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Hi!

I am currently trying to learn how to airbrush properly, and I am practicing on a bunch of Space Marines I've got lying around.
I start by spraying the models with Vallejo's black polyurethane primer and then give them a base color of dark grey (Charred Stone from Badger).

Then I spray thin coats of a lighter grey (Badger Fur from Badger), from a 45 degree angle to create a kind of zenithal highlighting.
My goal here is to hit parts of the model such as the top of the shoulder pads, the top of the backopack, the face, knee pads etc. while
avoiding areas which wouldn't be as illuminated.

However, I find that the edges of the spray pattern is a little bit spotty. It's only visible if you look really up close or under a very strong lamp, but
it still bothers me. I always thin the paint with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner until the point where I can achieve a nice spray pattern with 20 psi on a piece of paper.

Do you guys have any clue how this can be happening and how I can avoid it (or if I should just lower my expectations)?

Thanks in advance!

I dunno how good of a thinner vallejo is for Badger paints, maybe someone else can comment on that.

But assuming the vallejo thinner is fine, you can try thinning the paint a bit more, making sure you're keeping the needle clean, make sure the paint is properly mixed, make sure you're using a moisture trap and make sure the airbrush is in good condition (needle is straight and undamaged, the needle/nozzle/air cap is concentric).

Just like blending by hand; more mixes makes for a smoother result. With a gravity feed brush, this is simply a case of adjusting the mix in the cup as you're working, bit more highlight colour, bit more thinner, and continue like that.