Startup Kit Help! Please :)

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I'm sure this has been asked a thousand times, but I've spent all morning reading reviews and watching youtube clips. Now I'm just confused!

I'm looking for a good startup kit to get me going, but not sure what to get.

My main interest is in illustration work and maybe portrait. On paper/card/canvas medium.

I'm not sure what brush and paints I should be looking at. I'm obviously just forming an interest, so don't need top of line gear. But I'd like something that will last a while and still give me the quality and detail that hopefully I'll need one day.
As for paints, I see there are a lot of options. What is recommended for starting out?

I know that everyone has their own preferences, but if someone could point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks guys, love your work.
 
You're going to need a compressor, and even a used one isn't likely to be cheap, particularly if noise is a factor and you need to buy a whisper style. Ideally you will need one with a storage tank, and one that uses oil (they are quieter), and you MUST make sure it has a safety cut off valve. It will obviously need a hose (and the appropriate connector to whichever brush you choose), and a water trap.
There are so many airbrushes to choose from, but buy the best you can afford, and double action is essential. A "bargain", usually a cheap knock off of a brand brush will not be well made and will slow your progress, or even stop you getting to grips with ABing at all. If you are determined to learn I would suggest an Iwata revolution or an eclipse hp cs, as they are reasonable priced for someone who wants it to become a serious hobby. If you areonly curious or want a cheaper option then maybe the Neo by Iwata. All the brands have brushes in these price ranges so you may want to look around. Also will you want a siphon or gravity fed brush, again research this to see what suits your needs and price range, and if possible find a shop where you can hold them to see how comfortable they feel.
As for paints I would stick to waterbased products, I use Wicked paints as they are versatile and can be used on virtually any base, although there are other very popular brands. Get opaque black and a reducer to start, and then after playing with it for a while, get, white, followed by primary colours. From this you can make most colours. There is a new line of illustration paint just released that you might be interested in.
Check out the tutorials here, and start with the excercises and hopefully you will get hooked. As a reward for my advice pop along to introductions and tell us about yourself, and maybe talk to some of the other newbies here to compare notes. Keep us updated, and post your work so we can give constructive advice. And if you use the search option at the top of the page, it may help with other common questions. Good luck.
 
Thanks squishy!

I was looking at both the Iwata revolution & eclipse. I'm thinking a gravity fed, double action is what I'll need.
I'll be sure to avoid the cheap knock-offs. I've heard enough bad reviews in one day to have learned that lesson.

There are just so many options. Get's a bit confusing.
I'll keep searching.
 
Sorry guys, I just have a few follow up questions.
I've been looking around and have a few ideas as to what I'll get. Just after a few pointers / opinions.

Airbrush:
Iwata Eclipse, HP CS
I've found one for about $135aud (couldn't find it any cheaper)

Compressor: ($88aud)
Project Air 24L 2HP Single Outlet Air Compressor TA-COMP10 - Bunnings Warehouse
It's just a cheapo compressor from the hardware store.
I've seen the 'airbrush compressors' for up to $500 though!
Will this cheap one get the job done?

Paint:
What's the difference between Createx Airbrush & Wicked colours?
I'll probably just get a big bottle of black and white opaque (water based). Then a few small bottles of the primary colours in opaque.

Other:
Hose- Will a cheap hose from ebay be sufficient? Probably the braided line.
Moisture trap- Will a cheap pistol grip trap be good enough?
Reducer- Can I just use water? or Window cleaner I have heard mentioned?
Cleaner- Do I need the special airbrush cleaner product? What about those cleaning brushes?

Probably some silly questions, but just curious and want to make sure I get all the right gear to get me off on the right foot.
Cheers.
 
Sorry guys, I just have a few follow up questions.
I've been looking around and have a few ideas as to what I'll get. Just after a few pointers / opinions.

Airbrush:
Iwata Eclipse, HP CS
I've found one for about $135aud (couldn't find it any cheaper)

Compressor: ($88aud)
Project Air 24L 2HP Single Outlet Air Compressor TA-COMP10 - Bunnings Warehouse
It's just a cheapo compressor from the hardware store.
I've seen the 'airbrush compressors' for up to $500 though!
Will this cheap one get the job done?

Paint:
What's the difference between Createx Airbrush & Wicked colours?
I'll probably just get a big bottle of black and white opaque (water based). Then a few small bottles of the primary colours in opaque.

