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So I find myself getting paint on parts I dont want it by accident, little mistakes while doing details or straight lines--how do you guys deal with the little stray splotches on the fly? On a larger model I would use my pinky or something to wipe it off while its wet. I made a little rubber wedge on the tip of a thin handle to wipe--sorta works. Q-tips?

This is assuming of course that the splotch is somewhere where it cant be painted over or abraised too hard--like on an area that has been nicely airbrushed already.

With my finger, corner of damp paper towel, cotton tip, another brush.
Depends on how much, how big, and when I catch it i.e. is it dry already.

Also I have learnt not to be too worried about going back over your work and touching up with the covering colour, I do a good job and get some stray paint and I don't want to re touch as it may make it look worse but I have learnt to go back and touch up, its good as well for edge highlights etc that are too thick.

Use a wet brush. Just wick away the mistake.

Finger or a wet brush. But acrylics dry so damned fast that you rarely get good results, I use my finger usually because it's the fastest thing I can get on to the model.

It it's anything important I will just leave it and touch it up later or just be careful not to make a mistake in the first place

A wooden toothpick cam be used to mitigate mistakes. Sounds funny, but works especially well in corners and next to stuff you want to keep.

If you are airbrushing the base coat and highlights on a model, a good habit to get in is giving everything you airbrushed a coat of varnish (matte or satin) before moving on to doing details with your brush.

The varnish gives your airbrush work a layer of protection, which is especially important if there a smooth blends that are not easily fixed. If you get some stray paint where it is unwanted, use some isopropyl alcohol and an old brush to gently wipe away the mistake.

 Stephanius wrote:
A wooden toothpick cam be used to mitigate mistakes. Sounds funny, but works especially well in corners and next to stuff you want to keep.

this is my go to eraser, right here...
toothpicks work wonders fro cleaning out the little nooks if some paint runs in them...
i also use them to apply superglue, so i don't have it run everywhere by accident...
they work good for sculpting, too...
i even use them for a holder on Space Marine backpacks while i paint those...

toothpicks are definitely one of my most used tools, right up there with the brush, knife, and file...

cheers
jah

OK, here I am answering my own post: I just got these little beauties in the mail, I almost forgot I ordered them. I wish I had them a few days/mistakes ago:

25 Disposable Eyeliner Makeup Wand Applicator Brush

These things are 9cm long, they are smaller than they looked on eBay. The tips are REALLY fine, I would recommend getting a few and trying them, they are cheap as f*..., uum, er fudgesicles... really cheap. 13c each

I think Im going to figure out a way to attach one to the other end of my brush, like an eraser--i think a small drill hole down the end of the brush, sized to exactly fit the handle end of the applicator, kind of pressure fit to hold in.

mjp808 wrote:
So I find myself getting paint on parts I dont want it by accident, little mistakes while doing details or straight lines--how do you guys deal with the little stray splotches on the fly? On a larger model I would use my pinky or something to wipe it off while its wet. I made a little rubber wedge on the tip of a thin handle to wipe--sorta works. Q-tips?

This is assuming of course that the splotch is somewhere where it cant be painted over or abraised too hard--like on an area that has been nicely airbrushed already.