Supplies Airbrushes: Recommendations, Comparisons, Troubleshooting

I would also like info on airbrushing. I am looking at the Tamiya Superfine as well. I have done alot of searching online about airbrushing but everything seems to be regarding models (tanks, aircraft and such). I have checked all the dollfie customizers sights I could find, but no one seems to be airbrushing.

Does anyone here have experiance they could share? I would like to know what paints you are using and if has experiance with the Tamiya Acrylics and whether the solvent used with them is safe for the resin.

 

A few months back there were several people talking about the Tamiya HG Superfine airbrush. I'm looking at getting this one myself and wonder if those who discussed it, purchased it. and if so, what do you think?

TIA

Thren

 

Has anyone used Golden brand airbrush paint? Does it work? (this is what I bought!)

 

I haven't tried Golden for faceups (since I haven't done any faceups!)--but Golden is a good brand of acrylics. They should be fine.

 

I bought my first airbrush - a dual action Passche VL - about a month ago, and I've been playing with it off and on to learn how to use it. I'm pretty good at controlling the size of the stream, not so hot at controlling the amount of paint flow, but I wasn't expecting overnight results.

One of the main problems I'm having is with the paint spattering in relatively large droplets. It seems that I can only get a soft, even coverage when allowing the air to flow at full blast. This is fine for large areas, but when used close up I end up with a huge pile of paint in one spot. If I decrease the air flow, the paint spatters.

So I'm trying to figure out the probable cause of this.

Is it just because I'm still pretty inept with the airbrush itself?
Is my paint not thinned enough?
Is my air pressure setting on the compressor incorrect? (I'm working with 25-30 psi)
Is the airbrush needle damaged? (I can't see anything wrong with it...)

I'm using Liquitex acrylics thinned with Golden airbrush medium, at around a 1:1.5 ratio of paint to thinner.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I just want to pin down what's most likely yo be causing my airbrush to spatter so I can solve the problem efficiently

 

I have the same airbrush and the same paints, and I'm having the same problem, so I hope you don't mind me hanging out here until some wise airbrush user comes along and helps us out. xD

The weird thing is, I have no trouble getting an even spray when I'm testing the paints on cardboard or paper, but when I'm doing it on resin or plastic, it goes all over the place. I wonder if the paints are too thin for use on resin, and the low viscosity is causing it to slip and spatter? Perhaps we should try less thinner?


~Kalmia

 

hmm... I've heard if your paint is too *thick* it will cause it to spatter.
Maybe your airbrushes aren't clean?
Yeah, I really don't know a lot about airbrushes, as I don't own one, but I'm sure someone will be able to help you out more in depth! :wink:

 

*lol* I don't mind! I hope the problem isn't just the Paasche VL. :/
I get spatters on both my test paper and the resin. It doesn't spatter like a toothbrush...it's mostly just that the coverage is very 'grainy', not a fine even coating like it should be.

I did find the problem reduced a bit with more thinner, but I'm afraid of over-thinning it.

It can spatter either way...I just want to make sure there isn't some other underlying problem.

I know my airbrush isn't dirty. Like I said, it's only a month old, and I take it apart and fully clean it with water and alcohol after every use.

 

I havent worked with an air brush in a long time, but I know that food coloring sprays quite nicely, so I would say try thinning you paint until it seems TOO thin, and test it on some other surface. You would more than likely have to build several coats, but I shouldnt splatter. I cant recalle dwhat brand the airbrush I had been using was.


You may want a more expensive brand of acrylic for air brushing, more expensive ones have more pigment in them, so when they are thinned down a lot they will not be as pale as a cheap one. http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_products.cfm?classID=1011&subclassID=101110 Utrech store brand paint is very good, and they also carry other brands.

Old Holland is the worlds best artist acrylic. They have the most pure, rich pigments, and have exclusive rights to many of their mines (so other brands will not be the same)

Do not buy paints that say "hue" as it means their is white in the paint, so the color may look muddy when thinned.

