Cheap paint for beginner

[Quarinteen]

The title is misleading sorry. I don't need cheap paint I purchased cheap paint at the link below. My question is how damn cheap is this stuff? It says airbrush ready so I assumed I didn't need thinner. If I walk away to go to the bathroom the stuff dries up and I'm cleaning the airbrush for the next 30 minutes. It even dried up and clogged the airbrush as I was spraying it. So is it me, the air brush (another cheapy master brand from Amazon) the cheap paint, the PSI level (around 20)?

Should I still dilute it? I cannot spray a reliable line it's dark then light then fat then skinny and I promise I am not all over the place with the lever to the flow control. Frustrating!

 

[Ronald art]

you forgot to put the link in , but a paint that dries up in the cup while you are painting is no good

 

[DaveG]

OK, first welcome to the forum.

I have some experience with cheaper brushes, and some of them can be quite good using some basic skills - more on this later.

Now, about the paint. I will tell you right now - learning to use an airbrush can be frustrating enough on it's own, that introducing possible sources of frustration, or uncertainty should be avoided. We are already starting on uncertain footing with the inexpensive import, so lets not tempt fate by using cheap paint too . I recommend getting some proper paint, and proceeding from there. Even if it is a single bottle, at least it will give you a known entity to begin with. Here, I recommend Com-art colors. They are generally pretty easy to use right from the bottle, without the need to reduce or thin with other substances - if thinning is required - water will suffice.
Full sets can be had from Coast Airbrush for as little as $18.00 right now - http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=137

Now, about the bursh, I won't just write off on that just yet, as I have lots of experience with some inexpensive imports. I have started compiling some of my findings on a FB page that I have been working on. Please feel free to check it out to see if there is any info there that may help. You can go the the "photo's" tab, then "albums" and "show all" to expose some of the pieces I have put together thus far - make sure to click on the photo's in the albums to read any info that may be attached to them... https://www.facebook.com/pg/davegs.airbrush.exploration

 

[markjthomson]

Hi @Quarinteen - some good info there for you to start,. How about you go over tho the intro section and say i properly? Much politer way to start your time here at OAF. What part of the world are you in? What do you paint? What lead you to ABing?

Cheers Mark

 

[Quarinteen]

Sorry here is the link. Yeah it dries up. Not sure if im putting enough in maybe? All videos I see say only a few drops.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045LKNAM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Quarinteen]

Hi @Quarinteen - some good info there for you to start,. How about you go over tho the intro section and say i properly? Much politer way to start your time here at OAF. What part of the world are you in? What do you paint? What lead you to ABing?

Cheers Mark

Sorry not trying to be rude. I am in Vegas. I decided to take up the airbrush well because i was bored I guess . I have always been good with a pensil and a tattoo machine so I figured why not. Its not a bad transition at least from a tattoo machine. A little heavier than what I am used to but I get the concept. Thank you everyone for your replies.

 

[Quarinteen]

OK, first welcome to the forum.

I have some experience with cheaper brushes, and some of them can be quite good using some basic skills - more on this later.

Now, about the paint. I will tell you right now - learning to use an airbrush can be frustrating enough on it's own, that introducing possible sources of frustration, or uncertainty should be avoided. We are already starting on uncertain footing with the inexpensive import, so lets not tempt fate by using cheap paint too . I recommend getting some proper paint, and proceeding from there. Even if it is a single bottle, at least it will give you a known entity to begin with. Here, I recommend Com-art colors. They are generally pretty easy to use right from the bottle, without the need to reduce or thin with other substances - if thinning is required - water will suffice.
Full sets can be had from Coast Airbrush for as little as $18.00 right now - http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=137

Now, about the bursh, I won't just write off on that just yet, as I have lots of experience with some inexpensive imports. I have started compiling some of my findings on a FB page that I have been working on. Please feel free to check it out to see if there is any info there that may help. You can go the the "photo's" tab, then "albums" and "show all" to expose some of the pieces I have put together thus far - make sure to click on the photo's in the albums to read any info that may be attached to them... https://www.facebook.com/pg/davegs.airbrush.exploration

Thank you so much for the info. I will take your suggestions. I will also check your FB page out when I get home. Another question how decent is the Hobby Lobby Paint?

