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Has anyone used the citadel airbrush paints? Bought a set last night and wasted a lot of time and paint due to clogging. Thinned with water or not the paint Either immediately clogged the brush or was barely coming out. When paint would apply it went on almost like if you put a wash on a mini thats was not primed... Feeling like I set money on fire...

I'm a novice with airbrushing but my other brand paints were not clogging like the citadel ones. What should I use to thin and what ratio? Also what would be causing the paint to apply kind of watery?

So, your paint is drying around the lid and stuff. Happened to me, get some dropper bottles and you will be fine.

The new GW Air paints are some sticky sticky stuff. It took me a lot of experimenting to figure out how to clean up my AB after using it.

First I'd say, and this goes with any paint - skip the water and use Liquitex Airbrush Medium. It thins nicely and unlike home-brew thinners (windex, isopropyl etc) it will also help to keep your nozzle/tip from drying as fast.

The GW paints specifically are challenge, they paint quite well though - it's the cleanup that's a bear; GW sells their own cleaner which works (super expensive); Medea cleaner works and Paasche Extreme Air cleaner works...

The days of Isopropyl / water mix to clean-up are over with these paints anyway.

I just use vallejo acrylic thinner if I use GW air, but I have used tamiya acrylic thinner in the past with normal GW paint. You can't really give a set of specific ratios with any paint to be honest, every single pot is different, it just takes trial and error, and a bit of practise.

When you mix the paint use a cheap plastic drinking cup, add some paint, then add small amounts of thinner, mix it together like a mad man, then brush some of the mix up the side of the cup, when it looks similar to semi-skimmed milk in consistency it should be ready to spray, or add more small amounts of thinner until it does look the milk.

I use the Medea cleaner, but have had no problems with the vallejo version either.

Buy yourself Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver. This with little water can make even GW non air metallic and gold paints to spray like silk.

nedsta wrote:
I just use vallejo acrylic thinner if I use GW air, but I have used tamiya acrylic thinner in the past with normal GW paint. You can't really give a set of specific ratios with any paint to be honest, every single pot is different, it just takes trial and error, and a bit of practise.

When you mix the paint use a cheap plastic drinking cup, add some paint, then add small amounts of thinner, mix it together like a mad man, then brush some of the mix up the side of the cup, when it looks similar to semi-skimmed milk in consistency it should be ready to spray, or add more small amounts of thinner until it does look the milk.

I use the Medea cleaner, but have had no problems with the vallejo version either.

Do you have a ratio 1:1 etc? Or just experiment? Also what might have caused my paint if flowing to apply watery or as if it wasn't sticking to the primer? My guess was paint was too thin after adding water?

I honestly don't use any ratios, it's all just judged by eye from drawing the paint up the side of the cup and watching how it runs back down.
Something like near the bottom on this page http://www.3plusplus.net/2013/10/thinning-paints-for-airbrushing-and-painting/

Yeah it could very well be that it's too thin. Do the usual steps, wash the hell out of the figures, quick dusting of primer followed by a a slightly heavier coat (just my personal preference), mix your paint and do your thin layers, until you're happy with the result.

Some things to think about are what psi are you spraying at (I'm usually around the 18-20 psi mark), how close are you spraying, how long are you holding the brush over a certain area etc? You want to always keep the AB moving when you are spraying to stop any build up on the model.

If you are managing to spray ok but still getting clogged up at the tip of the AB, just wipe the tip with a kitchen towel with a bit of airbrush cleaner, all paints will build up at the tip, I always spray with the needle cap removed so I can paint close to the surface if needed but it allows me to clean the tip of the needle more easily, just have to be very careful of the needle tip.

If it is feeling a bit clogged and you've cleaned the needle tip, draw back the trigger and cover the end of the AB with your finger then push down the trigger to release a burst of air, you'll get some bubbling in the paint cup and this can sometimes remove some clogs, I sometimes follow this with a full blast onto my kitchen towel as that too can blow out some clogs.

If you are totally gunked up then all you can do is do your usual paint cup clean, strip it totally down and clean the hell out of it, or use something like this https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=574 It's a bloody godsend, this and the foaming cleaner are really handy things to have in your workspace for if you need them.

nedsta wrote:
I honestly don't use any ratios...

