So many questions

beginner-James

Mac-Valve Maestro!
First where can I download the file for airbrush practice sheets from.
I've registered five times for the beginner pack how ever the email has never arrived
It's my Bday next week and I've requested a new easel (lost my old one) how well I was used for a wedding and went walkabouts. I have some A4 and A3 acrylic paper for practice Black and white High flow paint is coming tomorrow. I've also bought a1 hot pressed illustration board for my first painting.
I have found some black A3 foam board witch I'm going to use for shading practice (high contrast) easy for a old man to see

I have lot and lots of questions to come but for now that will do .
Beginner James
 
If you still haven’t got the files by tomorrow i’ll send you some over email if you like.
I think I have them on my laptop so will have to check.
To be honest you don’t really need them.
The best thing I done was bought Mitch’s total control course, it is money well spent in my opinion and once you start doing your dots daggers and fades you can just use gridded paper.
I just printed off my own 2inch gridded a4 sheets and used them.
 
Also dependent on what you want to paint if you plan on getting into scratching for erasing lana vanguard synthetic paper isn’t too bad and easily available in the uk.
Its a great synthetic paper to learn on and also you have yupo but i’ve not used that.
Then you have terraslate which is avaialble in the uk on amazon but only 8.5 x 11 inch.
Me personally i’d still like to work slightly bigger than that.
Canvas is completely about how you want to work and what you would like to paint.
Check out the home made clayboard vids on here by AirbrushDreams......easy to do and a great great surface to work on.
Have fuuuunnnnnnn :)
 
http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/new-clayboard-video.19799/

This thread is the best thread I’ve encourered on here.
Fred or AirbrushDreams is an absolute gent for taking his time out to help people make clayboard.
Honestly if you’re a hands on fella once you get to grips with the airbrush and the basics spend a bit of time and make some clayboard.
Its so easy to make and pretty cheap in all reality once the initial outlay is paid off. The surface is a real nice surface to work on, so so forgiving.
The info in that thread is so good and easy to follow.
 
clayboad materials are already in my amazon basket. I have found Fred youtube channel to be truly inspiring I love taking photo's of big game, birds of prey, Landscapes, Ive even been know to shoot the odd high end portrait so scratch could well be my thing.
thank you so much for the links, advice and time
Bjames
 
clayboad materials are already in my amazon basket. I have found Fred youtube channel to be truly inspiring I love taking photo's of big game, birds of prey, Landscapes, Ive even been know to shoot the odd high end portrait so scratch could well be my thing.
thank you so much for the links, advice and time
Bjames

All good bud.
I have asked my own fair share of questions on here and recieved no end of help so great to give something back.
For the clayboard buy the craft pva glue from hobby craft, its in a red bottle and called craft pva.
That is the bottle I sent over to Fred and I think he got on with it well so try that instead of the stix stuff.
If you need the sheets drop me a message and i’ll have a hunt through my laptop for you and email them over :)
 
I have bought the hobby craft glue. lol

Good lol
See great you’re paying attention. You wait until you try the clayboard, only real advice i’d give is try some synthetic paper first before the clayboard.
Once you try both you’ll understand how forgiving the clayboard surface is.
I’m a sticking to synthetic at the moment because its just helping speed my own development up but i have some big projects planned for the end of the year on home made clayboard.
If you’re like me and you enjoy the labour of love you’ll enjoy making the clayboard.
Got a few little techniques i want to try to get rid of the brush strokes in it though, i’ll keep that thread updated with my progress of how it works so hopefully it benefits us all :)
 
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It was £5 for a big bottle and about £18 to ship to Fred in America so not major money.
Not sure how much tax duty he paid on it though.
 
If you can log into the Airbrush tutor site then you’ll find the free downloads on that site, they don’t come via email, or at least they didn’t use to.

Hang on, i’ll Go and see if my log on still works over there
 
I dont recall the details but navigating to the tutorial files is extremely convoluted. I'll see If i can get there and post a link.

Edit: I think My registration email never arrived as well and i dont recall how i ever did get them. I just know i went some completely backwards way around it , maybe even found them from another site or something.
Sorry I tried to re-figure it out but wasnt able to at the moment
 
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OK as usual I've done far to much research and now I don't know whether I'm coming or going as they say. Still waiting for some bit's to arrive "come on Mr postman" well my compressor is in the garage attic "been there for 12 years" New airline pipe came but just waiting for some fittings so I can run the air line in to the Kitchen or the consecratory in the winter.

Question new first time painter with a air brush. is it better too have your first painting big A1 or better to go small as A3-A4.
I've printed my reference image and plan to trace Thursday evening. Now my first painting is going to be a wait for it a tiger yes, yes I know every man and his dog has painted a tiger.

