My First steps and some questions.

simonarvestrand

Double Actioner
New here and to airbrush, about 3 hours ago i sprayed my first dot.

It is not easy but it is not those parts that i was afraid of that is the hard parts.
I think i will wait for my airbrushpaint because i think the paint is making me som problems it splatters ( did not find a good word my english is not so good) a little, small dots of paint around my dots.

Questions.

1. what is a good needle size for this excersises?
2. my airbrush sometimes stops flowing , i need to push colorflow forward and back then it starts again, some of the dark areas on the eye is because of that the flow increases fast . is is an cheap airbrush from hobbyking.com but many says that it is an ok beginners gun.


Here is my first dots , and because it is so booring to do dots i freehanded before i startet the next spot paper.
am i a hopless case or am i doing something right?
I have not watched the eye tut yet so i think my eyes will be better :)

Firstdots.jpgfirstfreehand.jpg
 
Looks like you are getting some tip dry. Might try reducing the paint a bit more. Dots look great and they do get easier the more you do them.
What airbrush are you using? What kind of compressor and at what air pressure are you spraying at.
These questions will help us help you more..
 
I agree with Herb, a little more information will help us all narrow down your problem a little easier. And the only way you can be a "hopeless case" is to quit... Anyone can learn to airbrush! It's like anything else... the more you practice the better you will get. Some pick it up faster than others and some have natural talent, but your success depends on your own drive and determination. Everyone here had to start at the beginning just like you. Try not to get discouraged... learn from your mistakes and we will all see your improvement as you progress! Keep up the good work!
 
Cheap stuff, i'm so new so i am not alowed to post links? a search at hobbyking.com will show it.

compressor is a "Mini air compressor (1/8hp) " from hobbyking.com
and the airbrush from same shop, "Twin-Action Air brush set"

What causes drytip and how do i recognize it , i guess i can find it here but easier to ask :)

I will use my big compressor as soon i get a watertrap and regulator , because i don't think this little compressor gives the labled air pressure.
 
Tip dry you recognise mostly when you have to pull back more to get the paint flowing. Unscrew the needle cap on the front of the airbrush so you can have a look on the needle tip.
If you see dried paint on the needle you have to gently pick it off the needle with a paper towel or your fingernails, but be carefull not to bend the needle.
And yes you need a few more posts untill you can attach links in the forum.
 
Tanks for the tip :)

i have ordered a com-art Air brush Color set , i hope it helps me a little because i don't know if i have the right thicknes on the paint.
 
Yes i understand your frustration. I start getting tip dry every 30 secs after i have been spraying for about 15min. I put it down to the fact that i do not have any reducer for my particular type of paint. Apparently reducing has a positive affect on tip dry. I've totally stripped down my airbrush in an effort to fix problem but to no avail.

Good luck with it.
 
Tanx, if it is The Paint then it is good, is sprayguns like The One i have ok to Learn with or should i get a iwata around 70-100 dollar instead? i rather pay a little more then try to Learn and give up without knowing that a iwata would have helpt me to not give up.

I hope this is understandable, hardly understand what i wrote myself.:p

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
 
Hi Simon, there are many different views on whether to start with a cheap one or just pay the extra for something better. Eg::
1) Cheap ones are a good place to start
2) Cheap ones can give you lots of problems and cause you to give up.
3) Some people swear by the cheap ones full stop

When i first bought my cheap AB i did so ignorantly. ie, i didn't factor in the quality of a $100 one. Let's face it though a $100 AB is not really all that much dearer than those cheap ones. I said on another forum that if you like this thing called AB'ing using a cheap one don't muck around and delay buying a better one. Buy a dearer one pronto. Apparently, you won't look back.!!!

I am currently waiting on my first more expensive AB ($100). Badger and Iwata are the most popular brands of choice but some people also like Paasche. In hindsight i wish i had bought a dearer one even though i have not yet used a dearer one. The reason as i see it atm is i gave up AB'ing 3-4 yrs ago. I think i was disillusioned with the lack of control i seemed to have over the AB but since then i have learned a lot on these forums and on manufacture's websites about the pressures to spray at and mixing paints to spray well and so forth and so forth. I have also learned from these sources that the greatest test of time and improvement is practice. So when i receive my new airbrush and paint i will have no excuses which only leaves me with lots of practice to do. Another thing is people have said that it took them a while to get used to their new expensive AB because they had been so used to using something so crappy.

The bottom line is if you like it, get an expensive one asap. I waited too long.

I hope this helps

PS. I had to do a lot of stencil work to make up for not having control over my cheap airbrush. I can do some good things with stencils but my AB'ing technique is awful. Also, those exercises that you can download from AirbrushTutor dot com ,,well,, apparently you need to do thousands of dots and blends and dagger strokes etc to master this art. You must factor that into the equation!!!!
 
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Thanks.

I know there is a lot of practice to to before i get even close to good.
I compare this to my other hobby that is rc helicopters, if you get the cheapest helicopter it will take very long time to learn, if you even learn.
if you pay a little bit more the copter is more stable and much easier to learn with.
It took weeks/month of practice before i know that i could fly a battery without crashing, so it about the same here, but no krashes :)

Thanks again for your words about this, this is a hobby that i wanted to try for many years and now i finaly bought a air brush, and it is as fun as i thougt
 
After some new tries today i am pretty sure , the spraygun is not the best one, and not the paint. but i think i have decided to buy a new gun.

Help me choose a gun that is a good one , easy to handle , easy to find spareparts, simply a good gun. price under 250 usd , or do i have to pay more?
 
My advice is go for a Iwata Eclipse, it is a very good gun and also great for starting out since it uses a 0.35mm setup. It will cost you way less then 250 usd :)
 
i did order a used eclipse at spraypal . com only used for displaying on a workshop, about the same price as the Badger krome.
i hope that they deliver fast :)
 
Don't worry Simon, only very few are hopeless cases. The important thing is that you feel drawn to airbrush and determined to master techniques. The Com-Art paint will probably be a huge step in the right direction. Gecko gave some hints with regard to airbrush guns and it absolutely pays off to save some more money to buy an airbrush from a reputable company (Iwata or Badger are among the best). You getting bored by spraying dots and attempting to airbrush eyes, is a good sign. With the proper tools and paints you will see that the quality of your work will advance rapidly. Keep practicing and drop any questions in this forum. I am sure we have all made the inevitable mistakes when we started. And in this forum there are many experienced airbrushers to help.
 
I forgot to mention: the Harder and Steenbeck Evolution is also an excellent and versatile airbrush that is suited to beginners and advanced artists. Standard it is delivered with 0.2 and 0.4 nozzle / needle sets, which allows artists to create small detailed art as well as larger works. For that modifiable configuration it is sold for an excellent price.
 
Tanks for all thoughts, i got i nice price on The eclips i guess that One is Good enough for me. Now its time for a New practice round with My cheap brush

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
 
The eclipse is apparently a very good starting point for people like us. You will enjoy that model.
 
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