Novice painter considering an airbrush... Advice appreciated Options

[Scarecrow]

So ive done a bit of painting in the past, but its years gone by since ive actually put paint to model. Ive just gotten into Warmachine, and been trying to get inspiration for a colour scheme for my Protectorate of Menoth models. Ive stumbled across THIS tutorial, and love the colour scheme, and i must say i prefer the Zenithal Highlighting as opposed to the high contrast edge highlighting ive done in the past.

Im happy enough to shell out the $100-120 bucks for an airbrush and compressor, but i just dont know how hard the airbrush is to use. All the tutorials ive seen for them make it look extremely easy, however im betting thats not the case.

Should i just stick with the brushes for the whole model, and stick with the usual edge highlighting/blending/feathering, or would it be feasible for a novice painter to achieve decent results with an airbrush to get Zenithal highlights...

[bombers68]

I am an airbrush novice but have found that it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. YouTube clips are great. I couldn't do without it now. Practice practice practice and it develops really quickly.

[majere77]

I am an airbrush novice but have found that it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. YouTube clips are great. I couldn't do without it now. Practice practice practice and it develops really quickly.

Hey Bombers... got any links to any good Tutorials???

Had my airbrush for a while and really havn't found it usefull for anything else but basecoating / priming.

[infermofperpus]

Best thing is to buy one and play with it. Only then will you start to understand how to mix and what air pressure to use for what effect you need.

Just jump in and try it out. It seems daunting, but you pick it up really fast.

[Foam]

For a great article on zenithal lighting check this out; http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com.au/2011/09...ghlighting.html

As far as airbrush and compressor choice goes its all a matter of throwing yourself in the deep-end learn as much about them as you can before you dish out your cash. As long as you have a dual action/gravity feed airbrush and a compressor with a tank capable of 25-30psi of pressure you're golden.

I've watched alot of youtube videos and read alot of articles about airbrush choice but the fact is it really doesn't make a huge difference, the compressor is what you need to spend a bit more on. When I first got back into the hobby I bought myself a $150 airbrush and a $200 compressor which was a waste.

Airbrush:

The fact is if you don't take care of your airbrush it gets clogged with pigment, dried paint and becomes useless. I've now started using $15 airbrushes from a chinese store on ebay, and to tell you the truth as long as you're using a 0.2mm/0.3mm nozzel the effects are identical and if you bend a needle hey who cares buy another.

For an example of what you can achieve with a $15 airbrush check out www.youtube.com/buypainted

On the other hand, there are also artists that swear by more expensive brands. Like Les from APJ (He's sponsored by badger)

Compressor:

Go to bunnings and buy a 50L compressor with a tank, it's huge, it's noisy but it's your best bet (And probably around the same price as a hobby compressor)

The reason you want a larger compressor is because most compressors are piston powered, this means that inside the compressor there is a piston pumping back and forth building pressure inside the tank. This of course requires friction and friction causes heat, when the air heats your airbrush blows hot air, which dries your paint faster which also means you have to clean your airbrush more frequently while painting.

A 50L tank doesn't overheat and wont conque out giving you hours of spraying time with better results.

Hope this helps
~Foam

[Lord Akkrand]

I brew beer and have a kegerator so I have beer on tap. And I have 2 CO2 gas tanks, so I've got one spare (they're 2.6kg tanks)
I have a hobby compressor but really prefer using the CO2 tank, it's noiseless, I'm not seeing it run down noticeably after a nights painting, and even when it does run out, it's only ~$20 to get it refilled.
Much smoother airflow than the hobby compressor, too, and not much more expensive than a large compressor from Bunnings (~$250 for the tank, get them at a homebrew shop)

[BorisBC]

I got my compressor from Bunnings for $79. The bigg the tank the more air you'll have to play with. Takes about a minute or so to fill, then you are good for ages. Airbrush was a dual action from Supercheap for $50. Works wellto, then just get out here and paint paint paint!

[Veneficus]

i do the basic Zenithal - black base, white spray over the top and then go it with the airbrush with fantastic results. the hard part about using an airbrush is thinning your paints properly, once you have that worked out its easy.... also - get some spare pots to keep your mixed paints in.