 

[markjthomson]

Thank you so much for the info. I will take your suggestions. I will also check your FB page out when I get home. Another question how decent is the Hobby Lobby Paint?

It is probably a generic paint. If it doesn't state "suitable for airbrush" or something similar don't bother with it. Com-Art or Golden High flow (waterbased acrylics) are good high quality products as well as the createx range. for the amount of paint an airbrush uses skimping on paint is a waste of time.

 

[DaveG]

Thank you so much for the info. I will take your suggestions. I will also check your FB page out when I get home. Another question how decent is the Hobby Lobby Paint?

Ditto what Mark said about it probably being a generic acrylic paint and branded - the problem here will be with the need to reduce the paint to the proper consistency to spray successfully through the airbrush. Many paints that are not originally formulated for spraying tend to have larger pigment particles, and this can become an issue with clogging in the brush. The idea with at least starting with an airbrush specific paint is to allow you to find out how the brush it supposed to work - so, that if in the future you try other paints, you will have a baseline to compare with, instead of just experimenting, and hoping things work. As stated earlier - even if you purchase just one bottle of paint specifically designed for airbrushing, you will be ahead of the game.

Just another note here - many paints are airbrush compatible, and many state "ready for use", when in reality they too need proper reduction to work in a brush. Many, like Createx, while being excellent paint, require proprietary thinners, and reducers to function properly, and may be left for experimentation down the road, once you have a grasp on the basics of working with the brush. The easiest to start with that I can think of is the Com-art, followed by the Golden High Flow mentioned above - both will work properly out of the brush with just water if the need should arise...

 

[Mr.Micron]

Sorry not trying to be rude. I am in Vegas. I decided to take up the airbrush well because i was bored I guess . I have always been good with a pensil and a tattoo machine so I figured why not. Its not a bad transition at least from a tattoo machine. A little heavier than what I am used to but I get the concept. Thank you everyone for your replies.

That is Badger airbrush brand of paint.. It is however designed for textiles but is great to learn with .
So like Iwata has Com-art some airbrush makers have their own paint .
Ken Badger is a member here to boot and the owner of Badger Airbrush .

 

[Jurien72]

Yeah I have some SpecrtaTex paint and it seems to work just fine for me... then again I only have black. Is there a particular color you're having problems with, or is it all of them?

 

[Airbrush Dreams]

I sprayed spectra Tex once befor and it sprayed fairly decent. I was Testament g a Badger Krome with their white and a .20 needle thinned with a little water. Like any other Acrylic water based paint the paint dried to the sides of the Cup while brushing and of course there was tip dry. If it is drying inside the nozzle than you most likely have leaking seals on the brush. As for all paints I have used, they all dry like I mentioned and when I say every I mean every. The only paints that don't were the Urethane paints. This paint works best in a larger needle nozzle situation like a .5mm set up. I have also seen some mighty fine T-shirts done posted on Badger's site. If you bought it from a store it may be possible it was there for a few years on the shelf and you just got some that was becoming unstable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
http://fredaw61.wixsite.com/the-artist

 

[jord001]

I have a load of Specra-Tex and it works just fine through my HP-b and other airbrushes (not tried it through the micron). I do thin it with reducer though. I've used home made reducer, water, createx reducer and also reducer for trident paints, all seem to work well. The usual mix of about 3 or 4 to 1 to start with, sometimes less sometimes more depending on the colour and how warm or cold it is. Try that reduction, it is pretty good paint. and i buy some every year at a show (KKBO) i go to if Ken and the badger stall is there.

Lee

 

[basepaint]

I would say reduce with water or reducer and up your pressure due to type of paint the paint is great paint for what its for (textiles,Tshirts) also being your in a hot area of the country the paint will dry faster due to it being a dry type heat you could use a humidifier in the area you paint in and that may help as it adds moisture to the air.