Transcription
[gasps] Right, let's try this again. Take three. I think one of the biggest misconceptions about airbrushing is that buying one somehow unlocks this new level of miniature painting. And that certainly wasn't my experience.
In fact, [music] I probably spent the first year wondering why mine seemed determined to clog itself every 3 seconds. Every tutorial I watched made it look effortless, right? Thin paint, something about milk, load paint, push trigger, pull trigger, perfect gradients. Meanwhile, I was wondering why mine was either spraying colored sand or attempting to recreate the shower scene from Psycho. It's really only in the last couple of years that I've reached the point where I stop thinking about the airbrush and just use it. Not because I suddenly became brilliant at airbrushing, I just figured out solutions to all the little things that kept getting in my way. >> [snorts] >> So, this isn't really an airbrush tutorial video. It's the collection of lessons that I wish somebody had sat me down and explained after I'd already bought one. Because an airbrush isn't magic, it's just another brush. It just happens to fire paint at your model instead of dragging it across it.
Lesson zero, every airbrush painter has weird little rituals. Now, before we get into any of this, there's probably one thing worth saying. Every experienced airbrush painter eventually develops a collection of slightly odd habits. Some people mix paint separately, some people mix it in the cup. Ooh. Some people back flow after every color, some people people never back flow at all. Some people spray at 18 PSI all the time, others think anything below 25 is complete madness. You'll also find people who swear blind that their way is the only correct way to use an airbrush. I'm not really interested in that. This isn't the way to airbrush. It's just the workflow I've gradually arrived at after several years of [music] trial and error. It works for me. It gives me consistent results. [music] And perhaps most importantly, it means I actually enjoy using the airbrush instead of wondering which bit is going to clog next.
Lesson one. An airbrush >> [music] >> isn't the answer. I think beginners often imagine that an airbrush is somehow the next step in miniature painting and that once you own one everything suddenly becomes smoother, faster, easier. And I don't think that's true. What an airbrush can be really good at is priming, consistent base coating, smooth transitions, glows, filtering, covering large areas or large models. Maybe certain things that can be awkward with a normal brush. But sometimes it is painfully obvious where an airbrush has been used. And sometimes, although it can do these fancy things, [music] there's a deceptively difficult technique or setup involved. As I've said, it's just another tool. Sometimes it's exactly the right one. Sometimes I'd rather use a paintbrush. And that's probably the first mindset shift that helped me. I stopped trying to use the airbrush for everything [music] as soon as I had one.
Lesson two. Forget brands. Learn three variables. If there's one thing I very quickly realized is that almost everything the airbrush does comes back to three things: paint consistency, air pressure, and distance from the model. And that's basically it. If your paint is thicker, you probably need more pressure, but your needle might clog more. If it's thinner, you can often spray at lower pressure and get closer for smaller areas. If you move further away, then the paint starts drying before it reaches the model. But with higher pressure, you can cover larger areas. You move too close and you risk spidering, you lower the pressure, thin the paint a little more, and suddenly that same airbrush can be become surprisingly precise. So, these three things are constantly working together, and the funny thing is nobody can really tell you the perfect settings because every paint behaves differently, every airbrush behaves a little bit differently, every painter develops slightly different habits. And eventually you kind of stop wanting to ask what PSI should I use, and instead start asking about what paint need, um and and how can I thin it? And that all starts with getting that paint consistency right.
