Topic: Anyone use an airbrush?

[Rutgar of Wissenland]

Hi All,

I have just got an airbrush and have just barely started to use it.  It's a Badger 150 and it's got the fine and medium nozzles/pins.  I'm waiting for some Vallejo airbrush paint to arrive from a UK store that had free shipping (to US).  I've been mixing my paints a bit before that, but having issues getting it right.   

My question is if other people have been using airbrushes on Empire troops successfully?  I'm mostly OnG and was able to base coat some night goblins super fast.  I am thinking if I can get it right, I will be able to paint most of my Greenskins pretty fast.  I've got 6th Ed goblins that are just now getting painted.  If it works as well as I think it might, I might start to actually paint my Empire army.  I haven't used it much and it collects dust, but with the new 8th Ed coming out, I might get a chance to use it more. 

I'm thinking I could probably paint it pretty fast if I primarily use an airbrush.  I want to use Wissenland colors, so that's grays, blacks, and whites.  I would probably just airbrush on the skin and grays.  I would just use a wash for the whites.  I think it might go pretty easy.

Is there anyone who's used an airbrush successfully with Empire before?  Am I way off base?  How do you use yours?  What is good to use the airbrush for and what is not?  Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Timbor]

Mostly tagging along out of curiosity.  How fine of detail are you able to get using an airbrush?  Can you basecoat the green on a goblin without covering most of the rest of the model? 

[Rutgar of Wissenland]

Well....I've just really started.  I just got the fine nozzle and needle a few days ago and I haven't tried to paint anything with them yet.  I figured I would wait for some of these air brush paints from Vallejo to come out first.  So, I haven't really done much with the fine detail yet.  I have practiced a little bit with water, which is a valid way to see how it would come out.  I would say that the stream goes from half an inch to about a pencil line.  I don't really have much control for the fine detail so far.  so, I am thinking when I get better, I probably could.

I used a wide nozzle and did some night goblins very fast.  I did about 100 of them in 30 min or so.  I was just doing the robes.  Now that I am looking at them, I don't think I can base coat the skin for the night goblins without getting it all over the cowl of the robes.  So, I am putting down a base coat of flesh on these guys.  I would like to think that I might be able to do some of the highlights with the fine nozzle.  Not sure yet. 

I'd like to hear other people's experiences as I'm really new to using the air brush.

I'm definitely thinking I can do some wood grain on the spear shafts.

[Novogord]

An airbrush is handy for larger pieces of clothes. Like you suggested clothes. I didn't do it myself, painting flesh, but I'm using one for basecoating and such.

Can you show us some results?

[Rutgar of Wissenland]

Sure.  I have some photos of the goblins I've painted with the medium nozzle/pin.  It coated the whole mini. I then just used the blue wash and dry brushed it quite simply. 







Here is one air brushed in the above method next to the smaller Battle for Skull Pass goblin that I did all by hand and just with paint (no washes):



Here is my test grot for the skin and all.  I'm trying a new skin method and I'm quite happy with it.  A little too much of the bright green and not enough middle, but still good.





I've also just spent the past 4 hours painting a single coat of Catachan Green on 100+ night goblins.  Bleh



I don't know if I am going to try to do the medium coat with the airbrush.  If it did work, it would be quicker than 4 hours!  I did get the Vallejo airbrush paint equivalent of the GW paints that I am using, so I might give it a go.  Getting a dropper for that paint (it's thinner consistency) would allow me to do 1:1 for the two colors easier.  I will still have to wait for those paints to arrive from Maelstrom Games.  I ordered a little over a week ago.

[Novogord]

They will arrive shortly, normally they send their stuff pretty fast (In my experience).

The cloths on the goblins look good, and I'm interested in what you get on the skin of those little buggers. You must defenitly show us some picture if you have tried it

[GumbaFish]

I use mine to basecoat them, but not to pick out any details.  I think this is too small a scale to use it for painting skin or other small details.

[Rutgar of Wissenland]

What kind of airbrush are you using, though?  I can get to a pencil thin line with my airbrush (not that I can actually pull it off very well at the moment).

[GumbaFish]

Dual action, .3mm nozzle.  The only thing I have seen people do at this scale is provide initial zenithal highlights with an airbrush, beyond that I have never seen anyone use one to good effect to actually paint an infantry miniature apart from basecoating.

[Rutgar of Wissenland]

I've got a friend who has been painting Dark Elves to decent effect with his air brush.  He has been priming them black and then doing directional white primer from the light source.  He then uses translucent paints.  The black/white highlights show through and gives it natural highlights.  He does quite a bit of the mini with it.  I prefer opaque paints, though. 

I'm going to try to do more with the mini and the airbrush, but I don't have a lot of control.  I don't know if I will get much done with it.  I'm hoping I can.

[GumbaFish]

Buy some cheap airbrush paint like createx and get some pieces of paper or newsprint.  I found that helpful so I could test out spray patterns and get a feel for how thin I could make lines, and I wasn't worried about messing up miniatures or wasting expensive miniature paints.  Also the airbrush paints should be basically ready to airbrush out of the jar, so you won't have to worry about thinning them correctly.

[Rutgar of Wissenland]

Oh, that's a great idea!  I had been down to the local Michael's a few weeks ago and scoffed at their paint selection.  I should have picked up some cheap stuff.  Hmm....I don't quite live anywhere convenient to a hobby store.  I might have to make a special trip. 

I did just get an email today saying that my package is shipped.  I thought it had done so already.  Oh, well.  Can't complain for free shipping.   Not sure how long Royal Post takes to get to US. 

One thing throwing me off practicing with my air brush is that I've got it all set up in the garage.  It's a very hot summer with the past few days in the 90's.  It's only going to get worse.  I don't quite fancy sitting out there and sweating.  I could do with some practice, though.