If I had the choice I would go for the airbrush, it's a lot easier to control compared to a rattle can.
Just my opinion though ....
/ Robin

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If I had the choice I would go for the airbrush, it's a lot easier to control compared to a rattle can.
Just my opinion though ....
/ Robin

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Well the difference is trying to convince the wife. Its easier to get a $7 can of paint as opposed to a $100 airbrush.

Just a few more pointers:

Nippers or Side cutters!
Very useful tool! For me it meant a huges savings on bandages and band-aids. Instead of the repeatedly slicing into my thumb and fingertips with the scalpel I now snip the parts off the sprues with the side cutters. Select a type where the cutting edges look like this _/_ instead of this ><
The flat side will direct the force of the cut to one side so that the plastic in the part isn't stretched. Practice cutting sprues before cutting into sensitive/fragile parts.

Needle files. Stop cutting and scraping with a knife, X-acto or scalpel. Use fine files to get rid of moulding flash, remnants of injection gates or sprue attachment points.

Knife, X-acto, scalpel or whatever sharp edged tool you own: Save it for the very few cases when nothing else will work. It save a lot of work/cost for keeping the tool sharp.

Glue: Consider using a solvent to "glue" styrene,
this stuff is perfect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_acetate
Hold parts together, apply small amount to joint with a small brush. let capillary action do the job, release parts after half a minute or a minute. If the parts don't fit tightly enough for capillary action to work you need to check the fit and/or apply force to hold the parts together. sometimes the little buggers are warped.

Heavy duty removal of parts or excess material:
Fret saw! It will get into the most inaccessible places to make that small precise cut and can be used to take out large chunks of plastic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fretsaw
Don't go hacking with that razor sharp hobby knife (You haven't dulled it yet have you? See above.) to remove plastic. Drill a small hole and fret away.

Once you start airbrushing you will realise how much better coverage yoou get for less paint used. The airbrush actually saves on paint.

Whatever you do, use the Correct thinner for the type of paint you use. Even if it says Acrylic it doesn't mean that you can use water. Two brands of acrylic may not work with the same type of thinner. Ask here first.

/ Robin

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If I had the choice I would go for the airbrush, it's a lot easier to control compared to a rattle can.
Just my opinion though ....
/ Robin

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Well the difference is trying to convince the wife. Its easier to get a $7 can of paint as opposed to a $100 airbrush.

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Hundred bucks will go a long way when getting an airbrush.
Check ebay ...
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/dual-action-airbrush
An airbrush which is better and easier to handle than rattle cans can be bought for a lot less than $100

Badger 150 (costs less than two average 1/35 armour kits or 10 rattle cans + postage from Sterling, Virginia)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BADGER-Airbrush-Model-150-2-F-Dual-Action-with-Fine-Nozzle-22-mm-Siphon-feed/122992284064?hash=item1ca2e951a0:g:A38AAOSwuWNalihm

See the post by Russ above about the long term economics ...
/ Robin

Those cutters will do the job. Don't use them on metal wire though. With some care and practice you can hone them when needed.

Airbrushes.
Buy a dual action. Press the trigger to control the flow of air. On the expensive airbrushes you can actually control the flow, on the cheaper ones it's mostly an on/off function but the real control over the air pressure is done by the pressure regulating valve on the compressor.
Siphon or gravity: I started with siphon feed and it works for most purposes. The gravity feed comes into play when working with small details and/or low air pressure.
Buy a gravity feed since it will do both jobs. The size of the cup doesn't matter, refill it when needed instead of hauling a large cup around.

Compressor: This can be expensive depending on your circumstances. There are "silent" as in "as much noise as your fridge" and then there is nosiy on the level of "I want to leave the room". The importnt thing is to get one with a tank, don't waste money on a small one without a tank. With a large tank and a noisy compressor you can let it fill up and then shut off the compressor and use the pressure in the tank and spray very silently. A "cheap" garage type compressor will work for this. If you really need it to be silent at all times, live in an apartment with neighbours allergic to sounds, then you may need to consider a silent airbrush compressor. This one fits into the noisy group at 80 dBA
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bostitch-BTFP02012-6-Gallon-150-PSI-Oil-Free-Compressor/45703744
Comparison chart for noise levels:
http://www.industrialnoisecontrol.com/comparative-noise-examples.htm
A hundred bucks buys you an unlimited supply of noisy air.
From maybe 300 to 500 dollars gets you silent air.
If I had a garage I would get a noisy one and run a hose to the hobby workshop.

/ Robin

When you decide on an airbrush try to pick one where you can switch the size of the needle. Sets with heads and needles.
For 1/700 warships the surfaces will not be so large so the fine and medium sizes will cover your needs.

A large chunk of personal preference: Stay very very far away from Aztec airbrushes.
A long needle means better precision in how the airbrush sprays and the Aztecs have needles that less than 1/4 inch long ...
/ Robin

Charlie,
Robin has given some great advice. Here's the only thing I'd add- don't by the cheap stuff just because it's cheap-- start with high quality tools, and learn to use them. I used to work in a LHS, and saw many disappointed and discouraged customers who were starting out for the first time, or coming back to the hobby after a long absence. The main culprit in their misery was they purchased cheap tools, especially airbrushes and compressors, and were very dissatisfied with the results, or couldn't get their tools to work properly (especially what I'd call junk airbrushes). If you have a good quality tool, and get some advice on how to use it, you're much better off than wasting money on bad tools in the first place, then having to replace them, or giving up because you think the problem is you. Take it from a 65 year old guy who has been through at least 25 airbrushes in his life, and countless other tools-- I wish I'd taken my own advice 40 years ago--but I was trying to get buy "on the cheap" so I could buy more kits (and another piece of advice--stay away from Harbor Freight--as a general rule, although I occasional find something useful there--very occasionally).
VR, Russ