Lesson three, paint consistency matters more than recipes. Um people asking for these thinning ratios all the time, and the annoying answer is there isn't one. Every paint is different, different pigments, different brands, and even different colors from the same manufacturer behave differently. So, these days for regular acrylic colors, and in my case more often than not AK Interactive's third gen, I tend to start somewhere around one part paint to one part thinner with a couple of drops of flow improver depending on the volume, but that's only a starting point. I mostly use the Harder & Steenbeck drip method to judge the consistency, and that was a bit of a game changer that video. This is where you mix your paint in a little dish, you pick up some with a brush, and you watch how it drips back down. If it behaves more like water than glue, you're usually in the right ballpark. I will link Harder & Steenbeck's explanation below because they they demonstrate it far better than I can. As you get more experience, you start getting a feel for what will work, and [music] let me tell you it doesn't always behave the way you expect. That is just the nature of airbrushing. One habit I developed that works really well for me is mixing paint separately in the little dish with an old brush before it ever goes near the airbrush. It means I can keep an eye on the consistency, but also check for debris, make sure it's mixed properly, and control how much I end up putting into the cup. Could you mix in the cup? >> [sighs] >> Absolutely. Lots of people do. Uh I just find my this method's cleaner, quicker, much easier to control.
Lesson four, good spraying is uh mostly patience. Uh one thing I wish I'd realized much sooner is that the airbrush isn't supposed to cover everything in one pass. Uh multiple thin coats are completely normal. In fact, they're usually better. I'm constantly adjusting the pressure, my distance, and the angle that I'm spraying from depending on what I'm trying to achieve. Sometimes I'm quite close. Sometimes I'm much further away. Sometimes I want a soft filter over an area. Sometimes I want a tighter highlight. And filters might be only a single pass, while good consistent base coats might end up being two or three or four [music] passes. And even then, if you've gone a little too thin on your mix, you might need more. The airbrush doesn't always bring speed, but it can bring consistency and cleanliness to your base coats. It all depends. And yes, I have a hair dryer sitting beside me to [music] speed things up between coats. It might not be glamorous, but it saves an awful lot of waiting around.
Lesson five, cleaning shouldn't be an event. Cleaning was the thing that intimidated me most when I started. Nobody ever tells you how much cleaning is required, but it's part and parcel of the airbrush experience. From videos I'd seen, people either seemed to strip the entire airbrush for every color, or they barely cleaned it at all. And I kind of settled somewhere in the middle. When I finish a color, I'll usually spray out whatever paint is left into my pot. Although the more I airbrush, the more I realize that I need less paint than I expect, so having excess is becoming less common. Anyway, [music] I add a little bit of cleaner. I use an old brush to work around the inside of the cup. I dump that out without spraying it through the front. And then I wipe everything out with a kitchen towel and then repeat. Now, most of the time a round or two of this is maybe enough. If I've been spraying primer or something stubborn, then it can take a few more rounds. Um I might remove the nozzle, loosen the needle, and pull it out through the front before cleaning it. Sometimes I'll add a tiny amount of needle oil before putting that needle back in. I also back flow the airbrush, but only once it's already reasonably clean, and you'll get a feel for when this will be necessary. It's not something you need to do every time, but it can help. Although, not while it's still full of paint [music] unless you want a fun colored fountain experience. Oh, and I generally get through about one sheet of kitchen towel for every color that I spray, so it's not exactly saving the rainforest here, but it works for me.
Lesson six. Your workflow matters more than your equipment. So, there's definitely an initial investment. Airbrush, obviously. [music] Compressor to push your air. One with a pressure control preferably to save you having to get an inline control. [music] A hose to get the air from the compressor to the airbrush. That's essential. But, the things that make my life easier on actually the airbrush or the compressor itself. A spray booth vented outside is a big bonus, certainly for my health. You shouldn't be spraying without venting outside or at the very least a mask. An airbrush stand, which in my case is a pot with an arm to hold the brush. I often [music] spray out into this to save my booth filters. Airbrush cleaner, in my case from Vallejo. This is a must. [music] Thinner, again Vallejo for me, but there are others available. Flow improver, guess what? Vallejo. Good lighting, [music] gloves, and those little steel dishes. Those are the things that make me actually want to use [music] it. And the easier and more convenient your setup is, the more likely you are to reach for it. So, can other, maybe cheaper, gear replace what I already use?
