Considering a course...

[Guest]

Before I would fork out the costs involved in the course, I would settle for a couple of DVD's and some brain picking on here.

I'll second that, followed by practice, practice, practice

[Gern]

There's nothing like doing things yourself to learn practical skills, but it's always useful if you have an expert standing next to you to point out your errors and demonstrate methods.

I've seen some of the videos you guys refer to and, in their own way, they're very good and it is possible to learn things from them. However, when I was teaching, a lot of my vocational students told me they had a different name for this kind of teaching method. They called it "Death by Powerpoint".

I know it's very much down to the individual, but if I had a chance to attend such a course, I'd jump at it.

Gern

[spanner570]

Slightly off on a tangent, but Dave's post reminded me of the days when my missus teached.

When the students were a bit awkward and she was getting a bit cheesed off, the next person who asked a question was told to use the 'Fofo method'!!!

I will leave the reader to decypher the word....

Cheers,

Ron

[BarryW]

Barry before you decide to go on this course have a look at - Guest Login. There are 6 by 30 min videos that Phil Flory has produced on air brushing. Think that probably the only thing you will not get from these videos, which you may from a course, is what you are doing wrong. What you will get is I am sure mostly what the course is about. But at least if you do go on a course after viewing these tutorial videos you have a very good idea of what it is all about. Will cost £3:00 per month to lock into these tutorials big big saving. Not only on Airbrushing but on producing models from getting them out of the box to completion, Decaling, masking & many other things. Wow surprise surprise including Klear !

What I have found in my short history in modeling is exactly as Steve has mentioned practice & more & more practice. I am also of the opinion that it is best to dabble first of all without other than minimal info make mistakes as these lead to the correct & remembereed way of doing things. Then fill in afterwards with any difficulties from all the expertise on this Forum.

As my wife Pauline will constantly remind me daily. "Why do you not read the instructions first". I really do hate pedants. She is good at cooking though.

Laurie

Thanks for this tip

I have subscribed and watched the videos. Then I set about putting some of this into practice....

I have certainly made progress, moved from 'totally incompetent and don't know what I am doing' to 'incompetent but knows a bit more' I am sure that in time, with practice and a few more viewings of these videos that I will improve on that!

I did manage to produce some very thin lines but found that the bottle on my airbrush gets in the way stopping me from getting closer.

I think I will buy another airbrush with a gravity feed, without spending too much. It looks as if these are easier to work with cleaning between colours/mixing etc. As I like large scale planes the old bottle fed one will still get a lot of use on larger areas so I don't regret that purchase.

[Guest]

Wise move Barry. I started with a suction feed bottle under & single action airbrush & found they are just awful at least for learning the art.

Soon gave this model up & went to a gravity feed dual action & this changed airbrushing into a joy (near) from a complete frustrating horrible soul destroying episode in my modeling life. Nearly gave up.

Not sure if your existing brush is single or dual action. If yours is single do not worry when you read as I did when opting for the single action that dual is only for those who are accomplished airbrushes. Dead easy. Press down for air & keep it there pull back for paint flow.

Any body need a single action drag the paint in bottle under the airbrush model. No ! Wise.

Laurie

[BarryW]

Thanks for that.

My present brush is dual action and I can see the benefits.

I have have a look at the gravity feed brushes on the site that sourced my existing set-up, they look good value and it seems there are four types:

Side fed with a 7cc cup and a 0.3mm nozzle, the same size as the present one.

Top feeding, also 7cc and 0.3mm

Top fed, 2cc cup and 0.2mm nozzle - I like the look of this one but concerned about the very small cup

Top fed, 9cc cup and 0.25mm nozzle - this costs a little more than the others (though still not bad) and is the one I am inclined towards.

Any views on the above?

[Guest]

Had the same thoughts Barry when I bought my present airbrush.

I bought the Evolution Harder & Steinbeck. This comes with two cups. I use the smaller one mostly.

Also you can fit nozzle & needles of .15 .2 .4 & .6. From my view point a top cup is the neatest arrangement & does not get in the way of seeing the subject to be painted especially when using the smaller cup. Only use the smaller cup & have not even for brushing a 1/72 Lancaster filled it more than a third full.

This airbrush also has a control on the end which adjusts the amount the needle can be moved & restricting the amount of paint released. This also has a press button arrangement which will put the restrictor into the last position used.

Laurie

[Ian M]

Another factor that often gets over looked is comfort. I have An anthem and a Cresendo, both from Badger and both very good air brushes. However, these spend a lot of time in the draw and I use two cheapish Sparmax airbrushes. They spray every bit as good as the badgers at twice the price but that is not the reason I use them. I am just more comfortable with them. Small, narrow light and easy to clean. So dont feel that you have to have the dearest to get the best result.

With time and practise you will get there. You can go to seminars, read books and watch videos until the cows come home but in the end the only way to learn it is to grab hold and get on with it. When you hit a problem, then grab the book and find out what the root of the problem is.

Ian M

[BarryW]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Having read the above, watching and rewatching the Flory videos and playing around more with my existing (cheap) syphon airbrush (about £20!") I am nearly ready to make a decision.

To get a H&S Evolution Silverline fPc 2 in 1.

My reasoning for this particular brush is that I have a preference for large scale 1:32 aircraft (first project will be the Revell JU88 soon...)

So the interchangeable nozzles will be useful, the 0.15 for detail and the 0.4 for wider areas while keeping the existing AB for really big areas and jobs like varnishing.

I also like the two cup sizes and the ease of colour changes with gravity feed as demonstrated in the videos.

I also like the paint limiter, that is a feature on my existing brush that I am learning to appreciate.

I am also finding that the air pressure on my 186 compressor is not easy to adjust so I am thinking that I might leave it on 30psi all the time reducing the pressure when needed via the valve on the brush.

Is my thinking sound?

£159 is a lot of outlay for me given the amount I have already spent over the last few weeks on workbench/tools etc to get back into the hobby, approx £600, with a bit more to spend as well, but I suspect it will be worth it in the long run.

[Guest]

The only thing that I would mention Barry is that it sounds a good idea to have the pressure adjustment on the brush for someone who is airbrushing day in day out & can judge. But for my intermittent use I would rather rely on the pressure gauge on the compressor. Not saying do not buy the brush without the pressure adjustment.

From my short experience I hardly ever adjust the pressure.

Laurie

[BarryW]

Laurie. I am just going by what I have seen in the Flory videos for that and I find adjusting the pressure on the compressor a bit hit and miss. The extra cost over and above the basic 2 in 1 is fairly small on the scale of things but would be a lot higher if I decided to add it later.

Also thinking of moving over to Vallejo Model Air when it comes to airbrush painting. I have already stocked up on Humbrol because I am familiar with them but I think I will just use these for brushwork until I run out.