Airbrush Vs. Paint brush

[otto]

what would u recommend i use to paint
Parma Fasfluorescent Razberry on to a r/c car body...air brush or paint brush...if airbrush what kind of things do i need to buy...or if brush what type of brush do i buy :confused:

[MaxxThrasher]

You can use either one. If it's just a small area, the paint brush (a.k.a. hairy stick) will work just fine. However, if your trying to cover the entire body, it might take a while with the paint brush. An airbrush would cover it faster and use less paint.

[adrcracing]

For the Razberry, you'll need to back with White. A hairy stick can make discoloration due to the unevenness of the paint. AB is the way to go.

[mab_man20]

If your painting a large area use an airbrush. The paint brush leaves uneven amounts of paint which results in a nasty looking streaking look.

What you need in an airbrush:

1) Single action vs. double action. Single action airbrushes allow you to only vary the amount of paint flowing through the brush. The air flow is either off or on. A double action airbrush allows you to vary the air and paint flow. For large basic jobs a single action is fine (and is cheaper), but as soon as you graduate to more complicated schemes and shading you'll wish you had a double action.

2) Bottom feed vs Siphon feed. A siphon feed airbrush uses a built in cup on the top of the airbrush. To paint just fill it up and go. A bottom feed airbrush uses some form of external tube and bottle and pulls the paint up. There is some debate as to which is better. The siphon gives a more even spray, but IMO is a little harder to clean. A good bottom feed with the correct pressure and thinned down paint sprays just as well until you start getting really good. Both work well, for less detail and starting out Id recommend a bottom and then make your second brush (when your ready for it) a siphon feed.

3) Badger, Paasche, Testers, Iwata. You cant go wrong with any of these brands. I personally use a Paasche VL (great beginners brush) and an Iwata Revolution siphon feed. The Iwata's are amazing brushes that allow you to do a huge array of spray widths and detail work without having to change the needle or tip size. However, most hobby shops ive been in do not carry parts for them (you can find them at dixieart.com)

Those are the basics. I hope it helps.

[MaxxThrasher]

That's logical to think so, but not necessarily true. At least not in my experience, nor from what I've seen from a few other artists. Applying paint with a stick uses much more paint then an airbrush. Two coats is all you need and the color will pretty much be opaque. If your applying the paint in small areas, like a stripe, use a brush just a little wider then the stripe for complete coverage. This keeps you from having to make many passes, causing the paint to be uneven.

[otto]

thank you very much for the help :)