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My opinion is that a starter airbrush should be an internal mix, gravity fed airbrush.
Internal mix vs external mix - Pretty much like it sounds. The paint is mixed with the air internally vs externally. External mix is more apt to get "spitty" or grainy and it's less well-suited to detail work.
Gravity fed vs siphon fed - Gravity fed airbrushes have a metal cup attached to the top and the paint flows down into the chamber to be mixed with air, while siphon-fed have (usually) a glass jar with a male nozzle that is wedged inside of a female nozzle on the airbrush and the paint is sucked up by the air flow. In my opinion, let the gravity work for you and have the paint just fall into airbrush naturally. Gravity still works against the siphon-fed paint jar, too, only not in the way you would like. I have had jars fall out of airbrushes before. As they get old and worn. One plus to the siphon-fed, though, is that the paint jars can be a bit easier to clean, I've found.
I firmly believe (and will always recommend) that a beginner airbrush artist should get a basic airbrush. I don't believe you should spend hundreds on a top-of-the-line model. I would definitely go for dual action, but you needn't worry much about super fine detail or other bells and whistles. You didn't learn how to ride a Harley Superglide at 5 years old. You started with a bike with training wheels. Airbrushing is not like learning with a paintbrush. Detail mastery takes a lot longer to achieve. It's far easier to slap a highlight line across a rounded edge of a Space Marine boot with a fine brush, touching the model. It's totally different to get paint where you want it when there's empty space between your nozzle and the model. When you can't feel the tactile feedback of the brush. You're not sure where your paint is going until you see it on the models. By then, it may be too late. Get something basic. When you have more bells and whistles, more features, you have more things to try to learn all at once. Keep the learning curve slight. Just worry about getting paint where you want it. Getting the right consistency. Learning how to properly clean your airbrush.
Badger and Paasche both have fantastic low end airbrushes that are perfect for beginners.
Next, I can't stress enough the importance of cleaning your airbrush. Even the teeniest, tiniest speck of dried paint on a needle will cause the microns thin fine spray to spit paint and make your model look like it's covered in blood splatter evidence. Additionally, be sure to research proper handling of airbrush needles and other internal parts.
Finally, don't be super cheap on your choice of compressor. You don't need one that will pressure wash your sidewalk and driveway, but you can end up with one that's underpowered and find yourself consistently with sub par painting results. When you ultimately upgrade your airbrush, you can still find uses for your old ones. Maybe you don't want to have to detail clean your super-expensive $300 airbrush for simply spraying large areas on a model. You can break out that old introductory guy you spent $45 on and do that job. However, if you find out down the road that you've bought an inadequate compressor and have to buy a new one, you've got no use for that old one. Money wasted.
That's my advice. Take it as you will.
t l;dr - for starting painters, buy a lower end, dual action, gravity fed, internal mix airbrush and don't skimp on a compressor
Ghidorah
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