>> [music] >> Now that you've seen how I actually work, let's put that workflow to the test. Now, normally I use VMS no peel primer if I'm airbrushing. I gave up on the Vallejo primer a long time ago because it rubs off if you look at it wrong. I don't [ __ ] with pre-thinned airbrush style paints anymore because AK 3rd Generation paints work just fine when I thin them myself. It feels like more control. However, I have been kindly sent a Gallery airbrush, some of their paints and varnishes, along with another complete airbrush paint range from a company called Let's Resin. So, rather than reviewing them, I guess in isolation, let's see whether any of them actually earn a place on my desk because that is ultimately the only review that matters, right? Can they replace the products that I already trust? Let's start with the primer. Normally, I use VMS primer if I'm airbrushing. It's great, but it requires an absolute power of shaking. I'm not pissing about. There's an agitator ball bearing in the bottles, but it can take you 2 minutes of shaking to even realize that. It is a [ __ ] hot primer, but 2 minutes of shaking is like 1 minute 30 seconds longer than I want. So, first of all, the Gallery primer is pretty solid for brushing on. You get loads in the bottle, but it's the closest primer I've found to Chaos Black when you brush it on. Certainly, in terms of reflectiveness, it has that satiny feel to it. So, if it sprays well, it's definitely a keeper for when I need that sort of finish. Let's have a look at the process. First of all, you get a nice big bottle, so no chance that it's running out anytime soon. It's a flip top, so kind of messy, if I'm honest. I don't think I've ever been able to use this ever without getting it all over my hands, but that is kind of a small price to pay, I guess. I use a few few drops in the airbrush, like three or four max. I think people love to fill their cup, so to speak, but you'll be amazed at how far paint will go when it's atomized and airborne. Uh covering power seems pretty good and a couple of passes on most parts and some angling for the awkward recesses. Uh I up the air pressure a little and you'll see the only issue here is every so often I stop to wipe the needle tip. This is where you get build up regardless of paint and primer tends to be worse for this as it's designed to adhere to things. A quick wipe gives us back good spray control, so I'm not really holding that against the primer.
>> [music] >> Finish wise I'd say is excellent. It sprayed well, it stuck well, and I'm assuming it doesn't peel or rub off. I I think this will be a keeper if that is the case. Clean up took a few rounds of my process because it's primer, but we got there eventually and it was all contained within one sheet of kitchen towel. So, no harm done. I would call that a result.
>> [music] [music] [music] >> So, next let's check the airbrush gallery sent me. This is the Mobius and it uses a 0.2 mm needle, which is [music] smaller than my current needle. I did actually switch my Harder & Steenbeck needle to 0.2 for a while, but I realized it clogged more quickly and it really didn't give me any benefit. I thought it would help me be more focused with my spraying, but it ended up being more of a pain to work with. 0.4 is often more than small enough to get close to the models. You just need to be used to adjusting the pressure and your paint consistency. Anyway, it would be nice to have a backup brush which I could rely on. So, let's see how we do. First things first, we can take a look at this gallery number. And actually, what I'm going to do is switch over. But, I need to turn that off for that because this will blow a lot of air. Let's put that down there. So, that's the previous one and this is our new one. Shiny. Take the cap off. I don't use the cap. And I don't want the >> [music] >> needle guard just now either. I don't want the needle guard on because quite often, if there is a bit of gunk on the needle, it's handy to just wipe it off. Uh the needle's in there. That is all good. You've just got to be careful with your fingers. So, I can screw the >> [music] >> air hose on and turn this back on and that will re-pressurize. Which you can hear now. It's a fun sound. Doesn't quite fit in my holder, frustratingly.
>> That's my Now, I've got a pressure control on my compressor. But, this is also an airflow control here. Which I think seems unnecessary to me for my use certainly, but might be useful for some people. Turn the pressure up a little bit.
