What's the best covering paint with 1 pass with the airbrush?

[Gazzas]

Hi Everyone,

    Here is the scenario:

 

1 You're painting a light color over a medium color.

 

2.  You are using an airbrush with a .2mm needle.

 

3.  You are making an exotic camoflage pattern.  Many fine lines and curves very close together.  You have to use lower pressure to maintain a pencil thin line with your airbrush close to the surface.  You cannot go back over a single pass.

 

What kind of paint would you choose?  Enamel?  Lacquer?  Acrylic?  Or oil?  Brand?  And is this brand easy to acquire?

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[D.B. Andrus]

 Floquil RR, Floquil Military or Aeromaster oil-based enamels always had great coverage for me.

 

HTH,

 

D.B.

[nmayhew]

1 you don’t need to lay down the paint in one pass

 

2 use MRP

 

that’s all there is to say

[Gazzas]

16 minutes ago, nmayhew said:

1 you don’t need to lay down the paint in one pass

 

But indeed, I do.  Replicating the pattern of pencil thin lines will be impossible.  I experimented with MRP, Tamiya acrylics, and Tamiya Enamels.  The Enamels did best but dry-tip was a problem.

[Radub]

I got very good results in the past with Gunze Aqueous and Tamiya paints using their own-brand recommended thinners. I also used Lifecolor acrylics and Xtracolor enamels with good results. I think that 0.2 mm nozzle may be a problem. That kind of nozzle is intended for inks. Paint pigments, however fine the grain, may not pass that easily through such a small aperture. I do not have a 0.2 mm airbrush, the smallest I have is 0.3 mm, and I was able to make very thin lines and small mottles. Even bigger nozzles can yield good results by adjusting needle travel and air pressure. Airbrushing is about flow of air and paint and such flow is easier to control when you have enough of both. 

Radu

[mozart]

Wise words Radu! 

[modelingbob]

The "correct" answer is none! I have not found any paints that will do what you want them to do in a single pass. Some paints are better than others in coverage, but fine & tight airbrushing requires thinned paints (especially with a 0.2 nozzle) and that means less opaque coverage. The "new" crop of acrylic lacquers (like Mr Color & MRP) are better at this job, but still require multiple passes. 

[Gazzas]

14 hours ago, modelingbob said:

The "correct" answer is none! I have not found any paints that will do what you want them to do in a single pass. Some paints are better than others in coverage, but fine & tight airbrushing requires thinned paints (especially with a 0.2 nozzle) and that means less opaque coverage. The "new" crop of acrylic lacquers (like Mr Color & MRP) are better at this job, but still require multiple passes. 

I was afraid of this.  But I also have a .3 nozzle airbrush which I assumed would be less apt for the job.  But Radu's post show me to be in error.

 

But even with it, the MRP lacquers aren't up to the task.  I will experiment with the .3 nozzle and the Tamiya acrylics and Tamiya enamels, too.   But my Tamiya enamels have been around a few years and reconstituted a couple times, and not always with the gentlest of enamel; thinners.  So, I have a pot of Humbrol enamel on the way with some Humbrol thinner.  If I can't get a satisfactory look from either of those, then I may have to give up and find a different scheme.

[Woody V]

One pass on a LSP with a .2 mm tip?

There's part of your problem - try a .3 mm or bigger.

[ringleheim]

I think the answer here is more a function of airbrush and technique, rather than paint.

 

I would definitely go to a larger needle size so that you are putting more volume out of the airbrush.  I understand you are doing delicate, fine camouflage work, but you can achieve that with a bigger needle/tip and going closer to the subject.

 

Also, move slowly if you can.

 

 

[Neo]

I use allot of Humbrol enamel.

When i do free hand camo im able to cover in a single pass the edges with no issue. For thise cases i thin it a little less than usual so not the classic milk consistensy 

[Warbird]

Hi,

 

For this kind of work I use Gunze paint with approx 60% thinner and 5-10% of paint retarder. This will lower paint build up on your needle - but will extend drying time.

You'll need to spend some time finding the best air pressure etc. setup as it is based upon many factors.

Although it's not pencil thin, the lines on this 1/48 He-219 were painted in one pass.