Thinning craft acrylics for air brushing

[Toolbelt]

I realize that opinions vary greatly on this subject, and that there are no hard and fast rules, and that variables can influence which methods to use. I am a total newby to air brushing, but am looking for a good starting point as far as which method to begin my journey. Distilled water, alcohol (both for calming nerves and thinning), and windshield wash (blue summer mix) are my initial thoughts. I'd prefer to stay away from dedicated hobby brand products if possible. I picked up some Michael's "Craft Smart" acrylics. I will be using the airbrush mainly to create a general sun fade up top, and road grime for the underbody. I'll be using brushes for finer detail work. My airbrushing will be confined to basically fogging my rolling stock to make it half-way realistic. Any general thoughts?

 

[traiNscale]

it depends what color your using.
most of the brands also sell thinner for ther colors.

i for myself work with ammo railcenter and vallejo colors. both are waterbased acrylics so i thinn them with thinner from ammo or distilled water.

tamiya colors are i think laquer acrylics, or at least they are not waterbased so there you have to use other thinner.

so it all depends what colors you use.
the best way is, just start and try out what works best for you.

 

[Toolbelt]

it depends what color your using.
most of the brands also sell thinner for ther colors.

i for myself work with ammo railcenter and vallejo colors. both are waterbased acrylics so i thinn them with thinner from ammo or distilled water.

tamiya colors are i think laquer acrylics, or at least they are not waterbased so there you have to use other thinner.

so it all depends what colors you use.
the best way is, just start and try out what works best for you.

I picked up a white, light grey and a brown, and as I just want to apply a slight "tint" to the existing finish, I intend to thin them a lot and make multiple passes/coats to slowly build up the effect. These craft paints say soap and water clean up, but then so do my Tamiya acrylics, which I usually thin with their X20A thinner.

 

[troyphoto]

The main thing about Craft paints over Model acrylic paint (Vallejo, Army Painter, Tamiya, etc) are the fineness of the pigment powders in the paint.

Craft paints are notorious for having larger nuggets (or whatever they're called) the model acrylics pigments are finer ground, so they dilute better.

But, it's supposedly doable. A search on youtube a while ago brought up several channels that have methods for thinning it.

TomO has a thread on weathering models here on the forum. It's worth the time to pursue, and perhaps invest in few of his paint recommendations. https://modelrailroadforums.com/for...ering-rolling-stock-a-continous-thread.34411/

 

[Toolbelt]

The main thing about Craft paints over Model acrylic paint (Vallejo, Army Painter, Tamiya, etc) are the fineness of the pigment powders in the paint.

Craft paints are notorious for having larger nuggets (or whatever they're called) the model acrylics pigments are finer ground, so they dilute better.

But, it's supposedly doable. A search on youtube a while ago brought up several channels that have methods for thinning it.

TomO has a thread on weathering models here on the forum. It's worth the time to pursue, and perhaps invest in few of his paint recommendations. https://modelrailroadforums.com/for...ering-rolling-stock-a-continous-thread.34411/

I've followed DansRailroad2011 on You-Tube and he does great fading on tank cars. He started out using alcohol-thinned acrylics and has recently switched to alcohol-thinned water soluble oils. I certainly can't argue with his results. I've found this hobby has sooooo many rabbit holes to fall into, and I'm trying to void the rabbit hole on air brushing. I've got a few older cars on my layout to somewhat experiment on, and I can practice on a piece of cardboard to get a feel for it. I won't be shooting my first victim using a $60 high end car, that is for sure.

 

[traiNscale]

checkout boomer diorama, he also has some great tips for paint and thinning and stuff.

 

[Gary B]

I recently tried this on a model airplane I was working on. Not having correct colors for an Italian WW I biplane and having little inclination to ever build another, I found close enough matches in stash of cheap acrylic paints. One I used the same thinner I use with Vallejo paints. 50/50 mix was to runny so added more paint.The second had sat for so long I just poured off the top and used as is. Results where acceptable for what I was doing but not really super high quality.

 

[KB02]

I've found this hobby has sooooo many rabbit holes to fall into, and I'm trying to void the rabbit hole on air brushing. I've got a few older cars on my layout to somewhat experiment on, and I can practice on a piece of cardboard to get a feel for it. I won't be shooting my first victim using a $60 high end car, that is for sure.

This!!

For the cheap Michael's acrylic paints, I found a recipe online for a simple paint thinner: 2 parts distilled water and 1 part 70% isopropanol; this mixed 50/50 with the paint. Works pretty well, BUT, you'll want to filter the paint before putting it into the brush as these cheap paints tend to clump and clog the airbrush. And NEVER mix the paint in the airbrush cup itself! That is a direct ticket to Clogs-ville! Ask me how I know...

I got one of those cheap, Amazon battery powered Airbrushes and I have really gotten to like it. The one down fall of the device is that the air is flowing constantly (single stage design) and the trigger only controls the paint. Where this is a downfall with water based acrylic paints like the ones from Michaels and Walmart is this constant flowing air dries the paint in the tip of the gun - again, leading to clogs and poor performance. Knowing this, it can be managed, but I have found, for my airbrush at least, the Tamiya paints, diluted directly with 90% alcohol, seems to work much better.

As for calming the nerves, my recommendation would be a complex hydroalcoholic solution (primarily water and ethanol) containing a vast array of organic flavoring compounds, including esters, aldehydes, phenols, and carbonyl compounds derived from raw materials, fermentation, distillation, and cask maturation. This as cooled by 3 tbsp of frozen H2O. (link)
Much like the thinning mixtures mentioned above, though, careful you don't use too much, or your attempts at painting may go on a completely different direction than originally intended.

 

[Toolbelt]

This!!