I'm not to scared as I have Mr Wagner as my tutor youtube . DO I NEED to ask Mr Wagner's permission to use him as a Tutor.
Right the thinking behind going big is that it will get in everyone's way at home. No the reason is larger strokes larger area less smaller detail.
the paint I'm going to use golden high flow.

Question Do I mix a medium to make it tran's or just water do I need to add a flow medium to allow it to flow better out the AB.
The paper I'm using is hot press illustration board. I under stand this is quite good for scratch and erasing I have got all my scratch and erasters just waiting for the euro Mr Wagner suggested in the first Video I watch of him.

Question what tip-needle size do I need I have the usual kit one's 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 the gun I have is 2 in 1 gravity with a 9cc cup with a built in Mac valve.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I have a new easel coming (6ft) with nice leavers to tighten the bolts up.

|Day Light bulb has been added to clip on lamp

Still have loads more Questions to go
James
 
OK as usual I've done far to much research and now I don't know whether I'm coming or going as they say. Still waiting for some bit's to arrive "come on Mr postman" well my compressor is in the garage attic "been there for 12 years" New airline pipe came but just waiting for some fittings so I can run the air line in to the Kitchen or the consecratory in the winter.

Question new first time painter with a air brush. is it better too have your first painting big A1 or better to go small as A3-A4.
I've printed my reference image and plan to trace Thursday evening. Now my first painting is going to be a wait for it a tiger yes, yes I know every man and his dog has painted a tiger.

I'm not to scared as I have Mr Wagner as my tutor youtube . DO I NEED to ask Mr Wagner's permission to use him as a Tutor.
Right the thinking behind going big is that it will get in everyone's way at home. No the reason is larger strokes larger area less smaller detail.
the paint I'm going to use golden high flow.

Question Do I mix a medium to make it tran's or just water do I need to add a flow medium to allow it to flow better out the AB.
The paper I'm using is hot press illustration board. I under stand this is quite good for scratch and erasing I have got all my scratch and erasters just waiting for the euro Mr Wagner suggested in the first Video I watch of him.

Question what tip-needle size do I need I have the usual kit one's 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 the gun I have is 2 in 1 gravity with a 9cc cup with a built in Mac valve.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I have a new easel coming (6ft) with nice leavers to tighten the bolts up.

|Day Light bulb has been added to clip on lamp

Still have loads more Questions to go
James

Am I correct in assuming you haven't used an airbrush before? If so your painting should wait, I can assure you that painting a tiger at any size, or any other subject for that matter isn't going to be as easy as our mutual friend Mr. Wagner makes it look, he only has 20+ years experience at this game, so I recommend you down load some of airbrush tutor's practice work sheets and get a few hours practice in, you need to learn how what your brush can do and be able to control what it does, you also need to learn how your paints work and how and when to thin and use trans mediums, learn what substratesxare available and what works for you.

Golden paints do have a transparent medium, they also have retarder and several other mediums, what you use will depend on what you want to do.

What I'm trying say is don't expect miracles when you get started, there is no harm in doing larger projects if that makes you comfortable, but the bigger you work the more paint you're going to use up which could be costly, A4 or A3 is comfortable starting point, as you progress you will want to be capable in small detail even on larger projects.
 
Also keep in mind that anything bigger than about 4 times your area of intense focus (about 6"x6") presents its own challenges with layout and relating one area to another. Those challenges multiply each time you go that much bigger... It's one of the reasons you'll see people standing back and squinting at something. A3 I think is most cozy.
 
I totally agree with you Malky I wouldn't dream of thinking I can air brush Like Mr Wagner or even try a image like this with out, practice, practice, practice , practice , practice , practice not to mention all the strokes, dots, textures and daggers


James
 
Mr.Wagner (aka @Airbrush Dreams ) will be honoured that you are using him as a mentor/tutor. His work is nothing less than outstanding and he has always been more than happy to share his passion.

I agree with both Malky and Robby above, Yes you will need to practise and get a feel for how the paint flows and the quirks of your setup, so grab a couple of the practise sheets as mentioned, and fill up a few pages with dots/lines/daggers/blends until you are comfortable that everything is flowing well.
But I'm also a believer in grabbing the proverbial Tiger by the tail and giving it a go. Dots and daggers while definately worth doing, even when you know what you are doing they are a great way to get warmed up and make sure your gear is going to play nice for the day, they can get boring real quick.
Go with the A3, as you've noted, the 'detail' will be a lot larger and easier to do. regardless of any mistakes that you make, try and fix the mistakes, soldier on, complete it. DATE IT and store it away somewhere. Then find something else to work on - 'The eye' is always a good one. it has lines, blend etc.

Just remember that if you are working on standard printer paper then you wont be able to erase to get serious detail, you are going to have to plan ahead when you paint.

never be backward in coming forward with questions, the best way we can help you on your journey is for you to post up your pictures as you go and we can then all chime in with unwanted advice on what you did wrong, what you did right and how we all remember starting where you are :)
 
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