I finally got it and after many months of experimentng with model color and model air. I have gotten lots of advise, and dozens of videos I think I have cracked the code for spraying with these paints give these tips a try and see if they work for you.
GOOD P.S.I Is a must 20 to 30 (I use 25)
Dont Thin with thinner! I know it sounds strange but if you want to spray model color ( the white capped ones) you need to thin it with flow improver and only that, Model air sprays righth out of the bottle I never have had to thin them , just add a couple of drops of flow improver to prevent tip drying.
The ratio , well I put my flow improver in first filling it to the tip right before your paint cup starts to get larger on the bottom or fill to the tip of the cup if that helps, Then I add about a dozen drops of Model color then stir and Im ready to paint so I would say I have about a 50/50 ratio maybe slightly less
DO NOT USE OTHER PRODUCTS TO THIN as stated above using only flow improver is the key to getting a good airbrushable paint.
Primer, We all have our favorites I use stynelrez it works wonderfully and Its easy for me to get since my hobby store keeps it in good supply I have sprayed a few spoons without primer and it comes out just fine But these paints scratch very easy without primer.
finally you must ably a clear coat after you paint otherwise your paintjob will scratch everytime you handle your model
I hope these tips will help get you going with Vellejo Paints I have learned to love them after ALOT of practice.
Cool, thx!
I have Model Color, but I’ve never airbrushed with them before. Can you use water to clean out the AB between paints and/or when you’re all done?
I use Windex between colors. Buy it in a gallon bottle, pour into a ketchup dispenser squeeze bottle. Spray a cup and I’m good to go. I may finish with a spritz of tap water.
While you’re looking at acrylic paint alternates, Reaper MSP Core colors are similar to Model Color and spray well when treated the same as Model Color. If you don’t mind fantasy names. Another name to look for is Scale Colors. Acrylics, good color matches particularly to WWII naval colors. Jeff Herne, the owner, used to be an editor here at FSM. I’ve also played around with some Scale75. Good but not my go-to.
I am going to try other primers. the badger primer is for me easily avialable so thats what I use, I have tried the vallojo primer and in my opinion it sux if you never used model air then give it a try you will be happy with the results
I like Vallejo and can spray any of their products without any problems with the proper mix. My issue with them is they have a tendency to lift after masking. They’re still one of my go to’s but I’m really liking Mission Models for acrylics nowadays. I didn’t care for them at first but once you get to know them the more you like them. No lifting and spray just fine with and AB. Water clean up as well.
This is kinda asking my last question about acylics, what is the bonding time how long should i wait for differant coats, I have been leting my models dry for as much as 5 days before touching them agian
I can usually touch my acrylics after an hour (not roughly). I won’t mask for at least 12 hours but usually I’ll let them dry for 24 before doing anything else to them. One of the reasions I have more than one build going at a time.
I have a set of 4 or 5 squeeze bottles from Walmart I mix my thinners and cleaners in for acrylic paints… They’re 3oz bottles with different colored caps. Cheap, been using them for years now…
