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Hi all, I want to step it up a notch and am sick of brushes that split and airbrushes that splat.

What's the best gear for the long term?

Perhaps you might consider upgrading your existing gear?

You specifically mentioned brushes and airbrushes. For brushes, perhaps switch to a Kolinsky Sable brush, e.g. a Raphael 8404 or a Windsor & Newton Series 7? The latter is easily available at Ecklersey's. Note that if you take this route, it is highly advisable to purchase some brush cleaner to assist in brush maintenance; the best on the market is, arguably, Masters.

Airbrushes, on the other hand, depend greatly on proper maintenance for optimal functioning. Perhaps consider getting an easy-to-maintain airbrush, like a Harder & Steenbeck? Or, if you're affected by joint issues, a Grex TG with a pistol grip may help - Mick at OzAirBrush will be able to set you up with one.

I realise that airbrushes can be speculative so what works well for you? I'm after consistent results, easy to clean and solid operation.


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Thanks gohkm, the newton brushes I heard of before and seem solid. Anyone else recommend them?

I think the answer to your question is actually what works best for you. Obviously, it is not feasible to test every airbrush out there.

But, for the price conscious, a Sparmax dual-action may be had from HobbyCo for about $80. A cheaper Chinese knock-off may easily be had from e-Bay for a fraction of that price, but will likely fail after a few applications.

You can probably also get an airbrush for automobile work, which, I have heard tell, works just as well.

For easy maintenance, the Harder & Steenbecks are pretty good. They break apart with very little fuss. These are fairly expensive, though.

The workhorse of most hobbyists is probably either an Iwata or Paasche. There's a couple of painters down southern NSW who do excellent work with a Paasche - check out Loup_garouis's gallery on CMON.

Remember, what you are paying for in an airbrush is the trigger sensitivity. This is highly subjective, so you need to find an airbrush that is at a correct price point and learn to use that effectively.

You will need to clean your airbrush regularly to get consistent results. Search YouTube for an airbrush presentation by Ken Badger (?), president of Badger Airbrushes. It is a good starting point for airbrushes.

You will also need an air compressor if you're intending to use your airbrush seriously. Air cans are expensive, and the airflow is inconsistent. Get a compressor with a regulator and preferably, a tank. If you're in a humid area like Brisbane, a tank can be a lifesaver.

Cheers, I know it's an a** of a question and very subjective, I just came upon some cash so I wanted to try and see what is awesome quality and successful long term among users here

Do a search on Dakka Dakka for "airbrush". There's plenty of very useful data out there.

2014 is likely to turn into the year of the airbrush.

W&N series 7 are indeed very nice brushes. Although theyre expensive, your paying for the reputation
If price is an issue, most brands of Kollinsky Sable offer a very high quality. Rosemary & Co are one of my fav's, a small company based in Yorkshire UK. Other popular ones include Kolibri, Da-Vinci, Dick Blick, Raphael... and many more
Just be sure to go for Kollinsky sable over the synthetics or other kinds of sable (red sable, or sable blend).

Aslong as you use brush soap / preserver, and take good care of them, they will last a very long time - theyre actually water colour brushes, so using them with acrylics means you will need to be thinning the paints down a fair bit, and to ensure you clean it all out well at the end.

As for airbrushes, I'm a big fan of Harder & Steenbeck, but all the big name brands are big names for good reason! Take care of it and use good quality products in it, and it will last a life time.
H&S Evolution Silverline is a very well performing brush with easy maintenance. Mines still going strong after about 3 years now, only had a single nozzle/needle replacement.

Paint for airbrush, I have good success with thinned citadels using Vallejo airbrush thinners, and prior to that I enjoyed Liquitex Airbrush medium (Vallejo one feels better to me so thats the new fav)

Vallejo Model Air paints are also very easy to use and spray well out the bottle mostly, some need a tiny amount of thinner adding for using in my 0.2mm brush.

As Airbrushes go, H&S arent the most expensive.. thats iwata
it kind of depends where in the world you are and what is available locally, and what spare parts you cna get easily. This is why we see a lot fo Badger reccomendations; lots of American users. Now Badger are fine airbrushes, but in Europe we have Harder and Steenbeck in Germany, and theres iwata in japan. Im not sure where paasche are (usa?). as a note Vallejo bundle H&S evolutions in with their airbrush paint sets.
I know we can get global shipping and get whatever we like, but it being produced closer to home usually means you can get a better price.
Airbrushes range from £20 for a cheap thing that may or may not last (bit of a gamble), upto £2-300+ for high precision detail brushes that can resist harsher paints,thinners and lacquers rather than the easy going acrylics we usually use.

 mrshl9898 wrote:
Hi all, I want to step it up a notch and am sick of brushes that split and airbrushes that splat.

What's the best gear for the long term?

I have a cheap chinese brush , badger and grex. None of them spit or splat. But then again I properly thin the paints. What paints do you use?