For the cheap Michael's acrylic paints, I found a recipe online for a simple paint thinner: 2 parts distilled water and 1 part 70% isopropanol; this mixed 50/50 with the paint. Works pretty well, BUT, you'll want to filter the paint before putting it into the brush as these cheap paints tend to clump and clog the airbrush. And NEVER mix the paint in the airbrush cup itself! That is a direct ticket to Clogs-ville! Ask me how I know...

I got one of those cheap, Amazon battery powered Airbrushes and I have really gotten to like it. The one down fall of the device is that the air is flowing constantly (single stage design) and the trigger only controls the paint. Where this is a downfall with water based acrylic paints like the ones from Michaels and Walmart is this constant flowing air dries the paint in the tip of the gun - again, leading to clogs and poor performance. Knowing this, it can be managed, but I have found, for my airbrush at least, the Tamiya paints, diluted directly with 90% alcohol, seems to work much better.

As for calming the nerves, my recommendation would be a complex hydroalcoholic solution (primarily water and ethanol) containing a vast array of organic flavoring compounds, including esters, aldehydes, phenols, and carbonyl compounds derived from raw materials, fermentation, distillation, and cask maturation. This as cooled by 3 tbsp of frozen H2O. (link)
Much like the thinning mixtures mentioned above, though, careful you don't use too much, or your attempts at painting may go on a completely different direction than originally intended.

What a coincidence. My bottle of spiced rum includes those exact ingredients. lol As for mixing the paint, I actually intend to use a shot glass rather than the airbrush bowl. I also ordered some generic airbrush thinner off Amazon so I will see how that goes. The airbrush I ordered has a two-stage trigger so that might help with tip drying. As I'm not doing fine detail work with it, my plan is to just fill the bowl and fog the car lightly, so hopefully it will be a quick 5 minute process followed by 3 hours of cursing. haha

 

[Toolbelt]

I recently tried this on a model airplane I was working on. Not having correct colors for an Italian WW I biplane and having little inclination to ever build another, I found close enough matches in stash of cheap acrylic paints. One I used the same thinner I use with Vallejo paints. 50/50 mix was to runny so added more paint.The second had sat for so long I just poured off the top and used as is. Results where acceptable for what I was doing but not really super high quality.

Did you apply a flat clear over the paint?

 

[Gary B]

Did you apply a flat clear over the paint?

Actually I did. This paint job really used everything but a roller. The green on the tail was the acrylic paint airbrushed along with a red area not visible under the wing. The base color of the wing is from a old discount brand spray can. Engine cowling is also from a spray can. The fuselage is hand painted with Vallejo and the wing camouflage is again the cheap acrylic green hand painted.

 

[TLOC]

There nothing wrong using the Craft paints from Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or wherever. They are thicker and just need to be thinned down greater than the “hobby” name brand paints.

As for thinners, Isopropyl Alcohol may not work with certain brands as no matter how much you thin them they may “react” and be incompatible. For Craft Smart paints I use them but with a brush not my airbrush. I thin with water.

I have had no success using the windshield washer fluids as thinners and did wreck the washers on an air brush from the ammonia in the fluid. You’ll need to do some research on that.

I think what you want to do “fogging” or fading should be fine. Create a wash of your paint and try it. If you don’t like it and have not sealed it with a clear finish it should be easily removable with IPA. 9-1 ratios for a wash should do! Spray a few times and let it dry then spray again till you get the result you want

Have fun

 

[Toolbelt]

There nothing wrong using the Craft paints from Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or wherever. They are thicker and just need to be thinned down greater than the “hobby” name brand paints.

As for thinners, Isopropyl Alcohol may not work with certain brands as no matter how much you thin them they may “react” and be incompatible. For Craft Smart paints I use them but with a brush not my airbrush. I thin with water.

I have had no success using the windshield washer fluids as thinners and did wreck the washers on an air brush from the ammonia in the fluid. You’ll need to do some research on that.

I think what you want to do “fogging” or fading should be fine. Create a wash of your paint and try it. If you don’t like it and have not sealed it with a clear finish it should be easily removable with IPA. 9-1 ratios for a wash should do! Spray a few times and let it dry then spray again till you get the result you want

Have fun

Yes, I think "fogging" with highly thinned paint is a good place to start with air brushing as each coat is barely noticeable and it takes longer to really screw it up. For now, I will be thinning with a dedicated thinner rather than experimenting with DIY or generic thinners.

 

[Toolbelt]

Actually I did. This paint job really used everything but a roller. The green on the tail was the acrylic paint airbrushed along with a red area not visible under the wing. The base color of the wing is from a old discount brand spray can. Engine cowling is also from a spray can. The fuselage is hand painted with Vallejo and the wing camouflage is again the cheap acrylic green hand painted.

That scheme looks like a great way to practice every air brushing technique in the book.

 

[Toolbelt]

Picked up a cheap airbrush kit off Amazon, and water trap/regulator as well. Luckily I have a pancake compressor for work. Used my cheap acrylic paint (Michael's) and an acrylic thinner (Amazon). Built a cheap paint booth from a cardboard box with inserts made from a corrugated plastic roofer's lawn sign which I determined to be a neighbourhood nuisance . Tested it out tonight on some cardboard and loving it. Things I learned so far is that I need a 10' hose instead of the 6' so I can reach the laundry tub for easier rinsing, which will also come in handy when I start my new layout, for scenery. I also need a holder so I can set the gun down without spilling the paint cup, so I ordered an airbrush pot with holder mainly for the holder feature but the pot will come in handy as I can fill it with water to make the holder more stable. So far so good. All in, I'm probably in about $75 for the complete setup. Once I apply the decal sets I've ordered, I will commence the weathering phase.