Not realizing I had super thick dry tip. I was slowly pulling back the trigger and nothing was coming out, so I kept pulling. Eventually I guess the gap was big enough that it blew past the dry tip and coated my mini in a thick blob 😂
I leave the back off of mine so I have quick access to the chuck and needle, so I can draw it back while rinsing between colors. My cat has pulled it down to the floor twice, where it landed on the needle and jammed the needle through the tip, split like a bannana peel. The tips are brass, and relatively soft. RIP airbrush tips.
I have been airbrushing 30+ years and 7 were professional on motorcycles, and cars. Everything in this video is correct, but as you progress you will find exceptions to some of what is in this video, and you can get away with more things as skill progresses. So this is a VERY GOOD starting point! Good job! To tighten your edge work, practice by painting a grid of dots, connect those dots with lines as thin as possible. Then like with the circles paint gradients from bottom to top, left to right, top to bottom, right to left, diagonal from each direction, and so on. Use the angle of the tool to get a crisp line on the dark side of the gradient. Replace your smooth caps with crown caps or take a rotatory tool or file to cut slots in the cap. When you get the airbrush close to the object you get a backwash of air into the cap and this disrupts the paint spray pattern. A crown cap will allow that backwash to mostly go around the tool. You can also remove the cap for tight work, but you run the risk of damaging the needle. 0.2 mm Needle can do hair lines, but 1.5 mm makes that easier at the cost of lower max volume. You can pretty much do everything with a 0.2 with practice. I think playing with air pressure is something people need to do more. If you are getting "pulsing" in your paint from the compressor, get a tank in line and or a disposable air filter. You will need to up the pressure a bit for the filter. This is normal. If you are getting water in your line, get a long hose from the compressor and put the tank or filter on the end of that. 25 feet is what I used, but you may need longer or shorter depending on what your air is like where you are. This allows the air to cool before it gets to the airbrush and will condense in the filter or tank. If you get a tank, CLEAN it every day. Also if your compressor can not push enough air in a long line, use an ice pack on a shorter line, or just a cold wet cloth. You need the air cooler in the line before the filter so it will be water and not wet air. There are a lot of simple cheap tricks to getting good air. My best setup at home was, air compressor with built in tank, 25 foot of airline, small tank, filter, regulator, airbrush hose, then airbrush. This is not needed in most cases, but gives you great clean consistent air. There are a LOT of ways to do this. Mine works for me, but that doesn't mean it is right for everyone. The only thing that is 100% right for everyone in every situation is practice, practice, practice! Sorry for the novel. I just have a lot of experience in this area.
I'm sure there are many helpful tips in there but I'm not combing through it. But if you ever decide to use paragraphs in future I'll be sure to read it thoroughly
I’ve never had a chance to really play with an airbrush, so I was really curious what ways there are to mitigate water in the line, so this advice is awesome. Using something cold to condense the moisture is something I never would have thought of on my own. My experience with compressors is in a carpentry context and while annoying, water in the line isn’t the end of the world there. Well, fine finish work notwithstanding. But some (probably slightly rusty/oily) water splatter out of your nail gun is one thing; the idea of rust and oil through an airbrush makes my heart hurt and I don’t even own one. Regularity draining the tank on a compressor that has one is also a very important safety measure. The temperature differential *will* produce moisture in the tank which left unattended will rust out the inside. Thinning walls on a pressure vessel is, to put it lightly, a bad thing. And if you’re embarking on a painting marathon lasting all day, drain the tank once or twice throughout the session, depending on the ambient temperature.
FINALLY! Someone that actually explained the airbrush properly. I have watched dozens of "Airbrush Tip" videos and all they talk about is paint! Grrrr.
Thanks for this video. My husband very kindly bought me an airbrush set up for my birthday 2 years ago. I took it out, checked everything was there, and put it away. The fear of messing things up stopped me from even trying it out, but after seeing this video, it doesn't seem as daunting as it first did, so I'm going to try and learn how to use it. Thanks.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your experiences! One thing I stopped doing a while ago is to pull the needle out to the back while cleaning it. Instead I remove the nozzle and push the needle through the front of the airbrush. That way you don't drag paint onto the seals and don't risk damaging the needle tip, especially with smaller sized needles. I clean the whole needle of any paint it comes out the front with, and repeat until the needle comes out spotless. Every few months or so, depending on how often I use the airbrush, I put it in my ultrasonic cleaner to get rid of any hidden gunk. It always works a charm!
Love my airbrush! That bit about ignoring your advice if it doesn’t work is spot on. Every airbrush and batch of paint is going to be different, and often it’s just a matter of experimenting until you find what works for you.
I tried for hours on my old brush trying to get 30psi to work with no success. I finally figured out I needed to use my brush at 60psi to get good flow. In the process of shooting this video, I learned that my hose was cracked at one end the WHOLE TIME and that's why I could never get it to work at 30!
@@LylaMev Mine is basically always set at 25psi and that seems to work for everything for me, but I can see how having a cracked hose would wreak havoc with any airbrushing and pressure you’re trying to get. 😩
Great video! One other alternative with the needle--- Push it through from back to front and pull it out that way. Aside from not dragging paint through the airbrush, you also don't run the risk of getting a burr on the tip when you reinsert it. :)
In order to push the needle out in front, you have to remove the nozzle. This means that there is a risk of damaging the nozzle. After ruining two nozzles, i now am very careful with the nozzle. In many cases you dont need to remove the nozzle and this reduces any risk of damage.
@@thylange Wrong, no damage to the nozzle will occur unless you over tightened it already. Either direction is fine as long as you take care and the Needle is far more costly than the nozzle.
@@animalyze7120 In my local shop nozzles are more expensive. Needle: 159 SEK. Nozzle: 410 SEK, more than twice as expensive. Anytime you remove the nozzle, there is always risk of damage (I did not over tightened it). I learned that most of the time you don't need to remove the nozzle to clean the airbrush. Most of the time i do a quick cleaning without removing the nozzle. And then i occasionally do a more extensive cleaning. I been using airbrushes for 12 years.
