Airbrush Tutorial: What Air Pressure and What Paint Reduction 

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Thank you Thomas!

Thank you so much for the kind words Paul! I truly appreciate comments like yours because it lets me know I'm doing something right (at least some of the time) and that keeps me motivated to continue making videos. I did some oil painting many, many years ago myself. The airbrush always took center stage for me though. If you ever have questions, or have something you'd like to see/learn in a video, please don't hesitate to ask my friend!

I appreciate the kind words and I'm glad you found some value in my videos! I'm passionate about my art and I enjoy teaching others how to do what I do. One of the great things about the airbrush in my opinion is there are no art skills required. There are a number of tools and techniques you can use in conjunction with the airbrush that make turning out impressive artwork surprisingly simple! Anyone can learn to do this, it just takes practice.

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Awesome! Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and I'm glad you got something out of the video!

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I'm glad you found the content helpful! It can be frustrating at times. Hopefully that frustration will go away once you find the right combination that works well for you.

Thanks Richard! It just takes practice my friend!

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Thanks again Doug!

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Thanks for the kind words Michael! I've always enjoyed teaching others, but I find it more difficult teaching through video because I don't get that one-on-one feedback in real time. Sometimes I wonder if I'm explaining things well enough for others to understand. Reading comments like yours makes me believe I must be on the right track!

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Thank you Chris!

I couldn't agree more!

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Hi Jude! You'll get there my friend. It just takes practice. I've been airbrushing for 30 years now and I still struggle sometimes.

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Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a comment!

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Thank you my friend!

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Hi Dave! I've never used Duracoat, but I have used Cerakote. Cerakote worked really well through my airbrushes (it's pretty thin). I'm not sure how Duracoat compares, but I would imagine it's similar. Any mid-range airbrush with a .30mm or larger needle size should work well. We're all a little bit different when it comes to reduction and psi settings. So, that will require some trial and error to find what works best for you in the conditions you'll be painting in. I would suggest starting somewhere in the 30 to 35 psi range.

Awesome! You've found what works for you and that's all that matters my friend!

Great question! With other paint systems there is a reduction limit. The binder in the paint is broken down sufficiently to affect adhesion when that limit is exceeded; however, I have yet to find that limit with Createx paint and I don't believe there is a limit based on my own experience. I've reduced Createx paint up to 500 times per volume with no issues (I don't recommend diluting your paint that much, I essentially did this years ago just to test the limit). I appreciate the kind words my friend!

@@wickedartstudio Thanks so much for your lightning responnse - and the answer was jusrt what I was hoping to hear - but figured to be otherwise . I'm a land/seascape painter & am fond of thin glaze layers for subtle toning - often fretting aout whether or not these layers will part companny from my acrylic underpainting over time . I started with oils back in the 50's

@@petergreen5319 I'm glad to help my friend! Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave your comments!

It is nearly impossible to diagnose issues when I can't see exactly what is happening. If adjusting your reduction ratio doesn't improve or fix the issue, you likely need to clean the brush thoroughly. If you continue to have issues you can email me pictures of the paint "spatter" at wickedartstudio@gmail.com and I may be able to offer some more advice.

Great question! This is also a question that I don't think I've addressed in any of my other videos yet. I'll cover this in my next upload.

Hi Hector! Yes, that is possible. The amount of reduction you choose to use with 4011 Reducer will depend somewhat on the environmental factors where you are spraying, as well as your air pressure setting. A one to two ratio isn't a bad place to start though. If that ratio atomizes and sprays well I would use it. If it doesn't you will need to make some adjustments. Adding a half part of 4030 to your mix would be fine as well, but that is a little bit wasteful in my opinion. In reality, you only need to add around 10 to 30 percent of 4030. Using a little more than that doesn't hurt anything, but you will burn through the product faster. Adding more 4030 will also increase the transparency of whatever color you are mixing it with. Just something to be aware of...

Hi Alan. Try adding a small amount of Chapstick or bees wax to the threads around the head cap and nozzle cap of the airbrush. Without an airtight seal around those components, the brush will pulse similar to what you've described. It also sounds like you might need a better compressor. Most of those cheap compressors are only designed to put out just enough air to run the brush. They aren't designed for the abuse of running a brush constantly for extended periods of time. Compressors like that simply can't keep up with the demand. They will work okay for a while, but you're putting a lot of wear and tear, as well as heat, on the internal parts of that compressor. As far as air pressure is concerned, 10 to 20 psi is a little on the low side for a brush with a .5mm needle and nozzle set. I'm not saying you can't run the brush at lower pressures, but have you tried bumping your pressure up? You might see better results somewhere in the 25 to 35 psi range.

