I've got my compressor and two airbrushes. I'm keen to get practicing, and have more or less decided to use Vallejo and/or Tamiya acrylics, and now would like to know what else I need. Like most, I'm on a budget right now.

What thinner shall I use for the above paints? And how are they mixed, etc?
Very basic questions, but want to get it right.

TIA

Alex,
use distilled water; others say you can use tap water, however, tap water can vary in chemical composition, which may effect the paint.

Better to minimise complications, and some demineralised water - usually in the supermarket quite cheaply.

I thin mine down till they are like melted butter, nice and smooth.

For cleaning up, I usually spray some dilute window cleaner through the airbrush after a painting session.

Plus, I practice on some scrap plastic too, either some sheet, or an old kit.

An old kit is something you may have (or a part of, like a wing or a hull, or whatever)

So some distilled water, some window cleaner, perhaps some drinking straws to help measure out your paint (you dip the straw into the paint, cap the open end with your finger, and drip the paint onto your mixing tray) and perhaps an eye dropper for semi accurate measuring of water to paint.

Hope this helps,

and practice, practice, practice!

Cheers

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

Yes, this is of great help. I was hoping I could use water on these paints, like I do with my artist acrlyics.

Do I apply Klear/Future using my airbrush with no dilution? And have you tried the Vallejo matt varnish?

Cheers, mate.
Alex

You can, to an extent, use distilled water with Tamiya acrylics, but they work better with tamiya's proprietary thinner, Isopropyl or denatured alcohol (ethanol). If using either Iso or Denatured alcohol, a drop or two of acrylic retarder (available from your local art supplies store) is recommended.

However, you can't use alcohol with Vallejo's paints as it turns the paint into a sticky ball of goo (not nice to try to clean this out of your airbrush).

Thanks, Phil. All this is going into my modellng notebook.

hi,

if your going to spray vallejo you will be better off getting their "model air" paints as they are pre thinned for airbrushes.

to thin tamiya paints use their own thinner.

paul

Okay, that's sounds cool. I've got them saved on my favs right now but didn't realise they we pre-thinned!

Alex,

With regards to Vallejo, it's important to emphasise that the Model Air range is pre-thinned. The other ranges such as Model Colour, Panzer Aces and their gaming colours are not pre-thinned, and as such you'll need to thin them before spraying.

Rudi

Alex,
haven't used Future at all, so cant comment on it.

Have used Vallejo varnish, satin, gloss and matt. Used them straight up (they were the model air types) and mad sure I put down multiple light coats, rather then one thick one.

I did seem to have a blue sheen/ tint when wet, dried clear, just lovely. Minimal colour shift.

Colour shift - when a colour will seem to darken a shade after applying a varnish.

Cheers

Jamie