, 75 and 90 mm with the airbrush.
He uses several paints. The details are done with the brush.
I hope he is dropping in at this threat, i'm very sure he can give you advise.

Marc

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by iceman+Mar 3 2006, 02:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (iceman @ Mar 3 2006, 02:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>1. What's the best ratio of thinners to paint? [/b]

Whatever works - the paint has to be thinned quite a bit to spray properly anyway (depending on the type of nozzle) and I've sprayed very subtle glazes with what amounts to dirty water.

Originally posted by iceman@Mar 3 2006, 02:39 PM
2. What's the best thinner to use for spraying, (I currently use just tap water for thinning my paint when using brushes.)

IMO, water. If you have any problems with the paint lifting after it has dried then use a medium of some sort instead of or in addition to water.

<!--QuoteBegin-iceman@Mar 3 2006, 02:39 PM
3. I do not own a compressor and use air in aerosol form , will this be a drawback? [/quote]
Yes, mostly one of cost in the long term, but the lack of pressure control can be an issue too.

An old thread that might be of help:
http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5548

Einion

 

[grey_goat]

I made a tutorial for using an airbrush for miniatures (32mm). It may help with the kinds of questions you're asking.

It's at www.greygoat.net in the 'tutorails' section.

good luck,
Sam

 

[iceman]

Thanks guys

really useful info there, especially from Dave (Figure Mad)

Guess I'll have to go and get me some air cans, can't quite run to a compressor at the moment second hand or otherwise. Guess I'll experiment fisrt with an air can and see if I like the look/feel of an airbrush.

Thanks once again, most helpful.

Cheers

Tim

 

[RobertC33]

Guys,
Very interesting thread. I always amazed how people can accomplish with airbrush.
Take a look at the works of a Japanese modeler "Mitutaka Fujiwara", airbrush using acrylic gouache.
http://www.geocities.jp/figure_site/toppage0.html
Too bad it's all in Japanese. Just click next on the site, and don't forget the links between the lines.