Experiments into Airbrushing - A Novice's Reflection

 

   The Harder and Steenbeck Ultra 2024 Airbrush - and very nice it is too!

I have noticed for a couple of years how my Facebook feed seems to be showing more posts from model aircraft and model vehicle groups.  This caught my interest, as from the ages of about 7 to 17 I was a prolific model kit maker.  I could never say 'great' but having still got all my models in the loft, I recently viewed them all again, and the progress and skills learned can be seen.

In fact, what amazed me is that I built kits that I would find absolutely daunting today. 1/24th scale aircraft with all of the engines and so many parts.  I also had a couple of books on kit building and actually tried the weathering techniques.  This was all in the days of turpentine washes and being as high as a kite on white spirit - none of this safe acrylic paint malarky and weathering inks etc.

One thing that I have noticed as my interest has been rekindled (and I did join several of the Facebook groups too), is how many of us are going back into model kit making again - Airfix are purposely re-tooling and re-issuing many old favourites, but also I have noticed how air brushes seem to be used for the majority (or so it seems) of painting work.  The effects of which appear absolutely outstanding.

The booth set up on my very busy painting table

With that long introduction in mind, I had a discussion with a friend on the topic of model making who showed me photos of his newly built Tamiya Merkava tank. I was amazed.  He used an airbrush in the painting of it and it looked magnificent.  I quickly purchased a Tamiya Cromwell tank, and so the process began...but my dilemma was...'where is the beginning?'

The airbrush stripped into component parts for deep cleaning - an easy process

It was basically research...a lot of research. I wanted to buy something that was going to fit my needs, not top of the range, but still as good as I could happily afford.  My research led me to the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra 2024.  This airbrush is designed for novices and experts alike. The trigger mechanism ensures airflow before the paint is released - otherwise it is so easy to splatter paint rather than get controlled releases of paint.  The company has some excellent tuition videos online so I made the purchase and ordered an air compressor too, as it was on offer online from a UK hobby seller.

The inner sanctum of the airbrush booth. I try to keep it clean and so far it's working!

Further discussions with a Warhammer player at my workplace led me to research a painting booth. I do a few hobbies which are probably not great for my health, so I mitigate the risks as far as possible (flint knapping, lead bullet casting etc), so a spray booth sounded like a good idea for airbrushing.

Robbie the Robot reaching in through the window!

The booth pulls air out through the blue filter screen and down the length of concertina piping (resembling Robbie the Robot's arm for those old enough to remember!).  This goes out of the window.

The booth has a turntable and LED lighting and folds down into quite a nice small unit (I found it easier to hold the figures with a latex glove to get beneath the figure too).  The airbrush and booth takes about 15 minutes to fully set up but this will be sure to get quicker as I get more used to it.  I have only set it up three times so far.

 

Do not attempt to play your favourite Jim Reeves records on here!

I decided not to get carried away and start trying to assemble and airbrush expensive model kits yet. Instead, mass undercoating and base coating wargames figures would be the means of learning.  This has proved to be the right thing to do!  

Initially I seemed to get as much paint over me and my hands and the whole thing was pretty frustrating. The airbrush needle would clog constantly and then get inside the body of the airbrush...and I wondered if I would ever get to understand it. 

The booth collapsed down and ready to be stored

By the third use, I was remaining paint free, the clogging was still occurring but with far less frequency and freed in seconds with the paint was going on in a very controlled manner.

The air compressor - actually a remarkably quiet bit of kit. It only comes on when the pressure gets low so it is not intrusive at all, despite appearances. Bottle of Vallejo paint in foreground for scale

I was very impressed at how smoothly the paint goes on to the figures (you veterans of airbrushing will not be in the least surprised at this or indeed at most of my rambles here on this page!).  

A good undercoating session

As I was painting Dark Age and Medieval figures, I decided to got for a black undercoat which would then stay in recesses and in the links of mail armour.  It took no time to spray these figures.  There must be a couple of hundred 28mm figures and it took just over an hour.

Shiny happy people?

I think I made an error though. As you can see in the pics here, the figures are quite shiny.  I think I must have had airbrush cleaner instead of airbrush thinner go into the hopper on the airbrush at some point.  Whatever I did, the figures are quite glossy.  

I did commence painting some Fyrd straight over this undercoat but found it was hard to see the detail and I also wondered if my technique really benefitted from a black undercoat (I am changing my mind on undercoat colours constantly).  The black was so overpowering that the colours I applied on top had a problem with coverage. The black kept showing through.  I use base colours of the main colours and washes for the lowlights before moving on to highlighting. This really makes a black undercoat rather redundant.

Super shiny spikey creatures but where has the detail gone?

The Bloodbowl Orcs have a wealth of detail, much of which I don't understand what it actually even is, but the black undercoat killed it stone dead. I could make nothing out at all.  One thing I have been experimenting with recently is black undercoating and then white dry brushing.  I decided to apply a Vallejo grey over the upper parts of the figure to enable a matt surface to return and to show me where the detail once was.

Above and below: Improvements!

This brought about an immediate improvement.  I had an issue judging how much thinner to use with standard Vallejo non-airbrush paint but with some experimentation this went on quite well, though the needle clogging was constant initially.  I didn't leave much black in the lowlights after all, but I'm happy with this. The washes will do the work for me there.

Above and below you will see some examples of the grey applied.  I do like how smoothly the paint went on. I have a bad habit of being a bit too heavy handed with brushed paint - applying it slightly too thickly.  No issues with brush marks or an undercoat being too thick with an airbrush and a careful application.

I guess none of this will be new to anyone experienced with air brushes. 

I wanted to write my experiences into my blog so that I can return to them and remind myself of the reasons why I have done things the way I have. These are notes which act as a learning journal.

Airbrushing is a real skill and the improvements really are noticeable though there are many lessons along the way.  

I feel more confident to start work on a kit soon (perhaps a British tank of one basic colour - the Cromwell tank comes to mind), before I start work on the four model aircraft I have got since!

If anyone does have any handy tips to share, then please do share them. Airbrushing is such a skill and I am keen to learn all that I can.

Best wishes for a Happy 2025. May all your dice throws be good ones (unless you are playing me when a few blunder rolls would be useful too!) ;-)