Once upon a time, way back in the dark ages of this hobby (prior to 1985, that is), model horses were repainted (the old-fashioned term for customized) using the crudest of methods....acrylic or oil paints with regular (gasp!) hand brushes. If you weren't savvy to oil paints (or your mom wouldn't let you use such stinky, messy things) you were left to use water-friendly acrylic paints. Man oh man, shading wasn't easy with those things (at least it wasn't for me). I tried sponges, I tried cutting brushes and grinding paints but they just didn't come out smoothly shaded, no matter how hard I tried. So what's a poor (and I mean that literally, too) to do? Go in search of another method that ain't so freakin' hard.
Enter the work of Cheri Elder. Most of you won't have a clue who she was/is. But her work stunned me....lovely colors blended softly from one shade to another. How did she do that? She kindly shared her "secret" with me. It was an airbrush! Wow, an airbrush. I knew about such things but thought them beyond the abilities of a mere mortal such as I. But I was fed up trying to get good shading on my models using acrylics and I didn't want to give up on my painting passion. I had tried oils and we just didn't click. So it seemed my fate was set and so I went about obtaining an airbrush.
It was fairly easy. A local hobby shop had them and I bought the Badger 200 at first. After further research, I found out the clerk didn't have a clue about what he sold me so I took it back for the more versatile Badger 150. I was on my way to gorgeous model horses!
My dad, who had painted many a car in his day, set me up with a compressor. My first one was so loud it had to be used outside. My second one was quieter - a Dayton Speedaire he picked up at work. Without his invaluable help, I'd never been able to obtain a compressor source for air and would have given up.
Anyhow, I had finally found my "thaing" and I have been using an airbrush to paint models ever since (which makes it a good 20 years or so - holy moly, can it be that long????).
When I first started to airbrush models, way back in the '80's, there was actually a prejudice in the showring against airbrushed model horses! "They're so smooth they are unrealistic" or "they look too much like original finish horses", and the like. Thank goodness people have come to their senses and no longer judge against a model just because an airbrush was used to bring it to life.
Today, airbrushing seems to be one of the most popular ways to paint horses. Why? Not only is it fun, it is also easy.
Whoa! Easy, you say? Well, to be completely honest, it's not always easy. Like any other skill (even painting with a "regular" brush) it takes practice to master the airbrush. True, you can achieve very satisfactory results right away, but with time and the desire to do so, your airbrushing skills can grow and your models will stand out from among the many other airbrushed models on the show ring tables.
OK, let's get started!
The first step to becoming a model horse airbrush artist is to collect all the necessary equipment. This in itself is often a daunting task and one that stops many would-be airbrush artists cold. I'll be up front and tell you it is NOT a cheap way to paint model horses. In fact, it's probably one of the most expensive ways unless you plan to eventually paint and sell your creations to recoup what you spend in equipment.
Obviously, the first piece of equipment you want to buy is the airbrush. Yipes! Have you done any airbrush shopping? If you have, you'll know that there is a multitude of brands and types to choose from. Where to start?
One way of narrowing the field is to decide how much you want to spend on an airbrush. Keep in mind that, in the airbrush world, you get what you pay for. If you can afford to spend more than $100 on an airbrush, go for it. But if you aren't sure you are going to even like airbrushing and don't want to invest in the "good stuff" right away, consider spending $50 to $70 and getting an airbrush that will do an acceptable job but not as nice as a more expensive airbrush.
Now, what brand should you buy? Talk to various airbrush artists and they'll all have their opinions as to which one they use and like best. In the 20+ years I have airbrushed models, I've had the opportunity to use many different brands and models, so, of course, I have my opinion! When I first started, I used a Badger 150 using the medium head/needle and got results I was very happy with. Later, I switched the head assembly/needle to "fine" and got even better results, so I stuck with that for many, many years.
Then curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to try something new, just to see if it would work any better or different than my trusty Badger 150. After doing a lot of research about what professional airbrush artists use, I settled on the Iwata HP-C. Most of my information came from airbrush magazines, namely Airbrush Action and Airbrush Magazine.
Having used a fairly inexpensive airbrush for so many years, it was hard to spend that $100+ for the Iwata HP-C. It turned out to be the best $100 I have spent in a long time!!