I have a small dish and a sponge that I keep damp with water and every so often press my airbrush into the sponge and pull the needle in and out, I find this is better to get rid of tip dry. Get yourself some interdental brushes as they are far better for cleaning your brush than what I saw (desigend for your mouth, so less chance of damaging your brush) also, pipe cleaners, not the craft ones as they lose fibres. Use laquer thinners for cleaning, and a final blast of expensive airbrush cleaner when finished. Your points on practice and paint mixes was so spot on, especially with acylics :)
Just as general advice, be careful with lacquer/cellulose thinners - make sure your airbrush has seals that are resistant to it (teflon/PTFE), otherwise it can ruin them. Most of the more expensive airbrushes have this, but the cheaper Chinese ones tend not to
@@NikkiAnnMarie- Yes. Made the mistake of tearing down my cheapo Chinese brush and rinsing the o-rings in airbrush cleaner. They turned spongey within minutes and would have dissolved completely if left to soak. Quickly rinsed them off and they appear to have almost reverted back to shape. There was, however, a single tiny o-ring deeper within the brush which may have been teflon, which came loose during cleaning. It sprung off onto the floor during reassembly, never to be seen again.
I got the cleaning down to 3 min. The trick is to fully clean and flush out the cup before anything else. I use a water squirt bottle to blast out the paint and one swab to mop it good. Get the cup totally shiny clean! Then proceed with the rest of the cleaning, which goes really fast. A couple blasts of cleaner and a mop of the tip usually finishes it.
Great video for airbrushing neophytes. The only thing I'd add that I think is important for new airbrush users to learn is that there are three factors (assuming equal air pressure) which determine paint flow - the trigger and distance (as shown in this video) but also how far down you push the trigger. When you start it feels as though it's a binary equation, either you are pushing down and making air come out or you aren't and air isn't. But even though the range of movement is tiny, over time you can learn to control air flow by how hard you press down on the trigger. This is super helpful when glazing small areas or doing other fine work. That said, I'd suggest to airbrush users to get comfortable with all the other aspects first, but to still keep this in the back of your mind as you do.
Just looking into it and learning before I buy one, but is what you're talking about a double action airbrush? It was my understanding that single action airbrushes can only have the trigger pulled back, not pressed down as well.I'm trying to learn everything I can before buying.
Had an airbrush for over a year. Follow many of the popular mini painting channels, this is the best, most consice airbrush beginner tutorial I have seen so far. Thank you lyla! You rock 💕
I have never airbrushed. I am getting my first one. I am so glade to have came across your videos. This helps me feel a little easier. My son is the number one airbrushing artist in the state of florida. He started at 12 years old. He never went to any school for any. He is self taught. He paints 3d and taught himself how. Harley davidson sends him jobs they want done on certain bikes. He lives in florida and I am in Tennessee. He helps as much as he can. But between his work and the distance it hard. So I appreciate your time and knowledge you give. Thank you very much. Stay safe and happy. I have just subscribed
Expanding on Lyla's cleaning tips for new airbrushers: Learn how to clean and maintain that airbrush. Know where your brushes' trouble spots are, as well as how to really get in there and clean out the needle nozzle if you get buildup. I'm a big fan of LA's Totally Awesome (I learned this from Goobertown Hobbies) to do a deep clean on my brush parts (and for stripping minis) that are allowed to be wet. I even have a cheap sonic cleaner to help with this.
I'm glad to see the Paasche Talon airbrush in your video. That's the one I personally use and really enjoy it. It seems like many channels drive new airbrush users straight to the Iwata Eclipse or Harder and Steenbeck models. There are plenty of affordable and good quality brushes out there that suit our purposes well for a fraction of the price. The Talon is one of those brushes!
I am an Iwata fan. I do it for a living and I do like them, but eBay has a Master series, multible tips and needles Iwata knock-off that actually works REALLY well for the 35~ buy-in. Solvent proof as well.
If you use contrast or speed paints, I highly recommend mixing up a large batch of your favorite base prime color. I've used an old 200ml bottle to mix up something that's pretty close to Wraithbone. Mostly white primer w/ a little bit of brown and yellow mixed in, and enough airbrush flow aide that I can just pour straight from the bottle into the airbrush cup and since it's in such a large quantity I don't have to mix a new batch every time I'm priming new models yet I can maintain consistency easily between projects (and if I need to do touchups later I can always put a few drops on my palette )
Very detailed info. Great job. The only thing I saw you did and I would definitely advise against doing it, is in the end of the video where you used that metal core brush to clean the front of the gun. With guns with floating nozzles like the Iwata Eclipse range and Badger 105 range, the nozzle seating area is very important. It is soft brass and that brush has a hard steel core. If you scratch the brass, you will not get a good seal with the nozzle and you will get bubbles in your cup. You will have to use sealant if you want a good seal again.
Thank you so much. I Just received my new Airbrush & excited to get started. I'm 68 years old & trying something new. I could understand your video well. Thank you. 😊
Thanks as the title goes I wish someone had told me. Thanks for putting me right. I really like the tips for cleaning the needle and the use of a paint brush to help clean it.
Hey there! Really good tips, but I have one for you. Instead of pulling our needle out from the back, push it out the front. Clean the paint cup, backflow, etc. just like you showed, but leave the needle alone. Unscrew and remove your nozzle, then loosen your needle and push it to the front, grab it now that you have room, and pull it out from the nozzle end. It keeps any paint that may still be in the working part of the airbrush from being drawn through the seal, trigger and spring housing. This helps to keep the back side of your airbrush super clean. Keep up the good videos!
