20/04/2022 Today’s Topic: AIRBRUSH [PART 2]

Hi all again. As @Musha Murron said, one time per week would be glad to do this. So, here I am. Airbrushing isn't a trick or some sort of a cheat, it's another painting instrument and the last Article wasn't enough. To continue, here we will talk about the importance of airbrush cleaning, how to dilute the color and what to use.

Let's start organically: you have started using your airbrush and now you are putting your color in the cup. The first thing to do is to dilute your color even if it's specifically made for airbrushes. That's important because the undiluted color will clog your instrument. To do this, I use a simple recipe for a thinner that will help:

Airbrush thinner: 70% demineralized water, 25% IPA "isopropyl alcohol", 5% glycerin.

This recipe allows you to atomize your color correctly.

Now, for the pressure, you should go around 2 bars for general use of an airbrush, and lower it to the smallest airbrush spot you want to be. The lowest the pressure, the thinner your color should be, so remember to add a bit of thinner if you want to go at lower pressure. In case you are using primers such as polyurethane or plastic-based colors, like Vallejo Negro Primer, remember to thin it more and use it immediately. Plastic primers tend to dry fast and clog the airbrush easily. The color should be passed on the model in a short stream, and with a gentle movement of the airbrush. Since musha told me to buy it, I also ad some drops of AK Ultra Matte to the color.

This helps a lot because it thins the color without compromising the character of the color itself. Remember to clean your airbrush every time you are not using it. Also, changing color it's difficult when you are using an airbrush, so plan your painting accordingly. Paint multiple miniatures together, or put small quantities of color in the cup. Better add then waste color.

To clean the airbrush between colors or at the end of the session, use this cleaner. 20% IPA, 50% demineralized water, 25% cleaner for metal surfaces, 5% glycerine. To clean the airbrush, use a sponge, remove the protective cup (not mandatory but easier) and block the airbrush nozzle, after putting some cleaner in the cup. Now trigger the airbrush and this will cause bubbles in the cup, helping the cleaning. Let it bubble for a few seconds and then drop the cup's liquid in the sink or where you want. After doing this, take a piece of paper, with a bit of cleaner on it and clean the remains. Use the cleaner and the paper as a test to trigger the airbrush and see if there is any color in it.

To deeply clean the airbrush, use the same cleaner but now you need to dismantle it. I use an IWATA HP-CS, and this video helped me a lot.

But works the same as every other airbrush, because they are built the same, almost, independently from the brand.

I hope it helped.

Yours,

Jaka