 

My 2 cents....
I think you a thinning the paint maybe too much.It needs a bit of "girth" for doll faces and bodies.Your air pressure needs to be 2-6 psi higher. I use about 32 - 36 psi.
Make sure your needle is all the way foreward too and the chuck is tight!
Sometimes when it's not,excess paint leaks through and spatters out.A very minute bent tip can cause spattering too.
When mine gets bent (it happens!),I sharpen it up with fine sandpaper. Beats bying a new one.
Let us know if you work it out!

 

Okay, so the general consensus seems to be that the paint is too thin or too thick.
Paul - I was messing around last night with different air pressures, and actually found that lowering the air pressure to 15-20 psi helped a lot. I'm going to try thinning my paint a bit more, as pookie noodle suggested, and if that doesn't work I'll go the other way and try thicker with a higher psi.

Pookienoodle - do you know of any online suppliers of the paint brands you mentioned? Even our upscale art stores only carry brands like Liquitex and Golden, so I'll have to look elsewhere for the better paints. Definitely worth giving that a try!

Some of my paints are hues, some aren't, generally depends on what color it is. I'm not shelling out for real cadmium red, for instance. I'm using the airbrush just for blushing, so I'm using browns, beiges, and shades that look muddy anyway.

 

If it's coming out in 'chunks' of paint, it's too think. If it's coming out in 'droplets' of paint, it's too thin (I use the most inexpensive airbrush, so it's really hard to find that 'even ground' for the paint). But, I think if it's too thin, then you can just adjust the psi and it would probably help it, rather than adding more paint. (I don't have an adjustable airbrush, so this is just going by what I think of physics ^_^ ).

I only use my airbrush on my resin kits, anyhow, soooooo... ^.^;

 

Okay I have been thinking about buying an Airbrush/Air compressor, but where and which should I buy.

So what I want to know is:
- Which brands is it?
- Where did you buy it?
- How big is the "needle"
- What kind of paints do you use for it?
- and any other info I might need for buying one

ALSO on the LUTS Korean website is are a couple of Airbrushes with compressors.
Loose:
- http://doll.luts.co.kr/FrontStore/dvProduct.phtml?pid=AB724&iCategoryCode=31
- http://doll.luts.co.kr/FrontStore/dvProduct.phtml?pid=AB722&iCategoryCode=31
- http://doll.luts.co.kr/FrontStore/dvProduct.phtml?pid=TAICOMP&iCategoryCode=31

Whole:
- http://doll.luts.co.kr/FrontStore/dvProduct.phtml?pid=TAM74520&iCategoryCode=31

I'm very curious to the last one...it is compleet I think, so no loose Airbrush and compressor...does anyone know if this one is good for using on Dolls??

Thank you!!
Sabriell[/i]

 

http://www.bearair.com/default.asp

hope it helps ^^

 

Has anyone used a copic airbrush for doing faceups? They're so cheap; I was considering getting one for airbrushing fur and wondered if it could do double duty for blushing.

 

OK I think I was really stupid - I ordered a Tamiya HG Superfine airbrush because I read good reviews about it for use on a small fine scale. crappy thing is I can't find anywhere that carries the parts for it!!! I think I need a new needle because mine looks a little uneven at the end - probably my fault for screwing it up when I didn't know how to use it yet.

Does anyone have this brush and know where to get parts for it? Are there parts available overseas that I can purchase, or have someone purchase on my behalf? I can't find anywhere in the US, and Tamiya USA is not answering my emails.

Thanks in advance for any information or advice you may have!

 

Is there a phone-number rather than an email address you can use? It is usually easier to get through on the phone than with email in some cases (not the grammatically best sentence I have written today....)

http://www.tamiyausa.com/contact/index.php

 

I use an Iwata Power Jet. It's the type that has a storage tank. All together an awesome compressor! It's quite large and occasionaly the motor goes on just to fill the tank,then switches off when it's full. (I can drain it fast!)

