Hobby Cheating 240 - A Better Way to Use Your Airbrush 

You know what's really cool? I took a screenshot of your finished paint job and with photoshop i "posterized" it which limits the color range and makes it look more blocky and wouldn't you know it, it looked just like the blocked out colors you started with. So one could theoretically find images online of people with all their natural real world smooth shading, posterize it, and they'd have a rough template for where to start this process. Cool stuff!

"controlled imperfections" the way I see it is that, when you dissect a paint job into small squares or smallest individual parts, you can tell the work went in, the brush strokes, the transitions, the colors, but when you look at the whole mini, our brain switches from "seeing the leaves" to "perceiving the tree", the imperfections go under the radar, only to reappear when you're looking for them. That gives the paintjob that feeling of greatness, I know what I am looking is not perfect, I know it is a heap of paints and labor, but at the same time it feels amazing to let myself be fooled by it. Awesome tutorial, as always Vince, you're a godsend :D

Wabi Sabi "“a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.”"

I was always so jealous of my friends Serra Angel in middle school. He somehow always drew it in his first hand...

Thanks for all your videos, Vince! You really encourage me to try new techniques and to keep picking the brush again.

Great video, love the way you use the airbrush, bought my first one two months ago and still learning just to prime. Listening to yours tells me I'm holding the trigger down to long, as I said I'm still learning, thanks for the video, guess I have to watch your airbrush for beginners again.

I just realised that you'd probably want to know: your videos have transformed how I think about paint. Translucency, tone, lighting tint (although I haven't managed to use that yet, I now think about it), etc. I watched quite a few wet-blending tutorials, but yours (specifically a loaded-brush one , I think) was where it clicked and I realised that having multiple colours on model wet at the same time was allowed. So thank you.

Wonderful work Vince! Really appreciate having this technique laid out in a step by step video!

While i'm probably not the only one around here that feels that way. I've gotten back into painting late last year after almost 10 years of not painting, and I must say that your video's thought me so much. You changed the way I look at paint, skin tones, transparency. Just got an airbrush myself and I will definitely try this out in the near future. I very much thank you for all the knowledge that you pass along. And as always great video. I would subscribe a second time if I could.

The artwork of magic is what first attracted me to the game, eventually I learned how to play but at first I would just appreciate the cards

Hey Vince, you elaborated a little on a really great point here that you've mentioned a lot before about incorporating hues of red, green, blue etc into skin. That type of information is really helpful for us beginners. The Vallejo Beige Red example of a muted and desaturated red vs something like thinning mephiston red and not understanding why it doesn't look right is a place where I struggle in glazing. I think experienced and talented artists like yourself have this great understanding of color intensity and the relationships that is has to theory that the rest of us could really continue to benefit from in future content. A lot of artists point to color wheels, and while that's interesting for me as a beginner on figuring out which major hues to use, it seems the magic to great painting is really in understanding how to choose tones and shades that compliment the hue for the particular effect. The value sketching you did is mind blowing when I try to unpack the amount of knowledge and skill used there. Where it's really easy to understand the values in balck and white in something like the Chaos Marauder value sketch tutorial you did, it requires a lot more perception to see how those same rules apply once you change your palette to red, purple, yellow, orange, etc. Thanks, as always, for providing us with such incredible information in an easy to understand format.

I see those 3rd Gen AK Acrylics have joined the enormous Venturella paint collection :D

Whenever I see those kind of value sketches it reminds me of the early days when full color images were displayed at 4 bit... Fascinating how this turns into such a smooth end result.

Thank you for taking the time to share this technique with us. Just found you through Trovarian and very thankful he provided the link. I have so much to learn and this is a great help!

Amazing video as always , i was really needing to see this one and get a better understanding with airbrush glazing, i feel this will really help me on my busts. Thanks alot Vince. i think you should make a patreon you deserve more money for your help that you have given in this hobby

Definitely going to try this. It's going to help not only glazing but value sketching as well. Great video as always Vince

Always informative with new elements learned Mr V, thank you!

Thanks Vince, yet another saved to my playlist.

Hi Vince: Another great teaching video… you answer so many of my questions in this video… I have a number of good airbrushes and ruined a few because of lack of instruction; I like the idea ? to go from stretching to airbrush.. so much rich information. Thank you from Aiken South Carolina

So awesome. Funny coincidence, the LGS I grew up going to in Albuquerque called war-games west was owned buy a guy named Vince who played with a Sierra angel mtg deck. Anyway, awesome video, I’m super happy I’ve found your channel. It is the best resource I’ve found for painting since I returned from a twenty year slumber. Thank you so much!

