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A new article titled Dakka Modeling FAQ: Airbrushing has been added to the dakka articles system.

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Pretty good write up for beginning airbrush users. It's a lot better than what info you get with the airbrush and compressor (read: none). I'm still in the beginning phases of using it and it's been pretty entertaining, especially using it without an air pressure regulator.

Another good use for an airbrush is terrain. I can knock out buildings/ruins pretty quick.

All in all, a lot of fun to use.

As you gain more experience don't be afraid to take some pictures and add your opinions (and pictures) to the article.

I've got a couple of questions.

First, I've been airbrushing, using Citadel paints, for three years now, and have never felt the need to add windshield wiper fluid to my paints. I think the acrylic paints with water and they work just fine. This article doesn't really cover why adding wiper-fluid is a good idea. Knowing that using the non-toxic paints and non-toxic water as a thinner means I don't need to buy any expensive ventilation hood system seems good to me, whereas using wiper fluid seems to mean that I need to worry about breathing while painting.


Second, and this is a more general question - what's considered good etiquiette when editing someone else's article? Clearly I disagree with KoNemesis on at least one aspect of the article, but that doesn't necessarily make me right, and it's his article. By the same token, while I have several pictures I could add to this article that demonstrate some of the techiniques described, I don't want to hijack his article. I know one of the strengths of the wiki-article system is the community can add, but some guidelines for what's expected here might be nice, and prevent stepped-upon toes and hurt feelings.

Citadel paints are no longer all non-toxic. The foundation paints especially contain large amounts of lead in their yellow and red (just go look at the pots... they no longer say 'non toxic' whereas older revisions of the citadel paints did). There was some kerfuffel here in the EU about GW paints and their labels due to their lead content too.

The wiki-quette is basically, post a comment in the article discussion area and make your changes to the article. If the changes are rejected by the author they can be debated and then the best compromise can be decided on and used (and this can be enforced by a mod locking the article if needed). In a lot of wikis, information will become outdated or just be plain wrong and so you should never feel any hesitancy about diving in and correcting things. Every now and then, a user will submit an article then never check it again, so it is better to have it updated than to let it rot too!

Question, what do you mean by 'degrading' in regards to airbrushing?

Or more specifically 'degrades'?

Interesting note about simply adding water. My local shop employees all advise using distilled alcohol as a thinner as it won't afffect the pigment. They advised against water as it did affect the pigment. Good to hear contrary and something I may try in the near future.

I haven't noticed anything changing with the pigments. I've touched up other mistakes over a airbrushed basecoat with the same paint and can't tell where, so I don't think there's anything to it. Like I said, I've been thinning with just water for a couple years now and see no reason to change now.

Thanks for the advice. Have you used strictly GW paints or have you used other lines, such a Vallejo to the same effect?

I've only airbrushed with GW paints. I have them nearby, and after watering them down, I can return the paint to the bottle, unlike those medicine-dropper bottles.

OK, I am still working on my own articles, but this is my $.02 on the "wiki" aspect of the article system. I think you should go for it. He can always post an "unedited"version of the article on a blog with a link to it in the wiki version if he doesn't like what you do.

For things like typos, I think change away.

For things like other opinions on a subject, I think that if you feel you have something to say, you should feel free to add an "another view by..." section. As a reader of the articles, I think this could be the coolest aspect of the dakka article system and I'd like to see it used more, (including by slacker me.)

As long as you do not include personal attacks you should add pictures and your views freely to the system, without regard for the article's original integrity. If the original writer decides to put different pictures in later, then he could just then move yours to the bottom, or you could.

Just my opinion on this.

Great article on something you can rarely find solid info on modeling. As far as using straight water to dilute, there is a SLIGHT pigment change when doing large areas. On 28mm scale you will almost never notice. For larger models you can tell, but only if youre really looking for it. If youre worried about it, use distilled alcohol. How often are you really letting your undercoat sit outside without washing or detailing over it?

One small note on using water. If you live in a house will old pipes or really "hard" water you may want to go with distilled water to dilute paints.