I started with a little diagphram compressor.These are awesome for beginners and small apartments. I think they run around $70 to $80 and deliver the proper psi for your airbrush. If you get a diagphram compressor, please make sure to get a Moisture trap for it too! Alot of moisture builds up in the compressor and the moisture trap will stop it before it splats water all over your project! You can splice the moisture trap onto to your air hose. Most tank compressors come with built-in moisture traps.

If you have, or are getting an external tank compressor, make sure to empty the built-in moisture trap. Or else your valve auto on/off switches will rust and it's a bummer when they don't work, and even harder to find spare parts, then you have a $500 compressor in the dumps. I was lucky enough to find a spare switch for mine!
Always empty out the moisture every few months!
I don't know much about the Volks products, but they look spiffy and I'm sure they work fantastic!

 

I would like to hear from Iwata and Aztek owners about the merits of your airbrushes. I am contemplating buying the kit produced by Testors that includes an Aztek brush, a bunch of related equip, and an air compressor. But I do notice Aztek only makes two or three nozzles specifically for acrylics, and nothing finer than .40mm. I'm not sure this will be fine enough for BJD customizing.

Does anyone work with Aztek? Do you like your airbrush? Iwata owners, what made you purchase your airbrushes? Anyone with experience of both brands?

Thanks very much in advance.

 

I'm an Iwata nut for sure! Definitely the best airbrushes!I use an Iwata HP-C.
You NEED a double action!
If you get an Iwata double action, they make a nice adjustable handle so you can only flow so much paint. When I switched from single to double, I used one of those handles as "training wheels" to cure my lead-finger.Double actions are so much easier to clean and maintain too.

 

Someone at school found out yesterday that I was saving up to buy an airbrush. Well, her husband is an artist, and he had an old one he wasn't going to use anymore. So she told me about it, and said she'd bring it in for me to see.

Well...she did, and it's an Iwata HP-SB dual action brush with siphon feed and internal mix. It's worth over $200!! And...she let me HAVE IT! I had no words. I was just speechless and shaking. I'm still just incredibly grateful. I don't deserve this kind of kindness. Especially considering I don't even know this girl well. She and her husband just did it out of the kindness of their hearts...

So, long story, which brings me to my question. What sort of compressor would be the best for this model brush? What kind of PSI do I need? Will most any compressor work, or are there specific compressors which will work better than others for doll work?

 

Oh-boy oh-boy oh-boy!
Great way to start! :wink:

Reccomended:
Compressor types:
The "external" tank types, where the compressor automaticaly fills it's own tank can be pricey.(Fills the tank whenever it's low,so the compressor won't overheat. Less noisy, and adjustable air pressure)
There are Diagphram compressors without the tank for fair prices too.Although they are noisy ,tend to overheat, and you can't adjust the pressure.

Shop around!

Avoid areosol "canned air". It's a ripoff!

Most important, clean air:

You need at least 32 psi of clean, moisture-free air normaly, If the compressor is without a moisture trap, you can get one for around $12 that you splice on to your airline.
Moisture builds up in your compressor and sometimes releases out of your airbrush going splato on you project. A moisture trap wil prevent this!

Hope that was of some help!

 

That helps me a great deal. I was more than a little lost. I knew what sort of airbrush I wanted (hence near fainting when I was expectng a cheap bottom feed airbrush, and got the exact ideal type!) But I had zero clue on compressors. Thanks so much!

 

I guess I'll add to this thread instead of starting another one...

I just got an airbrush (Badger 175, the best that Michaels has to offer) and I got canned air...is it just me being a n00b, or does canned air refuse to give a steady pressure? I will be painting on a piece of paper until I get the right stroke, but then when I move to the doll, it isn't the same...the pressure seems to go down... I figured out the part about when you first spray, there is an initial burst of pressure, but it really seems like the pressure goes down as you spray...and very quickly.

I found a small testor's compressor at a hoby shop for $100.00 but after searching around on line, I read that it kind of does the same thing.

I guess the moral of the story is kick down and get a decent compressor? Guess I should have given the compressor more consideration when I decided to invest in an airbrush.

