anything in particular or just in general?
we're here to help, sometimes you just need to clean out the brush and walk away for 24 hours and come back with fresh eyes.
Controlling the Airbrush
- Thread starter Rick Martin
- Start date
we're here to help, sometimes you just need to clean out the brush and walk away for 24 hours and come back with fresh eyes.
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
Im having control issues. Too far away lines are too big. Any closer i spider. No com art paint for me..funny because i thought my only issue would be with erasability.
Today is a new day.
Rick
Today is a new day.
Rick
Squishy
Queen Clown Slayer
Frustration is actually a good sign believe it or not. One it means you really want to learn, so that means you have the passion to do this - otherwise you would just say, no, cant do it, put it aside and not worry about it again. Two it means you are learning what not to do - all part of the process.
When you are having spidering issues, are you adjusting your pressure for close up work? Is the spidering in a uniform pattern or is it just blowing out in one area of the spray pattern all the time? When it spiders are you getting any delay before paint comes out?
When you are having spidering issues, are you adjusting your pressure for close up work? Is the spidering in a uniform pattern or is it just blowing out in one area of the spray pattern all the time? When it spiders are you getting any delay before paint comes out?
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
No delay and it pretty iniform. Im at work but i will post a pic when i get home. Should have done that last night, but just cleaned the brush and went to bed. I knew it was going to be a very early morning for me. I was excited that my first piece came out like it did, but what i really want to paint is going to be much harder than that. Thank you @Squishyand@jackEb
Rick
Rick
Don't write off your com-art paints just yet, I've had a lot if success with those in the past, the only reason I stopped using them was because where I was living at the time I couldn't find loose bottles and didn't want pay for whole sets every time when I onky needed one or two colours, they were as good as etac.
Sonething you should take into consideration while practicing which I haven't seen hit on here is strategic trigger control, when you are working up close as you know now the thinner your paint is the lower your pressure needs to be, but in addition to this when you pull your trigger back for paint you need to practice pulling back less to reduce the paint to air ratio, what I mean is that when you pull back less you all have less cubic centimetres of paint per cubic centimetres of air, this will reduce the chance of spidering, try practicing only that for a little while to get yourself used to it, in airbrushing you will get further with your work when everything concerning control of your brush is automatic or reflex and you don't have worry about it nor have to keep checking.
If you have spidering you have either too high a pressure for tge distance you are at or (and I suspect this) you have too much paint coming out in relation to air, so just combat it by pulling back less.
Bear in mind also that it is normal when working up close to have to go over lines or shapes several times to achieve the opacity you require, consider also using a transparent medium unread of thinning which will allow you maintain a higher pressure if that suits you better but the paint to air ratio mentioned above still applies, we can all advise you but its all about finding your own little sweet spots and what works best for you personally, if everyone of us had the same brush, comp and paint etc, no two of us would have exactly the same ratios of all the elements.
Practice the paint air ratio as I said and see what happens, practice is the key and remember many seasoned artists will used many different paints for different applications and disciplines and will do so without having to relearn each type so it does no harm to get used to more than one type or brand.
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
I will try that tonight. Thank you. I practiced with it for about 4 hours yesterday and could get some pretty good lines with trans black, but when i tried a project it went bad. But all my practice sheets look good. I even went out and bought a artist sketch pad instead of using printer paper
Rick
Rick
Printer paper is probably the worst, sketch pad will help but if you get used to it it will make substrates suitable for scratching and erasing more difficult to learn.
Get yourself an MDF or Masonite panel and gesso the he'll out if it then sand it flat (not wet) to practice on, when you've filled it up you can sand it back and gesso it again as many times as you like, this will get you used to using less porous substrates such as illustration papers and boards, the trick is too learn to control spidering rather than hide from it which you would be doing with porous sketch paper, if you went from practicing on sketch paper to a project on Yupo or Blair paper you would mist likely shiit yourself at the amount of spidering you would get, so don't hide from it, show it who's boss
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
What is gesso and where can i get it
Gesso is just artist's acrylic primer and you can get it at any art supply shop, doesn't need to be airbrush specific shops, I think you can also find it at Wal-Mart and such places, for practicing the cheapest will do
Squishy
Queen Clown Slayer
Distance is key too. You can get real close, almost touching with super low pressure. But if pressure is low, and you aren't being to keen with the trigger as Malky suggested, then try moving a few 1/2 cm back from the surface and see if this helps. You should still get a nice fine line just a little farther away, and once you've got it all dialled it you can get even closer over time. ,
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
Which side of the mdf do i gesso. Sorry for all the questions.
The smoothest side or the side that has already been primed.
If the MDF is bare with no pre-priming at all I normally do both sides the first time to counteract warping.
Don't apologise for asking questions, that's why we're here and you learn nothing if you don't ask
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Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
Ok thanks Malky
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
Ok next questions..how many coats and how long does this stuff take to dry to where i can sand it.
Depending on how thick you put it on 4 - 6 coats to allow scratching without hitting bare wood, if you do it outdoors in the sun you could get all coats on in half a day with light sanding between coats, and a good light sanding when it's done until it is nuce and flat.
If you have access to or can get hold of a cheap mini HVLP gun you could also spray on your gesso with the need for almost no sanding, if you can spray it, mix your gesso 50/50 with water, stir to mix thoroughly and strain before putting it in your gun, 6 - 8 coats will suffice with this method, with 50/50 thinning this might not compute but because there is little sanding you don't take anything away between coats, all you should need is a light scuff on the last coat with medium to fine scotch brute.
Tip: don't even think about wet sanding this will end up in a result so scary it borders on horrific
You can use a sanding machine if it has variable speed and you set it low, with the finest if pads.
MarcosD
Detail Decepticon!
Depending on how thick you put it on 4 - 6 coats to allow scratching without hitting bare wood, if you do it outdoors in the sun you could get all coats on in half a day with light sanding between coats, and a good light sanding when it's done until it is nuce and flat.
If you have access to or can get hold of a cheap mini HVLP gun you could also spray on your gesso with the need for almost no sanding, if you can spray it, mix your gesso 50/50 with water, stir to mix thoroughly and strain before putting it in your gun, 6 - 8 coats will suffice with this method, with 50/50 thinning this might not compute but because there is little sanding you don't take anything away between coats, all you should need is a light scuff on the last coat with medium to fine scotch brute.
Tip: don't even think about wet sanding this will end up in a result so scary it borders on horrific
You can use a sanding machine if it has variable speed and you set it low, with the finest if pads.
You put some pimer to the MDF or sealer before gesso?:timid:
RebelAir
Air-Valve Autobot!
Plus the multiple coats of paint saturates and seals the mdf as well. Keep painting it till it soaks up no more LOL, gesso's a bit different but both methods work or use a sealer if ya want to save a couple of coats.
Rick Martin
Detail Decepticon!
Im going to use my hvlp gun.
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