Getting the Iwata HP-C was just the beginning. Instead of satiating my curiosity, it just made it worse and I became an airbrush "junkie". Soon, my collection number 15, but thankfully, common sense finally kicked in and I sold off all but my favorites. Currently, I have 9 airbrushes. Yes, too many since I normally have just two going at one time, but it is so hard to part with such good friends! LOL
In addition to the Badger and the Iwata, I've tried the popular Aztek 3000 (also sold under the Model Master name for a short time). The Aztek has done away with the 3000 designation and now calls it the A430. A similar model is called the A470. While the performance of the brush was supposed to be comparable to more expensive "traditional" brushes, I disliked the fact that the trigger was so far back from the nozzle and that the air hose attached at the back and tended to pull the back of the airbrush down. My hand got very tired of compensating for that pull. I also couldn't get used to the fact that I couldn't physically get down to the "needle" in the head assembly to give it a good cleaning. You are to simply keep the heads in airbrush cleaner between uses, supposedly making it the easiest airbrush to maintain. I found that even keeping the heads in cleaner didn't keep them really clean. Eventually, some of the heads I used often "failed" (they wouldn't work, most likely due to paint build up inside the heads) and they had to be replaced. And at $6.00+ per head, it could make a reasonably priced airbrush very expensive in a short amount of time, especially if you do a lot of painting.
MANY airbrush artists like their Aztek (or they did until they tried an Iwata - HA!), so if you don't have a lot of cash to spend on an airbrush but want lots of versatility, try the Aztek. If you've never tried an airbrush before, the hose coming out the back might not bother you at all.
I've also tried the Thayer-Chandler Omni 5000. The weighted handle is nice but I found it wasn't as well made and finely machined as I expected. It clogged quickly and was "sticky" in its trigger response. It took some tweaking on my part to get it to work smoother. Also, the needles for it are rather soft and bend easily and the nozzles, IMHO, are easily split if you aren't careful to GENTLY replace the needle. (FYI - Thayer-Chandler is now owned by/made by Badger.)
Today my all-purpose airbrush of choice is the very versatile Iwata HP-C. When I first bought it, it set me back around $110 and it was worth every penny. It produces a wonderfully fine spray and can do fine lines or wide areas equally well. One drawback to it is replacement needles (and other parts) are much more expensive than the more commonly found Badgers and Paasches. Needles are @$10 and nozzles are @$30. But with care, a needle and nozzle will last you a long time. Iwata no longer manufacturers the kind of HP airbrushes that I use. They have been replaced by their HP-Plus and Hi-Line models. If I were to ever to replace any of my airbrushes, I would invest in the Hi-Line versions for the increased controlability.
For my Stablemate and Micro Mini work, my airbrush of choice is the Iwata HP-A. Their small reservoirs and ability to do super fine lines make it ideal for small work. If you've seen any of my Micro Mini work, then you've seen the results of the Iwata HP-A. I do the dapples on my Micro Minis using the HP-A.
 |
Here are three of my Iwatas. From top to bottom: HP-A, HP-B, HP-C You may notice something different about where the air hose attaches. I use a Quick Disconnect system (by Createx) which enables me to attach and release airbrushes (of the same kind or different kinds) quickly. Highly recommended if you use more than one kind or brand of airbrush when you paint. |
One thing you may notice about the different airbrushes is where the paint feeds in. Some feed in from a tube in a jar that attaches below the airbrush (suction or siphon fed) and others feed the paint from the top (gravity fed). Still others will feed the paint from a side cup! After using all 3, I much prefer the top fed and side fed ones. I find they tend to clog less and have less trouble feeding heavier paints (including metallics, which are always a pain to use in an airbrush). The side feed models are the happy medium between the siphon and gravity fed models and you can spray at very low pressures with them and get excellent results.
Mail order is by far the cheapest way to buy your airbrush. My favorite vendor and the favorite of many airbrush artists is Dixie Art http://www.dixieart.com. They have the best prices and the nicest, most knowledgeable people. But, if you are one of those that would rather buy locally in case you need to take it back, be my guest. But I have found that local places don't know nearly as much as online mail order companies that specialize in airbrushes.
General mumblings about Iwata airbrushes: I'll make no bones about it - I'm an Iwata fan through and through. I've harped about and raved about and recommended these airbrushes until I was blue in the face (well, almost), LONG before airbrushes were the preferred method of painting model horses. I'm glad to notice that FINALLY airbrushes are the preferred method of painting model horses (as opposed to when I started airbrushing and my models were discriminated against because they weren't painted "by hand" and oh-my-gosh I judged your horse lower because the paint finish was unrealistically TOO SMOOTH) and that most experienced artists are using various models in the Iwata line and loving them! Maybe my enthusiasm paid off?
