airbrush brands

I'm somewhat new to a/b and I've been using a master a/b and becoming very frustrated with the outcome.I've had my eye on an iwata hp-cs,how much of a difference do I expect if any in quality of work so long as I practice?heard nothing but good things about iwata so I thought I'd give it a shot.can't be any worse than a master a/b right?
Airbrushing with good equipment can be frustrating. It has a pretty big learning curve for control and techniques. The techniques can be learned here, but the muscle memory is something that just takes time. Master airbrushes are pretty hit and miss from what I've read around here, never owned one personally. I have two Iwata's already with an Eclipse CS on the way, I really doubt you'd regret getting one, they are the most recommended brush on this forum with the next being the Micron.
 
I've had a chines brush, two in fact, now the proud owner of an Iwata arsenal.. no you wont regret buying something better than the chinese one.
 
Im just getting back into it after a long lay off Iwata has alot more stuff,now then last time i was painting,but i have had at that time all the other formentioned airbrushes mentioned in my last post,before i got the Iwata eclipes bcs,and it was so much better,shot thick paint great,and the control was so much better,and the constrution was supior,I just got the paashe talon ts in hopes it would do,what my past Iwata eclcipes were like,and its not close,its not bad,but not a Iwata,i myself just noticed the Iwata Neo line,and there a less exspensive line of Iwata,i just dont know how they would shoot tshirt paint,but just my opion which aint much:), Iwata makes the best airbrushes ive ever used.
 
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You might try buying a better paint first if you want a cheap fix for frustration. Using createx regular paint for detail is about as fun as rolling in poison ivy. Don't go cheap on a decent brush or you'll hate yourself for wasting the money. You'll never regret the Iwata eclipse. Then you have your backup master for general shading and such. If you spend the $ on the Iwata now, your learning experience will be more fun, way faster, and your art will come out better. It might be the difference between continuing to airbrush or quitting in frustration. Was me for
 
Ditto Cpt.Nemo's words re paint. regular createx is for large nozzles and highpressure, and designed for fabric. Although you can use it on other things, you're just fighting an unnecessary battle. Get the good stuff.
 
Besides for a new gun,what would be appropriate paint to purchase other than createx to improve my abilities at a/b ing
 
Wicked colors are cheap and I get good detail with them. I hear their detail colors (which are transparents) are good too those are the only ones I've used but I get tiny hair detail with wickeds. They're about as cheap as I'll go anymore cause of the frustration factor
 
Besides for a new gun,what would be appropriate paint to purchase other than createx to improve my abilities at a/b ing
Com art. Createx illustration, etac, and many others. Com art is a very newbie friendly paint, it dont get any simpler than paint and thin with water. Now you wont use it on automotive, but for paper and board its pretty good.
 
Iwata hp cs with standard .35 needle and wicked paints on a t shirt. I could get a lot better detail on a different surface, honestly could get better on a shirt if i really tried, 20150613_193607.jpgand thos would be easier using a paint like com art. To be honest the paint change alone would ease some of your frustration. And then an iwata eclipse gravity or bottle would be a great work horse you will never outgrow. My next airbrush will be a micron. Maybe an olympos micron. But no way it would be my only airbrush. Ill never be without a .35 and really want a .5 as well
 
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Depends what kind of painting you want to do. Wicked is a great all round paint that is good for virtually any surface, incuding fabrics, leather, automotive etc. I use Wicked, and until recently only had an eclipse HP-CS, and I love the flow. Having said that, you do need the brand reducer (it doesn't reduce with water), but apart from thinning the paint, it does have other properties that make it well worth using. It is a paint that you have to get to know a bit (I guess that is the same with many paint brands, but some people don't get on too well), I find I can use it through my Custom micron just fine. If you are only going to be doing fine art, then a more specific paint like Com-art, Createx illustration or E'tac may suit better, and as mentioned, Com art works well with water.
 
The wicked reducer is pretty expensive in my opinion. I save that for extreme detail and use that Jason jones home made airbrush reducer recipe found online for other stuff and it works pretty good. There might be mixed feelings about it and there have been posts regarding it here. For my purposes it does the job nicely and it's a few cents a quart instead of $20 haha.
 
