The Battle Barn

I think at some point in our hobby career, everyone entertains the notion of adding an airbrush to their painting tools. We've all seen pictures of amazing works of art that people are able to produce with such a tool, and think to ourselves 'Hey, I could do that too!' That first step, however, is far more dangerous than it looks. While there is tons of information scattered throughout the web on what to buy, where to buy it, how to do it, and other issues, I've rarely found it in grouped together. There seems to be no 'How to Learn' type of report out there for all those looking to get into it.

Thus, the purpose of this blog is now revealed. My name's Brian, and I am learning how to use an airbrush to hopefully produce better painted miniatures and armies than I've done in the past. I've never used an airbrush before, and I hope to record my trials and errors in an effort to possibly help others out there who take the same step that I am about to undertake. While at some point I will actually work on creating an army, for the time being the blog will consist the tips and tricks of the trade that I learn as I slowly develop my skills. With all that being said, let's dive right into things as I show you how I've acquired the tools and work space for this new endeavor.

Day 1: Buying the compressor, airbrush and tools

The first step in learning how to airbrush is obviously acquiring an airbrush and compressor. I looked over dozens of threads spread across a half dozen forums in search of information on what to get. Something with a tank was stated as an almost requirement, as well as reccomendations to stay away from Home Depot and Lowe's style ones. Having heard about the amazing deals that could be found on eBay, I directed my search there and discovered this company: http://stores.ebay.com/AplusChoice

I found one of their items that had the compressor, as well as a dual-action airbrush for less than $150. It seemed one of the better deals on there, so I went ahead and purchased it. Free shipping, along with UPS as the shipper found the item at my door quickly, and I wasted no time in unboxing it and hooking it up. The airbrush is obviously a knock off, but it seemed well manufactured and very similar to an Iwaata or Badger model. With the airbrush and compressor now in hand, what was needed next is a workspace. Something well ventilated, and away from items that don't need paint fingerprints and such on them. Luckily, an unfinished room in my basement was the perfect location.



With a location now ready, more tools would be needed. In no order of preference, here's a list of what I figured should be purchased before starting out:
Drop cloth to go over the table
Some type of spray booth to contain the paint
Bottles to mix paint and hold cleaning supplies, thinner, etc...
Something to thin the paint down with
Brushes to clean the airbrush with
An airbrush cleaning bottle
Some sort of mask for mouth and nose ventilation
A quick release valve for the airbrush

So where to pick up such tools? A quick browsing of the internet led me to my first stop of the day: http://www.harborfreight.com/ I was able to pick up some cleaning brushes, as well as the airbrush cleaning bottle for barely $20. The cleaning bottle was listed as $20 at many other places, so I thought that was a steal. They also had a nice painter's tarp available, as well as some cheap face masks. I promptly snagged them up. One store and half my shopping was already done!



Next I need something to thin the paint down with. Anyone know Brandon from http://www.gmmstudios.com/? I have the pleasure to say that I do and have always been amazed with the quality of work that he does. It was primarily his armies that made me want to learn how to use an airbrush. I had recently received his The 7 Day Army Painter dvd collection, which has a ton of great information within it, as well as some amazing videos of airbrushing in progress. One tip I picked up, was how to thin your paints down. Which meant I needed some alcohol. Not the good drinking kind sadly, but the medicinal quality kind.



A quick stop off at Walgreen's picked me up these, and another item on my checklist was taken care of.

The last few items I wanted were some bottles for for the thinner and paint, as well as a quick release valve for the airbrush. I had a feeling Hobby Lobby would have these. Not only that, but their handy 40% off coupon is always nice to have when buying supplies. Although I had no idea what size quick release adapter I needed, apparently the one they had in stock was exactly what I needed. It was about $17, but my 40% coupon dropped it down nicely. Found some small bottles on clearance and a larger one for cleaning solution, and I was good to go!



With all my supplies in hand, I headed home to set things up. At some point, I want a real spray booth to use for the airbrush. I've seen the ones for sale, but another tip from GMM studios was a quick explanation on how to buy your own. Some 2x4's, a bit of plywood and a bathroom ventilation fan combined with a furnace filter and you've got all you need. For the moment though, a simple cardboard box to keep the paint contained is all I have available.



With everything now set up, I can begin to utilize my airbrush! My practicing will have to wait for another day though. I'll put together some test models and start trying some techniques and see what I can come up with.