Hello all,

This is in a nutshell, a cry for help. I love this hobby, especially building models but when it comes to paint, I'm terrified.

I've hand painted some figures that I'm quite happy with but when it comes to airbrushing AFV's, I shutdown. I've done all the research in the world trying to prepare myself and have great equipment, I just can't get over being terrified of ruining what I've worked at building. Any advice?

baronjj

Best advice would be to practice on a kit that you dont care if it gets ruined or not. Practice Practice Practice. Its the only way to overcome your trepedation. so get out the a/b and start spraying away, you'll find its no where near as hard as you think. Good luck.
Cheers,
B

hi, altough i never had this problem i know what you mean. what i do to "prepare" myself to the big step,it sounds stupid, is priming the model with the airbrush.( flat white). I it your first time using the AB? If yes, try on some plastic tuperware boxes or some old kits before going to your model. Whel you are satisfied with the results on the box go on to the model. Try painting with thin layers...if it doesn't work the first time repaint it ,the thin layers will allow this. Try some simple patterns of one colour vehicles.

I've been using my airbrush since december and never regretted it! I love the little thing (H S evolution)
Try it out, your models will improve,improve and improve.

Succes!! If you have any question, ask

Q

I get that feeling every time I pick up my A/B but like the guys say ..practice ..It really is alot of fun...I've been painting my Challenger for two days now with at least a day or two to go still ..I just take a deep breath and dive right in...Try it ...you'll like it!

Rick

Buy a cheap kit. Slap it together in half an hour, no details, no interior, no filling of seams, no clean up. Just like when you were 10 years old. Maybe even a cheap car kit. Don't even build the car, use the body shell. . Then get to work withthe AB. If it doesn't look right, get a rattle can and spray it white and do it again withthe ab.

Take Al's advice, buy a cheap kit, or a large toy car from the pound shop (Dollar store ?) and practice...

And show us your effort, we will give you all the tips and encouragement you could need.

Cheers
Henk

Many modeller keep their old kits for experimenting on, trying out new ideas and tips they read about or got from friends. Ive purposly bought cheap second-hand kits for this reason.
I dont think any modeller starts spraying without some anticipation, but the more they spray, the more comfortable they get with their brush, and the panic gets less each time.
Great equipment alone, will not give a good finish. Keep at it, and post here at different stages to get advise, help and reassurance if needed. Theres lots of great modellers who will give you all the help and encouragement needed. Good luck.

Yup - just shoot some paint on an old kit or snap tight kit that you just don't care about.
Or even on a piece of cardboard just to get the hang of it.

Everyone has given good advice, but I think a few missed the point (or I have completely)—Joe said “I just can't get over being terrified of ruining what I've worked at building. “

I have been airbrushing for over twenty years and I still half to take a few deep breathes before pushing the trigger and applying paint to a kit that I have slaved over. I can picture the paint spidering, splotching, or spewing onto the model, the tip clogging, the cup spilling, or the air freaking out. With me, everything works fine when adjusting and spraying on my drop cloth. But a millisecond later when I aim the AB at the kit is when Murphy usually rears his ugly head.

One thing I do Joe, is to keep telling myself that paint can be stripped, messes can be repainted, and minor mistakes can be covered with weathering. There is nothing that can’t be undone. It may be cheaper and easier to start over with a new kit, but then you would be left with the proverbial ‘old’ kit to practice on.

OFF TOPIC—reminds me of a friend of mine who bought a brand new pickup to pull his gooseneck RV. He was going to install the big, chrome, wide, door mirrors himself. He marked where the holes were to go, double checked it all, but could not get up the nerve to place drill bit to new truck paint on the vehicle. Took him half a day to get up the nerve to pull the switch and drill the holes. Kinda how I feel about airbrushing, even though I enjoy it immensely.

Hello fellow Tennessean,

May I be redundant...with a twist? It is like asking a girl out on a date - you'll never know if you don't ask. If she does say no - we'll try our best to help you say the right things so the next one won't! Although I would know how to apply that analogy to a cheap kit! :-)

Oh yeah practice helps, like others have already said...

All the above is so true, but one other aspect needs to be mentioned. If possible find someone who uses an air brush and ask if you can watch him work. Graphic artists, craft people, etc. are other avenues to look for help. Some places also have air brush classes. There are also books available that show what kind of pattern is supposed to come out of an air brush and some of the mistakes. Now, get a piece of cardboard, load up the brush with a 50/50 mix and see what happens.
capnjock

All these are all very good advice. One thing though that hasn't been mentioned. It's not a law that you HAVE to airbrush. If you just can't feel comfortable doing this, don't do it. With all the advice you've been given you should be able to overcome it, but if tyou don't, don't sweat it. Just develop your brush painting skills till you get where you want to be.

I do agree that I'm always nervous before I start to airbrush. The only thing that helps that is like Keith mentioned. Whatever you do to "mess up" your model, can probably be undone. It's certainly harder for me to put saw to model to cut off something when kit bashing. That normally can't be fixed, unlike painting.

