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I just purchased some vallejo model air paints and got a chance to try them out today, and so far I've been extremely disappointed. I have an IWATA HP-SB airbrush with a .2mm needle and these paints were not thin enough by a long shot for it. I was skeptical as to whether or not they would be thin enough but I figured they couldn't be that bad. They were. Before I explain more please note the paints were around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and thoroughly shaken.

The grey primer I tried first had to be thinned almost 1:1 in order for it to spray correctly, and even then it had sporadic spray and constantly caused my airbrush to get dry tip. I managed to get what I needed primed and then moved on to my basecoat a few hours later. I'm painting a Dark Angel ravenwing battleforce so I ordered some model air black, which was thinner to my surprise than the primer. Despite it being thinner I still had to thin it anyway, and was quite pissed at this point.

My lighting seemed decent and a little orange peel and a lot of dry tip later I managed to get my landspeeder basecoated. To my utter dismay when I held it in a real bright light it had tons of gray showing through. Between straight model air and thinned, this paint was a complete load of crap. I've had much better results thinning GW paint or vallejo game color than this crap. I've yet to try their metallics (I ordered some aluminum) but so far their normal air paints have been complete crap. Albeit the primer worked well after thinning but I shouldn't have had to thin something that claims to lack the need for thinning.

So instead of throwing my landspeeder against the wall I decided to get on dakkadakka and see what experiences other airbrushers have had with vallejo model air paints, and any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I bought close to 50 VMA paints in one batch... I found the same results with those that I've used. You have to thin them... bottom line. That said, with proper thinning they are fine. Except the metallics I should say; my primary goal in getting this line of paints was to AB metallics and I bought literally every metallic color from VMA. Despite a ridiculous amount of shaking they all came out silver and were no easier to use/thin than VMC metallics. Btw - the VMC and also the Andrea golds with proper thinning airbrush pretty well (Gold from - reaper, vgc, gw, p3 - not nearly as good for ab).

I happen to like the primer, especially because I can prime indoors, but I do also thin it a fair amount.

I also use Liquitex AB medium... it doesn't evaporate as fast as windex or alcohol so the tip will stay fresh a little longer.

I'll have to give the liquitex airbrush medium a shot. After reading a bit I'm guessing my problem was 1. paint was too thick alone, 2. when thinned with windex it was reacting with the paint and almost like congealing. I've heard it also gums up/congeals in alcohol as well. Thanks for the info mate, just what I needed.

I bought some of the VMA colours for my IG tanks, mainly greens and browns. I immediately thinned them about 60:40 paint to thinner using Liquitex airbrush medium, mainly because I wanted the pots to go longer and I didn't have a problem with them going through the airbrush and covering pretty well.

I too can confirm the Model Air problem. I picked up the Metallics after reading that they were "Great straight from the bottle" and found that I had to thin them a good bit.

Maybe you need to turn the psi up a bit? I dunno, I've never tried them.

I picked up a tan VMA color and was using it through a paasche VL airbrush with either the small or medium tip for a basecoat. I didn't have clogging issue probably because your Iawatta (I want one btw) probably has a finer nozzle. I did get poor coverage though with several passes.

I do like most of the Vallejo line, but I was largely unimpressed with the model air. Considering you can cut the VMC and VGC more you will get more paint for the money theoretically.

The one thing I love from the model air line is the metallics. I didn't put them through the AB, but use them with my brush and they give a very smooth finish due to the smaller metallic particles.

I love Iwata brushes and Vallejo paint, but I think you'll have a very hard time because your needle is simply to fine for paint.

A .2 needle is fine for ink or solvent paints, but I don't think any acrylic is going to work with that needle.

I think a .35 would be a minimum and .5 more like the norm.

I have 2 Iwata airbrushes and no problems at all with a .35 or .50 tip and I use VMA a lot.

Good to know, planning on buying a HP-CS. What do you guys use?

While this topic is fresh, what are good value airbrushes you guys use?

The IWATA HP-CS is pretty much the biggest bang/buck in the IWATA line.

On the subject of my .2mm nozzle I've actually had great success spraying acrylics GW and Vallejo alike. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I had problems with the model air because of the fact that I was using windex to thin it, which apparently isn't good for the model air. I ordered some liquitex airbrush medium so we'll see what happens when that gets here.

So, I should preface this by saying I have no relationship with Iwata other than as a customer.

I have 3 Iwata airbrushes:

Eclipse BCS - Bottom feed lower end model used for basecoating, etc.

