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Hey guys, I bought a fairly decent airbrush a few months ago to base all my BA tanks and then for any other little jobs it came in handy for as its always good to have equipment. Anyway, I have just started my Chaos army. I have been basing them all (deathworld forest by GW) just by a brush, I thought I would have a go at airbrush basing them and have had varied results. Sometimes I get paint really pooled up in areas and sometimes the pressure seems to be pushing the paint all over the place! I use it at about 25 PSI and hold it probably a little over 6 inches away. I use Vallejo thinner and thin it to a little thicker than milk (dont seem to get ANY coverage at anything thinner than that really). Please advise me on where I am going wrong or what I can try? I watch vids on youtube and it seems to cover in one really quick going over in a single coat but mine seems to take ages. Thanks for any advice.

James

I take it you prime all your models?

Assuming that you do, your problem will be the improper thinning of your paint(s). I know the usual comparison is milk, but this is so subjective (there's more than one type of milk!)

The best piece of advice I could give you would be to try out a thicker mix and keep working up until you feel you found that "sweet spot". Too thin, you'll suffer your symptoms (spidering, pooling, bleeding) and too thick and you'll mostly result in blockages and spattering.

In time you will be able to eyeball the proper consistency (which is why it's hard to explain what that is)

As a side note, mix In a separate plastic cup (if you don't already) and then pour into your airbrush cup.

I do prime yes, and I do mix in a seperate cup. So I would think my paint is too thin like you said. I'll try thickening up the mixture a bit, thanks

your applying too much paint at one time. If you are using a dual action brush do not pull as far back. If you are using a single action brush, then you will need to back up a bit and apply a thin coat, wait for it to dry, then apply again.

Ashton

Thinning paint is an art. Getting just the right consistency is key. Here's a video where I show my technique for determining when it's just right:




Since I recorded this video I switched from using water or glass cleaner to using Liquitex Airbrush Medium. It's much harder to screw up since your paint will never really get too watery. It might not have enough pigment but it shouldn't bead up like water-thinned paint can unless you're really just hosing it on.

Also, you might think about dialing back your pressure a bit. 10-15psi should be fine. It's a complex little dance of getting the right mix, the right pressure, then right distance all at once. Experience it key. Just keep trying and eventually you figure it all out.