The_Inquisitor wrote:I'm a lurker on dakka, not a poster, but I had to spill some virtual ink in response to this thread. I will share, said by someone that has been involved in art, scale modeling for most of my life and wargaming for multiple decades. I wanted to say something on the subject as someone who *actually uses* airbrushes extensively in my art/modeling, throughout the entire process, not only to 'blast' paint onto a model.
First an observation re: the poll: The poll is incredibly skewed to favor the clear bias of the
OP (that became apparent throughout the discussion); hence I didn't vote. There is no where NEAR the spectrum of options there should be. 4/5 of the options clearly represent the type of myopic vision that has been pervasive in this little world of wargaming for decades. Even the "I think they are good" was followed up by "nothing I would pay for."
Second, I echo the sentiments of those who have been around long enough to have seen the response to other "technological innovations" that have been thrust upon the wargaming community as a whole. Whether it's drybrushing, washes, using inks, etc. etc. etc. it doesn't matter- it's always been the same. I never cease to be amazed by these reactions. But I think it's reflective again of the myopic view of many in this community, and their individual judgement of what it means to be a painter, hobbyist, modeler, wargamer, and what is 'right' about how you do it.
So, when I hear people say things like 'its cheating, you can do things faster/better than I can... it doesn't represent skills with a brush... What I believe is actually being said is. 'hey, I paint this way, and get these effects and with my limited set of tools, it takes some skill. Since you are not doing it my way, but using some short cut, you are effecively 'cheating' to get the same outcome.'"
However, art/hobby/modeling, etc. is not akin to playing chess, where there are a limited set of objectives and rules that you play by, and if you don't you are 'cheating'. I'm not sure if this is more pronounced in the wargaming world because most of the time, there's this pervasive overarching meta of 'playing a game' with everything, thus you have to play by some sort of rules (<<< this is just conjecture folks... don't get your proverbial shorts in a knot...). But you just don't see this in other modeling/art worlds.
In fact, in the modeling world, the idea is to get the best outcomes with the least amount of energy. You are hailed as brilliant for doing this if you can. In the wargaming community? Heckled as a heretic and unclean/unwashed, because you are doing something different that some sort of predefined 'rules' that apparently everyone has agreed to, but in reality no one has nor could ever define. Just amazing to sit and think about, actually.
Third, for everyone who has thought at all that airbrushing is cheating... Prove it. Show me how it's cheating... can you?
I have a challenge for you: let's meet up. I'll give you all the equipment I use, and I'd like you to show me how you 'cheat.'
I've done this when I demo airbrushing. I love the look on people's faces when I hand them the brush, then they commence to look like a toddler trying to ride a 2 wheeler for the first time. It makes me chuckle EVERY. TIME. when some pedantic prig of a painter says something like this, then tries to airbrush. They can't do it, they get rudimentary outcomes at best or they screw up the project. They can't control the paint, can't control the brush, can't control the air. Can't paint over time without spatter, drying, clogging, etc. etc. etc. Their models look like crap. They do usually 1 of two things: they retreat and become more entrenched in their myopic view about painting or the hobby, or humble themselves, realize that a larger world exists than themselves, and either have more of a respect for someone who can use an airbrush artistically or realize that they have a lot to learn.
Because it takes literally hours just to get competent, and 100s of hours to really get proficient with this tool. It's incredibly frustrating at times. And the process can repeat itself with any change in the formula- new paints, different air, different work environment (humidity, lighting, airflow), shooting for different outcomes, slighting changes in the build up of a project.
What I've noticed is that many of us who like to airbrush do it because we like the tool, and we are willing to put up with all this to gain some level of proficiency, and then we enjoy it. It's not because its necessarily easier. And I'm talking about using an airbrush for more than a glorified spray gun, to basecoat.
Lastly, airbrushing has helped me improved my brush painting significantly. I know how to control the qualities of paint, not only from an artistic standpoint, but how it acts in general. But the most important thing I've learned is that everything I can do with a brush I could do with an
AB, and vice versa. It's more about being pragmatic when choosing which to use. Now, this said, to answer the questions post above: there are people who use an airbrush and
IMO don't really 'finish' the project to the common standard that mainy figure painters would commonly expect. I've used
AB/brush work for years on figures, and am totally stoked that Giraldez is promoting this idea, but you can't just blast the figure with a bunch of pain, and call it done. This is the main critique that people have. It's not the use of the
AB; if anything its 'laziness' in finishing a project.
Clearly, the photo posted by winterdyne demonstrates what I am speaking about, in comparison to the other photos posted. Most of the other pictures show projects that
IMO aren't finished because they are not adequately detailed. I say this as an individual who has painted many commission pieces over the years.
And this is where I now say there are things you can do with a brush that are just much simpler, accurate, faster, easier than with an
AB. So, does that mean because I didn't mask it off a section and painted it with my
AB, or because I can feather out highlights and shadows much more quickly and accurately with brushes than an
AB, that I'm cheating?