>> [music] >> Now, the question is first of all, we can try it with something that I'm used to spraying so that I can understand whether or not um it sprays as well as expected. I'm going to going to spray a little bit of this color Japanese brown. Now, I know the consistency of this paint. So, we'll put a couple of drops in. We will get a couple of drops of thinner. It's three, but it's about one to one. And then we'll get a little drop of flow improver. There we go. Mix that together with an old paintbrush. And now, I know I'm fine with that consistency. There's only a few drops in there, but that should be fine. It's only a small cup. Let's get them in there. Now, the first problem is the cup. It's not a problem, but the first thing I'm noticing is the cup is a little smaller. And because of that airflow controller, it doesn't quite sit up and down in my holder. So, I'd have to figure out some way of sorting that out. But, the next question is how much control do I have over the flow?
>> [music] >> I say initially that feels very comfortable. Obviously, the 0.2 needle gives me a lot more fine control. I could get a wider spray if I was to spray from further away, of course. Not bad at all. Cleaning the same process for cleaning. A little bit of airbrush cleaner, whatever brand you like. I'm going to use the same old brush. Wipe around the inside. Make sure I get right down to the bottom there with the brush. This is an old brush, but the metal of the ferrule will probably scratch things a little bit. We're going to dump it out there. And then go in there. Second possible issue for me is I've got big chunky fingers. And they don't quite fit into the little cap, the little um the little reservoir at the top here. It's a little tight for my fingers. I used the larger cap that was supplied with the Infinity for that reason. So, largely okay though. It's more or less the same process. This back part's a little stiffer, but that's just because it's new. We can take the brush uh take the needle out.
>> [snorts] >> Make sure that's all clean. What I do like is the needle is like there's whatever finish is on the needle is really nice. It's like a uh it it it it's like brushed metal almost. Now, and when it goes back it and that is silky smooth there. It's like a soft close effect on it. So, we're almost clean. One more round of this, I think, with a little bit of back flow. Now, you can't seemingly It's hard for you to see here. But, that is largely clean.
>> [clears throat] >> Screw that back on. I would say based on that, a very competent airbrush. Now, it's a point two needle. So, do I want to spray primer through it? Oh good, I've just made my desk more yellow. That's great. Um do I want to spray primer through it? No. Uh I'm sure it would be more than sufficient for for for spraying primer, but the point two needle makes me feel like maybe I need like a point four needle for that. But, it's a really nice airbrush. Considering the cost, I think [music] you can do a lot worse than picking up one of these. Um yeah. Now, let's take a look at the paint.
>> [music] >> Gallery's own Koloido Color Works have some lovely colors and are built as eco-friendly, non-toxic, and water-based acrylic. They also have what they call rapid air technology, which is designed to break the surface tension of water and coat adhere in a in a lamellar structure. So, theoretically this should mean no bead formation, good adhesion, no build up while spraying fast. They also boast a scratch resistant finish, which is I guess designed for more for things like cars. Um the the finish here is really glossy, but they're planning a range of matte finish paints. They've also provided me with a matte varnish, so I wasn't necessarily stuck with glossy everything. Can be used directly or diluted.
>> [music] >> 0.2 mil or larger. Recommended pressure is 10 PSI or higher, which is pretty incredible because 10 PSI is not that high. I work between between 10 and 20 usually. So, I want to pick like a real vibrant color. We've got three oranges in here. Which one's the Well, we've got more than three, but we've got a few kind of punchy colors. That's an orange there.
>> [laughter] >> Okay, we've got our little chaos chaos ogre here. The red will be a a nice little undercoat for him. So, he's already been primed, which is good. Zenithal prime. Giving [music] these a good shake. The caps are a bit different. That's fun.
>> [music] >> So, five drops of that in there. Now, I can already see this is pretty >> [music] >> pretty well thinned, actually. I would say. I am pretty confident that we can put this straight in.
>> [music] >> Ended up putting seven drops in there. Uh I think that'll be pretty good. Now, this is going to be glossy, but let's see how we get on. Let's vent that.
