What paint is suggested for a new comer to Airbrushing ?

Rincewind

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OK as a Rookie to Airbrushing ,I`m feeling embarrassed to mention I`m going to be doing a lot of testing the water and probably wasting a great deal of paint in finding my way around and learning spraying technics. It hasn`t escaped my notice that the paint is not cheap :eek: is it more or less a baptism of fire in having to grin & bear the cost, or can anyone suggest what they did or used which isn`t so costly while learning ?
Sorry to sound a bit miserly but it also seems a bit of a waste of good paint to be probably 95 % going to be entering the waste paper basket So I was hoping some one had some good suggestions into cheaper paint to learn with as everything I`ve seen on E bay looks not cheap and especially if you import the inks from say the USA
 
you could try food colouring but if you have a very porous surface then its just going to bleed into the paper and not produce anything worth looking at, however if you just want to see where the paint lands while you're practicing technique then it will be fine, and available at any grocery outlet LOL

If you want to 'practise' doing artwork then you need to practice with what you will ultimately be using. (Paint and board/paper)

When I started I bought Createx Illustration and found it messed with my brain trying to figure out pressures, reduction ratios for the reducer etc etc etc... I know people say it would spray straight out of the bottle, I was forever getting clogs...... (in hindsight it was all purely newbie related but didn't help my frustration at the time)

I started looking through the forum for alternative and the Etac seemed to fit the bill.... the EFX range seemed aimed more at 'artwork' so I bought some and then things started to click.
it flowed straight out of the bottle, no issues, easy clean up with water, no need for 'airbrush cleaning chemicals' to clean the brush

Just bite the bullet, get a primary set,
http://www.airbrushandpaint.co.uk/actinic/____strong____Grec_E_TAC_Paints_____strong____.html

EFX Primary Set: Opaq Carbon Black, Opaq Titanium White, Phthalo Blue, Quin Magenta, Napthal Red, Arylide Yellow
 
You can use any concoction of pretty much cheap paint, some are quite good alternatives but many will cause you some spray issues..understand that and no probs practicing with em..As to what paint may suit you the best, what do you want to do with it..Some are better alternatives in some area's than others..You could though consider practicing with ink..its often much cheaper than true airbrush paint but is still a quality product that has the same learning kind of outcomes as to paint..if fact it teaches you to be a little lighter on the gun which an help later when doing more painting styled art rather than practice...You can normally pick up a 500 ml bottle of ink, designed for the airbrush in mind for under $20, will last ages and get basic black and basic white and it will keep you in practice paint for quite awhile..Good luck.
 
Miserly is my middle name lol,so no need to be embarrassed there.

Firstly, what type of painting do you hope to do as this may affect your paint choice. I agree with JackEb, you want to practise with the materials you eventually want to use, otherwise you will get used to something, then have to learn something else.

Assuming you want to use water based:-

Paper/board - popular brands are Createx Illustration, E'tac fx, com-art, Golden, Trident.

Automotive - Auto Air

Fabric - Createx

Modelling - Vallejo, Tamiya, Testors

Multi surface - Wicked by Createx (my personal fave as I like to paint on all of the above and more) E'tac PS. These paints can be used on many things but aren't specialised for anything in particular. Other paints can cross over too, and some I haven't mentioned others will probably add :)

To save money try contacting a supplier, (or five lol) tell them what area or paints you are interested in and ask for some samples. (tip - casually mention you are one of almost 8,000 members here, and will do a review, give a mention etc).

Failing that, narrow your options and order a bottle from each (and any appropriate additives) brand to experiment with, what one person loves and raves over may not suit someone else. Bear in mind that colours within brands can behave differently too, black and white are usually more heavily pigmented for example. So test colours luke for like accross brands.

Experimenting is all part of the process, and part of the fun (or frustration lol), but as paint is measured in drops it goes surprisingly far.

Again as JackEb said, once you've made your choice, save money by getting a black and white opaque, and then a set of primaries (I prefer trans as it suits how and what I paint, but opaques may suit you more), you can mix almost anything you need from this, then add other colours as you go along if you want.
 
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Hi, because in my past I did a lot of sketching and dabbled with water colours, I`m leaning towards looking at doing Portrait airbrushing . I have forgotten to mention I have a bit of a disability with my left hand nowadays but its not got to a point that it disables me completely in my left hand, So I was thinking ahead and sorta realized that going into metal airbrush spraying probably wasn`t a good Idea because If I did, doing such things as rubbing a petrol Tank down to bare metal wasn`t going to be a viable practice due to my disability in my hand ,and getting some one to do the donkey work such as that, no one would be wanting to volunteer so I guess the Auto painting is not gonna happen. They`d probably say something like "oh you want me to do the hard rubbing down graft then you come along and do the easy painting job ,.......on ya bike". So I think the portrait airbrushing on board or such like will be more suitable to me. If I can get into the airbrushing proficiently enough I was thinking of looking at airbrushing Skin as in Airbrushed Tattoos but I need to learn to Crawl then learn to walk before I even think about that sort of venture.
I have enough Idea`s ,but putting them into practice will be the proof of the pudding.:)
 
Do some airbrush tatoo's as your practice LOL..That way only need one bottle of paint and on top will make you money..My wife isn't an airbrush artist but she loves coming out on the odd market day and help me with tatts..the first day I handed her the airbrush and said practice on your leg..by the end of that first day i think she'd done about 40-50 of em, not on her own leg LOL..By the second one she had it nailed..Stencilled tatts are very easy to do but you may find a little difficulty with your left hand, often they do need to be held on but some adhesive spray may help ya out..good luck
 
I`ll probably use the Mrs as a "victim" to practice on.:laugh:
Can I ask, do you have to use any special ink designed especially to go on skin or what ?
 
