Airbrushing, new to me, looking for help advice

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

The parts were washed, scrubbed, washed, scrubbed and sanded and washed. Then primed, lightly sanded, base color, lightly sanded then clear coat, then washed. The acrylic shading was applied on top of the clear coat.

You did the prep work right.

Did you cut the acrylic with thinner, water or clear acrylic? The more you cut with thinners, the weaker becomes the bond. If you want to make an opaque paint more translucent you cut it with a clear resin bearing medium (in this case another acrylic), not a thinner.

A clear coat over the acrylic would have wicked in some to increase the bond between the acrylic and the base coat.

David

[redboat219]

On a related note, what airbrush booth do you guys use?

[Ken_NJ]

Did you cut the acrylic with thinner, water or clear acrylic? The more you cut with thinners, the weaker becomes the bond. If you want to make an opaque paint more translucent you cut it with a clear resin bearing medium (in this case another acrylic), not a thinner.

I used the thinner pictured below.

• Designed to make the airbrush colors thinner, increase color transparency and improve the color flow with smaller tipped airbrushes
• Contains acrylic based binders to ensure that you do not lose any paint quality when reducing it further for any desired effect.
• We recommend thinning with airbrush reducer & extender base when doing fine-line detailed work with a small tipped airbrush

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I used the thinner pictured below.

• Designed to make the airbrush colors thinner, increase color transparency and improve the color flow with smaller tipped airbrushes
• Contains acrylic based binders to ensure that you do not lose any paint quality when reducing it further for any desired effect.
• We recommend thinning with airbrush reducer & extender base when doing fine-line detailed work with a small tipped airbrush

You chose the right 'reducer'; it has the resin (binder) to ensure the mix has good adhesive qualities. So, the lesson learned: clear coat the previous work to protect it from abrasion resulting from weathering applied atop it.

You're doing great work here, Ken. Keep swinging at it!

David

[Ken_NJ]

David, can you go into more detail about 'streaking'. Does the white acrylic paint get thinned out or diluted? How do you get some area's around fittings to show heavier 'streaking'. Most likely by applying a heavier coat. Is this done with more paint on the brush or do you dab extra paint on that spot with a q-tip? I know someplace you said get paint on the brush then wipe most of the paint off the brush.

I mixed reducer with white paint and using a fan brush on black construction paper for practice, but I may have thinned it out too much. It's going on evenly and not showing streaks. Time to ask questions.

https://forum.rc-sub.com/forum/tips-...arkings-part-2

[Ken_NJ]

Practicing. The beginning of practicing streaking.



Is this what it should look like? Was not using the triangle.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

You're doing fine, Ken. Yes, in some selected areas you lay down a small drop, and before it dries, you streak it furiously with a dry brush. Most of the streaking is done with a big-ass house-brush that has been dipped in paint and then wrung out on towels till almost dry, then used to streak the model. And experiment with oil paint, ground chalk, and paste crayon.

[Ken_NJ]

I have none of those last three things. Only have the acrylic paint.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I have none of those last three things. Only have the acrylic paint.

Just don't sit there!... go buy some ****!

[Ken_NJ]

Yes Sir Admiral!

I dabbed some spots with non thinned paint and vigorously Brushed it with a large dry brush. Getting there. Will keep at it. See ya at Dive Tribe tonight.

[Ken_NJ]

My practice test hull ready for the onslaught of streaking and BWL practice. Just needs a clear coat before I start on it. Added a faux deck area. Will have a waterline in the proper spot.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Love the test-article. Commence hostilities! You're doing good, pal. Keep swinging that brush!

David

[Ken_NJ]

Looks like a spattering of bird ****.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Looks like a spattering of bird ****.

Now you're cooking with gas!

[Ken_NJ]

More practicing. I am using a fan brush to apply paint. The white acrylic is mixed 1:1 with reducer. Sometimes I apply a blob of unthinned paint with a q-tip. I use the fan brush horizontal and vertical. Vertical when I want more paint to go on to get a more dense streak or to get a narrow run. Then I use a large brush and vigorously brush the paint vertically. The top base coat was sprayed on in a vertical motion like David said to do. Not using a triangle here. I will have to try with the triangle and use a different brush to see how that comes out.


Before black top coating.



After top coating. Top try my first attempt. Lower try came out better, but I don’t think I’m there yet on technique looking at Davids examples.


Fan brush to apply paint and large brush to stretch the paint out.