Airbrush: Care and feeding

Here is what I know about using an Airbrush for in 40k modeling. This post is mostly about how to avoid destroying your airbrush, long enough to get good at using it.

What I have...

I have the Central Pneumatic Harbor Freight Compressor and Airbrush Kit.

Harbor Freight Central Pneumatic Compressor and Airbrush Kit

For the money it really is a good deal. The one issue I have come up with is you need to replace the color cup (that thing you mix paint into). The intake tub on the color cup is designed poorly and will cause you to waist paint. You can buy a replacement at Hobby Town or any other place that carries airbrush stuff. It will cost you less than $10. Other than that I really happy with it.

What I know about Airbrushes for 40K...

Single vs. Dual action, the answer is Dual action. Really it is. It is like seeing in color. You can paint without it, but it so many things are easier when don't have too. Making on the fly adjustments in the amount of paint will keep you from making mistakes and allow you to paint more naturally. plus you won't have to retrain yourself how to use an airbrush when you get a better one.

Airbrushing is a skill just like using any other tool. There is a learning curve and using the tool more gets you over it. You will have to not only learn to paint with an airbrush, but also how to clean it. Cleaning is as important with an airbrush as with normal brushes. If you brushes are all trashed after a week of use, stay away for airbrushes. Without cleaning the airbrush will be useless very quickly.

Cleaning is a skill. To start Windex is your friend. If you are going to spray acrylics (Vallejo Game Color, Reaper, GW) you can use Windex to not only clean your brush but thin paint as well. There are two types of cleaning.

One is the quick cleaning you do between colors or if you just used the airbrush for quick color. In these cases, I remove the color cup and clean it in the sink with water. Next I clean the area the color cup attaches to the air brush with a paper towel. Then I spray 2 color cup worth of Windex through the airbrush working the action as much as I can. I spray the Windex into a 1 liter coke bottle to keep the Windex fumes down. Last remove the nettle (carefully, it is sharp and fragile) and run a paper towel with Windex over it. Be careful when doing this or it will become a full disassemble.

The other type of clean is the full disassemble and soak. Anytime you run into a problem start here. I also do this cleaning after using the airbrush for an extended time or with a some anything that is tough to spray through the airbrush, like primer. Start by removing the airbrush from the air line. Every airbrush disassembles in different ways, but one thing is true. You should be able to get to every area that comes in contact with paint. You may need some pipe cleaners with Windex to get the whole track clean. Don't use anything metal or that will scratch the inside to clean your airbrush. I don't care if it is made too, just don't. One thing that can be helpful is an ultrasonic cleaner, they can be found cheap and will save you some time. Just dump all the parts in and leave them over night.

I know that is a lot on cleaning, but really it is that important.

Thinning paint is more of an art than science for me right now. You can use Vallejo Game Color and Reaper paints thinned 2:1 (2 parts paint to 1 part Windex). I have not tried any GW paints. Vallejo make Air paints that don't need to be thinned however they are hard to find and don't come in GW equivalents. Liquitex makes an Airbrush Medium for thinning paints. I have used it and I can't say it works any better than Windex. Raito seem more important. If you are going to spay cheaper paint (craft paint), I suggest thinning more like 1:1. You may end up needing to do a full disassemble and soak more often.

Using the airbrush to prime or varnish is simple. To prime I use Reaper Brush-on Primer thinned 1:1 Liquitex Airbrush Medium (1 part Reaper Brush-on Primer to 1 part Liquitex Airbrush Medium). The reason I use airbrush medium verses Windex is that it mixes better. Primer is heavier and settles so by the end of the color cup what I have is more Windex than primer. Varnish just as easy. I use Liquitex Satin Varnish water up to 4:1 (4 parts Liquitex Satin Varnish to 1 part distilled water).

Stuff you may need once you own one...

Windex ($5-6)

Pipe cleaners($6-8)

Ultrasonic cleaner ($20-60)

Liquitex Airbrush Medium ($6-8)

Liquitex Satin Varnish ($6-8)

Distilled water (less than $1)

Project: Imperial Fists, Space Marine Quick Zenithal Highlighting

My goal with the Imperial Fists is a table quality army without putting in a great deal of time. The idea is to have a good looking army and still be able to finish a squad in 6-8 man-hours. I want my marines to look as if they have come out of battle, grimy worn used troops and tanks. Imperial Fists are siege fighters and siege fighting is a dirty business. In phase one I'll talk about how to get quick zenithal highlighting and base coat using the airbrush.

Quick Zenithal Highlights using an Airbrush

I got the idea from this great article from Philippe Villé written in back in September 2008 adn from Les at awesomepaintjob.com. Basically just use the airbrush as the light source.

Step 1: Prime

Prime the model white. I use the airbrush to prime my minis . It give me more control and better results. I have a paint are set up on my workbench so I can prime right there. Here is the mix I use.

• 1 part: Reaper Brush-on Primer
• 1 part: Liquitex Airbrush Medium
• Clean up with Windex

One note is that this mix is very thin. When airbrushing it on it is very important to work slow and do not let it collect. Let the primer dry for 24 hours (8 would work, but 24 is better).

Step 2: Base Coat

I base coat the whole mini Plague Brown (GW equivalent Bubonic Brown) which is the color of yellow shadow, I know it is brown, but there you go. What I am doing is painting the shadow first. Cover the whole model. You can let the base color dry or paint the highlight right away, it doesn't seem to matter.

• 2 parts Vallejo Game Color Plague Brown (GW equivalent Bubonic Brown)
• 1 part Windex

I have found that Vallejo Game Colors airbrush nicely with a minimum amount of thinning. To clean up I clean the color cup in water and run two color cups of Windex through the brush. You will still need to do a full disassemble and clean once in a while, but that works between colors.

Step 3: Highlights

Here is the magic. Hold the mini so that the top is facing the airbrush. Now just paint the highlight color, in this case Vallejo Game Color Sun Blast Yellow (GW equivalent Sunburst Yellow), from the top of the model. You will notice that the calves of the space marine don't get hit with the highlight color. Angle the model just enough to so that the highlight color hit the part of the calf. This is how I judge angle while painting.

• 2 Part Vallejo Game Color Sun Blast Yellow (GW equivalent Sunburst Yellow)
• 1 Windex

As you can see below the shadow should be 100% Plague Brown and the highlight should be 100% Bald Moon Yellow. In between is a gradient between the two, the same way blending would create.

From straight on the model doesn't seem dramatically highlighted. However when you look at them on the table it makes a big difference.

Any area of the model that are not lit from above will remain Plague Brown and very edges can now be highlighted further with bleach bone.



From this step the next will be adding detail color, basing and weathering. I'll cover those in the next post. Happy Painting!