Keith hits the nail on the head, and it gets worse aswel. In a good, satisfying way..
You have managed to put a good base coat on. Then comes the moment where you have to add a second coat, either camouflage or to shade. For me that is the 'ooooooohhhhh' moment.. all that work you have done, and it's looking good, and then you might ruin it all with your next step..
Example, my latest creation. I painted the base coat, dunkelgelb. Fine, basic, no problem. Then came the green squigels. Aaahh free hand, will it work? Not quite, to much over spray.. . Fine, no panic, lets overspray the overspray with dunkelgelb. And than touch up with Green, and touch up with gelb again... you get the idea.
I was happy enough with the way the green squuigels worked, but then looked at it for a day and knew I had to add the red brown spots...
The moment with my AB loaded with red brown paint, pointing at a model that would have been o.k. if I left it, risking ruining all with the first spray...



It never goes away. Keith says that he still has it after 20 years..But the satisfaction of the end result makes it worth it, every time.

Practice makes perfect, ( who am I kidding
:-) )

Cheers
Henk

hey joe, ive been modeling for about 8 years, and enterred for the first time in an lhs two years ago and ive been more seriouse about it ever since. during those 8 years i probly built a little more that 20 kits, mainely airplane as thats the only thing walmart carry's out out of these 20, i only have one left which i hand painted, a little bearcat from revell, the rest ended up in my bb guns sight due to ruined paintjob. My last airplane wich was revells b-17 didnt turn out as nice as hoped, same for my spitfire, but these i kept. iam starting to get satisfied by my paintjobs, its a matter of practice... and hey, the only reason why most tamiya kits are still out is because there cheap. Id rather cry over the old PzKpfw II Light Tank than my new 3 in 1 tiger from dml.

Buy old kits, slapem together, practise and dont give up!

Frank

All of you are what make this site so great. The willingness to help those new to the hobby or those that just need some tips.

I appreciate each and everyone one of you and come to think of it, I have a Tamiya Bulldog that is built but had some things break off. Since it's cheap, I believe this will be my practice canvas. Thanks again

I really don't have much to add. I have 20 AB and zimmerit hanger queens all over the basement. You are never going to get any better at anything until you really screw up. One of the unofficial motto's of the foundry where I work is "If you don't seriously screw something up once in a while it just proves you aren't trying."

Good luck,

Shaun

Why worry.........load and spray ..........if you like the result .........yipee .......you've cracked it .......I've been doing it since I started........if it's not to your liking ------change it---- :-) :-)
Go get it buddy------it is all .."mind over matter"......if you dont mind it dont matter :-) :-)
We are all here to help........I had no one when I started....... plenty tips around------get spraying :-) :-)
aye
BARV
(GOSMG)

Baronjj,

I dare say most modelers dread the wily and possessed airbrush. Each successive coat/color = greater disappointment.

One thing that can help is different types of paint. When I start an intricate/involved paint job, I use enamel as one color, and acrylic as another; or paint and seal before the next color. Then, if there is a problem, just wash it off.

That is why I use Future so much. It disolves imediately with ammonia, and so far I have had no negative effect on enamel or acrylic to the ammonia. See what happened to me and how I fixed it:

Ouch and bandaid This is the OOPS!, and see embedded link "I Fixed it".

Boy, this describes me to a T. And I'm still in the same boat, too. I have a few kits partially built, but haven't completed anything in the past 4-5 years because of the dreaded fear of screwing them up with the old airbrush...

I think part of the problem for me is actually seeing the wonderful work others post pictures of here and at other sites on the internet. I know logically that
1. I can achieve the same level of workmanship with practice. And
2. I just have to take the plunge to get started.

But the worry over screwing up one of my builds in the painting stage overrides the logic every time.

So, thanks for all the advice, everyone! I especially like the ideas of practicing on any old kit or even toys. I think I have an old, unassembled Monogram 1969 Camaro in my basement somewhere that I've kept around since I was a teenager. I'll have to check. That would be a good test subject, even if it ends up in OD or German camo

I'm going to fortify my will and take some time this weekend to practice on something. I may even dig out and assemble the old pooly scaled Tamiya M4A3E8 I have in my stash and do a quick build OTB then throw some OD around!

Wish me luck

A 69 Camaro in three tone camo sounds good to me Dave.
Just make sure you get the shade of Red Brown right.. :-) :-) Only kidding, you got the idea, just try it.

Cheers
Henk

The thing you have to do is just go slow. The more you spray, the more comfortable you will be. If, no wait, when you are not happy with a finish, start over. You know the old saying, "You have to break a few eggs to make an omlette". The difference between a really good modeler and an ok modeler is his ability to fix a mistake.

Seriously, just jump right in. Have fun. That's what it's all about anyway.

Patrick

I'm still the same way after all this time, but if I make a mistake I can always respray! keep plugging away, and have fun, above all else enjoy it.
Look and learn from these folks on this site, they know what there talking about,and you can always learn something.
Cheers
Joker

Thanks for the thred guys -this is what makes this site the one I visit first
Ian

Hey, I thought air brushing was sucking up thinned out paint in a straw and carefully blowing it back out on your model, you mean there's more to it than that?

LAFLECHE!

Someone better explain to me how to get this taste out of my mouth!