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AoS Looking for a good yet not too expensive airbrush

Nielspeterdejong
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Nielspeterdejong

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Hello everyone,

So I'm currently working on a 2000 point army that includes the Frostheart Phoenix: https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-frostheart-phoenix-en.pdf However, we are going to paint him like a bird of paradise, and put a Scar veteran (from the Scar vet on Carnosaur) on top of him :)

However, we wanted to give this dark to lighter effect on it's wings, from dark yellow to very light yellow. To give him that same "Maya magical bird of light) effect. However, we heard from members of our group that we'd need a airbrush for that.

Now, the ones I saw were a bit expensive. And we were wondering if anyone knew of a good brand of Airbrush that was good, but not too overly expensive?
 
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I think either would work, but the second one looks like it has three different heads and the compressor. But the first one might work out just fine, if you don't feel you neex the different heads.
 
I wouldn't believe anyone that says you "need" an airbrush. The skill of the artist is really what's at question here.

Color fade can be accomplished in several ways, including an airbrush. If I were to slowly blend your paints from light to dark, I'd use a dabbing or plotting method. Start off dabbing lightly with your darkest color until you have a nice base. Slowly lighten your blend and continue working the length of the wing. Use minimal paint to allow the bristles to maintain somewhat of a separation.

You can also make a primitive airbrush with a nasal aspirator puffer and some tape! Alternatively you can use a stirring straw, since your breath can be controlled a little easier than the puffer. Just a few thoughts.

Also the airbrush itself isn't the expensive piece of the setup. Whatever air compressor you pick will be the biggest expense. That's why the second kit is $80 more than the first.
 
the starter kits are good value but they are not very good quality but saying that my setup cost me nearly £600 and I have not used it yet!

So go cheap, try it love it then invest later on, oh and look at this, I have the book and it's amazing how he creates the finish.

 
Airbrushes are amazing - They do a lot, look great, and save a ton of time.

For airbrushes - if you are going to be using your airbrush a lot, invest in something decent. I have an Iwata HP-CS eclipse - I think it was something around 80-90 bucks after the 40% off coupon from hobby lobby. If you are going to be airbrushing rarely, any airbrush will likely be fine, but I would definitely recommend (ive researched this a lot!) a double action, gravity feed airbrush. The Iwata HP-CS comes with a 0.35mm needle (i think) which is a good all around needle for larger detail as well as finer. 0.20mm needles may have trouble shooting things like metallics through them, whereas larger needles (0.50mm) will have trouble with smaller detail.

Single action airbrushes will basically push paint out at one rate depending on your compressors set PSI, so they kinda suck. Double action allows you to control the air flow to get the amount of paint that you want to come out. Instead of a pull it for full blast, its a down and back motion - down for air, back for paint flow. You have infinitely more control.

So consider these with airbrush:

Double action (mandatory)
Gravity feed (recommended) vs siphon feed
Needle size
Cup size (how much paint can be stored in each load)

For a compressor, it probably doesnt matter as much, some people swear by a compressor with a tank so that you avoid the compressor kicking on and causing splatter from irregular air flow. I doubt it matters a ton. If you get a compressor with a tank, make sure it has, or you purchase, a regulator on it. Most of the time the tank type compressors operate at higher PSI, so they need to be controlled.

Airbrushes, for the beginner, will all be relatively the same. If you commission / paint a crapton, then you should start caring about the airbrush. As someone mentioned before, the compressor is another large expense.

Keep in mind that you will need more than "an airbrush" to airbrush. so factor that stuff if in if you are comparing costs.

You need:

Airbrush
Hose
Compressor
Regulator
Cleaner
Airbrush cleaning brushes (small brushes on a key-chain to clean out the chambers)

Optional, but help:

Airbrush thinner (can use water and/or alcohol)
Airbrush flow improver (dry time retarder)
Oil
Hose moisture trap
Hose quick disconnect

For beginning stuff, tcpglobal.com has a lot of options and a lot of "plug and play" type kits

If you are interested in the airbrush that I use and kits for that, check out http://www.tcpglobal.com/Airbrushing-Supplies/HP-CS-4207/
 
m0gstar said:
Airbrushes are amazing - They do a lot, look great, and save a ton of time.