You do need specific paint, Medea Body art is the only one I'm aware of, but just google and you should get some brands.
 
I use "fionair"..Its an Aussie made one and easy for me to get delivery wise but there are numerous brands out there..be aware though although its body paint, its essentially not body paint LOL..IE body paints for say kids faces is a different product from airbrush tatt ink. The tatt ink generally is alcohol based..body paint is more water based...Good luck..
 
I use "fionair"..Its an Aussie made one and easy for me to get delivery wise but there are numerous brands out there..be aware though although its body paint, its essentially not body paint LOL..IE body paints for say kids faces is a different product from airbrush tatt ink. The tatt ink generally is alcohol based..body paint is more water based...Good luck..
I use "fionair"..Its an Aussie made one and easy for me to get delivery wise but there are numerous brands out there..be aware though although its body paint, its essentially not body paint LOL..IE body paints for say kids faces is a different product from airbrush tatt ink. The tatt ink generally is alcohol based..body paint is more water based...Good luck..
Thanks for that ,I`ll see if we have access to it in the UK.
 
I'd recommend either Created Illustration or E'tac. Their are other brands that can work, too. The main thing is to get a quality airbrush specific paint. It will save a lot of hassle and headaches.

For portrait work, you'll eventually need to learn erasing and scratching techniques. E'tac EFX is very easy to work, and very easy to spray. The downside is that it's "fragile" until it's top coated. It's also water-soluable, which pretty much means it's not water proof until coated. It opens up a lot of effect possibilities, though.
Created Illustration is workable for 72 hours, then hardens to à non-rewettable surface.

I would say E'tac is the easier-spraying of the two, but be very paint has a bit of a learning curve.
 
Some very interesting comments there which I`ve made a note of ,so thank you for that info .
When you say "its fragile till top coated ", what top coat do you recommend as in brand name or doesn`t it really matter on that score what` s used,or does most top coat paint usually not fall into the category of "qualities "
Again apologies for asking whats probably dumb ass questions, but I really don`t know the answers ,so I have to take the risk of looking stupid and ask, then I won`t make the mistake of buying cheap stuff over quality, and won`t have to be told further on down the line "you made a stupid error there buying cheap stuff for doing that with ."
 
No such thing as a dumb ass question :)..Well there is but wont go into that LOL..FX is re-wettable. it will though cure with time but just a little easier to scratch or damage, but that's also one of its benefits as many realistic painters, especially in the portrait world use scratching and erasing techniques..i use erasing a lot but personally dislike scratching, but either method has its benefits..You can also use white but thats another story..When you are doing higher end work you will want to protect that work but essentially putting it behind glass in a frame is protecting it..Clear coats are often used for protection of the work but just as often to add depth..Most quality airbrush paints will handle most quality clear coats. how you apply that clear coat also differs. Some brands have specific clears or trans bases you can use..Some use quality rattle cans or small compressor spray guns..Would not overthink it though too much..honestly it will be awhile before your probably caring about protecting a job you just spent 4o-50 hours on..get that practice in first, get some good paint for that to make life easier and narrow that focus to learning the foundations well..if you try to learn it all at once it will overwealm.
 
No such thing as a dumb ass question :)..Well there is but wont go into that LOL..FX is re-wettable. it will though cure with time but just a little easier to scratch or damage, but that's also one of its benefits as many realistic painters, especially in the portrait world use scratching and erasing techniques..i use erasing a lot but personally dislike scratching, but either method has its benefits..You can also use white but thats another story..When you are doing higher end work you will want to protect that work but essentially putting it behind glass in a frame is protecting it..Clear coats are often used for protection of the work but just as often to add depth..Most quality airbrush paints will handle most quality clear coats. how you apply that clear coat also differs. Some brands have specific clears or trans bases you can use..Some use quality rattle cans or small compressor spray guns..Would not overthink it though too much..honestly it will be awhile before your probably caring about protecting a job you just spent 4o-50 hours on..get that practice in first, get some good paint for that to make life easier and narrow that focus to learning the foundations well..if you try to learn it all at once it will overwealm.

