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I recently just entered the airbrushing world. (Yesterday!) I have an Iwata Revolution gravity fed airbrush and my tank/compressor and all that jazz ready to go. Yesterday I got a bunch of Vallejo paints to use since it makes blending much easier since all I have to do is drop lighter colors into the gravity feed on top to achieve shades. Well I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how much airbrush medium:vallejo paint I should do? Any ratios that have been working out for you guys? So far I have read that 7:3 or 8:2 medium to vallejo paint is what I should start with.

Help please! Thanks

I've had good luck with a 1:1 or 3:2 windex to paint ratio with Vallejo Game color paints, just depending on the paint. If you have a needle .3mm or bigger in diameter you will be fine with 1:1 mix. If you can get a hold of some I would suggest liquitex airbrush medium, it's great stuff.

I use 1:1 windex to paint. Also, all of my paints have at least 5 drops of 1:10 water to flo aid mix in them as well as a few drops of slo-dri.

Ya this is specifically for Vallejo Model Color Paints and I am using Gold brand Airbrush Medium.

Thanks for advice guys.


Do you guys know if I can airbrush directly over the bare plastic or metal models? Or do you primer first?

you MUST prime first to expect decent results. A while back there was a thread on priming being mandatory or not.

I highly recommend Vallejo Model Air grey primer. Smoothest non aerosol primer there is. And no need to take your models outside to use it as it's acrylic based and doesn't make the fumes that spray cans do.

echo what others have said so far, windex...I have also learned that a drop or two of a 50/50 water/future mix in addition to the windex creates a very smooth even surface, it also seems to increase the paints durability as well.

Ashton

Hmm sounds good. Priming with an airbrush? I haven't thought of that very much yet but since you mention it...

Where could you get that stuff in the US? I can only find European sites for that " Vallejo Air Grey Primer".

Has anyone else used or recommends that stuff? The weather where I live here has been quiet ugly and I think that would be really nice to be able to prime that stuff in doors.

The Warstore or SuperHeroGameland sell Vallejo Air Grey Primer... it works great and I use it all the time (used it today!).

The Golden AB medium (or liquitex) will be fine, but exact ratio recipes don't really often make sense. Each pot of paint is going to be different than the next and each will require a different amount of thinning.

This is primarily why I mix is a separate, clear cup before adding the paint to my AB. So I can see exactly what I have, and it also helps me get much more familiar with the consistency that works! ...most folks will tell you, think the consistency of 'milk'. But even 'skim milk' or colored-water type consistencies will work in an AB... it just takes practice.

BTW - you will still want to thin the VMA primer a little with some AB medium.

EDIT: check out my BnC WIP thread... it's not a tutorial or anything, but at least you see an example. Nearly everything (but details) were done with an airbrush.
http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=219303

I saw it on thewarstore but I'm unsure if this is the right one... SKU: VAL 71097 Is that the right model? The Vallejo Model AIRBRUSH Gray Primer is what they have that I saw and it's $2.99. Is that the primer you are talking about using? How big is it? The same size as the normal Vallejo Model Color paint droppers?

I see some Vallejo grey primer spray cans also, where you referring to spray cans?

Yeah its the same size as the typical vallejo bottles sadly, but you get a lot of mileage out of each.

I've never used the aerosol version but I heard its good also.

aerethan wrote: And no need to take your models outside to use it as it's acrylic based and doesn't make the fumes that spray cans do.

Hold on just one second there. If you are spraying paint of any kind (acrylics included) make sure you either do it outside or with a fume hood. And make sure you are using a respirator. You do not want to inhale paint. Safety first.

As to the OP, I have had decent luck thinning my vallejo paints (ultramarine blue and stormy blue) with about 2:5 water to paint. I haven't tried using airbrush medium or flow aids yet.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, you should prime first. Primer creates the base upon which your regular paint will adhere.

@Gunzhard: I just called Warstore and they don't have any. They said there's none anywhere in the US...superherogameland had none either. This stuff is super hard to find...

@Kolath: Thanks for your help man. I have a respriator but I don't know what a fume hood is. I'll go find out...

Ok so generally I've gotten to the consensus of pretty much starting 2:5 or 1:1 airbrush medium/windex/water to paint. I'll start there and adjust to the skim milky look that most people suggest.

When it's ready is it suppose to be almost as liquidy as the GW wash pots? Or is that too much? I've never seen how actual airbrush paint looks so I don't know how "liquidy" it actually gets.

It should be thinner than the GW washes actually... I mean, they are thin but still rather gluey... your AB paint mix shouldn't be gluey, if that makes sense hah. The old GW 'inks' look more like what you should be going for.

No matter what though - it's going to take practice... I would start on paper, then even sprues, then terrain... before you get to spraying your models.

EDIT: Check your private-messages

EDIT2: I've also ordered from these guys in the past when everyone else was out of stock: http://www.warweb.com/index.php

Thanks for your help gunzhard! Wow thinner than GW washes? o_o So almost like water...that's crazy considering I've always only painted with GW pots. I'll def start on some paper to test out

I've never used a respirator when airbrushing acrylics. I paint at such low psi that there isn't any paint lingering in the air, and I'm smart enough to hold my breath while I spray.

People with full on pesticide breathers indoors while painting little soldiers is overkill. At best a sawdust mask would work just fine.

Wear the IG face mask if you want, I'll take my chances at 15psi.

EDIT: a quick google search comes up with nothing stating that acrylic paint causes any particular lung problems. OHSA regulations err on the side of caution, but there appear to be no studies or cases that I could find of lung problems cause by inhalation of acrylic paint vapor. As a non toxic substance it does not have solvents in it such as toluene or others that appear in other types of paint.