One trick I saw on another channel for cleaning the airbrush is to have a bucket of water around. Dump any excess paint and then put the airbrush in the water and place your finger alternating on and off the tip to flush and back flush the gun until the water coming out of it is clear. This works exceedingly well in cleaning the brush.
I wish you had been around 35 years ago. I started with a Badger 150, single action brush. True to your statement, i learned to with what I had. Practice is still what I tell people is the most important part. I'm Lyle BTW . Thanks for sharing this video.
One thing I like to do when not painting for display is to first brush on really over the top dark shadows + highlights then go over with an airbrush to change the color to what I want it to be. This also blends the mid tone shadow and highlight very nicely. Very nice when you just want to paint something nice and quick. I usually go back with a brush to add texture afterwards tho..
Great video. I am still learning how to use my airbrushes and this helps. A tip to share that I use to clean my needles is using alcohol prep pads if you are using acrylics like I do. One of my brushes was used and gifted to me by the person I bought a compressor from. It was caked with metallic paint but I gave it a thorough cleaning. Now I am going to check it to see if it has the trigger stop.
Regarding air pressure / PSI when airbrushing: There are so many variables to it - the only thing you can get is a general idea of where you'd want your PSI (usually 20-40 PSI range). But it depends on many factors. Factors like what paints you use, how thick your paints are, your airbrush, your compressor, your needle, how clean your airbrush is, your elevation (how high you are above sea level), etc. etc. The only way you can know for sure is by experimenting yourself, which you should be doing already! Just have fun with the learning experience and it will go quick
Thank you!! I’d seen people do back blowing but I hadn’t realised to clean the needle first. Anytime I’ve tried backblowing it’s just clogged my airbrush up. Now I think I understand why!!
as far as removing the needle while there's still paint, one trick I saw from an old automotive painter was to always remove the needle through the front of the brush, not from the back. That keeps the paint on the side of the seal that paints supposed to be on, instead of trafficking it back the other way.
Yep, I do this with my H&S Evolution. Unscrew the rear body, loosen the needle clamp screw, take the nozzle off and push the back of the needle forwards. Much cleaner and you don't risk messing up your seals.
Nonsense, I have been airbrushing for decades and if your seals go from removing the needle, you have a shit brush end of story. I literally will pull out my needle every single job...mid job, pot full of paint.
@@sayloth Same here, I pull it out.. Most airbrush's won't allow to push needle through nozzle..I wouldn't either way, it be harder to clean all that dried up paint towards nozzle.
Thanks for this video! Great tips. Love the editing as well. Just got an airbrush (used it twice), and this video resolved many of the questions I had. I especially liked the tip of using the airbrush to blend blocked-in colors painted by hand. Seems much faster than glazing!
I always take apart my airbrush after each session and clean the inside of the body, needle and nozzle separately. When storing my airbrush I always pull back the needle just a little. When airbrushing, I lay my finger flat on the trigger. That way it's much harder to fully pull back the trigger all the way and it forces me to use small motions. Though I mostly use the HS Infinity (that comes with the option to regulate how far you can pull back the trigger) I never had to use that function by keeping my finger as flat as possible. This does result in finger cramps at first but goes away with practice 😉 After a few years of airbrushing on paper, I want to make the switch to airbrushing miniatures. I found out it's quite a different beast!
I am new to air brushing. My air brush kit arrived this morning. I watched your videos and kept in mind what you mentioned. Thank you for the effort and time you put into this video. It really helped a lot. If there are any other tips you have it would be appreciated.
I found using a Rigger for comics and daily exercise with a hand grip helped me do two things with the airbrush. The first was changing the thickness of the line from thick to thin during one stroke and the second was being able to paint for long periods with hand strain. It can get a little tough when doing a large piece and this helped me.
I discovered your channel a few weeks ago. You have breif and informative videos. I don't have to skip through to get to the important parts. Thank you for the content.
Lyla, you're awesome! Thanks for the tips, that will certainly have value for beginners! I've had my airbrush for a few years but still found a few things in this video that will help me out! 🤘🏼
THANK YOU! Just getting back to the hobby and I have insane problems with using an airbrush. I used it with Humbrol enamels before, but now I want to use acrylics - since they don't stink - and re-learning was a nightmare. Your videos did help a lot!
You did a pretty good job at explaining that I've been there brushing since late 97 98 and I've also taught airbrushing and I went several years not airbrushing and I had to start all over again and retrain myself and I did it you know the same way it was back when I first airbrushed there wasn't no internet thing that I could go to I learned by reading books and watching other airbrush artist but I really appreciate what you're doing to help people understand may the living God Jesus Christ bless you and your endeavor to try to help people learn this wonderful skill
Great video!| 6:50 in most airbrush models, you should also get the corresponding nozzle cap. The aperture sizes are different, changing the size of the "air stream" coming out.
I'm just getting back into airbrushing after a very long hiatus, so this is a timely refresher - thank you! Probably going to go through a lot of paint while practicing and getting my touch back before I trust myself on minis again. ^_^
Awesome video. I tend to forget that air brushing takes patience I have the spray can mentality.... I just wanna throw paint in and spray hahaha. Thank for this video.
You should try one of those sonic cleaners. When I took commercial art in school we’d disassemble our airbrushes and run them through the sonic cleaner. It works wonder, especially if you have dry paint
Your video was very informative and has filled me with excitement for the fun and frustration that is to come. I’m returning to airbrushing after a very long break. I’m going at this like I’ve never seen an airbrush and this was the first of your videos I’ve seen. I’ve subscribed to your channel and I definitely liked the video. I’m building my setup around an 8 gallon air compressor given to me by a friend and components I can find at discount stores, on sale and online. Mostly, I want to create custom artwork for the prosthetics worn by amputees like myself. I have a 25 year career as a professional tattoo artist to call on for inspiration. And, the basic techniques of airbrushing and tattooing are very similar.
