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Hi guys

Finally getting back into modelling and painting now that I have some disposable income and proper time to dedicate to it. Considering starting playing fantasy or 40k eventually but sticking to the painting for the time being. Bought myself a Flamespyre Phoenix just as an impulse buy because I think it's a really nice looking model. I was looking at videos for inspiration and perhaps as a guide to follow and one thing struck me. Airbrushes. Airbrushes everywhere. In fact I couldn't find a single tutorial or walkthrough that didn't use an airbrush.

So that got me thinking. Would I be better or getting one and improving my skills using that? It certainly produces some lovely results but I've always been a brush kinda guy. So what's the general consensus? Do these models NEED an airbrush to make look amazingly good? Should I get one? For arguments sake can anyone recommend where to get and what I should look for?

If anyone has any Flamespyre Phoenix models they'd like to show of that would be good too.

Over to you my wiser friends.

It is actually really easy to answer.
Is an airbrush essential? No. Not at all.
Does it make painting easier and faster? Yes, and sometimes by a large margin.
Anything you can do with an airbrush you can do with a hair brush. It takes loads of layers, patience and skill, but it CAN be done. An airbrush is just another, albeit useful, tool in a painter's arsenal.
The main reason you see all those airbrushing tutorials is because it is just that easy to get good results with it once you got around to actually using it instead of cursing about it clogging every 3 seconds
I got one myself a few months ago and, while I'm still struggling with details, I wouldn't want to miss one.
At first I got it because I HATED rattle cans. Then I went with basecoating. Then I did some easy highlighting and currently are "stuck" there.

Airbrushes definitely are NOT required to make models look amazingly good.

In my experience, airbrush is great for: priming, basecoating, Object Source Lighting (like a glowing sphere in a hand, or a force weapon), and maskable gradient effects (like NMM on a sword). I do not believe it's worthwhile to buy a 0.18 needle to paint eyebrows, eyes, teeth, freehand lettering, and so on, at least not til you are a pro.

The two things airbrushes are really awesome at, which require almost no skill, are priming and basecoating. Also, large vehicles are much, much quicker and easier to cover in a solid, or shade with a gradient, than with a traditional paintbrush.

With a tiny bit of practice, you can do quick highlights from one angle and achieve a semi "tabletop quality" (not really, but lots of people do it), but I don't like that very much. If you just leave it like that, the end result looks like a quick airbrush finish, and if you paint details over it, any stray brushstroke is impossible to correct, since you have to fix a gradient.

With a reasonable skill level, you can very effectively do object source lighting, and have the finished result look a lot better than you'd have with a brush and washes or paint. Another airbrush-optimized effect is NMM on swords and power weapons. It takes 1/10 the time to paint a blue/white/black powersword with gradients using an airbrush as it does with a paintbrush.

To answer your question about what airbrush to buy -- first of all, you need an airbrush, a compressor, and a hose. If the compressor doesn't have one, you also need a regulator and moisture trap.

At the very low end, there are the Masters kits on Amazon, that start at less than $80. I saw a video review on Dakka and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. You could probably do a lot of useful things for that tiny bit of money. That being said, I have tried other cheap airbrushes before, and the feel like.. well... cheap. They aren't assembled particularly well, the trigger is not smooth, they may have seals that leak slightly, and that kind of thing. But hey, what do you want for $80? At least, you have a good basecoat/priming solution, and you can probably do most of the simple effects.

I would not bother with a single action airbrush, as they aren't appropriate for anything other than priming and basecoating, in the miniature scale. I would not buy a siphon airbrush on my first airbrush, unless you have the intention of painting tons of models with the same color. Without question, my first airbrush would be double-action gravity fed.