To see the whole line of Iwata airbrushes, head over to the official site at http://www.iwata-medea.com/products/index.jsp. After a few minutes perusing the site, your head will be spinning and I can just see that next question forming in your head. OK, you're convinced that Iwata is the brand to go with but WHICH ONE? There are so many to choose from! Here I am going to be a real stinker and say that you'll most likely be happy with whatever product line you are able to afford. But here are some guidelines....
Once you've finally decided just which airbrush is for you and have it in hand (and breathed a sigh of relief that you've finally accomplished THAT task), the next, and probably the most important, piece of equipment you need to get is an air source. If you are serious about airbrushing, DO NOT waste your money or time using the cans of compressed air. That's all I'll say about those!
A compressor is what I recommend, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to get a compressor as your air source. Some professional airbrush artists prefer CO2 tanks because they are quiet and not as (initially) costly as a compressor. But you'll probably need 2 tanks plus have a readily available source for refills. Some industrious souls use those air tanks you can fill down at your local gas station. Those are fine if you don't mind filling them all the time or only plan on using your airbrush for basecoats before oil painting (or have lots of them to save you "fill" trips).
Compressors come in all sizes and price ranges. If you don't mind the noise, the small industrial kind you get at the hardware store is perfectly fine. The ones with the tanks for holding air don't run all the time, since you are actually using the air in the tank and the compressor only runs when the pressure in the tank drops to a certain point. The industrial kind are generally big, bulky and awkward, but their price is right, they often come with air gauges (which help you get more control over your airbrushing), and if you decide airbrushing just ain't your thang, then you can still use that compressor to fill your car or bike tires!
Airbrush (specific) compressors are small and not as noisy as most industrial ones (but still pretty noisy). You generally hook up your air hose to them directly so you don't get the nice, even pressure you get when you run off of a tank setup, but many model horse airbrushers use this type. Some come with air tanks. Expect to pay $150 to $250 for a low-end airbrush compressor. These kind are either the diaphragm compressors (which often have a "pulse" to them often noticed while airbrushing) or the piston driven type. They are cheap, small and portable, and don't require much (if any) maintenance. The kind with the automatic shut-off (shuts off when you aren't spraying or when you take your foot off the pedal) will prolong the life of the compressor since heat is the enemy of these compressors and the heat sure does build up if they are running all the time.
The cadillac of compressors are the "silent" ones generally made for and marketed to airbrushers (although my particular brand of compressor, Jun-Air, is also marketed to dentists and other such applications that require very quiet compressors). These are the most expensive but one you might consider in the future if you find out you really like to airbrush. The peace and quiet of these silent type compressors are worth their hefty price tags. Most, if not all, come with air tanks (so they don't run all the time) and air gauges. The silent compressors are piston compressors that require maintenance in the way of adding and changing oil and filters. Properly maintained, they'll last a long, long time. Expect to pay approximately $300-$1,000 for one of these.
In summary, all I can say is DON'T GO CHEAP ON THE COMPRESSOR, especially if you are serious about airbrushing. One good one will last you your whole airbrushing career and will avoid a lot of downtime and heartache. The cheapies will die like flies in winter and you'll have to wait to get a new one and meanwhile your creative juices will dry up and your customers will get p*ssed off!
Also, if you are an apartment dweller or like to paint in the wee hours (like me!!), keep your neighbors, SO, children and pets happy by buying the quietest one you can afford. Trust me on this.
 |
Here is my wonderful Jun-Air compressor (the 6-Maxi model - or that is what it used to be called - now it is the 6-25). Notice where the green hose coming out, it comes with an air gauge and moisture trap (thing hanging below). You release moisture from the trap by pushing on a small button on the bottom of the trap. There is also a changeable air filter, which you can see sticking out at the top on the right - a must for me since I have two cats that love to shed hair 365 days a year. This particular compressor set me back over $700 new in the late 1980's and I don't regret one single penny of it. Heck, I want to be buried with this thing (and all my airbrushes, too). Jun-Air compressors are only available directly from the distributor in Buffalo Grove, Illinois or subdistributors. If you are interested in one, check their website at http://www.jun-air.com/. |
A moisture trap is a must and a regulator (for the pressure going to your airbrush) is not necessary but may mean the difference between loving and hating airbrushing. Many compressors already come equipped with moisture traps and regulators (often together as one unit) but you can purchase one at a hobby shop for about $50.