Thanks for this. Very helpful. I’ve just started and am trying to base coat dark purple over black prime and it has been a challenge. Really hard to see when paint is coming out and then suddenly BAM, too much paint and it’s pushing around on the model.
Thank you for these tips lass, I have yet to get my first air brush, i am looking forward to getting into this way of painting, and these handy tips wil help! EXCELENT VIDEO
When I first got my airbrush, I made the mistake of getting a SUPER budget one which I found hard to use and ultimately more expensive, as I then had to buy an Iwata airbrush and higher quality compressor. Loving your content as always Lyla. #NotificationSquad
Not sure if it's the same with all airburshes, but with mine I can push the needle out through the front of the gun, this prevents paint being pulled into the body on extraction.
Excellent video, I think it's very useful, I've been airbrushing for a couple of months now, I still consider myself a beginner, cause I still make noob mistakes. As good as the video is, I look at tutorials differently than I used to, simply based on the new experience I've got. I did notice 2 things to try out next session (cleaning stuff), clearly I still got a lot to learn. I got to the point where I used my 60 euro beginner's airbrush enough and it's time to move to something better, I got a badger patriot as a starter to a more serious airbrush and once I got a bit more experience I'll get the next one. I still prefer brush painting, i'm doing mostly warhammer stuff, the scale is just too small, though the airbrush saves insane amount of time on those base layers. Doing a few base layers on several minis has been great practise to slowly delve into details. I see what a cheap airbrush does, I want a smoother experience at this point. I have been watch & rewatching youtube tutorials on airbrushing. I went for the patriot cause so many are using it, the Iwata Eclipse was a close second place, I might still get it later, I see so many people swear by their Eclipse. I'm also pretty interested in the H & S Infinity and the Badger Sotar, but both are used for more detailed work, for now I'm sticking to base layers and base blending. When I'm confident enough, then only will I move to the details with airbrush. I am hoping the clogging will be solved at least in part, my compressor also overheats, it's only of those tiny beginner ones, thnakfully I got a good serious replacement arriving soon.
Great video.- Ill be looking out for more of your videos - I've sub'd. One thing though: I think thicker and thinner lines is actually most influenced to how far you hold the tip of the brush from the work. I thinkneven in the video the thinner lines ere done with the brush much closer to the work and the wide example the brush was held farther back. Essentialt the paint comes out as a cone, with the point of the cone near the brush tiop and the base of the cone on the work. The closer the brush, the narrower the base of the cone. The needle size is more about what type of paint you are using. Some paints have finer pigement/thiner consitency e.g. ink or laquer based paints and you can use a finer needle with those, while other paints e.g. acrlyics work better with a larger needle.
have about a dozen airbrushes.. even though trigger pulling ones are more versitiles but when i do model painting i prefer a non trigger airbrush.. i set the widh and then the airpressure and press full on... no mistakes
Thank you very much Lyla, you're helping so much ! I'm starting my long journey of airbrush learning, and while I struggle with finding the right ratio dilution/psi, your video just made me realize my gun as a stop on its back 🤯🤯🤯 This will help so much :D
PSI is another factor and a big one. Some paints require an upwards of 40PSI, while others spray just fine at 7. Learning the personality of the colors was one of the roughest parts to me.
What has been your biggest airbrush fail?
Not realizing I had super thick dry tip. I was slowly pulling back the trigger and nothing was coming out, so I kept pulling. Eventually I guess the gap was big enough that it blew past the dry tip and coated my mini in a thick blob 😂
Dropping the airbrush and bending the needle. That was a $15 replacement.
Pulling out the needle with paint still inside.....
I think that there is nothing wrong with it after some cleaning but im still traumatized.
I appreciate you. You are making videos that seem tailored to the exact questions that I am trying to answer write now. Trying to get gud at painting.
I leave the back off of mine so I have quick access to the chuck and needle, so I can draw it back while rinsing between colors. My cat has pulled it down to the floor twice, where it landed on the needle and jammed the needle through the tip, split like a bannana peel. The tips are brass, and relatively soft. RIP airbrush tips.
I have been airbrushing 30+ years and 7 were professional on motorcycles, and cars. Everything in this video is correct, but as you progress you will find exceptions to some of what is in this video, and you can get away with more things as skill progresses. So this is a VERY GOOD starting point! Good job! To tighten your edge work, practice by painting a grid of dots, connect those dots with lines as thin as possible. Then like with the circles paint gradients from bottom to top, left to right, top to bottom, right to left, diagonal from each direction, and so on. Use the angle of the tool to get a crisp line on the dark side of the gradient. Replace your smooth caps with crown caps or take a rotatory tool or file to cut slots in the cap. When you get the airbrush close to the object you get a backwash of air into the cap and this disrupts the paint spray pattern. A crown cap will allow that backwash to mostly go around the tool. You can also remove the cap for tight work, but you run the risk of damaging the needle. 0.2 mm Needle can do hair lines, but 1.5 mm makes that easier at the cost of lower max volume. You can pretty much do everything with a 0.2 with practice. I think playing with air pressure is something people need to do more. If you are getting "pulsing" in your paint from the compressor, get a tank in line and or a disposable air filter. You will need to up the pressure a bit for the filter. This is normal. If you are getting water in your line, get a long hose from the compressor and put the tank or filter on the end of that. 25 feet is what I used, but you may need longer or shorter depending on what your air is like where you are. This allows the air to cool before it gets to the airbrush and will condense in the filter or tank. If you get a tank, CLEAN it every day. Also if your compressor can not push enough air in a long line, use an ice pack on a shorter line, or just a cold wet cloth. You need the air cooler in the line before the filter so it will be water and not wet air. There are a lot of simple cheap tricks to getting good air. My best setup at home was, air compressor with built in tank, 25 foot of airline, small tank, filter, regulator, airbrush hose, then airbrush. This is not needed in most cases, but gives you great clean consistent air. There are a LOT of ways to do this. Mine works for me, but that doesn't mean it is right for everyone. The only thing that is 100% right for everyone in every situation is practice, practice, practice! Sorry for the novel. I just have a lot of experience in this area.
