Advice on final desicion if you please,

S

Smiler65

Guest
Hi all,
Having originally stated that I was looking at the iwata cm series or the H&S infinity AB 's, I have been doing a load of research within the forum and have come to the decision that the CM is probably not such a good idea as my first airbrush due to the cost of the spares (£120ish) if I damaged the tip and nozzle etc. .as I'm sure would be probable as being a noob and never even handling one before.
The Infinity looks really good with nearly all the features I can see available, but again after reading some info on here the features I like, mainly the ability to set the trigger travel, is not needed or a hindrance as nothing seems as good as learning to control the trigger and muscle memory.
So this brings me to the part I would like advice on. Having seen the review on the H&S evolution AL plus this looks a very good AB.
Do I really need the extra features on the Infinity.
Would the weight difference between the 2 make a difference, i.e. balance, comfort and finish of the AB.Considering I have never used an Airbrush before would it be any harder using a lighter unit.

I know I can get the spares easily enough for either, but just haven't found much info on the AL unit.
Or are you going to sling another spanner in the works and recommend something different altogether, which I am open to.

I will be heading towards fine illustration doing mainly wildlife when I'm capable. Using Com-Art paint in the beginning as this is already purchased.
 
I think which ever AB people use is a personal choice, If it's possible for you to visit a retailer and ask him to let you handle the different AB's and see if there is one that fits your hand better than others.
I started with an eclipse I thats what I got used to.
 
I think having never airbrushed before, weight will just be something you get used to, however other things like comfort, trigger height or how close the trigger is to the cup, depending on the size of your hands etc, may be an issue, as well as balance. I guess you could get used to those things too, but I think if you are going to spend a lot of money on a brush, as Oddball says if you have the chance to at least hold a couple, then it's a good idea.

I haven't used either of these brushes, but I am not a fan of the needle stop, as learning trigger control is a must IMO, (unless someone had a disability of some kind, in which case it may help) but I believe the infinity Solo had a self centering nozzle, which I do really like. But over all I'd go for quality of brush, in particular needle and nozzle, rather than features which aren't absolutely necessary.
 
If you go for a H&S Evolution, it is the same build quality as the Infinity. Should you decide to customize your airbrush in the future and add the features you want.. It is very easy with the H&S as all parts are available to do so.
 
Thanks for the replies, trying them out would be ideal but i am struggling to find anyone localish to goto. Most of the advertisers seem to be hours away from me.
Squishy it sounds like you would recommend a different make? Im open to all suggestions as to what to consider.
 
Hi Smiler, personally I would recommend an Iwata Eclipse 0.35mm, either the HP-CS gravity feed or the HP-SBS side-feed. Great airbrush for beginners and will stay your work horse for backgrounds and blending etc. in your future illustrations. It's also very well built so can take some punishment, has a large self-centering nozzle so no fiddely parts to lose or cross thread. Works very well with Com-Art paints straight from the bottle so you will be able to get right down to practising your skills without having to mess with paint. Only the opaque black and white could give you some problems so start with the Transparents and you'll be having fun before you know it.

When you've got your airbrush skills under your belt you can invest in a dedicated detail airbrush. If I had to choose only 2 of my airbrushes I would keep my HP-SBS Eclipse and my Micron. Once I get above painting A4 size I use my Eclipse for blending etc. because the Micron doesn't have a wide enough spray pattern. The H&S Eclipse 2 in 1 will give you both sizes but you have only one airbrush which you have to change out. I prefer to have two dedicated airbrushes so I can change as I work.
Good luck with your decision,
Cheers Mel
 
Smiler65 said:
Hi all,
Having originally stated that I was looking at the iwata cm series or the H&S infinity AB 's, I have been doing a load of research within the forum and have come to the decision that the CM is probably not such a good idea as my first airbrush due to the cost of the spares (£120ish) if I damaged the tip and nozzle etc. .as I'm sure would be probable as being a noob and never even handling one before.
The Infinity looks really good with nearly all the features I can see available, but again after reading some info on here the features I like, mainly the ability to set the trigger travel, is not needed or a hindrance as nothing seems as good as learning to control the trigger and muscle memory.
So this brings me to the part I would like advice on. Having seen the review on the H&S evolution AL plus this looks a very good AB.
Do I really need the extra features on the Infinity.
Would the weight difference between the 2 make a difference, i.e. balance, comfort and finish of the AB.Considering I have never used an Airbrush before would it be any harder using a lighter unit.

I know I can get the spares easily enough for either, but just haven't found much info on the AL unit.
Or are you going to sling another spanner in the works and recommend something different altogether, which I am open to.

