Starting an Airbrushing thread- topics you'd like to see

[The Inquisitor]

A NOTE ON THIS POLL: YOU MAY MAKE MULTIPLE SELECTIONS! It cut that portion off.

Anyway- Hey there everyone; I'm going to start an airbrushing thread that focuses on airbrushing and uses in modeling/wargaming. I'm interested to hear what ppl would like to see. Some potential topics would include a guide to buying equipment, and matching it to your needs/wants/budget, basic and more advanced uses/techniques, tutorials on use and integration with your other tools/paints, maintenance, links to good articles/threads on this and other sites, places to order equipment from.

I've included a poll to find out what is of MOST interest to ppl initially, and will provide a prioritized approach to this discussion. Also, if there isn't something in the poll, pls post it here.

I will also encourage other ppl to submit questions as well as commentary in the thread, along with ideas, links and other information. Please keep the discussion here pertinent to developing the airbrush thread. Hopefully by the end of this week, I can get this started.

]I[

[MasterModakai]

I think it would be nice (if possbile) to include a comparision of different models of airbrushes. Items to be covered could include weight, trigger response, trigger action/distance and spray pattern/detail/size.

The last entry would be really helpful for 2 reasons. First, many AB manufactures use vauge terms when describing how fine a line you can get. Ratings of 1, 3, 5, fine, really fine and pencil line are not the same across manufacturers and sometime product lines. Second, the spray pattern/size affects what mediums you can use.

[schoolcormorant]

Ryfitz13 had an awesome airbrushing thread.....wander what happened to that.

i'd like info abuot consitency and brands

SC

[THX_1138]

I suggest anyone who is interested in airbrushes reads this site. This site should answer most of your questions, and the other sites mentioned in the links section should finish the job.

It might be worth pointing out this other site as it has product reviews and I assume that is what most people are going to want to see first in any airbrush sticky.

[shartmatau]

I think there is lots of information available for buying equipment and 'getting started' info. I am having more difficulty getting consistent paint thickness, and actually using the airbrush. It seems I can't get much more than a basecoat down and then go back to brush painting. I have only seen a few how to articles on detailed painting with the airbrush. So I guess I'm looking for techniques and mixing airbrush with regular brushing. Cheers.

[Wintermute]

What would be useful is a series of articles (I tihnk you have covered most of them in the poll) which could be linked to in a single sticky entitled Airbrushes or added to one of the existing stickies in the M,P & T forum.

This sort of FAQ thread for this subject is required. I have lost count of the number of times threads about airbrushes have been posted both here on WarSeer and on Portent. After a while you get tired of replying to them. (Yes I've been using airbrushes for many years now).

The Inquisitor, you have my support for this project.

Wintermute

[The Inquisitor]

Thank you all for the posts and votes. I'm looking to get around at least 20-30 votes, and then go from there.

Ryfitz13 had an awesome airbrushing thread.....wander what happened to that.

i'd like info abuot consitency and brands

SC

I think he's on vacation, IIRC. His thread is good, and discusses a bunch of pertinent topics.

re: consistency and brands, good point. One thing I have found missing is 'comparison' to some set standard across brands. Without that information, it's hard to have good information to make educated decisions. We'll definitely have to talk about this.

I suggest anyone who is interested in airbrushes reads this site. This site should answer most of your questions, and the other sites mentioned in the links section should finish the job.

It might be worth pointing out this other site as it has product reviews and I assume that is what most people are going to want to see first in any airbrush sticky.

Thanks for pointing this out THX_1138... there is a lot of information about different types of brushes and equipment out there. I've been to these sites and others, and found their information very helpful.

The basics about airbrushing are pretty much standard across the board, and I would assume that there is no need to recreate the wheel- having links to sites like this is essential.

However, I do have to say that oftimes the information will be of limited use for a couple reasons. For one, many of these techniques will be of limited use after you get the 'basics' down- i.e. they are not 'specific' enough for what we do as modelers, or modelers will have particular interests in how they apply the tool. Another thing is that we tend to use particular media that other artists don't- such as particular brands of paint. There is crossover, but many people, esp. without experience, need to have someone point out what works and what doesn't. Lastly, a lot of this information is spread out all over the web. It would be helpful if pertinent information were in one place, at least as a starting point.

Oh, and another thing that I think would be entirely useful- reviews and comparisons that are 'genre specific'. Reviews on that site were great, but how do I know which brush would be the best for what I am doing? What brush/combination of brushes will give me the best bang for the buck for what I am doing? I'd also like to have reviews that aren't solely 'opinion based', but based on comparisons and to some sort of standard. Admittedly, I'd have to look around and see if someone else has done this, but I don't think so. I think of the kinds of reviews you see on www.dpreview.com on cameras- perhaps not that extensive. Just my $0.02. You bring up great points.

I think there is lots of information available for buying equipment and 'getting started' info. I am having more difficulty getting consistent paint thickness, and actually using the airbrush. It seems I can't get much more than a basecoat down and then go back to brush painting. I have only seen a few how to articles on detailed painting with the airbrush. So I guess I'm looking for techniques and mixing airbrush with regular brushing. Cheers.

Yep, good points. If it wasn't for the fact that I like airbrushing, and just doing it to do it, I'd probably have given up on it long ago. It can be frustrating. Your point addresses what I was saying above- there is a need for more specific discussion of technique.

Thanks everyone for the input.

