First real attempt at airbrushing, disappointed

[Doggy]

Ok so eventually I got around to attempting to paint a kit. My five year old wanted the red Baron and seeing as it's almost all one colour I thought it would be a good place to start. The red seems really flat, dark and lifeless.

I washed the sprue in the sink before priming it with halfords plastic primer. I then started to build it and paint it with tamiya xf7 and I thinned it 50 50 with tamiya thinner. I've gave it at least 6 coats and it still looks disappointing.

So what could I have done wrong? I thought I followed the rules. I have x7 which I'm tempted to try over the top to see if it lifts the paint.

I haven't bothered about filling it, I'm giving it to my boy and no doubt it will get broken quite quickly. This experience is all about sussing out the painting aspect. Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[MrSprue]

Hi

Red and yellow are difficult colours to get a dense finish and require a few coats. Was the primer white? if not, achieving a solid base using white as an undercoat will allow red and yellow to look more vibrant.

 

[tecdes]

I should not worry Doggy (need your christian name). The most important is did the airbrushing turn out OK.

As Mr Sprue (need your christian name) mentions I agree especially yellow is the most difficult colour to get depth in. Also thinning (not saying that is wrong ) by 50% means that you are only getting 50% colour depth ie 3 coats of paint. Find for instance with prop tips, which are usually yellow, it takes 4 full coats, applied with a brush, of Vallejo Model which is quite a dense paint.

Matter of interest Vallejo do about 9 colours in their primer.

Laurie

 

[BarryW]

Airbrushing takes a lot of practise and as the others have said red and yellow are difficult colours.

I would use Vallejo Model Air because being formulated for an airbrush they are easier to use for beginners. I would still thin them though about 10%. Getting the airpressure right is also important along with spraying distance. Building colour up in very thin coats is also best.

 

[PaulTRose]

as others have said airbrushing takes some practice, took me ages and i still get it wrong quite often

ive tried all sorts of different paint brands and all sorts of thinners...........ive recently started using vallejo air and it is so much easier, squirt it in and away you go

if you really want a shiny surface quick and easy then get a can of red automotive paint

 

[phalinmegob]

In my experience, tamiya paints are quite thin anyway and do not need too much thinning, just give them a good stir before using.

 

[andygh]

White or yellow base is a must for red

Plastic primer is unnecessary, it's designed for plastic car parts that flex so it doesn't crack under torsion, the normal primer is better/harder for model kits

 

[Doggy]

Thanks for all the replies guys. The primer is grey so I'll invest in white. Also I'll thin the paint less and try again. If I could find a local shop to do model air I would love to try it, I recently raided modelzone and got loads of paints I needed for my stash of kits, mostly revell and tamiya. I will try and pick up a bottle of model air just to try out. I had the pressure set low and I lowered it as I experimented. I've got a quick coupling with a little screw on it for quickness.

 

[john]

I stock the full range of Model Air, as Barry said they are great for beginners, takes a lot of the guess work out, you didn't say what PSI you was using?

 

[backonthecase]

I know most people have different "recipes" for thinning paint. I primarily use Tamiya & Lifecolor acrylic and Humbrol enamel. All of these I thin 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner, so in effect 66%/33% so I feel you may have thinned rather more than was necessary. Also I spray at around 15-25PSI so try different pressures.

The most important thing to take from your first experience is a lesson - airbrushing doesnt come overnight. I've been at it for 10 yrs or so and still balls it up. The main thing is to learn something each time and have fun with it! Practice on a milk bottle or an old nackered kit - what is there to lose?

Hope this helps

Stuart

 

[tecdes]

I had the pressure set low and I lowered it as I experimented. I've got a quick coupling with a little screw on it for quickness.

Doggy you are better off with a pressure gauge with an adjustable regulator than the blind screw adjustment. You can then return to a pressure which suits what you are trying to do at that time. I find I adjust pressure for different paints & varnish. Also for airbrushing close or at a distance. They cost very little to buy.