Very helpful thanks. I noticed a lot of people prime the raw model using the airbrush? Do you prime with spray paint or just airbrush everything?

Regarding cleaning. I was cleaning my cup every time with clogs and wasted a lot of paint and time. I will try just cleaning the tip next run but Do you mix outside the paint cup then transfer or mix inside cup attached to the brush?

 gainsay wrote:

nedsta wrote:
I honestly don't use any ratios...

Very helpful thanks. I noticed a lot of people prime the raw model using the airbrush? Do you prime with spray paint or just airbrush everything?

Regarding cleaning. I was cleaning my cup every time with clogs and wasted a lot of paint and time. I will try just cleaning the tip next run but Do you mix outside the paint cup then transfer or mix inside cup attached to the brush?

Agreed there is no magic ratio because every paint pot is different (even the same paint) and you might want different consistencies depending...

I prime with the Airbrush using surface primers (vallejo or stynylrez by badger), but you really need to give them 24 hours, at least, to cure and you have to build up the paint properly... rattle can primers are just much easier but I'm too lazy to go outside and the weather here sucks anyway ha.

Clean the tip with a super soft toothbrush or Alcohol-prep pad, but be warned, this is where we all bend/ruin airbrush needles... be very careful.

As for mixing, I do it all outside the brush in something clear, so I can see the consistency, then put into the AB, but either way can work.

I just airbrush the vallejo primers, a lot of people have issues with them but I just add a couple of drops of vallejo airbrush cleaner in with the primer before I spray and have never had an issue in over 6 years of using it, but citadel chaos black spray can will do the job just as well, or car primer spray can, or Mr hobby surfacer.

If you are emptying your cup out, do it into the plastic cup and filter it with a small piece cut out from a pair of tights, this will keep the clumpy crap out of your AB. It's a lot easier than chucking the paint away and starting afresh, cheaper too.

Just run some cleaner through the empty AB cup, do the finger over the nozzle again so it all bubbles up, tip it out, wipe the inside of the painting cup with some kitchen roll then run a small amount of cleaner through again until it sprays onto some paper with no hint of whatever colour you've been using then add your paint back in again, don't forget to filter it with the tights though this time.

It might seem a lot of steps but it shouldn't take more than a minute maximum.

Sometimes I'll mix straight in the AB, other times it's in the plastic cup, but to start with it's easier mixing externally then you can filter it with the small piece of tights straight into your AB.

Is there an issue using airbrush paints on spray can primers?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 gainsay wrote:
Is there an issue using airbrush paints on a coat of can primer?

Nah none at all, only have to make sure that the primer is fully cured before you paint over it. If you think that is what's causing your paint to not stick to your models you could always brush the same color over the patchy parts of the primer before you start spraying.

As long as it's fully cured and has a matte finish then you should be able to paint anything over the top of it.

I had the same problem when I first started spraying, thinned with windex and ended up looking like a wash on the figure, get it to the right consistency and you should be golden.

If it takes two or more coats then so be it.

nedsta wrote:
Nah none at all, only have to make sure that the primer is fully cured before you paint over it. If you think that is what's causing your paint to not stick to your models you could always brush the same color over the patchy parts of the primer before you start spraying.

As long as it's fully cured and has a matte finish then you should be able to paint anything over the top of it.

I had the same problem when I first started spraying, thinned with windex and ended up looking like a wash on the figure, get it to the right consistency and you should be golden.

If it takes two or more coats then so be it.

thanks so much for the info! I'll give this another go this week and report back!

No problem pal, post some pics and let us know how it goes.

nedsta wrote:
No problem pal, post some pics and let us know how it goes.

Looks like all i needed was proper lube ... the water was not stopping clogging and thinning the paint way too much. Found a bottle below hiding at the local craft store and I use the same brand for years with traditional panting. Great stuff if anyone hasnt used before. Also below are pics of my first airbrushed mini!



Raw after airbrushing









After a wash and some minor details / weathering. Still work to be done.

Looking really good man, glad you've got it all sorted out now.