The hardest thing: no undo key... ops:

 

The compressed air definately does this - which is fine if your applying a base coat for resin kits, but not if you're trying to paint a pair of lovely lips. @_@; Of course, me having a super-ghetto airbrush doesn't help anything either. ^^;

 

I'm considering buying an airbrush to do body blushing. Could i get some feedback as to where you recommend I get one from? How much do they usually range from? Is a dearer one really that much better? How do I use it? Can I use it for face-ups too? Do i need to purchase the colours separately or can i get a kit? How much would colours usually be separately? Thanks so much for your help

 

Lots o' questions! ^_^ I will try and give you my 2 cents on the matter.

In my experience, while airbrush does very lovely body blushing, the blushing is not very durable. Even when coated with MSC. I usually save airbrushing for nipples, but even then I have been getting better durability results with painting them using Fluid Matte Medium for a translucent look.

You can certainly use an airbrush for faceups. Everyone has a preference to the make and model that works for them. My airbrush of choice is an Iwata HP-C. It's a little pricey, but I feel they are worth every penny. I have tried Paasche airbrushes and Aztek airbrushes, but the Iwata ones are the superior product *for me*. Your mileage may vary.

Hope that helps a little.

 

Well, I'm just a serious beginner to airbrushing (I haven't even seen one in real life, let alone actually use one) but since I am sick and tired of using pastels for large areas of color, I figured I'd try the technique out. I really only want to use the airbrush for around the eyes, the cheeks, and maybe lips, so I don't really want a super duper heavy duty one. I can't afford a hugely expensive one either. So... any recommendations you have, I'm up for them.

Also, what acrylics do you use? I was thinking of going with Mr. Color, but any other recommendations are appreciated, too. n__n

 

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking about buying an airbrush to do face-ups..and I did a search, and found some really good tips on how to use an airbrush, but nothing on the price and which ones are good/not so good..and where you can buy them O.O Are they available in art stores? And what do you need? You also need a compressor, right? Which brands are good/less good?

lots and lots of thanks to everyone who replies

 

Someone please repond, I too would love to know prices for airbrushing materials. I've searched and searched and they have tips and materials but no prices.

....Go to ebay ^_^ Looky what I found. http://cgi.ebay.com/PRECISION-AIRBR...6033248650QQcategoryZ2594QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Still, it doesn't say what brands are good and whatnot.

 

Reviews page at airbrushtechnique.com:
http://www.airbrushtechnique.com/Reviewpost/

I would not recommend the airbrush you linked to. You want to get one with a small cup on the top (gravity feed) when doing small work like dolls.

 

i got my Harder & Steinbeck 0.2mm airbrush for about 80usd ^^ (with lots of haggling wahaha)
its considered cheap and its pretty good. The O ring inside isn't too good though. Mine cracked a little and got a DiY replacement from the shop guy and now its really good =)

the compressor is the killer though T^T"""
mine is a brandless compressor which makes alot of noise with no moisture control and such, but it doesn't really bother after awhile when you learn its character and know when there is condesation and would be able to stop before a major splatter occures XD

Air pressure can be controled the cheap way by screwing the airhose loser and allow air to escape =X

 

Is this:

the type of airbrush to look for? I'm curious myself.

 

yep something like this ^^
might want to get a 0.2 or even 1.5mm nozzle if you want to paint even smaller areas easily.

 

Anyone know if you can power an airbrush with a shop compressor?

(ie, is a compressor a compressor? )

 

Frustration, frustration.
I keep trying, but all my results are so obviously big spray-stains (lack of better term) that I might as well have used a toothbrush to spray the paint! It's so damn frustration.
Can anyone help me? Isn't it somehow possible to make the spayed color as fine as here? -> http://chocofi.boo.jp/doll/make26-2.html

 

I'm a new airbrusher myself. I chose an IWATA airbrush with a very fine tip used for medical illustrations. I chose the size of the brush from looking at Araki Gentaro's Unoa Freak book-- where he shows his own airbrush and the nozzle size, and shows how he airbrushes their eyelids, eyebrows, and mouths,etc. The specific one he uses was not available to me, so I got a similar sized nozzle and a brush where you can mix very small amounts of paint (dabs) rather than a cup or larger chamber. I'm getting two new Unoa girls in a month or so.. and I'm determined to be ready to give them the new faces they deserve! But I must admit as a beginner I truly suck right now! (but I am not going to give up)

Here is the one I got:

Catrina
(airbrush student)

 

I guess it will always do that unless you have an airbrush over $100...

maybe it needs higher/lower air pressure?

