Airbrush: 3 Reasons You Should & 2 Reasons You SHOULDN'T

I love airbrushing and you might as well, if you give it a try. But there's also some resons you shouldn't.

[eBayMiniatureRescues]

Getting an airbrush revitalized the hobby for me and I can’t imagine ever going back to only using a brush. Such a good tool to have in your arsenal, even if you only use it sparingly.

[smoke]

Years ago I got a set of 2 airbushes a single-action and a double-action, also with 2 water traps and 2 hoses for about 100 USD, I've seen the single-action one has a broader spread which I use for painting bigger parts of terrain/crafts, recently got into 40k and I remember there are smaller needles for airbrush that are specialized for details

[foulplay]

People who say "airbrushing is cheating" are frankly being ignorant and argumentative. I would never be without mine for priming and putting flawless base coats on large models really fast, and I would never try to talk a beginner hobbyist out of getting one either.

[bruced]

the 2 reasons why I'm not getting an airbrush.
1st- space, I don't have a dedicated location with proper ventilation.
2nd- frankly, it's a skill set I don't really want to learn. while the benefits of speed and smooth/even surfaces is great, I'm happy with my brush work.

[Orinoco-CG]

I would add varnishing to the pro list for the same reasons as priming. Great video thanks

[magnus]

For those who are going to say apartment/don't have room: airbrush spray booths are rather inexpensive (if you have a box fan, there are some that are about $30, plus another few dollars for a furnace filter). For about $100 you can get one with lights and dedicated fan and filter. They often fold up, so I can set mine out on my hobby desk, airbrush for a day, then fold it back up and put it in a cabinet.

Also, pistol trigger airbrushes are out there; my fingers always felt awkward with the top trigger, but with the front grip it's much more comfortable and controllable. They are dual action, though I find it much harder to just get air without paint because it's just a small range at the start of the pull. Still, if you've tried an airbrush and like it but found the use cumbersome or painful (i messed up my hands a little a few years ago at work), they exist and are good, even at the low price range.

[kallisto]

If you make terrain out of foam an airbrush is actually a godsend. Most rattlecans dissolve foam, so an airbrush is great for getting a black basecoat into those nooks and crannies .I don't have much skill with it, but I can still get (by my standards) really good results on miniatures too. A coloured zenithal, followed with oil washes is a great speed painting method.

[thomasadams]

Remember, airbrushes used to be really expensive, especially the air compressor. That bias could still be in the community.

[risingdawn]

I bought a cheap airbrush and compressor set off amazon a few years ago, and it was the best thing I ever did. It's amazing for priming, it's great for large miniatures or base coating large areas. The only thing I would say is don't forget the brush; it's understandable to try and do as much as possible with your new toy, but in all honesty an air brush is not always quicker, especially when using contrast or speed paint. The airbrush is a tool, alongside all the other tools, there are times to use it and tines not to; but it's an indispensable tool nonetheless.

[AVS_uk]

Shout out to my fellow minions using Brush-On Primer. After speed painting and slap chop, it's the next big fad. I call it Slow Painting

[RavenMorpheus]

In this video, Adam wears a fez! I've been airbrushing for quite some time now, 6 or 7 years or so, I started doing so on scale models. It's a godsend for terrain, and even though my airbrush/compressor are cheap ones, I can do things like camouflage patterns freehand, even on 1/72 scale models. To anyone who is having problems with clogs - thin your paints (more), and/or use a bigger nozzle/needle, I use a 0.5mm nozzle/needle and never get clogs. Tip dry is also a cause of clogs so clean your tip regularly during long periods of use. Also, a tip Adam floated around a while back - keep your airbrushes in a jar with water just up to about halfway over the colour cup. I started doing that, and it's taken the frustration out of starting a session, before doing that I often had to strip the airbrush down to clean it before use, even if I cleaned it at the end of a session. As for cost - a reasonable airbrush can be had for £30 ($35 US), a reasonable compressor can be had for £60-£80ish ($70 - $95 US), so given that Iwata and Harder and Steenbeck airbrushes go for £150+ ($180+), and Sparmax compressors go for even more, it really doesn't have to be that expensive.

[johnlowkey]

I got an airbrush before the pandemic, then kind of fell out of the hobby, felt like a waste of money. However, this last Summer I really got into Kill Team and my airbrush has been amazing tool for every reason Uncle Atom discusses.

I wish I had watched Vince Venturella's videos on airbrushing when I started; it would have saved me a lot of headaches. Don't buy an Iwata Neo. It may feel like you are saving money and still getting quality, but that is not a good brush for priming. I perpetually have nozzle issues, and have heard the same thing from other users. The Low pressure design seems to allow too much primer to collect in the nozzle and it clogs so quickly.

[NightfireGamingYT]

Are the Amazon ones actually decent? I heard a few years ago they weren’t but maybe there’s better ones on there now

[axisandallies]

I’ve been trying to airbrush for years. Just to prime. It almost always seems to get clogged, even when thinned. It seems to be my achilles heel.

[MrBombphoon]

I recently picked up a hand held airbrush compressor set for £50 (around $60) and I'd strongly recommend one if you are looking to get started. It's by far currently the cheapest way to give airbrushing a try. You also have the added bonus that it's small, you can pretty much use it anywhere. You don't need somewhere specific to set aside as your airbrush space and you can take it with you wherever. I've taken mine to the LGS for hobby nights, on holiday, to relatives at Christmas.

[tempusavatar]

Thanks for the video.
I think it was Vince who said what convinced me to make the purchase:
To paraphrase, we don't worry about the amount of money sunk into models, and most people have a backlog of figures to paint. If you're thinking about spending $300 on new kits even though you have a backlog to paint, consider investing that $300 in tools, you'll get a better return on investment.

[brentongrr]

The airbrush has been clutch with speeding up my painting process. Using acrylic inks after my zenithal highlights has been incredibly helpful, too!

[TerrierHalo]

The main thing will always be the price, and included in that is the assumption that I'll wreck my first airbrush.

[garyjenson]

Cosmetic latex mask is what we call masking fluid and it's about a 10th the price😉

[foxhoundms]

I live in Pennsylvania very similar to Wisconsin hence I bought an airbrush years ago, best thing ever, your explanation on how painting went before the airbrush was dead on 🤣