What that guy said.. lol.. same here. great job
I'm sure there are many helpful tips in there but I'm not combing through it.
But if you ever decide to use paragraphs in future I'll be sure to read it thoroughly
@@theophrastusbombastus1359 Welcome to the internet. Good luck! 🤣🤣🤣
I’ve never had a chance to really play with an airbrush, so I was really curious what ways there are to mitigate water in the line, so this advice is awesome. Using something cold to condense the moisture is something I never would have thought of on my own.
My experience with compressors is in a carpentry context and while annoying, water in the line isn’t the end of the world there. Well, fine finish work notwithstanding. But some (probably slightly rusty/oily) water splatter out of your nail gun is one thing; the idea of rust and oil through an airbrush makes my heart hurt and I don’t even own one.
Regularity draining the tank on a compressor that has one is also a very important safety measure. The temperature differential *will* produce moisture in the tank which left unattended will rust out the inside. Thinning walls on a pressure vessel is, to put it lightly, a bad thing.
And if you’re embarking on a painting marathon lasting all day, drain the tank once or twice throughout the session, depending on the ambient temperature.
I appreciate your novel !
More is better when it comes to pro tips.....i recognize and respect your experience.....thank you
FINALLY! Someone that actually explained the airbrush properly. I have watched dozens of "Airbrush Tip" videos and all they talk about is paint! Grrrr.
Thanks for this video. My husband very kindly bought me an airbrush set up for my birthday 2 years ago. I took it out, checked everything was there, and put it away. The fear of messing things up stopped me from even trying it out, but after seeing this video, it doesn't seem as daunting as it first did, so I'm going to try and learn how to use it. Thanks.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your experiences! One thing I stopped doing a while ago is to pull the needle out to the back while cleaning it. Instead I remove the nozzle and push the needle through the front of the airbrush. That way you don't drag paint onto the seals and don't risk damaging the needle tip, especially with smaller sized needles. I clean the whole needle of any paint it comes out the front with, and repeat until the needle comes out spotless. Every few months or so, depending on how often I use the airbrush, I put it in my ultrasonic cleaner to get rid of any hidden gunk. It always works a charm!
Love my airbrush! That bit about ignoring your advice if it doesn’t work is spot on. Every airbrush and batch of paint is going to be different, and often it’s just a matter of experimenting until you find what works for you.
I tried for hours on my old brush trying to get 30psi to work with no success. I finally figured out I needed to use my brush at 60psi to get good flow. In the process of shooting this video, I learned that my hose was cracked at one end the WHOLE TIME and that's why I could never get it to work at 30!
@@LylaMev what brand of hose?
@@LylaMev Mine is basically always set at 25psi and that seems to work for everything for me, but I can see how having a cracked hose would wreak havoc with any airbrushing and pressure you’re trying to get. 😩
Great video! One other alternative with the needle--- Push it through from back to front and pull it out that way. Aside from not dragging paint through the airbrush, you also don't run the risk of getting a burr on the tip when you reinsert it. :)
In order to push the needle out in front, you have to remove the nozzle.
This means that there is a risk of damaging the nozzle.
After ruining two nozzles, i now am very careful with the nozzle.
In many cases you dont need to remove the nozzle and this reduces any risk of damage.
@@thylange Wrong, no damage to the nozzle will occur unless you over tightened it already. Either direction is fine as long as you take care and the Needle is far more costly than the nozzle.
@@animalyze7120 In my local shop nozzles are more expensive. Needle: 159 SEK. Nozzle: 410 SEK, more than twice as expensive. Anytime you remove the nozzle, there is always risk of damage (I did not over tightened it). I learned that most of the time you don't need to remove the nozzle to clean the airbrush. Most of the time i do a quick cleaning without removing the nozzle. And then i occasionally do a more extensive cleaning. I been using airbrushes for 12 years.
I have a small dish and a sponge that I keep damp with water and every so often press my airbrush into the sponge and pull the needle in and out, I find this is better to get rid of tip dry.
Get yourself some interdental brushes as they are far better for cleaning your brush than what I saw (desigend for your mouth, so less chance of damaging your brush) also, pipe cleaners, not the craft ones as they lose fibres. Use laquer thinners for cleaning, and a final blast of expensive airbrush cleaner when finished.
Your points on practice and paint mixes was so spot on, especially with acylics :)
Thanks for the ideas!
Just as general advice, be careful with lacquer/cellulose thinners - make sure your airbrush has seals that are resistant to it (teflon/PTFE), otherwise it can ruin them. Most of the more expensive airbrushes have this, but the cheaper Chinese ones tend not to
Oh my god, this advice has been an absolute time-saver. Thanks for the advice
@@NikkiAnnMarie- Yes. Made the mistake of tearing down my cheapo Chinese brush and rinsing the o-rings in airbrush cleaner. They turned spongey within minutes and would have dissolved completely if left to soak. Quickly rinsed them off and they appear to have almost reverted back to shape. There was, however, a single tiny o-ring deeper within the brush which may have been teflon, which came loose during cleaning. It sprung off onto the floor during reassembly, never to be seen again.
I got the cleaning down to 3 min. The trick is to fully clean and flush out the cup before anything else. I use a water squirt bottle to blast out the paint and one swab to mop it good. Get the cup totally shiny clean! Then proceed with the rest of the cleaning, which goes really fast. A couple blasts of cleaner and a mop of the tip usually finishes it.
5:41 I used to have a nice pashe? Dual action airbrush… thinking about getting a new airbrush station - awesome video!
I like those glasses. They’re retro, but not too old fashioned. 👓 🤓
Great video for airbrushing neophytes.