Phew! Now that you've nearly exhausted yourself and your bank account getting your airbrush and air source, you need some paint, of course! But what kind? Oh yes, more choices to make! Am I mean or what? :-)
Of course, I have an opinion here, too (after all, this is my web page - tee hee). For years and years and years, I got by with using bottled acrylics like Ceramcoat, Apple Barrel, Folk Art and the like, often mixed with various colors of tube acrylics. Thinned way down (even the bottled acrylics need to be thinned quite a bit), they worked fine. But curiosity again got the better of me (that darned curiosity - it always seems to cost me money) and I wondered if those fancy schmancy airbrush paints that cost a lot were really worth the money. They are, in my very humble opinion.
The pigments used in airbrush acrylic paints are ground much finer than those found in bottled or tube acrylics (I'm including the concentrated jar colors here). That said, it only goes to reason that you can get a finer spray and less clogging when using airbrush paints. But not all airbrush acrylic paints are created equal! The most commonly found brand, Createx, does not come in "normal" artist colors so mixing colors using oil or acrylic formulas won't work. They also tend to dry a bit shiny (and sticky) but Krylon Matte Finish will take care of that. You *can* get some "horsey" colors (like Light Brown, Dark Brown, Iron Oxide Red, Beige) and use some basic color theory to mix decent horsey colors. I especially like the Createx blacks, Opaque Black and Tinting Black. One of my nicest (IMHO) repaints was done using Createx paint. Createx airbrush paints can be purchased from most airbrush supply places - I've even seen them at Michael's and Hobby Lobby. Online, they are available through the wonderful Dixie Art.
The Golden line of airbrush paints does come in more "normal" colors such as Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna Hue, Yellow Ochre and the like, making mixing a bit easier. You can find these also at Dixie Art, Dick Blick and Jerry's Artarama (only the 4 oz. bottles),
Another brand of airbrush paint that I like is Medea Com-Art. They are comparable to Golden, but more expensive. Com-Art paints come in "regular" colors, also, like Golden Airbrush Acrylics. Check for them at the usual places!!
One brand that I have several colors of is Spectralite by Dr. Ph. Martin. The jury is still out on these since I haven't used them very much in formulas. I find myself most often reaching for Golden or Com-Art colors.
Airbrush paints often come in transparent and opaque. I use as many opaque colors as possible since I thin down even my airbrush paint and it becomes more transparent then. But try both and see what type works best for you.
They also come in metallic and pearlescent, glitter and interference versions - fun!
 |
Here's a picture to give you an idea of the variety of paints I use. Most of what you see are airbrush paints - different brands, colors, etc. I have even more sitting on my desk, since you can see I've run out of room here. <grin> |
Now just because *I* like airbrush paints doesn't mean that is what YOU gotta use. Liquitex Concentrated Jar colors are very popular with airbrush artists. They are heavily pigmented, come in all the "normal" art colors, are more easily obtainable than airbrush paints, and thin well for airbrush use with water or airbrush medium.
Another alternative is Jo Sonja's Acrylic Gouache (pronounced "gwash") paints. Gouache is an opaque paint. These come in tubes. The consistency is between tube acrylics and concentrated jar colors (kind of oozy but not too runny). These also need to be thinned to properly go through the airbrush. I've never tried them myself, but airbrusher Janis Whitcomb likes them and says they have a velvet surface that takes detail easy - no spidering or caterpillering! The equivalent in airbrush paints is the Chroma line, made by the same people who bring you Jo Sonja paints. You can find Chroma colors at Dick Blick. Their Wild Fowl set has colors appropriate for painting model horses and Dick Blick also sells colors individually and carries many "normal" colors like Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber.
If you are thinking of using Golden Fluid Acrylics (as opposed to the Golden Airbrush colors), here is some really helpful information from the Golden website, brought to my attention by Angie Cranford:
--Spray Applications for Golden Fluid Acrylics--
Diluting the Fluids with an equal part of Golden Airbrush Medium generally yields a mixture with excellent sprayability. This allows the paint to flow smoothly through the spray unit, while minimizing tip build-up and clogging. Although the Fluids can also be diluted with water, they typically will not spray as smoothly. Generally, the Fluids spray well through spray assemblies ranging from fine airbrushes to industrial spray guns. The spray unit should have a nozzle size of 0.3 mm or greater. Smaller nozzle sizes will work, but will require further dilution with Golden Airbrush Medium. Typical air pressure required is 30 - 60 psi.
