2015 will be a change of painting direction for me. For the last 18 years I’ve been a traditional painter – black or white spray undercoat, large or standard brush for the first coat, detail brush for certain parts, fine detail brush for highlights etc etc.
Well times are changing for me and I’m (finally) moving on to an airbrush. So I thought I would chronicle my first attempts at using this new medium.
To start I purchased the necessary equipment. To begin I purchased an air compressor, connecting hose and an airbrush itself.
To complete the set up I also purchased the following:
Airbrush Thinner – This was in case I needed to thin my existing paints to a consistency needed for airbrushing.
Airbrush cleaner – You have to clean the airbrush after each use and this solution makes it easy. Combine it with an Airbrush cleaning pot and I hope to avoid any nasty clogging issues.
Finally was paints – Vallejo make a range of airbrush ready paints. I selected some white and grey primer plus a few basic colours.
So what’s next? I’ll be connecting up the equipment and doing my first few sprays. I’m also hoping this will speed up my painting schedule.
You can follow my progress through the Element 270 blog or via my new Instagram account Romerous111.
Things you will also find really handy, a keyring of small cleaning brushes. They’re pretty much mandatory for getting a good clean and clearing the inevitable clogs you’ll get. It might even be worth buying a couple as they have a lifespan and will need replacing regularly. Also output pressure and ambient air temperature / humidity. They will cause you the most headaches starting out. If you’re working outside on a hot day your needle is going to accumulate more dried paint faster so it will need to be pinched off or a couple of passes with one of the previously mentioned brushes will keep you going longer between cleans. Also have plenty of distilled water on hand for cleaning and flushing. 🙂
Just a couple of things I learned from taking that same leap not so long ago. Hopefully my hours of frustration will help you avoid some.
Thanks Guy. Yes I do need to get some brushes soon.
aventure!!! Good Luck mate!!