I created this article many moons ago and a YouTube video (see link). I am hoping this article can help other fellow modelers learn how to airbrush Vallejo Model Air paints. https://youtu.be/OYyfKPouFCQ
Quick background on me. I started airbrushing at around age 9 and fell in love with it. I am an airbrushing nut (currently have close to 50 airbrushes) and worked as a professional airbrush artist for printing company for many years. I then took my experience airbrushing in the private sector to airbrushing scale models. After working with enamel and lacquers for many years, I have lost my sense of sense. Decided I can’t keep going like this and switched to acrylics. Started with Vallejo and hated them at first. No matter what I did, I could not get them to work right. Main problem was tip drying and that can ruin model. I tried several recommendations from fellow modelers, from Vallejo, etc. Nothing worked at all! After about 15 seconds I would get tip dry. It was just so frustrating. I got rid of them immediately the first time. Due to health concerns, living with pets, and roommates, I decided to give them another try and find a solution.
Vallejo has some good things going for it: very little to no smell, easily available, comes in sets you don’t have to buy individual bottles ( i think they were the first major company to do this), and a fantastic range of colors. So I started to do some tests and found a mixture for airbrushing Vallejo paint and is going to give you great results!
What you need:
-Vallejo thinner
-Vallejo flow improver
-Vallejo retarder
The formula is 90% liquid (Vallejo thinner + Vallejo Flow Improver) and 10% Goo (vallejo retarder)
I use an empty Vallejo 17 ml bottle for this purpose. The liquid portion needs to be: 70% flow improver, 30% thinner. Then add in 10% retarder. Then shake the hell out of the bottle.
For airbrushing, I use either a 50/50 (paint to thinner) or 60/40 (paint to thinner) start with 20 PSI. I prefer to use smaller needle/nozzle setup, .2mm or .3mm. I use the backflushing technique to mix the paint within the cup. Btw, this is a starting point and you adjust as needed for your needs….for example: more thinner and lower air pressure for mottling purposes.
I recommend adding the thinner mixture into your airbrush first! It helps lube the airbrush needle. Also, a little goes a long way. For this example, I added in 5 drops thinner to 6 drops paint. I had so much paint leftover even after the sheet and the test piece.
As you can see from the pictures, I can get fine lines with no tip drying issues. I sprayed on that white sheet for about 5 mins no issues at all. Coverage is great…but YOU MUST USE A PRIMER. Acrylics need primers or they will easily come off. Hopefully the pictures show the wonderful results you can get from Vallejo.
Hope this helps! If you have any questions, let me know.
PS: All models shown are airbrushed with Vallejo Acrylics
That’s what I am doing too. Great results all around. Tip here: this formula works over Krylon Primer too! Oh! and Rusteoleum Dove Grey Primer as well!
Ahoy FalconFan. I’ve had mixed luck with Vallejo but could never get it quite right. Especially the dry-nozzle issue. However, the other day, I mixed up a batch of your magic elixer and it worked great. I’m going to do some more experimenting, but this stuff opens up a very wide range of colors that aren’t available anywhere else.
I recently tried Vallejo paints and this is how I thinned them for airbrushing. Maybe an extra drop or two of flow improver, but this was the starting point.
What about the other brands than Vallejo that you mention in the thread title?
Also, based on the title, I wanted to note that “acrylic” doesn’t mean “water-based”. It refers to the chemical formula of the binders used in the paint. There are water-soluable acrylic binders, alcohol-based (whether isopropyl or others) acrylic binders, lacquer-based acrylic binders, and probably others I can’t remember off the top of my head. There were even Pactra’s acrylic enamels, back in the day. It’s important to consider when considering thinners to use, for example.
For better and more consistent results, try the mixture I recommend. Especially if you paint for lenghty periods of time. It will change your airbrushing performance with acrylics.
Sorry for the belated reply. You are correct, acrylic is an encompassing term. I should have been more clear and stated Water Based acrylics only. This formula does not work on acrylic-lacquers like Tamiya or AK real colors.
This formula also works on Acrylic (polyurethane based) primers. You can get much better airbrushing results from Vallejo primers and Badger Stylynez primers with this formula. The ration for primers is 70/30, 70% primers to 30% thinner mixture.
That is interesting to learn. I never used it on Krylon Primers. But I do use the thinner mixture with Vallejo and Badger primers. It really makes airbrushing them a breeze and it also makes them more “sand-able”. Good to know it works on other brands as well.
Good to hear it is working for you! Good luck with the experimenting. This formula works on all water-based acrylics. But not on acrylic-lacquers like Tamiya or AK real colors. The formula also works on acrylic polyurethane primers like Vallejo and Badger stynylez. The ration for primers is 70/30, 70% primer to 30% thinner mixture. It makes the primer airbrush better, leaves nice finish, and is sandable in 30-40 minutes.
No sweat, and I realize I should have been clearer. I didn’t mean it as a criticism to you, but to make sure the audience was aware of the difference. So many folks don’t realize it. It is true that “acrylic” has come to mean “water-based” to many, because their only experience with acrylics is water-based paints.
In the latest issue of FSM, the first article consists of questions about painting, and responses from the FSM staff. Conspicuous by its omission, there is no discussion of what acrylic means, and that seems to be among the top ten questions people ask.
The thinner mixture works on Vallejo Model color as well. I also have a video on thinning Vallejo Model color. For Vallejo Model Color you have to thin more…the pigment concentration in Model Color is much more. In my recent video, I use Vallejo Model Color airbrushed on my 1/72 Hobbycraft banshee.
Here is the video on the Model Color thinning ratios
You can use the mixture formula with Model Color. But the thinning ration is different. Because Model Color has a much high pigment concentration, my thinning recommendation is 80/20 thinner to paint. I also have a video on my channel about airbrushing Vallejo Model color.