Other:
Hose- Will a cheap hose from ebay be sufficient? Probably the braided line.
Moisture trap- Will a cheap pistol grip trap be good enough?
Reducer- Can I just use water? or Window cleaner I have heard mentioned?
Cleaner- Do I need the special airbrush cleaner product? What about those cleaning brushes?

Probably some silly questions, but just curious and want to make sure I get all the right gear to get me off on the right foot.
Cheers.

The CS is a great all around airbrush, Most will tell you they use it more than their detail airbrush.Just make sure you get the air hose with it. To answer your other hose question only if it states that it will fit the Iwata.Not all airbrush hoses interchange.
Creates vs Wicked. Createx is designed for textiles only, while you can paint anything with it , It is not a colorfast paint and tends to fade out if put in direct sunlight.Wicked can paint anything. But you may also look into Spectra-tex

Moisture traps, Iwata makes on the fits at on the air valve of the Iwata. It also gives you a bigger surface to hold on too.

Reducer_ 75% water 25%denatured alcohol and 1 drop of Glycerin per ounce is the best home made reduce I have tried so far.
Window clean tends to have Ammonia in it which over time will take the chrome off the inside of the cup.

Cleaning By Restorer made by Createx, Do not soak the entire airbrush in it. only the needle ,nozzle ,air cap and needle protector.
Soaking the entire airbrush can and most time will ruin the rubber o-ring in the air valve assembly
Most Iwatas already come with the teflon needle bearing so shooting urethane paint later on will not be a problem (if you use urethane use urethane reducer to clean the airbrush.
 
I think Mr micron covered it. But just looked at the compressor pic, it's plenty big enough, but I reckon it will be LOUD, so if noise will be an issue, and you don't want your naighbours on your doorstep with pitchforks and burning torches, then could be an issue. Also you will have to keep any eye on your oil levels as it doesn't have a low oil shut off and could over heat. Although I've had my compressor for a while and not had any issues, it might be worth thinking about getting spare parts in the future. It's not a brand I recognise, so it might be worth looking into how easy it is to get them.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.
Looks like a slightly more expensive hobby than I first though :)

Do those little 2oz paint bottle last very long?
I'm looking at the bigger bottle for black and white, but not sure I'll be using much colour anytime soon.

Do you guys reduce your paint in the actual airbrush cup? Or does it need to be pre mixed before adding to the airbrush?
 
Do you guys reduce your paint in the actual airbrush cup? Or does it need to be pre mixed before adding to the airbrush?

I use both methods depending on how much color I need. Sometimes I'll mix a base target color in an empty bottle and then tint or tone the color further in the airbrush cup.
 
hey dude....i pretty much went for everything you did first up and im still happy with all of it!! i actually started with wicked paints but for some reason i ended up buying createx from then on....for no particular reason......it could have just been that the airbrush tutor uses it in most of his vids....


i will say that its cheaper to stay with one brand as most brands recommend you only use their reducer for their paints so buying a few brands means you'll need to get a few reducers.....

yeah i recon just get black and white for now.....alot of the beginner tutorials are just in black and white....then as you get better you can dish out for the primary colours etc. i recon get at least 0.5 litre of both black and white (or is it 540mls?) cause you'll be using them heaps.

i just ordered my moisture trap and hose from the same place i got my airbrush.

no matter what you end up buying you'll grow to become used to your own setup...and after a bit you'll want to experiment with different brands and stuff...but for now i recon just get the basics and get painting!!!

MC.
 
You can mix in the cup just fine Complex, just make sure you give it a good shake, and keep your thumb pressed down on the lid just in case. (Guess who didn't have the lid on tight once and splattered her work with paint....DOH!.) A 2oz bottle will probably go a lot farther than you think it will, don't forget you will be adding reducer, and depending on how much you reduce by to find your sweet spot, if you use a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio your paint will go 3 or 4 times farther. So if you just want to get a small bottle to see how you get on, then you can do that but get a bigger bottle of reducer to go with it.
 
Thanks everyone, all the help here has been great. Pretty close to ordering now I thing, just looking at a couple of compressors now.

Hopefully I can start painting soon :)
 
Update!

Just a huge thanks to everyone here. Been incredibly welcoming and helpful, so thanks!

I ordered today from airbrushmegastore the Iwata eclipse cs. wicked detail black and white + reducer.
Also ordered from ebay a 10" hose and pistol grip moisture trap.
Will pick up the compressor from the hardware store when everything else arrives, hopefully not to long from now.

Looking forward to getting my dots and lines going :)
 
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