HP-CH - Higher end, Gravity Feed, I'm actually starting to feel that I'm making some progress with this on more detailed work.

HP-BH - Similar to HP-CH, smaller capacity, finer needle. Haven't used this much at all, but I feel that I'll grow into it.

As an aside, part of the reason for having three of them was that the third was part of a package deal with a compressor.

Iwata aren't what I'd call cheap, but I would say they're good value - it seems to me like a case where it's true that you get what you pay for, especially in terms of their customer service, as I've already mentioned.

I'm using VMA to great success but am certainly an airbrush rookie. I've use a .4 needle and still thin the paint. It is a finer grain pigment then the VMC/VGC both of which clog more often then VMA. I have used both windex and Golden airbrush medium with the VMA with zero issues.

I use a Harder and Steinbeck Infinity.

This WIP is Camo Med Brown/light grey for a base worked up w/ ivories and their aluminum over black/grey. All VGC. The reds are from golden acrylic using their airbrush medium.

Wow, that thunderhawk looks great jgemrich! Can you post some close up shots showing the highlighting and shading? Is that all done with your air brush?

I'm using VMA at about 3:1 paint to water (due to lack of thinner until recently). I do get a bit of tip drying as well which has been quite irritating on an IWATA revolution something or other.

BloodQuest wrote:I love Iwata brushes and Vallejo paint, but I think you'll have a very hard time because your needle is simply to fine for paint.

A .2 needle is fine for ink or solvent paints, but I don't think any acrylic is going to work with that needle.

I think a .35 would be a minimum and .5 more like the norm.

Hmm nah, any of the miniature paints, and definitely vma can be thinned for any ab... my H&S has a tiny needle and works fine. That said I wouldn't use the metallics in that ab.

That H&S Infinity has some really cool features and the limiter dial for the needle is cool feature.

I have some liquitex flow meduim, it does not specifically say airbrush, but will that stuff work well to cut the paint as supposed to windex?

PaintMyFigs wrote:That H&S Infinity has some really cool features and the limiter dial for the needle is cool feature.

I have some liquitex flow meduim, it does not specifically say airbrush, but will that stuff work well to cut the paint as supposed to windex?

I've used liquitex flow aid as a thinner once, it was horrible. It gummed up like crazy because although it reduces surface tension, it doesn't necessarily slow the drying time. The result was super clogging with craploads of dry tip. Liquitex airbrush medium has a drying retarder in it as well to help with drytip.

That thunderhawk is looking fantastic!

---oops, my mistake, I didnt mean to necro the thread :(

I have seen several vids with AB masters using VMA to great effect, I think it is just a matter of getting used to it and finding the right mix.

Les Bursley and the F.A.Q vids from Mig give me hope!

(note, probably biased as I am getting ready to go 'airbrush nuts' and have a full set of all VMA paints virgin in their bottles lol)

I have a Iwata Revolution BR with a .3 needle.

I have a lot of clogging problem with thinned down VMC.
I'm waiting for some of VMA to do some more tests.

I guess that VMA grey primer clogs a lot because of my fine needle, or because I didn't find the right way to thin it down yet. I'Ll order some airbrush medium to see if I have better result.

If it dosen't get any better I'll get a .5 needle and nozzle.

Do you guys think that a cheap compressor can cause some clogging ?

I am a little shocked by your experiences.

I use both an Iwata Custom Micron SB (.18 needle) and an Eclipse HPS (.35 needle) and I find the Vallejo Model Air paints to be TOO THIN and find myself thickening them.

I usually spray between 5-20 PSI depending on the job, and the VMA paints are so thin they drip on the target. They work great on canvas, but not so great on models.

I have found Tamiaya's range the best for airbrushing by far.

No problems with VMA from me at all. 0.25 nozzle, spraying at usually around 35 psi I tend to thin with a little tamiya thinner.

Particularly love them for hand brush work though, really nice flow straight of the bottle, which is a time saver.

I use an Iwata hp-bs and never had trouble with VMA until after I read this thread.

I've had no problems with VMA atal, infact I tend to try and use them when ever possible. As for metalics, I've used a few of them painting my GK army and they come out perfect. I use a Badger patriot 105 and tend to spray at about 25 PSI. If I remember correctly Vallejo recommend they should be sprayed at 20 - 25 PSI. As for thinning I tend to thin at a 4:1 ratio with 4 drops of paint and one drop of Vallejo thinner or Glaze Medium for there metallics.