Amazing ,and the tuition I`m learning here (so fast) is truly fantastic. I thank you all for your kind help that your so unselfishly passing on to me .
Well so far I`ve bought my airbrush ,compressor ,and awaiting delivery of some paints ( Createx Primary Set (6 x 60ml ) and A3 board ,oh and I`ve just got some airbrush cleaner . I`m also setting up a home made easel in my shed ,and am about to buy a "daylight" light to go with my florescent tube strip in there ,as the shed when the doors shut doesn`t have much light . So my birth as a trainee airbrusher is about to happen very soon .I am excited but at the same time If I`m being honest , I`m a bit apprehensive of it being as its my very first time I`ll have ever done it . Last time I felt like this was when I started to learn to drive a car for the first time so I`m no stranger to this feeling, I`m just getting butterflies as I approach the starting line. :timid:
I`ll just keep to learning the dots and lines technique and getting a feel of the distance between the gun/machine spraying and the paper first probably . (deep intake of air) :)
 
Amazing ,and the tuition I`m learning here (so fast) is truly fantastic. I thank you all for your kind help that your so unselfishly passing on to me .
Well so far I`ve bought my airbrush ,compressor ,and awaiting delivery of some paints ( Createx Primary Set (6 x 60ml ) and A3 board ,oh and I`ve just got some airbrush cleaner . I`m also setting up a home made easel in my shed ,and am about to buy a "daylight" light to go with my florescent tube strip in there ,as the shed when the doors shut doesn`t have much light . So my birth as a trainee airbrusher is about to happen very soon .I am excited but at the same time If I`m being honest , I`m a bit apprehensive of it being as its my very first time I`ll have ever done it . Last time I felt like this was when I started to learn to drive a car for the first time so I`m no stranger to this feeling, I`m just getting butterflies as I approach the starting line. :timid:
I`ll just keep to learning the dots and lines technique and getting a feel of the distance between the gun/machine spraying and the paper first probably . (deep intake of air) :)

hate to say it but you probably just made your first mistake..LOL, assuming of course you purchased createx "standard"..As Squish mentioned above. Standard createx is more for fabric..Fine though to practice with so don't stress, can even do portraits with it easy enough but its a courslyground paint compared to the more expensive brands..Will cause some clogging issues at lower pressures, bit of skipping and the like..Also can be hard to get the right reductions on it as at high reduction it tends to break down the binders more in it..Can give a grainy look..But still OK for practice..but one most consider a lesser brand, but the go to paint for fabric for many so it does have its uses..Just understand that some of your beginner issues may be coming from the paint a bit also, if it is the standard you bought.
 
Enjoy! There is a pretty steep learning curve, but its also very addictive :) Just remember we've all been there, so if you do have issues just post up a pic and an explanation and someone will help figure it out.

Before you can concentrate properly on technique, you need to get your paint/reduction/air ratio sorted. This can be a little tricky, but is worth spending time on as proper flow makes everything else much easier. Unfortunately there is no magic formula as there are too many variables - different guns, nozzle sizes, paint brands, colours, weather and humidity conditions, type of painting (t shirts use much different ratios to photorealists using super fine detail for example.

The rule of thumb is more reduction = less pressure, more reduction = more passes to build colour.
Building slowly gives more control, but if you want colour more intense right away reduce less, and more pressure. Its a balancing act to suit what you're doing, but don't be scared, it soon becomes instinctive.

Experiment with one drop of paint at a time, and add reducer one drop at a time adjust your pressure until you can spray a line without grainynrss or spidering. During this process when the paint isn't quite right you may have issues with a blocked or dirty nozzle. If you get skipping or blotches or you have to pull back farther for paint, then you should clean your nozzle (ask here if not sure). Be gentle (you don't want to damage or flare) but thorough, and when you think its clean, clean again to make sure:)

You seem to have the right attitude, taking the time to practise strokes etc, will give the foundation for everything you need to build on, and you will be amazing yourself in no time.
 
Quote rebel air,............" hate to say it but you probably just made your first mistake..LOL, assuming of course you purchased createx "standard".".
Not sure!:depressed: it just say`s on the bottle >>> Transparent Createx Primary Airbrush Colors . And in the description it gives about it . It say s...." Createx Airbrush Colors are ready to use professional grade airbrush colors which are manufactured with the highest quality control standards. Createx uses the finest pigments available and the colors have a brightness and richness unmatched by others. These colors can be used on a variety of surfaces (i.e. fabrics, leather, canvas, paper, wood, ceramics, and clay) with permanent results."

So I went by that. As I said, I`m not overly bothered ,as it will be used for initial testing and experimenting with . I just don`t want to keep making self induced "problems " for myself , by putting myself into a situation I needn`t necessarily have done,such as if I`d bought the correct paint.
So lets assume I have made a mistake and bought standard colors ,what should it say on the bottle that I need to look for other than what I`ve wrote it said when I bought these colors , such as > " Transparent Createx Primary Airbrush Colors " ?
 
Hi guys. Well I got in contact with the supplier of the paint I bough and he went along with what you guys said about it probably wasn`t the right paint for my needs. So he`s suggested I need the "Wicked" primary set for illustration, which he suggests would be best suited to portrait painting which is what I`m going to lean towards doing . So I`ll just wait till the colors I wrongly ordered come ,and send them back to him which he`ll then send me by return the wicked paint.
Ah! well my first major error ,and Even before I`ve started eh! :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: Its probably going to be one of many knowing me.:)
 
Wicked/wicked detail or illustration would have been my suggestion. At least you can return them so your not out of pocket
 
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