My first airbrush(es) are about to arrive, very helpful. Thanks for putting these videos out there!

I absolutely love the Serra Angel. My favorite is the 8th edition art. I never liked the white border, but one day I actually cracked open a foiled Serra (black border were given to foils), so you can imagine my excitement.

Much thanks to this awesome man. This was very instructive and i well ready to try it out myself.

Yesssss!!! Been waiting for this one!

You knocked it out of the park - she looks spectacular! I finally got an iwata HPCS - looking forward to trying a bunch of your airbrushing tricks!

Man, I just used the airbrush recently to glaze together some stark Fuchsia -> Yellow tones to make them more like warm orange midtones at the transition, but I'd never considered doing something like this. Absolutely great stuff, going to stick it away in my "techniques-to-try" bank! :)

Awesome. Just in time as I'll start painting a 70 mm miniature in a couple of days. As always thanks a lot.

Once again, thank you for the video Vince!!!

Thanks Vince! That was very nice to watch and feels like it must indeed be a lot of fun to airbrush & paint. I'm still very uncomfortable with the idea of jumping from 20 mm to 23 cm, but hey, who knows? Maybe I'll find something bigger than usual to paint. ;) Stay safe, stay painting!

Really enjoyed this. Learning loads. Need to watch it a few times more to really understand though :) Thanks.

One thing that helps with the GAHHHH problem is to use an airbrush with a needle nut that lets you put a hard stop on the paint flow amount. If you know you're going to be glazing, crank that baby down and don't let yourself turn it up.

Awesome Technique, thank you. Giraldez and Sergio Calvo use this technique too. I think is very useful and saves time to reach a good result. Thank you.

For me the biggest benefit of using airbrush glazes is that you can get really high contrast with more precise placement and with different shapes than “round” by using the paintbrush, then save a lot of time by using the airbrush to smooth it out. It’s a best of both worlds thing.

This is really interesting, I could see this working nicely with a green glaze for ork skin

1:09 I am impressed how well connected you are Vince! You already using AK Interactive 4th gen paints! ;)

Vince - another great tutorial, and a perfect follow-on to #233 on Caucasian Flesh tone. Even though this was with airbrush on the larger model it's easier to see the initial value sketching areas, and whether with brush or airbrush how to blend down->up (repeat ad infinitum) to gradually get the smooth transitions. I've been trying the techniques from #233 on the latest model - struggling but getting a little better each time. Hope to put this one up for PMP in May … Thanks!

Definitely watching this again whenever I get back to painting a more realistic flesh tone on an an anime figure recast I got. I'm currently using her as a figure study for some oil clay sculpting work I've been doing. As soon as I'm done with that and scratch build her some glasses out of clear pla plate that look better than the photo etched ones she came with, she's getting a paint job.

29:30 before and after comparison seems to be missing the before on the right!

Reminds me of the distinction between Korean and Spanish style of airbrushing skintone values that AK covered in their skin publication. Good to see it in motion instead of step photos

Really opportune timing as I've just started trying this after going on a Sergio Calvo vid binge...

Things I learned today: how to glaze with my airbrush (great video tutorial), and the existence of a statue of my fav MtG card.

I'm going to try something similar on my big orc bust. I've been looking up images of green in moonlight and firelight to get an idea of the highlights, but I'll use the airbrush to paint the shodows thrown by the two light sources.

This is very nice, thank you!

I'm going to have to practice this a lot. It looks like a good time saver but something that needs a loooooot of practice :) I love yellow (Dorn fan boy too), and right now I'm thinking just simple thin layers of zenith highlights and then edge highlights to achieve this (using your recommend base colors for yellow of course lol). When I improve with the airbrush I am certainly going to give this a go. All in good time, and thanks again for your tutorials. They're really helpful and inspiring.

Absolutely inspiring

love this video mate, i cant really get any paint other than GW & vallejo, any suggestions on subsitutues for the AK interactive, scale 75 etc? The violet reds and purples for the shadows specifically, thanks again from Australia :-)

Excellent video as usual, Vince. You continue to be a source of inspiration and knowledge, and I thank you! I have a question, hopefully you'll have some insight. What PSI do you have your compressor set to for glazing? What needle size? I ask because I just can't seem to crack that code: no matter what (using .4, .3 and .2 needles, adjusting airflow way down with "air control dial", etc) I just can't seem to get an airbrush glaze to work. I invariably wind up with either spiderwebs or paint splatters that would make Jackson Pollock proud. Any suggestions?

