Cheap paint to practice airbrushing

[lukeeluciano]

Just my first double action AB, what paint should i practice with just to mess around? I am just using Laquer rattle cans now. Any cheap paint that is recommend to practice?

[jbwelda]

im not sure there is any paint that is "cheap" anymore but how about fingernail polish at the 99 cent store or similar kind of place?

i am just getting into an airbrush so i am in the same spot...i think you can get acrylics cheap but not sure they spray the same as

the laquers and enamels i am going to be using. so far i have just been using india ink to get used to controlling the brush.

[Dr. Cranky]

Lukee, when I started I made a 4oz bottle of india ink and water (or alcohol) and practiced on paper.

There's really no cheap paint to practice on plastic with. You can perhaps try some of those cheap craftstore paints . . . and work on a scrap body.

[MikeMc]

Lukee, when I started I made a 4oz bottle of india ink and water (or alcohol) and practiced on paper.

There's really no cheap paint to practice on plastic with. You can perhaps try some of those cheap craftstore paints . . . and work on a scrap body.

I also did the ink trick. The trouble with ink and other mediums is you are learning something other than you are going to use...so you will need to learn again. My advice is get a LARGE can of duplicolor lacquer, practice thinning, mixing and spraying. You can spray on plastic signs to learn the basics..pressure, viscosity, and distance. Then grab a snap kit body and it will be a breeze..Good luck!

[LoneWolf15]

Mike is correct , you need to practice with what you are going to be using on a regular basis !

Try this ... Prep several of your kits , take all of the parts from each kit that are going to be semigloss black and set them aside . Place each kits parts on separate strips of 2 1/2 in wide masking tape .

Mix 2 - 1/2 oz jars of Testors black semi gloss enamel with a 1/2 oz of cheap laquer thinner . Shake it up and shoot it onto the parts . By the time you are on the last strip of parts , the first strip should be just about flashed out and the parts should be dry enough to flip over . Simply repeat the steps until all parts are painted !

Semi gloss black is very forgiving , it takes a lot to screw it up ! Too much paint ? , it will flash out , just takes a bit longer! Not enough ? , shoot a little bit more on .

Now , what you've done ? You've practiced with your airbrush , gotten a feel for it , and accomplished something constructive while you were at it ! Forget the word cheap ! Drop it from your vocabulary , replace it with smart or patient ! Always work and practice with the media that you plan on using , you will master it far quicker !

[Agent G]

Do what Don suggested and go one step further. I take a large piece of cardboard, set it up, and begin practising by writing my name. I draw designs experimenting with the AB trigger. More air, more paint, etc. My compressor has a regulator so I experiment with pressures as well. I also play around with paint to thinner ratios too. This will build your confidence in the AB, and add a really good tool to your model building tool box

G

Edited December 4, 2011 by Agent G

[scalenut]

I used to practice on 2 liter bottles , I would scuff and prime them, or just try to work with the raw plastic .

cardboard and paper are great for learning the trigger , but not the best surface to learn thinning and spray pressure...models are solid and don't absorb paint like paper products.

[MikeMc]

Do what Don suggested and go one step further. I take a large piece of cardboard, set it up, and begin practising by writing my name. I draw designs experimenting with the AB trigger. More air, more paint, etc. My compressor has a regulator so I experiment with pressures as well. I also play around with paint to thinner ratios too. This will build your confidence in the AB, and add a really good tool to your model building tool box

G

I used to practice on 2 liter bottles , I would scuff and prime them, or just try to work with the raw plastic .

cardboard and paper are great for learning the trigger , but not the best surface to learn thinning and spray pressure...models are solid and don't absorb paint like paper products.

Thats why plastic signs work well....close enough to styreen and large and flat

[Dr. Cranky]

Gents, you are right, but I was thinking of how one learns to get used to the airbrush. I guess you can in fact kill two birds with one stone!

[greymack]

Hey there on the topic of cheap paint I used trimclad paints to start out with and there easy to mix and apply.Well thats my 2 bits.

[SuperStockAndy]

I'd suggest cheap craft store acrylics also, then if you mess up you can wash it off while it's wet.