 

I just got an Iwata also for my daughter for graduation. We did a little research, she said she wanted the cup on the top, self-feeding, something lik that. She will be using it to airbrush sculpty dragons that she makes first, but then onto the dolls! It is still in the package. I bought a compressor at ACMoore with a 50% off coupon, and will buy a few how-to books with more coupons. From what I saw in the books we looked at, the Iwata is one of the best for fine detailing as well as larger areas. We got the HP-C Plus (pic in link). will not be until the summer before she can try it out.- Barb (waves to Dollyholic! - must find that Unoa Freak book)

 

hehe, a few minutes afer i posted this thread I got that idea too, and it mostly fixed it. yay
Still far from perfect, but for it being a cheap 15$ airbrush (*coughs*) it's fine I think. :3
Also, I realised that I had to use far thicker paint then the instructions said.

 

Any updates? I'm very curious if anyone has had an success with finding a good brush... I finally have some monies saved (not for dolls ^^; ) that I can blow, and I've wanted a rather versitle airbrush (for costume fabric painting as well as doll faces) and I'm just nosy if anyone has any further reccomendations/ideas...

 

I just bought an airbrush yesterday, a Badger Dual-Action. The lady told us that you can use any type of compressor, but you don't need anything that powerful. Dual- action is great for painting dolls, because you can change the size of the line with one hand, (By pressing the knob on the top back) instead of having to adjust the size on the bottom of the airbrush with your other hand. It can be used for anything, from textile painting to airbrush tanning and custom paint jobs on cars. The thicker the paint (And whether it is water-soluble), the hard it will be to clean. They sell the paints for costumes and such at random art stores. (Real art stores, not the silly ones like Michaels) The airbrush itself will run ya from 80 to 140 bucks, but the compressors are like 200. A can of compressed air won't last for very long, but it runs for about 12 bucks.

 

Zoi, yes you could use a shop compressor to power an airbrush. But you must make sure you have a proper regulator between the airbrush and the compressor.

 

I also purchased an Iwata airbrush, after reading they seem to get the best consistent reviews. I got the side fed airbrush (http://www.iwata-medea.com/products/airbrush/performance/hpsb_info.jsp), because after seeing how large the cup was on some of the others I felt like it would get in the way for up close airbrushing on small surfaces like an MSD or Yo-SD face. For those who are curious, the cup on the airbrush still stands upright, but it sits on the side of the airbrush instead of the top. In order to get the recommended air pressure level I had to buypass the cheap $100 Testors compressor and bought an Iwata Smart Jet. It's really easy to use, and seems to do everything itself so I don't have to worry about how to adjust it. It's also pretty compact (about 18" by 12") and much quieter than I expected it to be. Unfortunately it was a lot more than I wanted to spend, but I'm hoping to do some faceups on blank heads I have and sell them to make a little back. ^^

 

for such detailed things as faceups you want ti get something dual actioned so you can adjust not just the ammount of air coming out but also the ammount of paint at the same time. I have a wicked ancient Paasche Model H that belonged to my father, it is only good for things like painting a doll 1 solid color x_x Normally I use a Vega 2000 I did not have to do any modifications to it and it works great! For my compressor I use one that is so dirty I can't see the name it is from the 50's or 60's tho, I know that dosent help you ^_^

 

At home I use badger anthem model 155 air-brush dual system with a Testors blue mini air compressor. The compressor cost me 60.00 while the brush was 130.00 it was a kit. You can get the airbrush cheaper by buying just the airbrush not the kit. Both were bought in stores I know the compressor is alot more expensive online I think the brush is about the same dependidng on where you but it.