When using the Fluids for commercial illustration purposes, thinning with Airbrush Medium may lead to frisketting problems. In heavier applications, the slow drying Airbrush Medium causes the paint film to stay soft for as long as a few days. During this time, the paint may stick to the frisket, causing lifting problems. To avoid this, the Fluids should be thinned with the faster drying Golden Airbrush Transparent Extender.
The Golden Paint web site has TONS of interesting information for the airbrusher. Here are some links you might find helpful and interesting:
http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/airtips.phphttp://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/airtip2.php
For the main page to get even more info on all their products, go to:
And here is some information from Judith Northwood to keep in mind when choosing what paints to use:
"The major reason for the price difference between the inexpensive acrylics (Ceramcoat, Apple Barrel, Liquitex BASICS, etc.) and the more expensive artist-grade products (Liquitex, Golden, etc.) is the issue of pigment load. The hobby store brands use extenders to reduce the cost of production - pigment itself is much more expensive, even in massive wholesale for a paint manufacturing company, than they could manage on the prices these paints bring. These extenders aren't necessarily inert, either (again, as a reflection of component cost). There is a much higher potential for color changes over time with the use of discount paints than the artist-grade brands. It's much like using student vs. artist grade oils. Student grade oils have extenders while artist grade do not. In some brands that will just be white marble dust (the traditional extender since the Renaissance), but the discount brands may easily use an extender that will react over time.
It's well worth the extra money to purchase the higher-grade paints. Not only do they stand a greater chance of lasting without color change, but the greater pigment load also carries a greater luminescence to the finished work. Also, the process of thinning a discount brand for airbrush or thin color washes for standard brushwork carries the chance of there not being enough pigment in suspension to carry true color. At the very least, more coats will be necessary.
There are even some variations between artist-grade products, but since we aren't really worried about permanency in the absolute sense, the distinction between Liquitex and Golden, for example, is a fairly moot point. I doubt any of us are really thinking in terms of having our customs last several centuries. <G> If I'm wrong, though, then Golden has the edge over Liquitex."
A very reliable and talented source revealed to me her "secret" to such luscious and realistic colors - she uses Jo Sonja's Background Colors as a base color. I have just started to play around with these and I like how porous the basecoat seems to be. When you are airbrushing up close, one of the difficulties is to avoid those nasty centipedes. A porous base coat will help avoid that a great deal. So consider adding some horsey-colored Jo Sonja Background Colors to your paint collection. A good source for these is Holcraft at http://www.hofcraft.com/ . Their prices are very reasonable.
Just a quickie mention of airbrush mediums. I rarely used to use them but after reading an article on the use of mediums, I'm using them all the time. I still use a little water, but I've been diluting my colors mostly with Golden Airbrush Medium or Liquitex. But since I use a lot of Golden Airbrush paints, I like to stick with the medium that is made for the brand of paint I mostly use. Use of a medium instead of all water increases the bindability of the paint and also helps reduce clogging in your airbrush. It also helps to reduce those nasty spiders and centipedes. I did an experiment painting dapples on a StableMate - I tried painting them on with paint thinned only with water and then with paint thinned with mostly airbrush medium plus a little water. The result? It took longer before the airbrush clogged up a bit and much fewer centipedes when using the airbrush medium.
Important Words on Safety - whichever kind of paint you choose to use through your airbrush, DO NOT use paints with cadmium in them! Nasty, nasty!! And wearing a respirator (not those dust masks - a genuine, make-you-look-like-a-Star-Trek-character respirator) is a VERY good idea. Even though you might not see the dried paint particles floating in the air, they're there and you will be breathing them in. Avoid future health problems by wearing a respirator. A respirator is a must if you have any kind of breathing problems.
Now comes the tricky part of getting everything to work together harmoniously! OK, so it's not that tricky but sometimes it is and it helps to have a few guidelines to go by to start you off on the right foot.
Number One Problem Causer: Paint is too thick! Too thick paint is most often the culprit behind no paint coming out, paint coming out but it is spattery (or the spots are just too darn big), paint coming out in spurts, etc.
When using bottled or tube acrylics or a combination of both, thin the mixture down with water and airbrush medium (at least 50/50 of each) until it resembles whole milk. Even better would be 2% milk! I personally thin those type of paints down to the consistency of skim milk, but that is just my preference. Most general purpose airbrushes work well with a "2% milk" mix.