Laurie

 

[m1ks]

One quick point, you mention the red was flat and lifeless, yet you used XF7 Red the F in tamiya pots denotes Flat, X7 red would be gloss.

So a flat, (matte), finish would be expected.

All colours are not created equal so if you mean the vibrancy, teh red in question has an effect, for example theres a world of difference between Humbrol 19 and humbrol 220, both red, both look similar on the lid, the 220 is more of a Rosso red, (farrari) than the 19 which is deeper.

Also as others have said, basecoat matters on paler colours, the paler the paint the less pigment and the more the base shines through, a white or yellow primer is a must for under Red, Yellow and pale shades of other colours.

Finally, practise is essential to get a technique that works for you same as mixing ratios, don't go religiously with 50/50, get used to the consistency that sprays right for you and work with that.

 

[Doggy]

Thanks again everyone.

Pressure is low, my compressor has a gauge and from memory it was about 15 psi. I was experimenting a bit with the little screw on the quick coupling.

It sounds as if I have been thinning the paint far too much, its my first attempt so im happy to experiment with these things. It's all part of the learning I suppose.

 

[tecdes]

Think we all had the same problem. But just keep going at it. Well worth it. I near gave up but then all seemd to go right. As Barry mentioned experiment with Vallejo Model Air. It is very easy to use.

What size of needle nozzle are you using as this makes a lot of difference ? Also the high temperatures we have at the moment are not the best for airbrushing work. I work at about 18 to 20 pressure but we all get used to how we work & with the materials we use. There are no hard & fast rules except to keep your airbrush scrupulously very clean especially the needle & nozzle.

Laurie

 

[Doggy]

I'm not sure of the needle size. I have two airbrushes a sparmax dh2 and a Chinese copy one I got for free. The sparmax was only 12 quid. I'm tempted to try something like an iwata neo. I would really like to be able to paint thin lines.

 

[Stevekir]

I know most people have different "recipes" for thinning paint. I primarily use Tamiya & Lifecolor acrylic and Humbrol enamel. All of these I thin 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner, so in effect 66%/33% so I feel you may have thinned rather more than was necessary. Also I spray at around 15-25PSI so try different pressures. The most important thing to take from your first experience is a lesson - airbrushing doesnt come overnight. I've been at it for 10 yrs or so and still balls it up. The main thing is to learn something each time and have fun with it! Practice on a milk bottle or an old nackered kit - what is there to lose?

Hope this helps

Stuart

I started airbrushing in February and it took me to May before I could do it reliably. I now use 15 to 20 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, I thin Vallejo Model Air about 10% (9 parts paint, 1 part Vallejo Airbrush Thinner). I don't pull the lever back too far because it produces a spray that is too powerful and requires faster movement of the airbrush and the risk of flooding. I hold the nozzle about 4 inches away from the model. To avoid blocking and sputtering I find every session it is essential to thoroughly clean out the nozzle, and the passage leading from the nozzle towards the trigger using a small bottle brush sold for that purpose (unless you are doing a colour change when putting airbrush cleaner through until it sprays clean is OK).My family likes Sainsbury's or ASDA's lemonade in 2 litre bottles. These have a smooth surface to practice on. No need to prime. I did a huge number of practice sessions using those.

 

[tecdes]

Interesting point using the screw on the quick release. The pressure indicator shows the pressure of the air coming from the compressor. Does the use of the screw regulator affect the pressure indicator. Or is it only showing the pressure of the air coming in to the regulator pressure indicator & not in the line after the regulator ?

Laurie

 

[Doggy]

As far as I'm aware the gauge shows the line pressure. Turning the screw in stops me applying to much air pressure to the airbrush.

 

[Doggy]

I checked up. My sparmax is 0.2 and cheaper freebie one is 0.4. I was under the assumption that a smaller nozzle meant greater detail or thinner lines in the correct hands.

 

[Doggy]

So I suppose I have a decision to make. Thicken the paint and go over it again, paint it white then go over it red or strip the paint off and prime it white and then red. What is the consensus?