Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I am starting to get into the hobby more, and as such, I would like to improve my painting and fabricating skills.

Have you guys found any books or videos to be useful to learn new techniques?

What equipment do you use while building and painting your models?

Are there specific brands to use for brushes, paint, glue,etc..? Or any to avoid?

I am especially interested in airbrushes, and whether they are worth the investment, both monetary and timewise. Are they better than brushes, used for different purposes, or are they both just as good?

Thanks for the help guys![b]

For painting, watch the videos HERE, HERE and HERE.

I would recommend you take a look at acrylic mediums, particularly retarder/flow-aid and glaze medium. If you want to be able to do fine detail stuff and smooth blends, those are pretty much essential, but often overlooked.

Airbrushes are for a different purpose. Like spray cans, they aren't terribly precise, so they tend to be good for base coating, and they do a truly beautiful job of it. They will also do a pure bright white in one thin coat, which would take you several streaky coats to do with a brush. They have some advantages over spray cans, in that you have more control over the pressure and flow, so you can be more precise, and do general shading and gradients with them (don't expect to be dotting eyes though). However, they are a nuisance to clean... I've had a couple that got gunked up so badly, I ended up just throwing them away and buying new ones, because it's less trouble. You also really need a dedicated area, where you can spray at your leisure, without having to worry about paint mist settling on your TV, or noxious cleaning fumes stinking your house out.

Don't get me wrong, airbrushes are great, and probably something every "serious" painter should have. But they aren't magic, and for all the advantages, they're a lot more hassle than just sitting at your coffee table with a brush and some pots.

Hey themourningstar, I actually just answered the same question you have yesterday, so I'm going to copy-paste that response below. I think you'll find it useful enough. In terms of videos/books...yes I've used many, but the best by far is "painting buddha" on youtube. Perhaps it's not the best video series if you're starting out, as it certainly is very advanced..but absolutely worth watching even as an ametuer. The techniques are solid and thoroughly explained, and there's no reason not to accelerate your learning curve. Start off strong. As far as airbrushing...I tried it for maybe a month, and hated it. It is nothing like painting with a brush, and certainly will not achieve "better" or "cleaner" results. It does have its uses, but those are very specific uses (i.e. shading vehicles or larger models..even so I like to use a brush). I could make an exhaustive list of the equipment I use, from desk lamps to wet palettes, but instead I'll just answer any specific questions you have if needed. Anyway, here's my response I gave someone yesterday.

Best advice I can give from 18 yrs experience: you're tools absolutely matter (more so the brush than anything else).
There's quite a few tools you'll need such as files and x-acto knives and whatnot, so I'll just link you to a few of the best game-changers.

For plastic sprues, this is the single best tool. I used to cut plastic pieces from trees using knives...this will save you so much time and pain (literal pain in your hand).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TMZ7QA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For brushes, windsor and newton series 7 watercolor brushes are 100% a necessity. I used cheap synthetics for about 12 yrs before switching. I wish I had started with the better quality. Get a size 1 and 0, that's all you'll ever need. Also, be careful not to accidentally buy the "miniature" series 7 brushes...they are not the same.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013E68T4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For cleaning your brushes, and conditioning them when you're done painting:
https://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B0009RRT9Y/ref=sxts_k2p_hero1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2668835622&pd_rd_wg=NAEaw&pf_rd_r=G6NHK3TW2Y5NZ7FD5YCX&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B0009RRT9Y&pd_rd_w=6FDA4&pf_rd_i=masters+brush+cleaner&pd_rd_r=5JGCW6WNH4HAAMWFCVA1&ie=UTF8&qid=1479434761&sr=1

For plastic gluing:
https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Cement-Plastics-1-oz/dp/B0006N6ODS/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1479435076&sr=8-1&keywords=model+master+liquid+cement

And lastly, your workspace saver. Once you accumulate somewhere around 80+ paints, it gets tiring digging through a box to find your colors. I picked up this and organized all my paints by color. Should have done this sooner.
https://www.amazon.com/Vatican-Paintier-Products-80/dp/B00A9VTR54/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1479434835&sr=1-1&keywords=paint+carousel


The rest is really up to you. Citadel paints are very good, I pretty much stick with just those, except for vallejo dark sea blue which is the single best color I've ever used. Tamiya ultra fine grey primer is tops. Pick up a pack of tiny ball bearings from amazon to use as paint agitators. And of course get a good desk lamp with white light only. It's a lot to consider all at once, but if it ends up a lifelong hobby for you like it did me, you'll be glad you had it all.

Thank you guys, for all of the info. I will start digging through the mass of videos you supplied and start seeing what works for me. Thank you very much!