Very often, you will not thoroughly mix the paint & water completely, even though you've mixed and mixed and mixed until your hand hurts. Dried bits of paint might have gotten in your mixture and they are ga-ron-teed to clog your airbrush! Here's a cheap way to help avoid those clogging culprits:
Put some of your mixed paint in an airbrush jar or similar jar (those jelly jars that come in holiday gift packs work great). Add some water and/or airbrush medium and with an old brush, mix it up as best you can. You can shake it up if you want, but I found mixing with a brush works equally well and you don't run the risk of splattering things if the cover isn't tight. Trust me on this one, folks. I've got the painting shirt to prove that shaking ain't the best way to mix paint.
Take another jar (or an airbrush jar if you have a siphon fed model) and stretch some old pantyhose across the top and secure it with a rubber band. Using the pointed end of your paintbrush (or a toothpick), make a "well" in the middle of the pantyhose by pushing down in the middle of it. Pour your thinned paint into the "well" and the unmixed clumps and dried bits will be strained out. Dab that mess with a paper towel before removing the pantyhose.
Another area to be mindful of to keep your airbrush and compressor and you happy campers is to use the right pressure. Depending on your compressor, you might want to start out using a pressure of 30 psi or less. The higher the pressure, the more and faster the paint will come out and the farther away you'll have to hold your airbrush or you'll get them goll durned spiders and centipedes airbrushes are so good at making. By using properly thinned paint and a lower pressure, you'll still have nice "misty" spray but you'll be able to spray in closer to the model and get much nicer and finer results.
Of course, if you WANT to cover the horse in a hurry, say you are basecoating, then you'll want to use a thicker paint and a higher pressure (to get that thicker paint to move!).
A clean airbrush is a happy airbrush! And a happy airbrush means a happy airbrush user. So after every session, be sure to clean out your airbrush. Now, don't start moaning and groaning that you hate taking it apart because it is so hard to put back together. You DON'T have to break down your airbrush after each and every session. Give your airbrush a thorough, taken apart cleaning once a week if you're a heavy user, once every two weeks if you airbrush a few times a week, once a month if you occasionally airbrush, etc. You get the drift.
 |
Here are some items I like to use when doing a down&dirty, break it down, scrub it out cleaning job on my airbrushes. I highly recommend the Airbrushers Brushes, which you can get mailorder from Bear Air, Dixie Art (I think!), and the like. The Super Lube will last you a long time - just a teeny swipe along the end of the needle that comes into contact with paint will do. It's also great for loosening up a sticky trigger. Just a drop! I also employ toothpicks, q-tips, worn out Scotch Brite pads cut into strips, etc. to get my airbrushes REALLY clean. |
In between complete cleanings, you can use the Lazy Laurel Method (patent pending <G>) to keep your airbrush buddy humming along. After you are done for the day, put some airbrush cleaner (I highly recommend the Createx brand) into your jar, color cup or reservoir and spray a bit out (onto newspaper is fine). Let it sit with the cleaner in it for a half hour or so then spray a bit more out (I usually use a white paper towel now - this lets me see if the airbrush is running clean yet). Continue on this way for several hours or so, basically spraying some cleaner out whenever you remember. Once empty of cleaner, run a lot of clean warm water through to finish up. Presto chango! A pretty darn clean airbrush without all the hassles of tearing it into all its itty bitty frustrating, pull-your-hair-out pieces.
Click HERE to see how to make your own, inexpensive spray chamber.
As mentioned previously, the most common cause of airbrush malfunction is usually your paint is too thick. Too thick paint leads to poor spray pattern and quick clogging of the airbrush. Make sure your paint is thin, thin, thin! And be sure that you keep your airbrush squeaky clean to help prevent quick clogs.
But what do you do when you get a clog? Some clogs are so complete that only breaking down the airbrush and soaking the parts in cleaner will loosen the crud. But more often, you're still able to get a bit of paint out but the airbrush is definitely suffering from clogitis. If you are using a jar, remove the jar but leave the cap/siphon on. If you are using a gravity fed model, empty out the remaining paint. Then, take the airbrush to the sink and run almost hot water over the end, rinsing out paint as you go. Fill the reservoir or a clean jar with the almost hot water and run it through. Follow that with airbrush cleaner and then more almost hot water.