>> [music] >> I am I am >> [music] [music] >> Okay. Again, good first impressions, good solid coating, it's covered well, it's not [music] um felt like it was difficult to use. I'm going to inspect it shortly very closely with a more of a magnifier, but my first impression is yeah, these are good.
>> [music] >> The big advantage I feel here is that you're getting good punchy colors, and you can just fire them straight into the airbrush, it seems, without thinning, [music] which is actually rare that you get a an airbrush a set of airbrush specific paints that you don't really have to muck about with, or don't have to worry about them clogging the airbrush. Like, there was no issue there with that clogging. I didn't get any bits on the end of the needle or anything like that. However, they do also provide a thinner with this box. Now, this is their basic colors primary colors set, right? So, they do a whole bunch more. The finish on these is is glossier. However, they are [music] working. I have it on reasonably good authority that they're also working on matte finish paints, [music] and they kindly provided me with some matte varnish, which I haven't used yet, but you can see it comes with an agitator, so that's nice. Um and yeah, these look like they're even really really nice colors, even even just straight out the bottle, no mixing. And this is their primary color set. So, yeah, I would say great, like as far as um as far as these products go, I'm pretty confident. I would be confident recommending these. Now, let's have a look at the Let's Resin Paint.
[music] Uh they just call it airbrush paint, but they also boast a water-based eco-friendly formula with low odor and fast drying. They also say you can just bang it straight into the cup, but only when you're using it at over a 32 PSI, which I am not. That's pretty high. So, let's make sure we use them as intended. [music] They have included loads of thinner as well, though, so we can use that if necessary. They have some fun, bright, punchy colors in the bottle, so we can see how nicely they come up through my regular airbrush. These are actually some of the cheapest paints I've seen, so I'm really curious to see if they hold up under scrutiny. Okay. Next up, we're going to try the Let's Resin airbrush paint. Now, first of all, I'm going to vent. It's important that you vent your area that you're working in or use a mask or both [music] um because even though this is acrylic and water-based, it's just bad [ __ ] You don't want bad [ __ ] going in your lungs, okay? So, make sure you uh take the relevant safety precautions. Uh don't cut any corners, folks. So, first impressions, these colors look pretty good. Uh real nice and vibrant, I like that. The dropper bottles uh with the twist tops look kind of fun. They may or may not work depending on you know, they [music] might get stuck but they look pretty good. You get a reasonable amount 20 mils IN THESE BOTTLES. JUST A SECOND. RIGHT, FIRST HURDLE. They have a seal on the cap. No.
>> [music] >> I guess that's a good thing but it's also a mess. So just [music] watch the old fingers there.
>> [music] >> Let's mix this up before we start um
>> [music] >> So how's it looking? Straight off the bat, I would say that is too thick to put into the paintbrush. Wasn't really dripping very easily so I think this will need thinned. Give that a little mix. And that is that's a lot thinner. Let's admit the flow improver for now. Normally a couple of drops of that is good but um can live without it. And the other thing to mention is I haven't primed this model so this is maybe an even harder test in terms of adhesion because this is a resin model. I've done nothing to it beyond the initial cleanup. So let's see how we get on.
>> [music] >> Right, first impressions. This cap thing, as much as it's a fun idea for keeping everything in the pot that ironically you end up with more paint over your hands than than you would without. Anyway, [music] um I would say it sprayed well, it didn't clog in the airbrush, there were no major issues with that. There was a very very small bit on the tip of the airbrush, but I was spraying more through the brush like there was a larger volume in the brush than normal probably because I knew I had to do a full coverage. And actually, um I would say coverage-wise that's pretty good. It's It's
>> [music] >> It's about bang on with the color considering this is going on to a non-primed model, which was probably an unfair choice in the first place. I would say pretty good so far. Let's see what the next coat does. And we'll do a bit of a sort of zenithal thing with the fluorescent orange, which may or may not work. Listen, who knows. [music] But it'll give us a good idea or it'll give me me a good idea of whether or not these are paints that will make it into my regular a regular rotation.