I think the best value airbrush is the Paasche Talon 3-needle kit. For less than $100, you get 3 needle sizes (.2x, .3x, .5x .. I forget the precise sizes), the matching nozzles, and a fan aircap. Plus, the Talon has a handle with a preset feature that allows you to lock in the maximum amount of paint flow. And, it includes a braided hose, which is worth between $15-$25 (different brands have different prices). Finally, the Paasche Talon series have a 0.20 mm needle kit available for about $20, which by far the cheapest way to get an ultrafine needle on a name-brand airbrush.

If you want to be a little more spendy, the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS is a wonderful airbrush. The trigger mechanism is noticeably smoother than the Paasche; in fact, in my opinion, Iwata makes the best triggers of airbrush. It's a short travel distance to engage air, and it's very smooth pulling back to release and control paint flow. However, the Iwata costs significantly more, does not come with a hose (and their hoses are $25+), and the preset handle is expensive ($40), if you end up wanting it. There is also a "triple-action handle", but I didn't like it very much (it felt cheap). Also, every replacement part for an Iwata is way, way more expensive than Badger or Paasche. I don't believe there are any needle sizes for the Eclipse HP-CS other than the included 0.35, which may be another issue.

Now, although the Talon or a Badger Patriot 101 looks great on paper compared to the Iwata Eclipse, I have to say, for me, the Eclipse is a much more fun airbrush to use, in the exactly same way that a Winsor & Newton Series 7 00 paintbrush is more fun than a Citadel Fine Detail paintbrush. It's not what I can accomplish with it; it's just that it *feels* so much more a joy to use.

Oh, also, the Eclipse can empty out a 1/3 oz gravity cup way, way faster than a Talon or Patriot 101. There are also other Iwata airbrushes, but I'm not including them because the cheaper model (Neo) has few compelling reasons to buy, and the more expensive models are more than double the price and I think would make a poor first airbrush.

If you are very spendy, there is also Grex. Grex airbrushes come in both traditional pencil-style, and pistol grip. I tried a pistol grip Tritium, but returned it, because it just didn't feel right to me. I was surprised, because I thought I'd love it, but a paint-gun style airbrush made it feel like I was constantly checking to see if I was painting the right place. There were some really awesome features though, like a gravity cup that detaches (for cleaning) and a front crown that comes off magnetically (every other airbrush is screwed on). If you want to paint fine details, you have to take the cap off (or you can't see what you're doing); however, if you take the cap off, it's easy to damage the needle tip.

Last thing: don't look for a tiny needle on your first airbrush, thinking you'll do all your edge highlighting or draw ultramarine insignia. You'll be sorely disappointed, because the only thing a 0.2 or 0.18 needle will do to someone who is starting is frustrate them with the frequency of paint clogging, and the necessity of thinning paint "just right" -- so that it's thick enough to actually show something, but thin enough that it doesn't clog up every minute. 0.3xmm needle on your first airbrush is a good thing for miniatures.

Last bit of advice -- buy the Iwata airbrush cleaning station. It's a bit pricey (around $30), but it is life-changing for cleaning out your airbrush easily between colors, or after use. Also, you want a wash bottle: they look like a water bottle with a hooked, straw-like tip, so that you can just squeeze it and dump water into a gravity well. It makes rinsing out the cup a thousand times easier (and faster) than using a pipette. They cost about $9 and they are also really handy for keeping a wet palette filled (by adding water to the edges).

Hope that all helps


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Thairne wrote:
It is actually really easy to answer.
Is an airbrush essential? No. Not at all.
Does it make painting easier and faster? Yes, and sometimes by a large margin.
Anything you can do with an airbrush you can do with a hair brush. It takes loads of layers, patience and skill, but it CAN be done. An airbrush is just another, albeit useful, tool in a painter's arsenal.
The main reason you see all those airbrushing tutorials is because it is just that easy to get good results with it once you got around to actually using it instead of cursing about it clogging every 3 seconds
I got one myself a few months ago and, while I'm still struggling with details, I wouldn't want to miss one.
At first I got it because I HATED rattle cans. Then I went with basecoating. Then I did some easy highlighting and currently are "stuck" there.

