Fine dots and lines

F

Fish_spray

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I'm working on painting a fishing lure in style of a realistic brook trout. This species of trout has both fine spots and vermiculations (small squiggly lines). My working surface is relatively smooth but already has multiple (cured) layers of paint. The issue I'm having is that every time I try to do spots or vermiculations the paint spider webs little drops out from the center and it has completely ruined my trout. How do I eliminate this spider webbing? I'm thinning my createx with 4012 reducer. I've tried high and low pressure, just cant seem to get any results, if I spray light enough to eliminate runs/spider webbing the paint is so faint I cant see the spots. Any help is greatly appreciated
 
Fish_spray said:
I'm working on painting a fishing lure in style of a realistic brook trout. This species of trout has both fine spots and vermiculations (small squiggly lines). My working surface is relatively smooth but already has multiple (cured) layers of paint. The issue I'm having is that every time I try to do spots or vermiculations the paint spider webs little drops out from the center and it has completely ruined my trout. How do I eliminate this spider webbing? I'm thinning my createx with 4012 reducer. I've tried high and low pressure, just cant seem to get any results, if I spray light enough to eliminate runs/spider webbing the paint is so faint I cant see the spots. Any help is greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

Only answer is practice.
You'll need to experiment with different reduction,pressure and develop your trigger control.
A limiter can help train you with that part.
It will mostly come down to reduction ratio, pressure and your brush though.


You'll need to make sure your brush is at it's best and is as responsive as it can be.

Practice on glass, picture frame works well.

If thats too frustrating try mastering poster board first.
 
Hmm, I figured I'd get an answer like this, I had hoped I was just overlooking something simple. I've been using both my badger 155 w #2 tip and HP-C with an extremely fine tip (not sure on dimensions). The 155 seems to actually be easier to control but throws more paint. The HP-C seems to be continuously clogging and that is killing my control. Noob issues I guess
 
Fish_spray said:
Hmm, I figured I'd get an answer like this, I had hoped I was just overlooking something simple. I've been using both my badger 155 w #2 tip and HP-C with an extremely fine tip (not sure on dimensions). The 155 seems to actually be easier to control but throws more paint. The HP-C seems to be continuously clogging and that is killing my control. Noob issues I guess
Click to expand...
Hmm, the hpc should be relatively easy.
I would try 1:3 or 1:4 . Paint to reducer at about 15-20 psi.

My feeling is your running your paint thick..... This causes a delay in paint initiation, seems like clogging but really it's just struggling to push it out so by the time it comes out it's already throwing too much paint.
 
That sounds reasonable, I'm mixing closer to 1:1 so its probably too much for the finer tip on the HP-C.
 
If you are using an HP-C they come with a .2 as standard, the Eclipse HP-CS comes as a .35 and an optional.5 kit.

Learning with a .2 will frustrate you, as said above, correct reduction and pressure are critical if you want to avoid spidering.
As also said above, practise is essential, an airbrush isn’t something you master overnight.
You haven’t said what paint you are using, but if you are using ‘hobby paint’, then I doubt you will get it through the .2 regardless of how much you reduce it, you can’t reduce the pigment size (of any paint) you can only thin the paint to reduce the number of pigment ‘pieces’ going through the nozzle at any one time and minimizing the chance of clogging. The more you reduce the more passes you need to achieve full coverage of the colour

It’s quite common to have reductions as high as 1:20 (paint:reducer)
 
I'm using createx paints. Mostly the opaque line. I have started buying wicked, but dont have a full range of colors for that yet.
 
Createx ‘airbrush colors’ or ‘illustration opaque’ ?
Airbrush colors are designed for textiles, a .5 needle and 60psi

Even the ‘illustration opaque’ line will need higher reduction than 1:1 in a .2 needle
 
Probably the standard airbrush colors line, but I'll look when I get home from work. I'm getting frustrated at all of the useless garbage products sold as being designed for airbrush use. Do you have a line of paints to suggest that would be a better product for what I need?
 
Createx is pretty tough to learn on. Trust me I went down that road. Especially if you’re trying any kind of detail.
I had pretty good luck with some lures scuffing then down and using either a spray can primer made for plastic or auto air sealer white, then finishing them with wicked. The wicked sprayed 100 times better than the Createx.
If you need to spray them before you get to practice your dots and shading I had bought stickers that were stencils for painting eyes and I used the negative of the stickers to do spots and then it’s easier to do lighter coats
E8833AE9-D3B5-4A7C-BB96-E57FA01B8598.jpeg
 
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This may help til you get home, the airbrush colors have the flip top, only the illustration range have the twist tops.
ACD5547C-4BB7-4075-941D-E621F5879351.jpeg

It’s not that the ‘airbrush colors’ are rubbish but you may not have read the label properly, or are not using it as per manufacturer recommendations.

Many of us have been caught out by not reading the instructions or researching adequately. Can I respectfully suggest you ask here before spending more hard earned $$
I know it would have save me $$ if I had found this place earlier :)
 
I have no qualms about saving money. I appreciate the help. So are you saying I need the createx illustration colors instead? How about createx illustration vs Wicked?
 
Hp-c is a .3
That's why I said it should be relatively easy to work with.

Though it would still struggle a bit with createx colors.

Wicked is probably going to be your go to for your application.
 
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Disclaimer about my HP-C. I truly don't have a clue what size nozzle is. I replaced the nozzle when I broke the threads off (rookie move) and the one that came is a smaller diameter hole than the previous nozzle. However, the previous nozzle allowed the needle to protrude past the end of the air cap, which leads me to think that the nozzle that came with it (that I broke) was mis matched with the needle to begin with. But, I honestly don't know and don't have any means to measure anything that tiny
 
Fish_spray said:
Disclaimer about my HP-C. I truly don't have a clue what size nozzle is. I replaced the nozzle when I broke the threads off (rookie move) and the one that came is a smaller diameter hole than the previous nozzle. However, the previous nozzle allowed the needle to protrude past the end of the air cap, which leads me to think that the nozzle that came with it (that I broke) was mis matched with the needle to begin with. But, I honestly don't know and don't have any means to measure anything that tiny
Click to expand...
That's ok, the measurements half the time have nothing to do with reality anyhow.
Eg.
Iwata
.18=.355 actual
.2= .270 actual

Generic chinese .3 =.325 actual



Chances are the first one was wore out and if the new one is for an hp-c then it's whatever they are calling .3
 
If you have the High Performance Airbrush then keep in mind that the HPC needle is different to the HPC PLUS needle.
Sounds like you bought a used brush ?
 
JackEb said:
If you have the High Performance Airbrush then keep in mind that the HPC needle is different to the HPC PLUS needle.
Sounds like you bought a used brush ?
Click to expand...
:D:whistling: both the c and c+ use the same i-075-3 needle

Threads of the nozzle are different though
 
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