@@wickedartstudio Hi!, well thank you for the fast reply. I tried the brush on higher psi before around 30psi but for the object I was working on it was a bit too much causing the paint to spread between two surfaces where they meet together and the only way to avoid this "spread" was to use a lower air and build up the edge of paint to avoid the spread. I've also been looking around at the same airbrush you mention in your links (Iwata Eclipse HP CS) also I'll be going to an compressor with a tank. I had one before but it broke down so i was using this cheapo in the meantime. I did notice really tiny bubbles around the head cap last night. I could only see them after submerging the cap under water. They were very tiny so there is definitely air escaping. I draw freehand pencil drawings when it comes to artwork and been doing this since I was a kid. I'm 57 now but only got into the airbrush scene originally for painting rc model helicopters and tanks just over 3 years ago. RC Tank 1/16th scale: photos.app.goo.gl/TQDnKgnNVszULc1Q7 Tank: photos.app.goo.gl/uc86aHkFzVSdmV4BA Drawing: photos.app.goo.gl/WGDrmXSvLJ2nQfYF8 Drawing: photos.app.goo.gl/AtDPJGkNNrBKhNs7A Drawing: photos.app.goo.gl/wuCpFA7haoo2BbVa8 (the actual drawing does not have the copy-write symbol or text) RC Helicopter 1/6th scale: photos.app.goo.gl/pb7oaWnugimSZdtf9 and of course the drawings and the helicopter pic look better in person since the camera is not the best but.... Thanks again for the fast reply. I think I'll go ahead and get another compressor and a better brush too.

@@alanw2235 Nice! You definitely have some artistic skill! Thank you for sharing some of your work with us! I think you'll be happier with a better compressor and possibly even a better airbrush. You can't go wrong with Iwata in my opinion.

A mix additive is beneficial under certain circumstances, most of the time it is not necessary though.

I've never used either of those brands. My suggestion would be try adding a retarding additive to your paint (an example can be found here amzn.to/3pNrCP2 ). Adding a retarding agent will prolong the dry time and should reduce the tip dry in your dry climate. Follow the directions when it comes to mixing the retarding agent into your paint though. A little goes a long way. Something else you might try is adding a bit of spray gun or airbrush lube to the end of your needle before each paint session.

Hi Nick! I'm not sure if you're talking about the nozzle cap or the needle cap. There are some airbrushes that won't spray paint with the needle cap removed. That's just the way they are designed. If you're talking about the needle cap, I suspect you own one of those airbrushes. Some airbrushes will spray paint with the nozzle cap removed; however, you'll get a stippled pattern compared to a finely atomized spray pattern. Most airbrushes nowadays won't spray anything with the nozzle cap removed though.

Hi Robbie! Achieving fine lines comes down to how much control the user has, as well as the air pressure setting and reduction ratio you are using. Control comes with practice. Finding the air pressure setting and reduction ratio that works best for you also requires some experimentation because there are so many factors that influence how the airbrush and paint mixture works. Many of those factors are beyond our control. I have another set of videos addressing reduction ratios that you might find helpful. You can find the first one here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nnk4H0F1saA.html (there should be a link in the video for part 2). I appreciate the kind words!

@@wickedartstudio Thanks so much for your reply. i think I'll just have to practice and experiment more.... I got confused as I thought getting fine lines was an adjustment in the airbrush itself!.... from what I understand its simply a case of finding the right air pressure , paint consistency and distance from the subject. Thanks again - I will refer to the other videos...

@@8563robbie You bet! I try to reply to every comment. It might be several days before I can respond, but I do try to reply to them all. You are correct. There is no adjustment on the airbrush itself that can be used to "dial in" a brush in order to create fine detail lines. Finding the air pressure setting and reduction ratio that works best for you will make it easier. Developing good fundamental control of the airbrush through practice and repetition plays a big role in that as well though.

Temperature is pretty much always a constant because I work in a climate controlled environment. The temperature is normally somewhere between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. On average, the humidity where I'm located is above 50 percent year round. It gets very high during the spring and summer months.

I'm glad you found my content helpful!

What do you mean when you say "there are splashes"? Again, it's very difficult to diagnose the issue when I can't see what you're doing. If you can provide me with more information that will help.

@@wickedartstudio I keep trying...somehow I’m getting the way of balance paint/pressure/surface/distance... the issue was too slippery surface (dried acrylic painting) thank you. Your videos were very useful for me 👍😉

Hi Marco! I'll assume you cannot adjust air pressure because your compressor doesn't have a regulator. One option you do have is to purchase a MAC valve that attaches to your airbrush hose before it gets connected to your brush. The MAC valve will allow you some air pressure adjustment; however, it won't be as accurate as a regulator because the MAC valve doesn't have a pressure gauge. You will still be limited by the compressor as to how much pressure you can use. If about 20 psi is all your compressor can produce, you cannot adjust for more pressure without purchasing a better compressor.

Thank you and I'm glad you found the video helpful!

Thank you for watching!

It is not absolutely necessary to wait. You can spray the product immediately after adding reducer if you choose to do so. Based on my own experience, the paint does spray better when given ten minutes or so to acclimate and/or emulsify. That's especially true if using a spray gun rather than an airbrush. Water-based paint has a higher surface tension compared to a solvent based system. It takes a few minutes for the reducer to break down that surface tension in order for the paint and the reducer to meld together completely.

@@wickedartstudio maybe that why I have so much problems. I’m new and first I thought it was the airbrush. Then me. Also I have gummy problems. I thought it’s because I bought some at the dollar store, but at Michael’s too, they have paint that are gummy

@@chauffeurmarco Water-based paint does have a shelf life. That shelf life can be dramatically reduced if the paint is subjected to very cold temperatures during storage or transport. If the paint you have purchased is gummy, it's probably been on the shelf for a long time, or it hasn't been stored correctly before being placed on the shelf for sale. You might have better luck ordering your paint rather than purchasing it in store if that is the case.

@@wickedartstudio yeah, I realize that I'm better off ordering online. Hey, even at Michael’s their paint are gummy. If I can’t trust them, no way I’ll by at the dollar store or even at Walmart