I agree completely! I got one because I hated, HATED, HATED priming with rattle cans, and the constraints of priming during humid/hot/cold weather. With the weather generally getting warmer, it felt like consistent priming was more astrological sorcery than anything else. And yes, basecoating a space marine all one color with a brush over 3-4 layers just to have a smooth starting point has to be one of the most tedious tasks.

Airbrush a necessity, absolutely not. It's just another tool in the arsenal. But they're great I tell you.

I use a Paashe Talon and I think it's great for all the reasons Talys listed, I was mainly attracted to the lock that doesn't let you spray too much. As a beginner that was the deal maker for me, although I need to practice brush control without it.

This video is pretty great. It's long, but fire it up if you have the time. It's an introduction to airbrushing by the CEO of Badger. I highly recommend it to anyone new or interested in getting into airbrushing. There's a lot of solid questions asked and answered as well as working theory. I personally learned a lot from this video as well as having things I already knew reinforced.

Just another tool in the chest - great for some things, but not a magic wand that you wave at models to win painting competitions. Definitely not a necessity. They certainly have gained traction in the sphere of miniature painting, of late, but many (most, I'd wager) painters do just fine without them. In fact, I barely see top-tier (multiple big-name award winners, etc.) painters using them, at all. The ones that most benefit are the commission painters and tournament players/army jumpers who can, with a bit of practice, turn out decent - even good - looking armies at an accelerated rate, thanks to batch painting and airbrush-friendly color schemes.

Speaking of which, I see a lot of people mention speed as one of the major perks, but I find that mostly applies to large vehicles/monsters or batch painting. The amount of setup and cleaning required (and/or masking, depending on the task) versus brush painting can often make the airbrush the more laborious tool for many tasks. With one-off models, I tend to only use the airbrush at the beginning and end of work - first for priming and possibly pre-shading/single color basecoating, then for varnishing. Anything else, barring a few special effects that the airbrush can make easier (OSL, etc.), I always do by brush.

Oh, and I second the Talys-recommended cleaning pot, but you needn't pay $30 for one. You can find Iwata-Medea branded ones on Amazon for around $20, as well as identical no-/off-brands for around $15. Mine is a Sparmax and is literally the exact same product. The "squeezy" wash bottles can be had cheaper, too - $6 (with free shipping, if you're Prime) for a .5L on Amazon. I use a somewhat smaller freebie my wife brought back from a neuroscience convention. If I had to buy another, I'd probably just use the straight-tipped style (like a refillable ketchup bottle), which can be had for $2-3.

Essential? No. Efficient? Hell, yes.

The money saved in rattle cans and tears saved in varnishing are worth the investment. Painting technique aside, it's the priming and varnishing that are the main reason I'd suggest picking the tool up, and what I use mine for mostly.

No, not by any means. They can make certain jobs easier and/or quicker, they can offer other options in painting not otherwise available, but nothing that is necessary or absolutely required for painting minis.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

winterdyne wrote:
Essential? No. Efficient? Hell, yes.

The money saved in rattle cans and tears saved in varnishing are worth the investment. Painting technique aside, it's the priming and varnishing that are the main reason I'd suggest picking the tool up, and what I use mine for mostly.

I'm considering an airbrush for if/when I dive back into the hobby for exacly those tasks: priming, varnishing and perhaps basecoating. I can't bear the thought of trying to get a nice, smooth, even job done with rattle cans again... *shudder*

 oadie wrote:

Oh, and I second the Talys-recommended cleaning pot, but you needn't pay $30 for one. You can find Iwata-Medea branded ones on Amazon for around $20, as well as identical no-/off-brands for around $15. Mine is a Sparmax and is literally the exact same product. The "squeezy" wash bottles can be had cheaper, too - $6 (with free shipping, if you're Prime) for a .5L on Amazon. I use a somewhat smaller freebie my wife brought back from a neuroscience convention. If I had to buy another, I'd probably just use the straight-tipped style (like a refillable ketchup bottle), which can be had for $2-3.