Another fantastic video

Great Hobby Cheating! Will definitely use it on Sons of Behemat when they are finally released! Can't wait for that Warhammer Weekly show discussing them. I cross fingers to them being fun to play, having ability to put up some fight, but not being Petrifex Elite...

Another great video, Thanks 😎

This is perfect for what I need. Thanks Vince. Can you advise what pressure your airbrush is at?

Glad you noticed that arm, it was very distracting 😂. Thanks again Vince 👍🏻

I really liked the vid, but I also loved the coloring you did on the wings, even though it's only shown once or twice, and not the topic of this tutorial. Would it be possible to get that shown or explained sometime in the future? I have the Sanguinius model from FW, and would like to have a bit of a guideline for white feathers/wings.

Thank I so much again for an amazing tutorial. What pressure do you recommend for glazing with an airbrush. I might have missed that on the video.

Time to level up airbrush skills from simple priming and basing only. Best to use that H&S Infinity CR Plus for what it was born to do.

I really don't use my airbrush enough. This helped me understand brush-glazing because of how quick it happens. Was like a time-lapse effect. MUST LEARN PATIENCE !

Love it, I do wonder if the value sketch was a bit "detailed" for what you end up getting with the glazes afterwards. I'm looking the value sketch of the biceps, fore-arms and bewbs and thinking... I'd have sketched that with the airbrush as well... (just for speed) Things like the collarbone, knees, elbows and ofcourse face (as you can never have enough detail in that) do make sense to apply with a regular brush though.

that model is gorgeous

Great video, I've been experimenting with this sort of thing recently so it's really useful. Do you have any thoughts on what to thin with? I noticed that when I thin with a medium as opposed to just thinner or water, I get a more transparent effect which is useful sometimes.

theory communicated clearly. technique masterfully demonstrated. It'll look like it was done with crayons if I tried it!

Great video vince ,have two questions,No1 wot psi are you set at,No2 wot needle size.keep the videos coming,👍👍

For some very dumb reason, I have a tuff time value sketching. The transitions are so rough, it’s difficult for me to lay it down. I plan to do a larger model with skin tones and try this method. Great video buddy!

Very good video! Thank you. Small question: do you work at lower PSI compared to "normal" airbrushing?

"Anything worth doing once, is worth doing three times." Going back to the futzing you talked about a couple of weeks ago, can you futz a paint job that started out kind of middling into a competition entry? Or for really high level work, do you have to nail every step along the way?

Hello Vince, I hope you are well. Any chance you can tell us what air pressure you're using any future videos where you use an airbrush please?

What kind of cloths or wipes do you use to clean your airbrush? I was using makeup remover pads but they are leaving a lot of lint in the cup as i wipe it out.

Absolutely gorgeous! As my eyes get worse I’ve moving to larger models and this helps out a lot. Curious, did you do a video of the value sketch of this model? I watched the one you did using the chaos warrior mini, but would love to see how you did this model. Sorry if you’ve been asked this a lot or if I missed a link to it. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge with us!

Thank you SOOOOOOO much for explaining the part about air flow. I've tried this on miniatures and i end up shooting a ton of watered-like paint, making everything look puddled/drowned in paint (if that makes sense). What you said pretty much just answered what I need to know about spraying extremely thinned down paint. Thank you!

When you are thinning paint this much (like 1/8 ratios), have you ever felt the need to add medium to prevent the pigment from separating?

I was gonna say, sergio does this alot. Makes it look so easy. But for me, I struggle with knowing what colours to.glaze where and also, we are working on smaller minis. Good vid though. Thanks.

When you go back to the brush, what’s your trick to make the brushed part not standout next to the airbrushed part? We had a thread on the pmp about that. It may be an even bigger challenge on a large model.

Great video, thank you! Totally airbrush n00b questions: 1. As I was spraying I noticed that if I hold the airbrush too close or hold it in the same area (don’t move it) the paint begins to run. Not exactly spiderwebbing (no thin run lines) more like what happens when a helicopter tries to land on water (I knew my Army experience would come in handy!)I thinned the paint fairly well and held the PSI at 18. I’m using a crappy airbrush so fine control is hard. What am I experiencing and any advice to correct? Appreciate all of your help and videos!

