Hi - Just curious if there are any others out there brush painting only? I have had attempts with airbrush and have purchased a couple over the last 6 months but find it very frustrating. The results I have had with hand painting with layers of very thin humbrol seem to work well and generally very pleased with outcome - and getting better which makes me reluctant to perservere with the airbrush. Any one else in a similar situation or is it just me? thanks Shawry

Hi
Im afraid id have to say that for me while a brush was ok when I first started the hobby, I simply cant work without and airbrush now. The problem with a brush is that you see all the brush strokes no matter how thinned. An airbrush gives a perfect even layer on the model and when looked at close up looks far more authentic as the paint application is much finer and closer to scale. You all need an airbrush for camo-paint brush's only give a hard edge finish whereas most camo on tanks in 1/35 would appear to just blend into the rest of the base colour and have no edge to it.
I used to be crap with the airbrush, but if you give it a few goes and just set it up one day in a nice open space with all that you'll need around you, and have a good practice you should get it. The most important thing is to get the paint thinned to a correct amount and have a good air supply. If you asked how to use and airbrush on here you would get loads of replys on how to do it correct.
Personally id stick with the airbrush and use a brush for small details.

Hi,
Like ant tool the airbrush takes practice to become proficient in its use. When I first started using one back in the 70's almost medieval times, I used to get really downhearted as to the results. This often saw me packing it away and resorting to the good old fashioned brush method. However with perseverence I am now very comfortable in using different techniques, pressure, jet size and ratios of thinners etc, so that I could never go back to just using a brush to paint with.
How about forgeting painting a model, but practice with spraying onto paper or something similar and experiment with the device, until you find what works with your particular type. If you look through the site there are likely to be many articles as well as the advice that many of us will only be to happy to try and assist you.
Initially it is an alien tool and many of us have been through the same issues and more than likely make cockups, ruining a precious piece of work. However if you persevere, I am sure that you will gain those skills to get comfortable in your painting.

Then if after time you still find that things dont progress you can always get rid and continue with the manual brush, but once you get to grips with the beast as I am sure you will then you will never want to look back.

Hope this gives you some hope.

Regards,

John

I only just got an airbrush for christmas, until then it was brushes only. I tend to use spraycans for basecoats, that way I can avoid brushstrokes in the paint at least.

Wish I'd had my airbrush before I lost half the detail in my shermans cast hull texture

Never had an airbrush, so all the models in my gallery are brush painted. Apart from applying dust etc as weathering I can't really see that I would gain anything by using one, and it 's gotta take longer to clean between colours than the quick swill in white spirit that the brush gets!!

buy some sheets of plasticard and practise on that save wasting a kit then if your not happy or want to start again turn it over and use the other side you can throw a coat of primer over it once done to start again

Im quite new at airbrushing, i think their great for base coats and cammo but I cant for the life of me get the hang of spraying fine details and stains i still use the old hand brush for that.

Shawry
I've got to go with Rob & John with this, I first tried an airbrush in the '70s, a cheap "starter" Badger for £3.95! Even with this, the results were a "quantum leap" in finish to what I got before, & I've stuck with them ever since. If you model WW2 german 3 colour scheme vehicles like me, you just really don't have any choice! Like the others say, I'm afraid it's just perseverance, there is no substitute for practice.

hi guys thought i,d add my two pennance worth to this i,ve always painted by hand humbrol enamels on my armour kits and over time have got better and better with the tips and techniques i,ve learnt along the way mainly from this site after three years modeling i decided to attempt my first model plane a 1/32 tamiya f15 e eagle because of the large size of this model i decided i had to try and spray because as you say no matter how good you are at painting you still see brush marks so i painted the plane using tamiya spray paints from the ts range WOW what a differance the finish is so even the detail is so much better ,clearer, and sharper than ever i could achieve witha brush and as i say i considered my self a competent modeller before with a brush spraying is definatly the future and i,m currently busy doing reasearch into which air brush and compressor is best the results you can achieve as seen on here are truelly amazing i,m sure with practice and knowledge these affects are acheviable by most people with an airbrush

I must admit I prefer the paint brush
i have 2 airbrushes
and 9 out of 10 i still use the paint brush