Oh yes, I should mention, I'm in Canada, where everything costs a little more than the US :X Oadie is absolutely right. One thing on the knockoff cleaning pots -- get one with the little metal bendy support on it. It holds the weight of the airbrush, so the thing won't fall over if you aren't holding it. That way, it can sort of double as a basic stand, too.

For a neat cleaning tool, you can also cut two holes across from each other near on the top 1/3 of a plain, old, recyclable water bottle. Make one an actual hole that you can push the airbrush nozzle through, the other a little slit. Now, you can poke your airbrush in, point it towards the bottom of the water bottle, and clean. Best of all, you can see the color of the expellant (the Iwata cleaning pot is frosted).





Automatically Appended Next Post:

 oadie wrote:

Speaking of which, I see a lot of people mention speed as one of the major perks, but I find that mostly applies to large vehicles/monsters or batch painting. The amount of setup and cleaning required (and/or masking, depending on the task) versus brush painting can often make the airbrush the more laborious tool for many tasks. With one-off models, I tend to only use the airbrush at the beginning and end of work - first for priming and possibly pre-shading/single color basecoating, then for varnishing. Anything else, barring a few special effects that the airbrush can make easier (OSL, etc.), I always do by brush.

Yeah, this. The proper cleanup of an airbrush is quite a bit of work. I usually do a "real" cleaning of an airbrush the evening I use it -- if I use it on and off a few times a day, I'll just do a quick cleaning. Taking it apart, scraping out all the paint with pipecleaners, and letting it all dry is way too much work to put on 1 basecoat for 1 model. Also, unless you have 2-3 airbrushes, or you're painting a reasonable sized batch, it's highly inefficient to change colors, since you have to rinse out your airbrush and clean the needle between every color change. Plus, if it's just 1, you'll coat once, and then go... "what do I do now?" while the paint is wet. A lot of paints you can't really just leave the paint in the airbrush (it might dry a little, or at least clog up the nozzle), and if you have it thinned right or are using VMA, it's a little wait while it dries.

I use my airbrush for basecoating vehicles (and any masking tape camo patterns I may elect to use). But all that is, really, is a way to speed up the process. The sprayer is way too fiddly to do any kind of detail work with, IMO. I do all that with a brush, by hand.

However, the other thing I use it for is quick and easy basing, and terrain painting. I paint em' black with primer (an airbrush is no substitute for a proper solvent-based paint for adhesion), give each base a coat of dark grey, spray them with watered down black ink, and then hit them lightly from one angle with a light grey. Bam! Two squads of basing done in the time it takes three layers of paint to dry.

However, this is just a timesaver. I could easily do it all by hand. But for the price of a $60 mini air compressor, and a $100 double-action airbrush, why not? What is that in GW dollars? Four kits? One squad?

I have a love/hate relationship with my airbrush. I've had it about a year and find that I've gotten lazy with the paintbrush now, I just never use it.

Basically, because I can't do blending very well at all without an airbrush, I use it too much. It plugs the gap in my skillset, but I think you would get the best results available with a paintbrush.

For vehicles though, a godsend. I would never have had 3000 points of Imperial Guard painted without my airbrush

If you play Necron an airbrush is absolutely essential since it will considerably speed up applying all that metal colour

For all other armies I'd say it is very useful, but not absolutely necessary.

I've used my airbrush a lot for painting terrain quickly in high quality.

I've been using an airbrush for many, many years. Until somewhat recently it was primarily brought out for vehicles (I won't paint vehicles without one). Now I'm using it for other things as well and I'm finding that the more I use it the.. more.. I use it. Well, use it for things OTHER than vehicles.

Airbrush priming and basecoating obvously (as others have said before) but as you get more experience with it you find more ways to use it until it becomes almost essential. At least that's how it's worked for me. You can absolutely do without it until you start using it.