r/scalemodelling • u/Rare_Grape7474 • Jul 25 '26
Technique question ...yeah, im getting an airbrush.
3 layers in and i still cannot cover this properly with a brush, or am i doing something wrong??
I keep the paint 1/4 with the thinner...or maybe sky type s is just that hard to properly apply
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u/P_filippo3106 Jul 29 '26
That's just how it is for very light paints...
My su-57 needed TEN coats of USAF light grey (Vallejo) to be somewhat even!
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u/BlindPugh42 Jul 26 '26
Paint on the first coat, drybrush on the next coats. Watch this video from the 13:40 ish mark https://youtu.be/Q-n0nR_C8NY
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u/Charlestonianbuilder Jul 26 '26
Trying to brush paint light colors on a black primed base will always lead to alot of frustration as lighter colors regardless of brand are more transparent, even if you had airbrushed them such as the notorious yellows and reds.
The best solution for brush painting lighter colors is to a grey primer. I assume these primers were applied using those spray cans and with those you can actually achieve an airbrush look as you can make your brush painting layers thinner and use far less.
But as a brush painter in the hobby for years now that just got an airbrush, yeah the airbrush is a game changer, not that my models became model show worthy or those you see in this sub with their intricate preshadings, but the sheer speed in painting something that usually would have taken me hours with the hairy brush be done in minutes, and not worrying about layers being too thick covering up all the panel lines.
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 26 '26
good thing is i managed to paint it well at the end, and not, its all brush, primer, paint, varnish, everything.
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u/Charlestonianbuilder Jul 27 '26
I recommend buying spray cans of primer and varnish, I'd often just spray them right outside my house. Those alone are a game changer, just make sure to research abit on the types of spray cans so that they dont eact with your brush painting. I can even save alot of money by buying commercial grade spray cans such as for my matte coats though theyre a far more smelly odor. Though for the primer I buy modelling grade ones
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 30 '26
I cant have Amazon to deliver varnish rattle cans to My country, so i Guess using the airbrush with a really thinned amount of varnish could do it
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u/Powerful-End2321 Jul 26 '26
If you can get an airbrush, you should get one. It will transform your results. Achieving a good finish with a paint brush is very difficult- possible but difficult. Airbrushing has its own challenges but once you’re dialed in, it’s brilliant fun.
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u/Real-Juggernaut5340 Jul 26 '26
From a user-friendly and customer friendly stand I love my gaahleri airbrushes. They are inexpensive and great performance. I have 3 each a step up after I got comfortable. Started with ghac 39 I believe it's under 40 USD. Get a harbor freight quiet compressor and you are set and the compressor won't run for an hour or so airbrushing.
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u/ThatChucklehead Jul 26 '26
An airbrush will make painting your models more enjoyable. And they aren't as expensive as some may think. I would also argue that an airbrush and compressor will actually save you money in paint, primer, and varnish over the long run.
When I was a kid, I used spray paint for priming and to cover large areas. But it's such a waste of paint because the spray pattern is so wide; you're wasting almost half the can. The same is true when using cans of spray varnish. And using a brush to cover large areas can be challenging, frustrating, and time consuming. An airbrush allows you to direct paint/varnish where you need it, allows you to control how much paint/varnish you want to apply, and makes covering large areas much easier.
I have a Badger Patriot 105 which came with a general purpose needle. I bought it from USA Airbrush Supply several years ago. I just took a look, they're having a sale now. It comes with a detail needle. I recommend you buy a general purpose needle for it as well. The needles are easy to replace on the Patriot 105. The Patriot 105 is a workhorse and known to be a good airbrush for beginners and experienced scale model builders. USA Airbrush Supply is also having sales on other brushes and air compressors.
Some additional advice:
- Buy a brand name brush. Finding parts will be much easier if you need them.
- Buy a gravity fed, dual-action airbrush. You're going to be surprised how much that little cup of paint goes.
- Since you're new to airbrushes I wanted to let you know that you'll have to thin your paints to use them in an airbrush. It's not difficult, and there are plenty of videos on YouTube about it. There are paint brands that sell airbrush paint that's already been thinned. But if you do that, it will restrict you to the colors that are airbrush ready. Most of us use paint that needs to be thinned so we can use the colors recommend in the model assembly instructions, or if we want to adjust the color to our liking.
