Airbrushing Clinic, advice for my first efforts.....

[Matt_]

OK

 

I'm just starting out airbrushing and sod's law means my first effort is a Luftwaffe mottled subject - Revell's Bf109G-6, one for the group build off.

 

First a couple of photos.. gallery of shame...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tools (which I won't be blaming in any way shape or form)

 

Iwata HP- C + airbrush 0.3 needle I think.

Revell Omega compresor with a small air tank and water trap etc

paint is Mr Colour Aqueous, thinned with Mr Colour levelling thinner 

 

Compressor is set a about 15 psi and I have a small inline air valve which I have used to further reduce the pressure. I use the paint flow setting  device at the rear of the brush to keep paint flow at a minimum.

 

Temperature is around 18 Celsius and not particularly humid.

 

Using about 66% thinner to 33% paint.

 

I have committed many of the 'classic' crimes against airbrushing, though managed to steer just clear of the spider effect (none of mine have legs) and in fact I appear to have finessed this to what I'll call the 'polo effect' where the paint in the centre of a mottle is blown to the edges leaving a hole...

 

Of concern to me (and what can't be seen so well) is that the paint didn't appear to dry as quickly as I expected. I used a cotton glove to handle the thing once painted and even a day later there was still a small degree of tack if I held an area too long... As you can see, there are also areas where the paint is almost gloss... am I not mixing properly?

 

Finally, does airbrushing create static? Because I've never seen so much dust making a bee line for my paint! I suppose the booth is pulling air in from around me, but crikey.. so much dust... would a tack cloth help?

 

So there's some images and questions to be getting on with... diagnose away. I'm not going to be precious about this, so I need to hear what people really think... I realise much of this is about practise, but more specific advice would be warmly appreciated..

 

Matt 

[Dave J]

From what you have written... it sounds like you have nearly everything set to what I have...

 

I normally spray around 10-15 psi... I use Mr Color Lacquerers for my paint which is thinned down heavily...

 

Mottle is tricky to pull off on the first few goes.. I think it took me 3-4 goes till I was happy... Trick is to have a very light trigger finger and slow build the mottle area up..

 

To tone it back, you could use some 2000 wet & dry

 

Maybe How to Mottle article is required?

[Mikester]

As Matt (Doogs) mentioned it's all about paint/thinner ratio and pressure.  A lot of people insist that you have to low pressure but I prefer higher pressure with the paint flow dialed back.  I dial my needle down to the point where I'm barely getting any paint flow and slowly build up the mottle, this will help avoid the the puddling. 

 

I use Mr. Color laquer with their thinner at about 50/50 ratio, i don't like to go much thinner because it splatters on me if I go much more than that.  I like to work very close to the surface as well, to me this is crucial.  My Grex airbrush has a special cap for up close work that minimizes blow back by venting the sides of the cap.  I also use .2 mm needle which helps.

[Matt_]

Thanks chaps.

 

• I do have a close working 'crown' fitted which I forgot to mention. 
• More air pressure is a route I've not tried - so I'll have a go
• Black primer coat I do intend trying on next - can I colour my Mr Surfacer 1500 with Mr Colour paint... anyone tried (suppose I should just try to mix some and see)
• Maybe I'll try pure lacquer thinner and see if that improves (or worsens) drying but also general usability, may dry too quickly..

I shall do some experimenting with this advice..

 

Matt

[James H]

I'm using an HPC+, and I spray at around 15PSI. Paint thinned to about 1:10 thinners. Short blasts with the airbrush, moving the nozzle away from the model as you begin to release the trigger. Sorry, I'm crap at explanations.

[Matt_]

Are ALL the colors not drying, or is it just one?

 

I ask because I've had problems with certain Gunze paints in the past. RLM 76 always seems a bit dicey.

 

Funnily enough it is RLM 76 that has remained soft (rather than sticky/tacky) for longer.... But of course this is aqueous and yours is lacquer based....

 

I'm using an HPC+, and I spray at around 15PSI. Paint thinned to about 1:10 thinners. Short blasts with the airbrush, moving the nozzle away from the model as you begin to release the trigger. Sorry, I'm crap at explanations.

 

I get you James...  Wow 1:10 that's really thin, but I guess it really does allow a slow build up of colour... I suppose at that dilution either lacquer or IPA would be a good dilutant..?

 

Matt

[Jamme]

In my experiences with Tamiya acrylics, you can't push dilution ratios as far with IPA as you can with LT...

Heeeuuuuuu........

What is IPA and LT, please?

Sorry for the stupid question....

Cheers,

Jamme.

[James H]

I'm using Gunze and Mr levelling Thinner.

 

If I use enamel, I work at roughly the same ratios.

[Jamme]

Isopropyl alcohol and lacquer thinner

Thank you Matt.

