Paint flow

Dizzy

Young Tutorling
Ok, my first-ever question. I've had a bit of a search around for answers but to no avail.

The set up:
(i can post photos when I get home tonight if people would like)
I calling it a cheap chineese knock off (airbrush) as it was bought off eBay as a gift for me. It's a dual action side feed and I've been using the gravity type attachment.
Trident paints - way over reduced. Like coloured water.
silent air compressor with a small tank operating at about 8 psi. (trying to keep the pressure low to reduce overspray in my rented house)

The problem:
While practicing a few of the control exercises, I noticed 2 things: my paint had a very definate start point; very hard to build up shades.
I'm guessing the shades have something to do with the paint will only go as dark as the pigment dilute will allow.
as for the former, having a paint start point sounds right but mine ( as it seems to me) my be a little too much of a from nothing to far-out-where-did-that-come-from type thing. Ok, I do have a limited ammount of control over it but I was more wondering over reducing the paint might contribute. Or if the low air pressure could make it worse as well. I've tried playing with the air pressure a bit and didn't knotice a great ammount of change and tried to thicken my paint but was caught with a blockage and cleaned up for the night.

Any observations or comments to help guide me to my problem or probing insights would be wonderful.
 
Hi, Dizzy.
Low pressure is generally used to put details precisely where you want them.
Shading is generally done at a slightly higher pressure, with a wider pattern [ meaning you are further away from your work ] allowing overlaps in the bands of spray to give the shade.
To increase the saturation [ colour ] of your paint at a heavy reduction, you'll need to make more "passes" to do it.
Each pass will 'darken' the colour, until you reach the shade you want.
Leave drying [ flash off ] time between layers,[ or use a heat gun/ hair dryer ] and you'll see the colour become richer with each layer.
One thing to remember is that acrylic paint dries slightly lighter than when it's wet.
Using your reduced paint, do this:
1. Spray a wide line across a sheet of paper about 20 cm long
2. When this line is dry, repeat the pass, making sure that your bottom edge of the 'fan' is approx. in the middle of the original line.
3.Move up and repeat.

When this is dry, look at the line you have made, and you'll see that the gradient increases as you move up the line width from the bottom.
Lightest pass is on the lower edge, and the darkest shade is almost at the top.
If you do it, and mask off the top where you want to finish it, and do 2 passes on the last.
This will ensure you have the absolute darkest piece where you mask.
As for your 'start' point', we all have had to learn the correct manner in which to begin our painting.
Air on, paint on, paint off and air off.
That's the order, but then you have to learn how to do it. AND move at the same time.
Practice, practice and more practice.
 
Thanks @splasha . I'll try playing with my pressures again and try to pay more attention to changing the distances.
I'd read about needing more passes but I seem to have neglected the flash off time for darkening.

I have many hours of practice and learning ahead of me, I know. Even when I'm able to create photo realistic pictures (couple of years away :p ) I'll still be practising and learning, I'm sure. I'm going to try and track down a weekend airbrush workshop closer to my area so I can get a bit of 1-on-1 time and get my bad habits pointed out to me as well as other suggestions on my technique. It may collapse my learning curve a bit as the first time I AB'd was over a year ago. Figuring out what I'm doing wrong on my own will take a while to figure out. Then again I suppose it may concrete learned lessons into me more doing it the long way around.
 
Some thing I have just noticed tonight when I was looking at last nights efforts - lines and some dots that I have painted seem to have a "washed out" centre to them. Is just a technique thing as well?
 
Reduction of paint has a lot to do with it. Material you are painting on adds to how the paint stays,
Give the nozzle a good long soak in some reducer (Just the nozzle ) the reaction of the trigger can be cause by dried paint in the nozzle .
Piece of good heavy plastic covering your paint area will prevent over spray from getting places you do not want it.
 
Some thing I have just noticed tonight when I was looking at last nights efforts - lines and some dots that I have painted seem to have a "washed out" centre to them. Is just a technique thing as well?
It's possible you could be blowing through the paint, if you are in one place too long and your pressure is high, if the paint is too thin in that situation you would get spiders. I would try turning it down, then experimenting a bit. You may find you have to adjust your paint to suit. Don't worry all of us go through this trying to find our sweet spot, but once you've got it it will make everything else much easier.
 
One thing, Dizzy.
If we had some idea of your locale, it'd make giving you advice as to where you'd go to get stuff, and maybe lessons etc easier.
I mean it's no good me telling you to get stuff in Officeworks if you live in Greenland now, is it?
 
Thanks @splasha . I'll try playing with my pressures again and try to pay more attention to changing the distances.
I'd read about needing more passes but I seem to have neglected the flash off time for darkening.

I have many hours of practice and learning ahead of me, I know. Even when I'm able to create photo realistic pictures (couple of years away :p ) I'll still be practising and learning, I'm sure. I'm going to try and track down a weekend airbrush workshop closer to my area so I can get a bit of 1-on-1 time and get my bad habits pointed out to me as well as other suggestions on my technique. It may collapse my learning curve a bit as the first time I AB'd was over a year ago. Figuring out what I'm doing wrong on my own will take a while to figure out. Then again I suppose it may concrete learned lessons into me more doing it the long way around.

Don't do it on your own, watch you-tube - hire video's [ sorry, DVD's ] and READ.
The 'Net will give you heaps of information, but above all else - DO IT!
If you commit to doing the practice, your reward will be --- SKILL!
I live in a town where airbrush is almost unheard of, the nearest classes to me are 45+ miles away, and are expensive.
I basically taught myself using whatever means I could find - including the amazingly talented group on here - so it's possible.
Even if you are 'on your own' so to speak, you only think you are.
Help is only a click away.
As in all things, if you are not learning, then you are static - unmoving and stagnant.
This is not a good thing for anyone.
Above all, seek enjoyment from whatever you do and pleasure from your creations.
 
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