I have also used a compressor called Silentaire with a Iwata dual airbrush (at work) the compressor costs around 700.00 the airbrush costs 360.00.

You should look around this site

http://www.dickblick.com

You can find out alot of information about different models of airbrushes and compressors there. I also think a dual system airbrush allows for far better control.

 

Those of you useing cans for yoru airbrushing, how long do you find they last?

 

I'm also looking to get an airbrush myself soon.

this is a great topic, it'll be very helpful also for the rest of us!

 

Well I haven't had any problems with my current airbrush (an Iwata HP-SB), but I did speak to some other students in one of my illustration classes and they gave me some feedback on airbrushes before I purchased mine.

Someone said that Paasche airbrushes were just as nice as the Iwatas but more affordable, and they had never had any trouble with several different models. I've read some reviews online that said the Paasche was very good but not quite as precise as the Iwata.

One helpful review site I found was here: http://www.airbrushtechnique.com/Reviewpost/

I think you'd probably be completely happy with a moderately priced airbrush and a moderately priced compressor; the problems seem to arise when people go with a high priced airbrush and cheap compressor, or vice versa. I only got my Iwata thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my dad, but in my experience it's one of those things that isn't as dependent on the materials as you might think. Someone can have the most expensive paint and paintbrushes in the world and still do crappy work, and there are still people who produce extraordinary works of art with craft store paints and bargain brushes.

I know that wasn't exactly what you asked for, but I hope it's helpful in some way!

 

Regarding returns: watch where you buy your airbrush from! Dick Blick, for example, does not (willingly) take returns on airbrushes. They'll accept a returned compressor, but the brush is yours once you walk out of the store.
I purchased a Badger from them, and my sales person was up front about this policy (and tremendously helpful about selecting one, too!). Other art supply stores may have different policies, but I see that this is one of your concerns, so I wanted to mention it.

Tamara

PS. Avoid any kind of airbrush that is intended to do car (the things we drive around in, not the models of them) detailing work. There's nothing wrong with those brushes when they are used for what they're intended. They're just not able to give you the fine detail necessary for faces & bodies. Dick Blick provides a basic comparison chart (http://www.dickblick.com/info/airbrushcompchart/) that might prove helpful to you.

 

I'm going to be soon. You can use the compressor, however you do have to get a compressor 'nipple' in the proper size to attach the airbrush.

 

Two quick words of caution:
1) You'll be airbrushing somewhere between 35-40 psi. 150 is gonna be way, way too strong. So you'll need a regulator on that bad boy, and a good one at that. If your pressure varies, so does your paint spray. If your paint spray varies... well... you get the picture.
2) Are you located somewhere warm & humid? (I'm guessing New Mexico is hot, but probably not humid--if so, you're in luck.) Here's why I'm asking: air compressors compress air--which heats it, just a bit. Blowing the air out decompresses it--which cools it, just a bit (this process is kind of how a refridgerator works). If you're cooling the air in a humid place, you're going to get condensation. Sometimes a LOT of it. And it will accumulate in your hose and tank. And it will blow out through your paint, diluting it unevenly and unpredictably. I'm from St. Louis where the summer air gets like soup, and I have witnessed the phenomenon first hand. I don't think the effect is going to be nearly as startling if you're in a dry clime. But even if you aren't, buy a good moisture trap for your compressor and you should be set!

Good luck!

 

Hmm.. if the pressure is too much on the machine, I was told that it could actually blow out your airbrush! So be very careful! You have to some how adjust it to the level of your airbrush ^^;;

 

I've been using compressers every day for the last 15 years and my main tips would be to make sure you empty the pressure every few days so no water builds up AND try to keep the machine at a constant temp.

 

I use a giant monster of a compressor, it works fine for me. However I often wear earmuffs on my ears because of the noise, also these type compressors seem to last a loooooong time, mine is probably over 50 years old! Yeah just be careful to empty that moisture trap every now and then. I found that working at about 80 psi is good for me but hearing what you guys say about 35 to 40 kinda makes me go ?_? mine splatters way too much when the pressure is so low.