The only thing I'd add that I think is important for new airbrush users to learn is that there are three factors (assuming equal air pressure) which determine paint flow - the trigger and distance (as shown in this video) but also how far down you push the trigger. When you start it feels as though it's a binary equation, either you are pushing down and making air come out or you aren't and air isn't. But even though the range of movement is tiny, over time you can learn to control air flow by how hard you press down on the trigger. This is super helpful when glazing small areas or doing other fine work.
That said, I'd suggest to airbrush users to get comfortable with all the other aspects first, but to still keep this in the back of your mind as you do.
Just looking into it and learning before I buy one, but is what you're talking about a double action airbrush? It was my understanding that single action airbrushes can only have the trigger pulled back, not pressed down as well.I'm trying to learn everything I can before buying.
Yes, he is talking about a double action airbrush, which is also what I use for my own painting.
Had an airbrush for over a year. Follow many of the popular mini painting channels, this is the best, most consice airbrush beginner tutorial I have seen so far. Thank you lyla! You rock 💕
I'm so glad I can help!
Definitely the best cleaning tutorial ! I had one years ago buy it got ruined due to not cleaning it well enough !
I have never airbrushed. I am getting my first one. I am so glade to have came across your videos. This helps me feel a little easier. My son is the number one airbrushing artist in the state of florida. He started at 12 years old. He never went to any school for any. He is self taught. He paints 3d and taught himself how. Harley davidson sends him jobs they want done on certain bikes. He lives in florida and I am in Tennessee. He helps as much as he can. But between his work and the distance it hard. So I appreciate your time and knowledge you give. Thank you very much. Stay safe and happy. I have just subscribed
Probably the best guide I've seen. Simple, succinct and clear. Thanks for making and posting.
One of the best advice on airbrushing I have seen after 2 weeks solid of trying to get the hang of airbrushing.
I'VE SEEN TWO OF YOUR PROGRAMS, AND YOU SOLVED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WITH MY AIRBRUSH!
Thanks!
was skeptical of title, but, it's not clickbait, actually just a lot of good points
NEW LYLA VIDS LETS GOOOOOOOOO and again on point with what I’m scared of!
Thank you!
Expanding on Lyla's cleaning tips for new airbrushers: Learn how to clean and maintain that airbrush. Know where your brushes' trouble spots are, as well as how to really get in there and clean out the needle nozzle if you get buildup.
I'm a big fan of LA's Totally Awesome (I learned this from Goobertown Hobbies) to do a deep clean on my brush parts (and for stripping minis) that are allowed to be wet. I even have a cheap sonic cleaner to help with this.
I'm glad to see the Paasche Talon airbrush in your video. That's the one I personally use and really enjoy it. It seems like many channels drive new airbrush users straight to the Iwata Eclipse or Harder and Steenbeck models. There are plenty of affordable and good quality brushes out there that suit our purposes well for a fraction of the price. The Talon is one of those brushes!
I am an Iwata fan. I do it for a living and I do like them, but eBay has a Master series, multible tips and needles Iwata knock-off that actually works REALLY well for the 35~ buy-in. Solvent proof as well.
If you use contrast or speed paints, I highly recommend mixing up a large batch of your favorite base prime color. I've used an old 200ml bottle to mix up something that's pretty close to Wraithbone. Mostly white primer w/ a little bit of brown and yellow mixed in, and enough airbrush flow aide that I can just pour straight from the bottle into the airbrush cup and since it's in such a large quantity I don't have to mix a new batch every time I'm priming new models yet I can maintain consistency easily between projects (and if I need to do touchups later I can always put a few drops on my palette )
Very detailed info. Great job. The only thing I saw you did and I would definitely advise against doing it, is in the end of the video where you used that metal core brush to clean the front of the gun. With guns with floating nozzles like the Iwata Eclipse range and Badger 105 range, the nozzle seating area is very important. It is soft brass and that brush has a hard steel core. If you scratch the brass, you will not get a good seal with the nozzle and you will get bubbles in your cup. You will have to use sealant if you want a good seal again.
Thank you so much. I Just received my new Airbrush & excited to get started. I'm 68 years old & trying something new. I could understand your video well. Thank you. 😊
I appreciate the shots of you in the protective mask. It's a good reminder.
I love how concise and quick your instructions are. Really appreciate you making this video it helped me a lot!
I was actually thinking about getting into air brushing so I'm glad I ran into this video first.
Thanks as the title goes I wish someone had told me. Thanks for putting me right. I really like the tips for cleaning the needle and the use of a paint brush to help clean it.
Hey there! Really good tips, but I have one for you. Instead of pulling our needle out from the back, push it out the front. Clean the paint cup, backflow, etc. just like you showed, but leave the needle alone. Unscrew and remove your nozzle, then loosen your needle and push it to the front, grab it now that you have room, and pull it out from the nozzle end. It keeps any paint that may still be in the working part of the airbrush from being drawn through the seal, trigger and spring housing. This helps to keep the back side of your airbrush super clean. Keep up the good videos!
Im not taking that nozzle out any more than i have to
One trick I saw on another channel for cleaning the airbrush is to have a bucket of water around. Dump any excess paint and then put the airbrush in the water and place your finger alternating on and off the tip to flush and back flush the gun until the water coming out of it is clear. This works exceedingly well in cleaning the brush.
Thank you.been debating airbrush... is a logical progression for me but i don't know anyone that has one.
I wish you had been around 35 years ago. I started with a Badger 150, single action brush. True to your statement, i learned to with what I had. Practice is still what I tell people is the most important part. I'm Lyle BTW . Thanks for sharing this video.
I'm only 30 years old! 😅
One thing I like to do when not painting for display is to first brush on really over the top dark shadows + highlights then go over with an airbrush to change the color to what I want it to be. This also blends the mid tone shadow and highlight very nicely. Very nice when you just want to paint something nice and quick. I usually go back with a brush to add texture afterwards tho..
