starter airbrush

[jkmcgrath]

Hey guys I am needing some help in selecting a beginning airbrush.

I would like something that the cup is held below and siffoned up thru a tube in the cup below the airbrush.

I think this would be more comfortable for me.

Any help ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[1DVSRCR]

Paasche VL, very versatile comes with hose, paint containers, extra needles for fine-broad lines, and of course the brush. It'll run you about $50-$60 depending where you buy it.

[Cosmo]

For painting bodies, I love the Iwata Eclpise HP-C. It has a large paint cup (plenty big enough for a body) and works well. Using bottles when painting a body, you end up wasting too much paint. It doesn't take much paint to cover a body.

[Piggy89373]

I started off using badger airbrushes. They're not bad. I liked the bottom feed ability. However, I now use the Eclipse HP-C. It's gravity fed (top feed). IMO it's better to have the cup above the brush, helps give consistent paint flow. The cup has a little cap which helps prevent spills. It's a bit more pricey than others, but to me, it's worth it.

http://www.arttalk.com/iwata/iwatapromo.htm#ECLIPSE%20G6

[1DVSRCR]

Don't get me wrong, I love my iwatas too. I think for someone starting off the paasche is hard to beat. I figure if he stays with it that he'll grow into the iwata.

[Piggy89373]

The iwata is awesome, and I can see your point. One thing that was left out for anyone getting in to airbrushing is read up on it. There's a few books out there that are fairly cheap and provide some good instruction. Or, you can surf the web for stuff.

JKMMcGrath, if you do get the iwata, read up on as much about airbrushing as possible, then practice on a piece of cardboard first. Practice, practice, practice. If you're not totally sure you're going to like it, then I would take 1DVSRCR's advice, and get a paashe.

[SpamCake]

Time for my two cents :D

The Iwata Eclipse is a great piece of equipment, but I certainly wouldn't call it a starter brush. It's better suited to someone with previous airbrush experience so they can get the full effect of the gun and still handle the maintenance without ruining expensive parts. (my local art supply shop has an Eclipse nozzle on the wall, for $41 - it can stay there)

The Paasche VL is the oldest design out there right now, and it shows. It's bulky to handle, and limited in scope - it doesn't breathe very deeply, can't do high-volume spraying, and can't do detail work either. Actually it's great to start with if you want to be really impressed with the brush you choose to upgrade to.

I believe that the best gun out there for any beginner is the Thayer&Chandler Vega 2000, in the #3 size. Its performance envelope is comfortably in between that of the VL and the Eclipse, but with the ease, economy, and robustness needed for someone just starting out.

My first airbrush was a Paasche VL.. Next came the Vega.. then the Eclipse. I still keep a pair each of the Vega and Eclipse in my working stable.

Cheers, and happy painting!

[SteveK]

I have a Paasche VL and it works very well. Cleaning is a bit of a pill, but you can easily completely disassemble it, clean it out with some water, and rebuild it by the time the next color is ready to be sprayed. For coats of the same color, I would just spray some water, alcohol, or even lacquer thinner (That will clean ANYTHING out of the airbrush) to let it sit, but when you are changing colors, it only takes a few minutes so completely disassemble the brush to be safe.

On my VL I use a color cup and a tiny bit of paint in the cup, maybe a millimeter or two at the bottom, is enough to do an entire coat on the body.

When I first started I used a cheap Testors external mix brush and it actually worked extremely well. You get a broad spray pattern so the cutesy tricks are out, but is really worked well.

[GramdeGixxer]

I am at the VL stage right now. it works ok, the shodows and stuff are pretty tough and you definatly cant spray metalics with the #1 nozzle but it works for my expertise right now.

[ApriliaRacer]

Been airbrushing for over some 24 years. I've had all kinds of airbrushes and have airbrushed static plastic models, bicycle and motorcycle helmets, and of course lexan bodies.

I currently have 2 Iwata HP-Cs and a Paasche VL.

On anything but freehand work on 1/18th scale bodies, I've yet to use one of my HP-Cs. 10th scale, 8th scale its all Paasche VL, for the simple reason, I don't need the type of fine control the HP-C offers.

The VL does it all from fine detail work to large areas. It will handle just about every type of medium I've run through it from inks and water colors to unthinned Fastcolor paints.

Guns like the HP-C (and other brands of the type) are really best suited for very fine freehand detail work. Most people that paint lexan bodies use masks. If you plan on using masks the VL will work just great.

I've seen some amazing artwork done by guys using VLs or VL like guns by other manufacturers.

IMO, you can't go wrong with the VL.....

[jkmcgrath]

Thanks for the insight guys! ALOT of GOOD information in here.