A modelling virgin.ooer...

[Guest]

Welcome WarpCore. I've done a few Star Wars models (Ertl,AMT etc), not so much Revell stuff but i've just primed a Revell model and the lines and details are excellent. I tend to use Tamiya, Vallejo and Humbrol acrylics. As some have mentioned before, if the colour sits right with you, then that's all that matters. One man's "light grey" is another man's "pebble white".

I have thought about acrylics, but am I right in saying that you need to undercoat first?

[Guest]

just a coat of primer will do mate under acrylics all though some people dont even prime. a primer coat helps the paint to bond better and also serves as an aid in seeing any flaws and such like that need filling or sanding before the paint goes down.. also you shouldn't need to thin the paint much if brush painting and if its running down on the clear parts you have either thinned it too much or are putting too much on. much better to put five or six thin coats on rather than one thick one. thats one of the beauty's of airbrushing, you can put on very thin coats and it dries very quickly....now down to proper buisness, whats your name and whereabouts in the uk are you mate

[Guest]

just a coat of primer will do mate under acrylics all though some people dont even prime. a primer coat helps the paint to bond better and also serves as an aid in seeing any flaws and such like that need filling or sanding before the paint goes down.. also you shouldn't need to thin the paint much if brush painting and if its running down on the clear parts you have either thinned it too much or are putting too much on. much better to put five or six thin coats on rather than one thick one. thats one of the beauty's of airbrushing, you can put on very thin coats and it dries very quickly....now down to proper buisness, whats your name and whereabouts in the uk are you mate

Hi there,

Yeah i`m sure you are right about the thickness of my amateurish application! I am continuing to practice on some cheaper models before i continue with my NCC 1701.

Not really happy with my paint finish at all. I`ve tried enamels and acrylics, brushed on. First attempt was too thick which caused the hull detail to become hidden. I thinned down and got into a bit of a mess.

Long story short im gonna try an airbrush! I can paint fine detail with a hand brush but the larger areas need something a bit more pro looking.

So...

What airbrush to buy? I dont want to spend too much, I`m still learning. I`ve looked at the entry level Humbrol airbrush and also one from Badger (the 200 i believe)

Any thoughts?

WarpCore

(In deepest East Staffs...)

[Guest]

the badger 200 looks good for beginners. i personally dont have an airbrush (yet). as too i was looking at the badger 200. and getting a cheap compressor off of ebay.

[Guest]

Hello Mr Warpcore,

welcome to the site I have only joined very recently and found all the people very friendly and helpful one of the very best sites, now as to all this talk of colours and shades ect I have completed a number of large scale scratchbuilds and only use Humbrol paints I sometimes base coat models in a grey car primer and then slap on the Humbrol. My large scale falcon was given a base coat of matt white primer which is what the original was given though many people think the falcon was GREY no not at all it only became grey due to the heavy amount of weathering needed under the super strong film lights, go with what you feel is right and if you can not get the colour your happy with mix one i often just keep dabbing in bits from each timlet untill I think it looks good, just enjoy you model amking and try not to get bogged down with to much tittle tattle about how many rivets what the prices shade is and if it has a gloss or shiny finish just do your thing and enjoy.

take care regards Barrie ( the old guy ) image of falcon to show you what I mean about colour

[ATTACH]63666.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

...just enjoy you model amking and try not to get bogged down with to much tittle tattle about how many rivets what the prices shade is and if it has a gloss or shiny finish just do your thing and enjoy.

To be fair im not getting bogged down with this!

It can work out pretty expensive to keep messing about with various colours and types etc. So i want to get it right for that reason, its down to cost and i dont like wasting time. Suffice to say i do enjoy a bit of experimentation but i think there comes a point when i have to admit defeat and get some advice!

Ive had (and continue to get) some good pointers from this site, ive gotta say it is one of the friendliest around.

Anyhoo...

Airbrushes:

Up to now the badger 200 looks fairly good, but having never used one i have a few questionettes...

• Spray acrylic or enamel?
  
• Thinned down to what consistency?
  
• Can i connect any small air compressor?
  
• How long do the air canisters last?
  

Many thanks for reading

Kind Regards

WarpCore