Got an airbrush from Santa and I'm wondering what acrylic paints people are using.
My local art and craft shop is selling a brand called DoCraft.
Anyone ever used DoCraft paints for scenery building using the airbrush.
I can order online Vallejo paints, they seem to be double the price than DoCraft but the colour range is better than DoCraft's. Although I guess you can mix paints together to make the colours you need.
I have never heard of ‘Docraft’ so can’t comment on their range. I would be wary as some acrylics require specific thinners eg Mr. Hobby and aren’t necessarily compatible with other paints.
But I can recommend Vallejo, which I use almost exclusively with my airbrush. Their ‘Model Air’ range comes ready thinned for airbrush use - very handy as thinning paint to the correct consistency is often a reason for indifferent results.
If you do go for Vallejo check the suppliers on eBay as many offer mix’n’match packs which work out at less than £2 per bottle. I think I got mine from Coulsdon Models on there.
I would advise against using art shop acrylics to start with, to start with use a quality paint, so you know it's supposed to spray fine and if it don't it probably just down to shinning, with art shop acrylics you not only don't know the correct thinner to use and it's not always just water or alcohol but you also don't know if the pigment is fine enough to be sprayed. Try with a quality paint first, Vallejo, Tamiya, Mr Color, even Humbrol or Revell are known to spray well with the correct thinner, and talking of thinner, to start with use the paint makers own thinner, before experimenting with other brands or even home made mixes, that way you know you are giving yourself the best chance of getting a good result, then when you know what you are doing is good then start experimenting with other paints and thinners.
Stay away from Ammo by Mig though, as that paint is giving headaches to the most experienced painters.
Personally I still prefer spraying enamels but find Tamiya and Mr Color Acrylics are very easy to spray with either their own or an alcohol/water based thinner.
Vallejo paints are very good and assuming you are just starting will make it a lot easier to get to grips with your airbrush.
As Paul has said, the cheap hobby / art acrylics are always a bit of unknown as far as airbrushing goes and, attracted by the price, I've tried a few but they've never been any good. Even if you can thin them, most seem to have a large pigment size and don't flow through the AB and will just get you frustrated.
One tip, before you start using paint try using some diluted ink on paper just to get the feel of the AB.
Always test your chosen paint and thinner mix away from the gun as not all Acrylic paint mixes well with all acrylic thinners, some will turn to jelly with the wrong make thinners, and you don't want that mess in your airbrush.
Put some paint in a small pot or dish and add a small amount of thinner and mix, any sign of it either separating or turning to jelly find another thinner.
Tamiya Thinner is Alcohol based and is excellent in Tamiya paints but turns some (but bizarrely not all) Vallejo model color paints to jelly, if in doubt use good old distilled water or only use the paint makers thinner to start with.
I found the humbrol works better with tamiya thinners than either RO water (0tds) or there own brand acrylic thinner?
Test first! Have a gun donkey! (I use a piece of 6mm fibre board or an offcut of something smooth.....
Mdf or a ceramic tile are normally the nearest things.
The smooth side of fibre board is better than ceramic
(Don’t know why, but how it sprays on that is how it’ll turn out on plastic most times.)
and I'm wondering what acrylic paints people are using.