I will be heading towards fine illustration doing mainly wildlife when I'm capable. Using Com-Art paint in the beginning as this is already purchased.
Click to expand...

The Evo AL Plus is probably my overall favorite airbrush. The .2mm nozzle is pretty versatile. I prefer the weight of the aluminum body over most other brushes.
 
Thanks for the imput, i have found a supplier of both H&S and Iwata brushes about an hour away from me so ill be heading over for a trail of the various types and see what fits and feels comfortable, so hopefully i will have my AB soon and get started on the long journey of learning.
 
Sweet.. let us know how it goes... be nice to have input from noob on how they feel... nothing around me.. I went with H&S for the reasons I read about.. never got chance to have a feel before buying.
 
Wow - there's a lot of really sound, solid advice here (and no junk, neither!)

I strongly second the comments by Oddball and Squishy; consider their guidance carefully. Of course I'm a bit biased, but I also strongly advise that you consider Melbee's advice, too, and give the Iwata Eclipse a look. It's less expensive (here in the U.S., anyway) than the other's you've mentioned, and I think it's a great all-rounder with it's .35 nozzle/needle. It's robustness, versatility, and the less-fiddly compression-fit nozzle make it an ideal airbrush for someone starting out, imho.

For someone just starting out, with no prior airbrush experience, I would NOT recommend a Custom Micron. While it's a superb airbrush - certainly one of the best, possibly THE best around - it's capabilities are far beyond many experienced airbrushers, let alone a novice. It's bloody expensive, parts are costly (as you've noted), and the .23 and .18 nozzles are guaranteed to cause you hours of frustration if you aren't familiar with reducing your media/adjusting your pressures.

Best of luck to you. I hope you find an airbrush you like that works well for you!
 
Thanks Tburns,
I will consider everything that has been said and recommended, i've even wrote all the main points down to take with me when i go.
The only thing i am worried about is getting there and being shown so many different types that will only confuse me more.
 
I think you may be surprised how the shop will care for you mate. It's in their interest to give you a good talk through (and if you buy, ask for a discount) They want your business and repeat custom! Not many people (at least here in the UK) have loads of cash to splash and the shop will realise that for anyone starting out the Air Brush represents a major investment and they make most of their money on the "other" things you buy ;) If they are a reputable company they should point you towards something that will suit your needs rather than what they want to sell!
You may find they will let you try some if they have them set up.
Let us know how it goes.
Marty
 
I'll just add my recommendation to consider the Eclipse HP-CS, I use it all the time. A great all rounder, which after you get to grips with it, and dial in your paint/reducer/psi ratios can give awesome detail, as well as being useful for some larger coverage. It's great to learn on, easy to maintain, the more you use it, the more you can get out of it, and you won't outgrow it. You can move on to a more dedicated detail brush later. I would love a micron myself, but would need to get a mortgage Lol. Anyway if you want to see what kind of detail it can do, check my signature and have a look at my FB page for an idea - and bear in mind an expert will get more out of it than I can. It may give you a rough idea anyway.
 
Thanks Squishy,have watched and read several reviews on that model and it is on the list of potentials, i had thought i had narrowed my choices down, but now i will wait till i go to the suppliers and make a decision then.
I would just like to say that your art work is stunning on your face book site, the eagle on the tank for me is the type of art i hope to be able to do eventually, love wildlife, where all those done with the eclipse?
 
Thanks Smiler, that's really kind of you to say. :) Everything on that page is done with the Eclipse and Wicked paint, and I'm no where near the level of a lot of guys around here, so in the hands of an expert I know the brush will perform even better. Once you get to grips with technique, mixing ratios etc, the better you get, the more you can get out of it. For super fine detail then the micron will blow it away, but if I ever get one, I think I would use it for the really detailed parts, alongside the eclipse, as I can't see myself without it. But that's probably just because I am so used to it.
 
Well I have finally got my airbrush.
After being messed about with my first purchase I ordered from somewhere else and this morning it was delivered.
Done a quick review of the supplier in the retailers section of the forum.

Anyway I am now the proud owner of my first airbrush, the evolution Al plus:)
What a nice piece of engineering, very light and so smooth to operate,obviously I cant compare to anything else but must say I love the look and feel and it fits my hand beautifully.

All I've go to to do now is get practising and enjoy myself.
Thanks for your imput:) and dare say I'll be looking for some more shortly.

Smiler
 
That's my favorite brush personally. It's just a joy to use and it's great for fine detail.
 
I would probably go with the eclipse to start, it's pretty bomb proof... as mentioned is versatile with the 0.35 allowing both background and fairly tight detail once you get your control under errrrrr control, then if money isn't to big of an issue upgrade to the micron or infinity at a later date
 
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