I found an iwata hp-c on Amazon for 88 bucks,they claim it's a true iwata,is there any way to tell if it's a knockoff or just take a chance?should I go to coast a/b or somewhere else?
 
I found an iwata hp-c on Amazon for 88 bucks,they claim it's a true iwata,is there any way to tell if it's a knockoff or just take a chance?should I go to coast a/b or somewhere else?

I generally believe that with anything I buy, online or otherwise, there's real value in buying as close to home as possible. When you buy from the store in your nearest town you can take the item back, better still you can have a close look at it before purchase and ask questions. That time spent in the shop and the info you receive from the seller is worth more than the price saved by buying online or from overseas. You just might find a less popular brand with better features for less after closer inspection.

If you have to buy online then stick to a reputable dealer, they are more likely to help you out when things go wrong from browsing and questions, checkout to your door and beyond.
Again, the extra paid is well worth it and they deserve and need it to provide that extra service to you whether you need/use it or not.

We all have a budget to stick to I know but buy the best quality you can afford from the best retailer you can. Yes, the price may be more but keep in mind the extra value you are receiving, it's worth it.
 
So I finally broke down and purchased an iwata hp-cs.I hope I get a better outcome than I do with my master g22.I was just getting so frustrated that I didn't even want to practice anymore,so hopefully this will help a bit.What do you guys think?
 
at least with better tools you can reasonably expect a more consistent outcome. sure, you'll still suffer tip dry, clogged nozzles etc but with proper care and maintenance it should make things easier for you, I know it did for me. I knew within half an hour of my first load of paint (in the chinese brushes)that I would enjoy airbrushing, never had expectations on having any talent but that cant be blamed on the equipment LOL.
 
That's great! Congrats man! You won't regret that purchase. Tip dry is one of the most frustrating things. Using white paint especially, even good white It happens to me a LOT! Following the tip dry suggestion video on AirbrushTutor
http://www.airbrushtutor.com/blog/86-combatting-tip-dry
make yourself one of these
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And flick your brush tip through it every now and then. When I'm doing detail work with white I do it about every 30 seconds. So much faster easier than a paper towel. I removed my tip guard too because it's a pain having it on. Only put it on when storing or traveling with my brush. Tooth brush has been a miracle tool for me haha
 
You will love that brush! Just make sure you give it some good paint, keep that nozzle spotless and it will be a long lasting love affair.

My 2 cents about the wicked reducer, the other properties it has apart from just thinning the paint, make it well worth the money IMO, (and when it comes to spending money, every penny counts and I am tighter than a ducks arse) and is particularly good for automotive. When you get to know it and find that sweet air/reducer/paint ratio, even with white tip dry is negligible, and I only have to clean the tip every 15 mins or so, if that. Having said that, I haven't tried all of the home made recipes so there may be a good one out there. For me though, the reducer does everything it says it does and works perfectly, so is worth the money. If you buy a big bottle it doesn't actually work out too expensive, even for a penny pincher like me lol
 
Maybe there's something wrong with my needle tip then if you're only getting tip dry every 15 min... Even with the wicked paint an reducer it's every minute or two and I've tried a multitude of paint/reducer/psi combinations. The James jones home made recipe has been great for practice works, I would hate to waste good reducer on that. But Ill definitely use wicked for good work and tiny detail. Once I feel I can actually come up with something decent :p
 
Maybe there's something wrong with my needle tip then if you're only getting tip dry every 15 min... Even with the wicked paint an reducer it's every minute or two and I've tried a multitude of paint/reducer/psi combinations. The James jones home made recipe has been great for practice works, I would hate to waste good reducer on that. But Ill definitely use wicked for good work and tiny detail. Once I feel I can actually come up with something decent :p
Well that depends on how far you reduce... With wicked I start at 50 50 . Also humidity levels where you live are enough to affect paint properties. As for reducer a BIG bottle IE a quart will go a long long way and becomes pretty cheap. I have looked into buying Butoxy Ethanol straight up and making my own, but its just not worth the effort. (wicked reducer is 24 percent of this) so basically it is 24% butoxy Ethanol a mild surfacant and distilled water. if you REALLY are intent on homebrew. that keeps all the other impurities out of your paint.
 
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