This video is really good. I like the practice methods and PSI debug info.
The cleaning tips at the end! The keep your airbrush happy bonus.
That's why I adjust and test before applying color to my models (Harder & Steenbeck).
Also, get a compressor with a "reservoire" (air tank)..
Great video. I am still learning how to use my airbrushes and this helps. A tip to share that I use to clean my needles is using alcohol prep pads if you are using acrylics like I do. One of my brushes was used and gifted to me by the person I bought a compressor from. It was caked with metallic paint but I gave it a thorough cleaning. Now I am going to check it to see if it has the trigger stop.
This video poped up just in time. Bought my first airbrush and waiting for it to be delivered
I’ve watched several of your videos and they are helpful. Thank you.
Helpful video for those contemplating getting an airbrush. Thanks for uploading.
thank you for the refresher in the prosses of getting everything i need
This was the best practical video on getting started with an airbrush. Seriously great work, thanks Mini Witch!
Regarding air pressure / PSI when airbrushing: There are so many variables to it - the only thing you can get is a general idea of where you'd want your PSI (usually 20-40 PSI range). But it depends on many factors. Factors like what paints you use, how thick your paints are, your airbrush, your compressor, your needle, how clean your airbrush is, your elevation (how high you are above sea level), etc. etc. The only way you can know for sure is by experimenting yourself, which you should be doing already! Just have fun with the learning experience and it will go quick
Thank you!! I’d seen people do back blowing but I hadn’t realised to clean the needle first. Anytime I’ve tried backblowing it’s just clogged my airbrush up. Now I think I understand why!!
Thanks for the tips! I haven't yet started but I'm looking to dip my toes into airbrushing for a costume that I'm starting to make.
as far as removing the needle while there's still paint, one trick I saw from an old automotive painter was to always remove the needle through the front of the brush, not from the back. That keeps the paint on the side of the seal that paints supposed to be on, instead of trafficking it back the other way.
Yep, I do this with my H&S Evolution. Unscrew the rear body, loosen the needle clamp screw, take the nozzle off and push the back of the needle forwards. Much cleaner and you don't risk messing up your seals.
only works with airbrushes, that allow for this procedure. But yes, never pull, always push the needle out.
Nonsense, I have been airbrushing for decades and if your seals go from removing the needle, you have a shit brush end of story. I literally will pull out my needle every single job...mid job, pot full of paint.
@@sayloth Same here, I pull it out.. Most airbrush's won't allow to push needle through nozzle..I wouldn't either way, it be harder to clean all that dried up paint towards nozzle.
I figured this trick out a few days ago 😆. It was a real eureka moment
that’s a great tip with blending where you hand paint first then blend it together
Great video! I'm just getting ready to try an airbrush for the first time.
Omg perfect timing - just got my airbrush. So excited to put it to good use
Have fun!
Thanks for this video! Great tips. Love the editing as well.
Just got an airbrush (used it twice), and this video resolved many of the questions I had.
I especially liked the tip of using the airbrush to blend blocked-in colors painted by hand. Seems much faster than glazing!
I always take apart my airbrush after each session and clean the inside of the body, needle and nozzle separately. When storing my airbrush I always pull back the needle just a little. When airbrushing, I lay my finger flat on the trigger. That way it's much harder to fully pull back the trigger all the way and it forces me to use small motions. Though I mostly use the HS Infinity (that comes with the option to regulate how far you can pull back the trigger) I never had to use that function by keeping my finger as flat as possible. This does result in finger cramps at first but goes away with practice 😉 After a few years of airbrushing on paper, I want to make the switch to airbrushing miniatures. I found out it's quite a different beast!
I am new to air brushing. My air brush kit arrived this morning. I watched your videos and kept in mind what you mentioned. Thank you for the effort and time you put into this video. It really helped a lot. If there are any other tips you have it would be appreciated.
I found using a Rigger for comics and daily exercise with a hand grip helped me do two things with the airbrush. The first was changing the thickness of the line from thick to thin during one stroke and the second was being able to paint for long periods with hand strain. It can get a little tough when doing a large piece and this helped me.
I discovered your channel a few weeks ago. You have breif and informative videos. I don't have to skip through to get to the important parts. Thank you for the content.
Lyla, you're awesome! Thanks for the tips, that will certainly have value for beginners! I've had my airbrush for a few years but still found a few things in this video that will help me out! 🤘🏼
I'm glad!
THANK YOU!
Just getting back to the hobby and I have insane problems with using an airbrush. I used it with Humbrol enamels before, but now I want to use acrylics - since they don't stink - and re-learning was a nightmare. Your videos did help a lot!
You did a pretty good job at explaining that I've been there brushing since late 97 98 and I've also taught airbrushing and I went several years not airbrushing and I had to start all over again and retrain myself and I did it you know the same way it was back when I first airbrushed there wasn't no internet thing that I could go to I learned by reading books and watching other airbrush artist but I really appreciate what you're doing to help people understand may the living God Jesus Christ bless you and your endeavor to try to help people learn this wonderful skill
Great video!| 6:50 in most airbrush models, you should also get the corresponding nozzle cap. The aperture sizes are different, changing the size of the "air stream" coming out.
I'm just getting back into airbrushing after a very long hiatus, so this is a timely refresher - thank you! Probably going to go through a lot of paint while practicing and getting my touch back before I trust myself on minis again. ^_^
I'm happy I can help you!
Awesome video. I tend to forget that air brushing takes patience I have the spray can mentality.... I just wanna throw paint in and spray hahaha. Thank for this video.
You should try one of those sonic cleaners. When I took commercial art in school we’d disassemble our airbrushes and run them through the sonic cleaner. It works wonder, especially if you have dry paint
Thank you!
Those sonic things are the best
What cleaning solution did you use?
@@1pcfred I’m pretty sure we just used water.
@@-Garviel_Loken- just water would work with water soluble paint.