[The Inquisitor]

I think it would be nice (if possbile) to include a comparision of different models of airbrushes. Items to be covered could include weight, trigger response, trigger action/distance and spray pattern/detail/size.

The last entry would be really helpful for 2 reasons. First, many AB manufactures use vauge terms when describing how fine a line you can get. Ratings of 1, 3, 5, fine, really fine and pencil line are not the same across manufacturers and sometime product lines. Second, the spray pattern/size affects what mediums you can use.

Thank you for saying this; absolutely true and something I've said for a long time- there's no consistency of review between manufacturers. In order to do this, one would need to have a 'standardized' and reproducable way to generate information used to review brushes, their capabilities and limitations. I think this is what makes choosing a brush so incredibly difficult and makes most of the information out there unreliable and based mostly on opinion.

Your second point is well taken too. Viscosity of media is vitally important to the effect you are trying to create. But as where most people lament over this, one can learn to use such things to achieve an effect that you otherwise would have difficulty achieving. I think this should be integral to the review of the brush- how well it can process media at certain pressures.

[The Inquisitor]

What would be useful is a series of articles (I tihnk you have covered most of them in the poll) which could be linked to in a single sticky entitled Airbrushes or added to one of the existing stickies in the M,P & T forum.

This sort of FAQ thread for this subject is required. I have lost count of the number of times threads about airbrushes have been posted both here on WarSeer and on Portent. After a while you get tired of replying to them. (Yes I've been using airbrushes for many years now).

The Inquisitor, you have my support for this project.

Wintermute

Agreed. What do you think about this: when I start the thread, Make one of the first posts a 'links' post, so it can be edited and added to and which would be updated intermittently to reflect articles and such. Or, I could make a separate thread called "airbrushing links" or something- therefore, when new information comes available, written, etc. the links could be updated. Thanks for the input WM!

[TheOTHERmaninblack]

A straightforward requirements section, putting forth the particular needs for our particular "canvas" would be aces. I've been trying to figure out how to acquire a viable airbrush for a couple of years with almost no success (possibly because I'm combining the search with a certain level of poverty) I picked up a cheap ($25) can-fed brush at Hobby Lobby and was very disappointed at the results I could achieve with it. Before I plunk down $100 plus for a brush and another wad for a compressor, I'd like to know that I'll actually be able to use them for modeling!

A basic techniques article, while very useful once I've acquired a viable brush, would be completely useless until then.

I look forward to seeing the progress on this project. I'd love to be able to airbrush my minis without having them look like I kryloned them.

[The Inquisitor]

Well, its looking its looking like the following so far (sort of...):

1. introductory or basic technique
2. equipment reviews/comparisons
3. equipment buying guide/strategies (perhaps something like TOMIB was saying above...)
4. Paint/media discussion.
5. Tutorials and advanced techniques

What I am thinking of starting is a *hopefully soon* stickied airbrushing 'master thread' like WM was saying, which will have links to individual threads on each of the big topics, and then some tutorials.

Thoughts?

[Wintermute]

The first part of the guide should be an explanation of what an airbrush is, the different types available and what they can and can't be used for.

[The Inquisitor]

The first part of the guide should be an explanation of what an airbrush is, the different types available and what they can and can't be used for.

I think this would be a great idea- an introduction to airbrushing from a modelers perspective. In order not to recreate the wheel, I'll probably link to a variety of pertinent information out there as well as provide novel text.

Thanks for the input!

[3 0f 6]

A detailed idiot proof guide to mixing the paints to use in the air brush would be essential, since everyone would like to know in advance how much water to add with how much paint.

I like the sound of a detaled guide to al things airbrushing, been thinking about airbrushingm odels for ages.

[crandall87]

I've never airbrushed before so it would be interesting to know how to start. I have set up a board for tutorials on the bitzbox forum if you would like to post some on there also.

[Wintermute]

I think this would be a great idea- an introduction to airbrushing from a modelers perspective. In order not to recreate the wheel, I'll probably link to a variety of pertinent information out there as well as provide novel text.

Thanks for the input!

Some of the above could be dealt with in a list format eg an airbrush can be used for this, this and this, but not for this or this and THEN link to other articles which provide more depth.

[The Inquisitor]

Update: due to unforseen circumstances related with my employment, I will not be able to contribute to this discussion in the immediate future. @ some point in the future, I will return. If someone would like to take the lead, please do. Thanks for the interest everyone.

[The Inquisitor]

I'm going to be coming back from hiatus; I'll see what I can get started here again. =I=

update:

Well, seems that even more people have voted since the last time I checked, so thanks everyone!

Here's what I'm thinking:

- I'm going to start writing up some articles/etc on the given subjects
- I'll likely host them on another site somewhere (any pointers would be good... I've thought of some googlepages or something...)
- I will have a master discussion list- sort of the megathread, with my first post including links to all the respective articles and general discussion about airbrushing.
- I'll open other threads as needed to discuss particular topics, such as AB equipment, techniques, media, reviews, comparisons and where to buy; not a lot, but a few threads.
- I'll be posting links to sites with good info. No need to repeat things that other people have done a great job talking about.

Input always appreciated!

=I=

[The Inquisitor]

an update:

As my schedule permits, I'll start writing up some stuff and posting it in the general section. Perhaps over the christmas break. Anyone here getting a brush for Xmas?

[Elefteria]

Getting both an airbrush + compressor for Christmas, really looking forward to using them too