If the hot water/airbrush cleaner method doesn't work, you'll have to tear it down and soak the parts in straight cleaner. You can use Q-tips and the like to get into the nooks and crannies. The Airbrushers Brushers are a wonderful help here.
If even THAT doesn't help, you might have a bent needle. Yikes, you say! I don't have a spare needle! Many times, you can fix your own bent needle. When removing the needle, pull it forward out of the airbrush (so the bend doesn't hurt the tip). Place the needle on a firm, flat surface at the angle of the tip. Straighten the bent tip by running your fingernail across it on the tabletop, while turning the needle slowly. Run your fingernail from the body of the needle outward toward the tip. If that doesn't help, then you should try replacing the needle.
Sometimes the pressure you are using is just too high or low. A good general pressure is 25-30 psi. Anything lower might not be enough "oomph" to get the paint out and higher might cause too much paint to hit too fast and you get those nasty centipedes or spiders. The only way to figure out your proper painting pressure will be practice. Everyone thins their paint differently and will therefore use different pressures. Experiment on newspaper to find out what works before for you before blasting your model.
BIGGEST BESTEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR FIGURING OUT AIRBRUSH WOES: Take the time to learn your airbrush inside and out. Get a diagram from the manufacturer's website, tear your airbrush totally apart and put it back together again. And again. STUDY how the airbrush works. It will help you immensely in understanding where to look when a problem occurs. Tearing down and putting back together an airbrush in perfectly good working order will help you to recognize defective parts in the future.
As with many hobbies, there are doo-dads and foo-foos that are nice to have. Airbrushing is no different and I have a couple of foo-dads (or is that doo-foos?) that I like to use.
Since I'm an avid airbrush collector and love to use different airbrushes in a session, I invested in a Quick Disconnect system (by Createx). All it is is a female end that you put on your hose in place of the original end and purchase male ends for your various airbrushes (did you know that almost every airbrush brand has a different size of attachment?). You need a braided hose for this system.
The female end costs approximately $17 and each male connect piece is approximately $7.00.
 |
Here's an Iwata HP-A with the male Quick Connect piece attached and the female Quick Connect piece on my hose (no, I didn't do a neat job but hey, it works!). |
 |
Here they are again, only together. Attachment is easy - you simply push them together. Disconnection is also easy - you pull down on the cylinder of the female end of the hose and POP! off comes your airbrush. Whee!! |
Another nifty gadget to have is a holder. It has saved me from spilled paint many a time! A holder similar to this will set you back about about 20 bucks.
 |
Here's a view of my holder, which is easily screwed onto a table top, or it can be permanently attached (sort of) with the double-sided sticky foam piece that came with it. You can tilt each holder any way you like - I prefer to have my airbrushes pointing nose down a bit to avoid spillage (yup, my middle name AIN'T Grace...). |
Also in the above picture, if you are an Iwata owner, you may have noticed my needle caps are not the ones that came with the airbrush. I purchased "crown caps" which allow the paint to escape through the cutout areas (they kind of look like a crown, hence the name), thereby reducing the amount of paint being forced to stick to the needle, which causes clogs. It affords protection for your delicate needle tip yet allows close-up work and reduces clogging. But they aren't cheap - about $15 each!
***This section is unfinished and will be completed as soon as I can.***
By now you are probably chomping at the bit to get painting models. Well, it's not quite time yet <grin>.
Before we get into the whole shebang of mixing and thinning and applying paint to models, it's a good idea for YOU to spend a bit of time playing around with your airbrush. Mess around with mixing, thinning and spraying onto newspapers before getting "serious". You might be surprised at how much you'll learn by playing. So, go! Play! Come back later when you are a bit more comfortable using your new airbrush.
OK, are you ready to get down to the basics of airbrushing models? Great! Hang on 'cuz it's going to be quite a ride!
It seems that there are as many ways of airbrushing models as there are airbrush artists. Each artist has their own unique combination of methods, techniques and materials to achieve their "style". I can only knowledgeably talk about my approach but I'll share what I know about how others may do something differently. That way you can try different methods or approaches to see what you like best.
First, you need to prepare your model properly for airbrush painting. You can refer to my page on model preparation by clicking HERE. When getting your model ready for painting, keep in mind that the nicer the prep job, the nicer your final piece will look.
My approach to airbrushing models is to start with a white prepped model (primer plus gesso or just plain primer), apply a light to mid-range color as my base color and then apply darker colors over the light base color. For the highlight and lighter areas, I simply don't paint as many layers of the darker color (or avoid painting that area at all with the darker color).
