Hello all,
in your experience, what is the best brand/type of acrylic craft store paint for airbrushing? Also, what is the best thinning ratio and pressure to use for it?
Thanks,
sfb
If you mean craft store acrylic paint such as Apple brand, I don't think you can use it in an air brush at all. Even though it's water soluble, the pigment is probably not ground fine enough to go through an air brush nozzle.
Most air brush paints are solvent based with the thought being that the solvent quickly evaporates so the paint doesn't smear, clump, or run. Water would not evaporate fast enough for air brush application.
Really? I must be doing something wrong as I use this stuff all the time;-)
Seriously, I shoot Apple Barrel, Ceramcoat and FolkArt all the time with good results. For weathering or filtering large areas I just use distilled water or blue automotive windshield washer fluid but these will affect the polymers in higher ratios.
For base coating or general painting, I thin with Wagner Paint Easy you can find at Wally World. Floetrol works very well too as they are made for thinning house paint for power painters. I've also used Liquitex Airbrush Medium too but it's costly which almost counteracts the reasons for using the craft paints in the first place.
Use a heavy nozzle and keep it clean. I usually use about 15-20psi and clean up with Windex.
Trial and error are your best friends...........................
Robby Modeling the L&N CV Subdivision in 1978 http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd247/robby-ky/CV%20Subdivision%20Layout/
Use the search and you will find tons of threads here on using it. Thin it with latex thinning medium
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
sfb,
Like Robby, I also use Folkart and Ceramcoat with great success. I thin them with airbrush medium and distilled water (my tap water is just too hard) . I have also used 70% isopropyl alcohol with the medium. The two airbrush mediums I use are Golden Airbrush Extender and Liquitex Airbrush Medium. They are pricey, but you only need a little. If you thin with just water or alcohol, you may reduce the binder too much, which will leed to adhesion problems. You can usually find them discounted on line, and a little goes a long way.
Pete
Is there a particular brand that is better for airbrushing than another?
The late Big John Dalton of R.M.R fame used to sing the virtues of Ceramcoat. I don't have an airbrush but I have had excellent results brush painting with Ceramcoat and other craft store acrylic paints. They cover well and the brush strokes level out. They go for $1-$2 a bottle as opposed to Floquil which is touching $5 a bottle.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
cacole If you mean craft store acrylic paint such as Apple brand, I don't think you can use it in an air brush at all. Even though it's water soluble, the pigment is probably not ground fine enough to go through an air brush nozzle. Most air brush paints are solvent based with the thought being that the solvent quickly evaporates so the paint doesn't smear, clump, or run. Water would not evaporate fast enough for air brush application.
I'm not sure if the acrylic paints they sell at Walmart is Apple, or not, but, if diluted to the optimum consistency, airbrushing is not a problem. I dilute mine with 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Some people prefer to use water, but I use what works for me. The key to spraying with alcohol, or anything else for that matter, is to clean your airbrush immediately. After diluting the paint, I pour it into an airbrush bottle, using a funnel with a screen (see below).
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Greetings,
It looks like some folks have read my posts about airbrushing craft paints thinned with blue windshield wiper fluid, great idea, eh? Here are more ideas. Not only do I have almost 150 craft paints in all colors I also found weathering them for rr and military applications are easily done using billiard chalk. The chalk comes in most used colors and blends well with the paint as it is drying. For those of us that have several branch interests such as 1:35th and 1:48th scale models every tehcnique for painting and weathering comes into play. Much of my interest lies in HO but remains intact for the other scales as well.
Apple Barrel, CreamCoat, and several other brands are sold at WM and HobbyLobby and other craft stores, one thing about these paints is the ease of hand brushing for figures straight from the bottle and A/B through thinning. Additionally for those who remember art classes these paints started as ceramic paints and through the years caught on for models. Additionally I have found high gloss versions and they work for my 1/48th scale WW2 U S Navy aircraft. On a final note, to set the paint I use a hand held hair dryer on LOW heat to dry the paint and this works very well. Also I use a color reference chart for all my color matches and these work very well to convert to military and rr use.
Best of luck.
I have used Apple Barrel from Wallyworld with great success, but it must be thinned properly and strained before thinning. I emphisize the straining. I had lots of problems with craft store paint and swore that they were junk for the longest time, untill I started painting professionally and learned to strain all my paint, every time. I use the same fine strainers that I have on hand for spraying Duracoat and Ceracoat in my business.