Airbrush Paint - Reducer or Medium

[Ed Weingarden]

I've just started to use airbrushing on some of my turnings. I made the incorrect presumption that paint labeled as airbrush paint could be used straight out of the bottle. On my first attempt, it only took minutes for the airbrush (Grex) to stop spraying due to blockage from the paint. I had bought a bottle of airbrush medium; my understanding was that paints not specifically labeled for airbrushing can be mixed with the medium for use in the airbrush. I've subsequently watched a number of Youtubes and saw that the common diluent used is a reducer. So my question is...should I be using a reducer instead of the medium to dilute the paint, or, does it not make a difference? Thanks.

 

[John Torchick]

Good question, will watch.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

I used medium once to thin some pearl white airbrush paint that was to thick. I normally use golden high flow paints that work out of the bottle without thinning. They did not make a pearl white that has some sparkle in it so i had to buy the createx brand that is super thick.

 

[Ed Weingarden]

That's what it was for me...Createx.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

Get some better paints. I have had good dealings with Jerry's artarama. There prices seem good and they ship fast. I used goldens medium if that helps.

 

[john lucas]

I use a reduced er to thin paints that arent Grex or golden. I have learned that's it's just a pain to use paints that need to be thinned. I'm doing better at getting the right consistency but it's just so.much easier to use the good quality paints. At first I tried making my own reducer. That was a waste of time and money. Commercial reducers work so much better.

 

[Ed Weingarden]

@Chris Lawrence - what is the ratio of paint : medium that you use?

 

[Chris Lawrence]

I was able to get that createx paint to flow out of a .2 tip with a 2 parts medium to 1 part paint. They recommend a 1 to 1 but that didn't work. They say to use 1 part water and 1 part medium for thick paint but everywhere else i read that does not work to well. I know you spent money on that createx paint but if you got high quality paint like goldens or grex it would make your experience so much more enjoyable. With a gravity feed brush you don't need much paint at a time. The small bottles will last a long time. When i airbrush i am only putting 4 or 5 drops in at a time. If i only need to do a little touchup i might only put 1 or 2 drops.

 

[john lucas]

There isnt really a ratio. They say to mix it until.it the thickness of milk. That's really hard to learn. I sort of jiggle the air brush and look how tha paint in the cup moves and mentally think of how milk would move.

 

[Tom Gall]

Many "airbrush" colors, especially metallics, are not available in the thin ready-to-use versions like Golden. It is a pain trying to get the right consistency for airbrushing - and sometimes nearly impossible to keep the color integrity. I always increase the psi when using these colors and that usually helps.

 

[Ed Weingarden]

Thanks Tom

 

[John Torchick]

Good information for future reference. Got a water heater box for practice. Expensive way to practice!

 

[Donna Banfield]

I have used both reducer and medium to thin my paints. They both work. I avoid water to thin paint as it not only will reduce the viscosity, but will dilute the color. Hence the need for reducer or medium. Reducer or medium is really binder without the pigment, i.e., color. Like John said, you're looking for a viscosity that is like milk, and I prefer a viscosity of skim milk to whole milk. If you don't wish to reduce the viscosity, you'll need to not only increase the PSI, but use a larger needle. Changing to a .5 or .7 increases the volume you can move through the brush. Keep in mind that with most airbrushes, you can't just change the needle, but must also change the nozzle.

I have several bottles of Creatix; they're neither a cheap nor crappy paint. I just accept that I need to use a medium or reducer before trying to use them in the airbrush. I like the Creatix brand because it has colors - especially the pearlized colors - that are not available elsewhere.

 

[Ed Weingarden]

Good info for the noob airbrusher. Thanks Donna.

 

[john lucas]

Thanks Donna. I have not tried changing needle sizes yet. I use the created because that is what's available locally.

 

[Michael Lamka]

I'm no expert, but I do paint with both bristle brushes, air brushes, sponges, and other paint application tools. Something that might be worth keeping in mind is that any paint, when thinned, will be thinner not just in viscosity, but also in the amount of pigment delivered to the surface being painted. Just about any paint can be thinned for air-brushing if the pigment particles are small enough.