Other airbrush artists start with a completely white model, mix up a body color (or a bit darker, almost a shading color) and use that one color to create their airbrushed model. It's similar to the way I do it - you just use the darker color and the white showing through the thinner areas create the color and those areas receiving more layers of paint are darker, usually between muscles, across the back and rump, etc. Karen Gerhardt's work is a wonderful example of this approach.
Still others start out with a dark model and go lighter. I haven't felt inclined to try this as airbrushing lighter colors over dark can give you some odd and unexpected results. But if this approach sounds appealing to you, then by all means give it a try! You might end up with something absolutely stunning!
It's probably easier to understand my approach by using specifics. So, in a bit, we'll get started on painting a dappled chestnut. Why not a dappled gray? Because, in my humble opinion, if you can master a nicely dappled chestnut (or bay), then a dappled gray will be easy breezy for you. There usually is a lot more layering of colors in a dappled chestnut or bay than there is in a simple dappled gray.
But before we actually get started, we have to make sure we have all the stuff we need. It's no fun to get in the mood to paint only to find we are missing a vital color.
BASIC PAINTING SUPPLIES
Paints
These are the basic paint colors that you should start out with:
You can mix MANY lovely horse colors with just these five basic colors.
If you think you want to get really serious about painting model horses, consider adding the following colors:
Containers to hold mixed paint
I just LOVE the Badger airbrush jars. For the small amounts of paints you
will be working with, these are ideal and they seal pretty tightly.
Once I get the colors mixed, I put a piece of label on top and write what color is in the jar, for example, Golden Chestnut, Body Color or Golden Chestnut, Shading.
 |
Here's what a bunch of filled and labeled jars look like. When painting Micro Minis, I can have up to 20 jars of paint going, so labeling is really important! |
BE SURE you label your colors because the pigments will settle after you let them sit awhile and pretty soon the colors start looking alike! And if you are working on several models at once and are doing two different but similar colors (golden chestnut vs. red chestnut), you want to be sure you are using the correct color.
Container(s) for water
An old cottage cheese container, Cool Whip container, and the
like make great water containers. But be sure you have TWO containers
- one for dirty water and one for fresh. I use a two compartment
commercial water container. I use one side for rinsing my paintbrushes
(that I use to mix the colors) and the other side is for flushing
my airbrush, adding clean water to paint mixes.
My most favorite place to get airbrushes, paints, cleaner and the like is Dixie Art. Here's how to contact them:
Dixie Art Supplies
2612 Jefferson Hwy.
New Orleans, LA 70121
800-783-2612
http://www.dixieart.com
Their catalog is on-line and you can order on-line also, or call for their free catalog. They have some of the best prices on airbrushes and paints. Orders over $45 get free shipping - under $5 and there is a $9.95 service charge. Customer service is great, too! I highly recommend Dixie Art.
BearAir Express
15 Tech Circle
Natick, MA 01760
800-BearAir (232-7247)
http://www.bearair.com
This place carries almost everything airbrush you could imagine! Very knowledgeable salespeople, prices are somewhat high but still competitive - I've ordered from them frequently and have been very satisfied with the service. I don't know if their catalog is free (it's called The Airbrush Bible) but you can call and ask!
Coast Airbrush
740 N. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
714-635-5557
http://www.coastairbrush.com/
Another place I have not personally done business with but it is highly recommended by several model horse airbrushers. They carry Com-Art airbrush colors.
Jun-Air
1350 Abbott Court
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
847-215-9444
Email: info@jun-air.com
Internet: http://www.jun-air.com
They sell silent compressors, so they are a bit expensive but no more expensive than any other silent compressor brand. The only place you can purchase Jun-Air compressors is directly from them so give them a call and get some info on the different models they carry. Since I live only an hour or so from them, I was able to pick up my compressor and save on shipping. Plus, I got a quickie lesson in maintenance. Nice folks and glad to answer your questions, before and after the sale.
Dick Blick Art Materials
P. O. Box 1267
Galesburg, IL 61402-1267
800-621-8293
http://www.dickblick.com
They have a wonderful catalog that is fun to look through and informative! Definitely worth the call. Dick Blick carries Jo Sonja Acrylic Gouache, Liquitex Concentrated Jar Colors, various airbrushes, paints, etc. Shipping is free on orders over $100.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact me at: red_horse_artworks@hotmail.com .