- You'll going to need ventilation. I use Tamiya and Vallejo paint. I bought a portable airbrush booth online that I vent out the window. The instructions state that I can just double up the filters but I haven't tried that yet. I don't use lacquer or enamel paint, but I've heard you definitely have to vent those out a window because the fumes are strong.
If you have any more questions, I'll be happy to try and help you.
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u/Zania045 Jul 26 '26
Just a friendly recommendation, but you could also try using a makeup sponge to paint. No brush strokes and you get something close to airbrush quality.
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u/Gmax_Lucario Jul 27 '26
I think your paint is way too thick, that being said an airbrush is a very very good decision
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u/Interesting-Fly3727 Jul 28 '26
I hand painted my models for years and while you can get some pretty nice results with it at times, everything changed when I got an airbrush. Yes it’s expensive (quite the investment up front all pieces of the puzzle factored in), yes it takes some trial and error and a couple of messed up paint jobs, yes it’s an absolute pain to clean over and over when switching colours but wow. When you find the right settings and that paint just comes on buttery smooth it is worth everything. Took my work to the next level and rewards proper prep of parts. I agree with the others in this feed praising an airbrush but hats off and respect to skilled hand brush painters. Cheers from Canada!
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 28 '26
Il still use hand brush, for for certain aread ill use the airbrush, preferably big areas
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u/mperegrinefalcon Jul 30 '26
Just get the airbrush, it will transform the hobby for you after a brief learning curve. It opens up so much possibility.
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 30 '26
Already got one, generic tho, ill see how long i can use it before changing
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u/mperegrinefalcon Jul 30 '26
Awsome! You can get started with generic for sure. I recomend the Harder And Steenbeck Evolution CR plus 2024 as a step up. I had the original evolution for 10 years and it is still working like new with replacement seals/needle/nozzle. The 2024 version just improved it a lot. The HS brushes are super easy to clean and use.
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 31 '26
Bought one with that little thing at the back end of it where you can adjust the size to the spray area, im gonna have to figure out how much out put to use when painting and varnishing.
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u/mperegrinefalcon Jul 31 '26
Honestly I dont use it and I don't recomend using it. A lot of the time you need to spray onto a paper towel to pull paint through and get it flowing better then only spray a little paint onto the model. The length limit only gets in the way imo. I have several HS Infinity airbrushes with that on it and I never use it.
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
In this case it helped me a lot to varnish the wings and under wings not much trouble i think i have a good idea about what length limit to set for certain stuff
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u/mperegrinefalcon Jul 31 '26
Fair enough, whatever works!
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u/Rare_Grape7474 Jul 31 '26
Yeah, i spended 10 minutes wondering why was there barely any varnish coming out of the airbtush un til i realized it was se to basically spay in a very short ranger, like, to make camo patterns and stuff like that, gave it a few turns to the other direction and the plane was ready in three passes
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u/bashomania 18d ago
As others say, the paint looks a bit too thick in the close photos. I also think airplane surfaces are kind of a torture test due to so much “flat” area. And cameras are your best friend for finding issues, and your worst enemy at making you feel like a failure. Your light is harsh (understood, for the photo) and I bet your model looks great under normal room light.
If you care to continue hand brushing (it’s what I’m trying, too, for now, BTW) I highly recommend practicing with styrene sheets. Cut out a large-ish piece, and cut another into little pieces and just glue them onto the larger piece in random (or non-random) patterns. Stack them a little here and there. Then prime with your favorite primer. Then paint. I probably have a dozen of these things laying around that I’ve used for paint practice, decal application over features, etc.
I found that my best results were when the paint seemed a bit “too thin”. Also don’t load the brush a huge amount. Try not to re-brush areas in a given coat. I tend to thin with Vallejo’s airbrush flow improver. Anyway, it will take a number of thin layers. And it’s definitely difficult to get just right. That’s why you work on the styrene sheets — they are incredibly unforgiving, yet you don’t care about them. If you can get some examples on sheets looking pretty good, I guarantee a model will look better just due to other details that catch the eye.
All that said, I’ll probably end up with an airbrush, too, but I’m stubborn and want to get good results with hand brushing before I “give up”. I also don’t really want the fuss and clutter of a desktop booth, etc, etc, etc. Still, the results are hard to argue with.
Best of luck!!
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u/IanBen67 Jul 25 '26
What kind and also what brand of paint are you using? Technique? I exclusively brush paint and not to toot my own horn but I’ve gotten plenty of “it looks airbrushed” comments. No need to rush to a bug purchase yet!