Cheers,

Jamme

[JeffH]

 

Everybody's mentioned the most important steps but the other 2 things I do in particular with mottling is

 

- start the airflow in the brush off the model (removes a chance of sputter/spatter)

- start the movement of the brush tip before pulling back on the trigger and _never_ stop moving

until the trigger is released (air stops)

 

If you can get a hold of Floyd Werner's first DVD where he builds the Hasegawa G6 he has a

good explanation. It's where I got my initial 'training' in the subject

 

I have a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity brush as well as an Iwata HP-CS. For some reason I

drift back to the Iwata when mottling because it's a slightly larger needle and is not so

prone to clogging with dust in my dusty basement

[LindsayT]

This thread, and especially Matt's tutorial, are why I joined the forum. Great stuff! Thanks!

 

Lindsay

[BradG]

I think you're pressure is too low and paint not thin enough. You're almost there based on what I see in your pictures. Like others, I spray at about 20-25 PSI for everything and for mottling I'll have the paint at about a 60/40 or 70/40 split (thinner/paint) depending on temperature. My weapon of choice is the plastic fantastic Aztek A470. I use it in the single action mode and adjust the trigger until the smallest amount of paint is coming out and go to work, getting as close as I can to the surface of the model. The best way I can describe doing the mottle is if you had a pen and you are trying to scribble the smallest star possible on paper. I use Gunze Aqueous thinner with lacquer thinner.

 

Sometimes, no matter what you do, you will get a little spatter around each mottle. To get rid of this, I spray a pretty 'hot' Humbrol gloss over the paint. The humbrol gloss thinned with lacquer seems to dissolve those annoying little flecks of paint. I don't have any 1/32 kits where I've done Luftwaffe mottle, but here is a 1/72 Hasegawa Focke Wulf that I painted freehand using the technique described above.

 

[Matt_]

Thanks Brad

 

Very nice 190... 1/72 you say.... wow..

 

I shall hopefully this weekend get a chance to do some more fiddling and try out all your excellent advice.

 

Then I'll come back with my progress...

 

Matt

[repeater]

Hi Matt, 

 

Also, if you look closely at my workbench,  you might see that you are missing a key ingredient

 

 

I'm stating the obvious here... but for German subjects, you'll need a German beer eg. Warsteiner.   

 

Several applications may be necessary. 

 

 

 

[Matt_]

.... this could be the problem..... I've got 30 pints of homebrewed Woodforde's Wherry Ale (Norfolk ale).... maybe I do need to change the nation of alcoholic origin...

 

Hopefully I'll get some more experimenting in over the weekend....

 

Matt

[alpinestar]

......my pennies worth....

 

For close-up mottling (is that how you spell that?) I remove the needle cap/close-up cap all together and just use it with a bare needle (Iwata HP-CS). Seems to work better close up with a clear needle.

 

Oh, and Warsteiner. I like Warsteiner. We used to call it Wobbly when I was living in Germany with the RAF. Something to do with the effect after 7 or 8.....!!

[One-Oh-Four]

Hi Matt, 

 

Also, if you look closely at my workbench,  you might see that you are missing a key ingredient

 

 

I'm stating the obvious here... but for German subjects, you'll need a German beer eg. Warsteiner.   

 

Several applications may be necessary. 

 

I'd much prefer a Bitburger; Bitte ein Bit.

 

Although when all is said and done; remember the old Dutch Masters, those painters from the 16th and 17th centuries? I'm afraid most came from Flanders, actually... So for the real artist's touch: go for the real Belgian beers! Not the Industrial ones like Jupiler...

[olfogey]

Bit late to the party..............but "Thanks" for the tips

JJ -- "olfogey"

[General]

You're pretty much sorted now, Matt, from what's been said.

 

Oh, I very well recall the air turning blue when I first turned to the AB for plane models. Cars were easy. Come time to get precise, it was beaucoup difficult to 'dial it down'.

Took a while to shift gears after using a single-action. There's a lot more happening when spraying with the double-action.

 

I've been a diehard Humbrol/enamels card-carrier. Gunze Aqueous were a major eye-opener, though I didn't make the jump. A whole world apart. Thing is, I'm more comfortable with enamels, and the effects I can achieve.

 

That said, the main things to realise were - thin it more than you think and make haste slowly.

I normally shoot 3:1 thinner/paint at 12-15 lb.

Blast a little thru while 'off-target' then start the coat with barely a whisper of paint. From there I can happily build up the opacity.

 

Having said that, looking in on Yootoob tutorials and listening to guys on fora, I'm starting to try 20-25 lb.

The higher pressure means I can still use reduced air, by varying pressure on the trigger, and blast out any dried film with a quick full-open squirt.

 

Patience is the key.

 

yiC

 

Rossco