>> [music] >> Great color though. And actually, the the I mean, the cost of these considering the color selection that you get, the amount of paint you get, it's already a a pretty good buy. So, five drops in there. That's the downside of those. Right. Few drops. Mix it up. Of course, coverage-wise we're thinning the paints with this thinner to get it through the airbrush. So, typically you would want multiple [music] coats to get a full fully saturated um coverage anyway, like paint coverage.
>> [music] [music] >> Okay. Again, pretty good coverage, [music] nicely sprayed, no real issues. Honestly, they don't behave [music] in a way that is uh potentially any different to the other paint that I'm using.
>> [music] >> Um any of the other direct to like that you can pour directly in. For example, the Molotow stuff that you can pour directly into your into your cap. Um and the gallery stuff that I was using earlier. Um of course, you're getting a different finish on these ones. These are not necessarily as glossy. Um but again, like I think the question here is do you already have a set of paints that you can thin? Because if you don't, then sure, this Let's Resin stuff is a is a good buy considering the amount you get. And yeah, you could brush it on as well, right? So, you're not having to buy exclusively for an airbrush. Um is it something that I would buy at this stage? Probably not because I already have a full set of paints that I can use and thin normally. So, um I guess that's the That's the answer. Will they take a place on my desk? Not necessarily, because they're They're They're good, but they're not better than what I'm already using.
>> [music] >> Would I recommend them to someone who was starting out? Yeah, probably, because for your money, you're you're going to get a lot more paint and and really the differences between this stuff and something like some thinned AK or some other some other paint brands
>> [music] >> is not enough to make this not a good buy. So, what stays? [music] Well, I think I can safely say that the Gallery primer is going to be staying. It's got a lovely finish and it sprayed on well. It's a nice black tone and yep, no complaints there. The fact it also brushes on well is a bonus.
>> [music] >> The Moebius brush is a great bit of kit, and that sub-80 quid price point makes it [music] a very enticing prospect. I think the cup size is an issue, but you can buy bigger cups, so that would be my first additional purchase. But otherwise, no real issues. Very well built, smooth operation, and that finish on the needle is lovely.
>> [music] >> Personally, I don't need the airflow adjustment under the cup, and it gets in the way when it's on my stand, which is more annoying for me than it probably should be, but I suspect you can get stands that will rectify that. The Gallery paint [music] is brilliant. I really don't think it needs dilution, which is a strong look. Being able to drop it straight in is what I like about the Molotow pens that I've got. The downside, of course, is the gloss finish. So, for things like model cars and maybe vehicles, it would be ideal, but I'm holding out for the matte finish range, at which point I would be very very interested. If you're comfortable with the additional matte varnish stage to knock this back or the finish is less important for your process, great. [music] These are another consideration. They won't be on my desk, but they won't be far away. The Les Resin paints though, well, as I said in the video earlier, they're not bad. They have an unreal price point. That whole box is on Amazon for like 25 quid right now, which is a brilliant deal. For me, they're not going to make it onto my desk because they don't give me anything I don't already have, but if you're not committed to a paint brand or you're looking for a good set to get you going,
>> [music] >> irrespective of whether you're airbrushing or not, these are pretty damn good at first glance. I used to think the airbrush was this mysterious bit of equipment that good painters had somehow mastered. Now, I just think of it as another brush. Sometimes it's the exact right tool, sometimes it stays on the stand while I pick up a normal paintbrush instead. And I think that's what you where you want to end up.
>> [music] >> And I think that's where you want to end up. If you've got an airbrush, I genuinely love to hear what lesson you took the longest to learn because I'm fairly sure I'm still learning new ones. And if you're still struggling with yours, hopefully this has shortened that learning curve just a little bit. Until next time, go finish something.
>> All the space