For airbrushes - if you are going to be using your airbrush a lot, invest in something decent. I have an Iwata HP-CS eclipse - I think it was something around 80-90 bucks after the 40% off coupon from hobby lobby. If you are going to be airbrushing rarely, any airbrush will likely be fine, but I would definitely recommend (ive researched this a lot!) a double action, gravity feed airbrush. The Iwata HP-CS comes with a 0.35mm needle (i think) which is a good all around needle for larger detail as well as finer. 0.20mm needles may have trouble shooting things like metallics through them, whereas larger needles (0.50mm) will have trouble with smaller detail.

Single action airbrushes will basically push paint out at one rate depending on your compressors set PSI, so they kinda suck. Double action allows you to control the air flow to get the amount of paint that you want to come out. Instead of a pull it for full blast, its a down and back motion - down for air, back for paint flow. You have infinitely more control.

So consider these with airbrush:

Double action (mandatory)
Gravity feed (recommended) vs siphon feed
Needle size
Cup size (how much paint can be stored in each load)

For a compressor, it probably doesnt matter as much, some people swear by a compressor with a tank so that you avoid the compressor kicking on and causing splatter from irregular air flow. I doubt it matters a ton. If you get a compressor with a tank, make sure it has, or you purchase, a regulator on it. Most of the time the tank type compressors operate at higher PSI, so they need to be controlled.

Airbrushes, for the beginner, will all be relatively the same. If you commission / paint a crapton, then you should start caring about the airbrush. As someone mentioned before, the compressor is another large expense.

Keep in mind that you will need more than "an airbrush" to airbrush. so factor that stuff if in if you are comparing costs.

You need:

Airbrush
Hose
Compressor
Regulator
Cleaner
Airbrush cleaning brushes (small brushes on a key-chain to clean out the chambers)

Optional, but help:

Airbrush thinner (can use water and/or alcohol)
Airbrush flow improver (dry time retarder)
Oil
Hose moisture trap
Hose quick disconnect

For beginning stuff, tcpglobal.com has a lot of options and a lot of "plug and play" type kits

If you are interested in the airbrush that I use and kits for that, check out http://www.tcpglobal.com/Airbrushing-Supplies/HP-CS-4207/
Click to expand...

I actually came across that website :) I contacted them, but they have yet to answer.

So if I go with your entire set suggestion, with the items I need (and perhaps also the optional), would you recommend that I take that together in one kit? I'm still not sure which of the kits would be the best though.

Would one of these two have all those requirements?
http://www.tcpglobal.com/ABD-KIT-SP19-20.html#.WIZDxPkrKUl
http://www.tcpglobal.com/ECO-KIT-17-CRE.html#.WIZDyfkrKUk
 
Personally I'd go with the second option, the other one you are paying for two airbrushes you will probably never take out of the packaging.

Option two has the bare bones stuff. Would definitely recommend picking up the hose tape from a hardware store to lay down on the threads of the hose. There are diy tutorials all over online about how to do the remainder. I would also pick up some airbrush cleaner. Online or a store like harbor freight or hobby lobby might carry something like that.
 
Just went looking on the site . I'd actually go with this one. It's essentially the same set as number two but minus the air paints.

http://www.tcpglobal.com/ECOKIT-17.html#.WIoFX6BlDqB

I had a few paints come with my airbrush and haven't touched them. You will find yourself diluting down your GW or Vallejo paints rather than using these super bright primary colors. They rarely have applications to modeling. Saving the extra 20 bucks you could get the air brush brushes for cleaning and a blow out pot that comes in option one. But harbor freight sells the pot for like 6 or 7 bucks.

Looks like a solid starter kit. As mentioned previously, if you get into it and enjoy it, you can always upgrade later :)
 
Unfortunately they don't sell any products in europe, and the transport costs are like 175$ :/

Any good European products you'd recommend?
 
Oh yikes! I'm US based, so totally clueless as to products from Europe.

I'd just check around online for airbrushes in Europe. You could also go for Chinese knockoffs which usually have free e-packet shipping worldwide.
 
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