Huge thanks for the tips. I think I will watch this again now!
Thanks for this! I am so on the fence of crossing the airbrush rubicon. This might be the final nudge! 👏
Cleaning tutorial is awesome!
Your video was very informative and has filled me with excitement for the fun and frustration that is to come. I’m returning to airbrushing after a very long break. I’m going at this like I’ve never seen an airbrush and this was the first of your videos I’ve seen. I’ve subscribed to your channel and I definitely liked the video. I’m building my setup around an 8 gallon air compressor given to me by a friend and components I can find at discount stores, on sale and online.
Mostly, I want to create custom artwork for the prosthetics worn by amputees like myself. I have a 25 year career as a professional tattoo artist to call on for inspiration. And, the basic techniques of airbrushing and tattooing are very similar.
Great video, useful for new painters. Thanks.
Really great tips! Thank you! You saved an old man some aggravation. I'm just learning how to use this crazy thing. You helped a lot!
Crazy doesn't begin to describe it. It's like playing golf, an exercise in frustration.
Thank you for sharing this! You rock! Also, love this piece!
Thanks Lyla! Been considering diving into the world of airbrushing and this vid was super helpful. Cheers!
Thanks for this. Very helpful. I’ve just started and am trying to base coat dark purple over black prime and it has been a challenge. Really hard to see when paint is coming out and then suddenly BAM, too much paint and it’s pushing around on the model.
Super helpful for a beginner. Thank very much for uploading this.
Best teaching ever....thanks!
Awesome video! Learned quite a lot. Thank you!
Thank you for these tips lass, I have yet to get my first air brush, i am looking forward to getting into this way of painting, and these handy tips wil help! EXCELENT VIDEO
Best tips ive seen yet, thanks
Thank you for another reminder and encouragement to keep trying with the airbrush! Already feeling more confident and having success!
Thanks for the video, very informative, I’ve had some good results with my airbrush, but I will be using your tops! Thanks!!
Thank you Lyla,
just got into airbrushing, very helpful :)
When I first got my airbrush, I made the mistake of getting a SUPER budget one which I found hard to use and ultimately more expensive, as I then had to buy an Iwata airbrush and higher quality compressor. Loving your content as always Lyla. #NotificationSquad
Yay notification squad!!
Very informative. I was wondering if there are any tips to save time when switching between colors.
Great video, thank you for this. Saved for future reference.
I just tried an airbrush on nails and I had all these problems thanks great video!!
Good show! Will be checking in on you. Cheers!
Excellent video and perfect timing, I was gonna try my hand at airbrushing today
Good luck!
Airbrushing for 36 years and this is a pretty good video,...
Very nice video. Keep up the good work.
Great overview watching this one more till it sinks in . Thank you
Not sure if it's the same with all airburshes, but with mine I can push the needle out through the front of the gun, this prevents paint being pulled into the body on extraction.
Was looking for this comment! It`s exactly what i do with mine too.
Thanks for the tip!
@@LylaMev you're welcome :) and thank you too for all of yours
Excellent video, I think it's very useful, I've been airbrushing for a couple of months now, I still consider myself a beginner, cause I still make noob mistakes.
As good as the video is, I look at tutorials differently than I used to, simply based on the new experience I've got.
I did notice 2 things to try out next session (cleaning stuff), clearly I still got a lot to learn.
I got to the point where I used my 60 euro beginner's airbrush enough and it's time to move to something better, I got a badger patriot as a starter to a more serious airbrush and once I got a bit more experience I'll get the next one. I still prefer brush painting, i'm doing mostly warhammer stuff, the scale is just too small, though the airbrush saves insane amount of time on those base layers.
Doing a few base layers on several minis has been great practise to slowly delve into details. I see what a cheap airbrush does, I want a smoother experience at this point.
I have been watch & rewatching youtube tutorials on airbrushing. I went for the patriot cause so many are using it, the Iwata Eclipse was a close second place, I might still get it later, I see so many people swear by their Eclipse.
I'm also pretty interested in the H & S Infinity and the Badger Sotar, but both are used for more detailed work, for now I'm sticking to base layers and base blending. When I'm confident enough, then only will I move to the details with airbrush.
I am hoping the clogging will be solved at least in part, my compressor also overheats, it's only of those tiny beginner ones, thnakfully I got a good serious replacement arriving soon.
Great video.- Ill be looking out for more of your videos - I've sub'd.
One thing though:
I think thicker and thinner lines is actually most influenced to how far you hold the tip of the brush from the work. I thinkneven in the video the thinner lines ere done with the brush much closer to the work and the wide example the brush was held farther back.
Essentialt the paint comes out as a cone, with the point of the cone near the brush tiop and the base of the cone on the work. The closer the brush, the narrower the base of the cone.
The needle size is more about what type of paint you are using. Some paints have finer pigement/thiner consitency e.g. ink or laquer based paints and you can use a finer needle with those, while other paints e.g. acrlyics work better with a larger needle.
the beautys painter of this hobby
Thanks for making this video! Super helpful.
I use cotton tipped swabs (Q-Tips), to clean my bowl, because I can put more pressure on them, to wipe off old paint, than with a paint brush.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this video.
have about a dozen airbrushes.. even though trigger pulling ones are more versitiles but when i do model painting i prefer a non trigger airbrush.. i set the widh and then the airpressure and press full on... no mistakes
Thank you very much Lyla, you're helping so much ! I'm starting my long journey of airbrush learning, and while I struggle with finding the right ratio dilution/psi, your video just made me realize my gun as a stop on its back 🤯🤯🤯 This will help so much :D
Thank you for your vids mate, they're simply the best airbrush guides for us noobs.. i for one really appreciate it..👍
PSI is another factor and a big one. Some paints require an upwards of 40PSI, while others spray just fine at 7. Learning the personality of the colors was one of the roughest parts to me.
Very useful and informative video.