Nice video as always Vince. I see your ratio is 80/20 thinner to flow improver. My question is how much paint are you using? It’s difficult for me to get the right consistency. I’m either spraying water in a spiderweb pattern, or my paint is too thick and I’m constantly cleaning my needle. Any sage advice/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Q: What thinner-flow-improver mix was that for the 5-1 thinner to paint at around 3:50?

May I please ask what size needle you are using? I'm trying to decide if I want to buy a second needle and have problems visualizing the cones of spray in my imagination. But on video, it is very clear to see. Thank you.

Love the videos vince! I had one question, im looking to get into airbrushing but i dont have the greatest hobby space for it... so i was wondering how necessary is it to be using a venting booth, a mask (fun trying to get a hold of a M3 mask these daysxD) or any other safety equipement?:) any advice is great, keep up the amazing work! You're a gift to newbies who want to go far:)

Morning Vince, quick question about your thinner/flow improver mix. Is it something you keep premixed in its own bottle or something you just kind of eyeball as you go? As an aside thanks again for the video, you alone (and people found through you) have improved my painting and though process a lot since I returned to miniatures.

With your penchant for angels, have you seen the new Archon models from Privateer Press? They might be up your alley, particularly the Morrowan Archon

Capi would be proud! Also would love to see how you did that white

So-it's not *exactly* the case that you painted the flesh first and then put skin over the top, because the lower level also captures the basic light and shade, but I think it's not ridiculous to see that as part of how the translucence operates. So that leads me to wonder-you were talking about reds and blues-especially at this kind of scale, would it benefit the result if you painted the major veins in during the first step? On people who are pale like me, at least, they seem quite visible under the skin! I continue to love the videos, of course.

this is probably stupid question... But if I varnish something and paint over and then try to reset it to the varnish state, say I didn't like what I did, how do I do that?

Hi Vince, I have consistency issues with my airbrush, especially when trying to go cery thin. Sometimes paint hits the model way too wet and causes a glossy unseemly mess, while other times I just fling globs and speckles of paint onto the model while the mix in the cup is already very thin. The latter problem transfers into the first one with added dilution. This doesnt apply to all paints, but happens from time to time, which is super annoying when I want to layer thin consistent layers for a nice gradient on a flat panel and a bunch of speckles completely kills my preshade. I use vallejo thinner and flow improver in ca a 2:1 rate to maybe one drop of paint or less. Is it too much thinner causing dry tip / too much flow improver breaking up the consistency of the paint maybe?

Love your stuff as always, what airbrush do you use

Awesome video. Tried it for the first time last night, with very promising results. Is this the technique that Sergio Calvo uses as well or are there differences between this and his style?

I just recently started airbrushing, and attempted glazing with the airbrush. After getting everything done, i went to reinforce and smooth the transitions and it seemed the glazes reactivated. I used 10 drops of thinner and 1 drop of paint. Could this be the issue ?

I've watched many of your videos, several more than once, and I still don't know how you do what you do.

How would you go about painting a large scale ravens wings, along the size of the ones you have for this model .

As always this video is amazing, I have tried to use this same technique to paint Busts, But I could not find the correct color on the face, could you in some future make a video on how to paint faces on a big model, because painting face on a bust or a larger miniature is very complicated and with hc 113 and 101 was not enough to accomplish this.

Awesome video, as always!! One quick question... you talk a lot about how "anything worth doing once is worth doing three times" and how if it were a competition piece you would go over all the steps again... but even though I work as thin as humanly possible, I still find that at after I work something more than once or twice it always starts to look exponentially worse, and if I drop eight to ten hours into a fig it looks like complete garbage. How do you find the line? XD

This is not feasible for 28mm you say, but would an extreme value sketch make sense if you finish the blends by brush? My biggest problem with wet blending is simply getting enough opacity, having to blend the same blend for every layer. Many of the blending tutorials you created so far (I think I've seen them all) start to wet blend from a white-to-grey sketch, and that just never works for me because the results is so "muted" unless I apply more layers, and as a beginner every layer of blending takes forever 😁

Hi Vince, a noob question. Do you value sketch over black primer/basecoat?

I just recently started to use an airbrush, but so far only for priming and base coating. I wonder what pressure should I use for this kind of glazing? Is it even important?

What is a good beginners airbrush? I have an Evolution that never really worked for me

Your compressor sounds like my modem from 1995

‘She has a big set of ... wings’

Only issue I'm having is that the trigger on my airbrush (a Master cheapie I got on Amazon, I admit it) seems rather stiff and makes it difficult for me to control the spraying the way you do at times. Is that a matter of me not being skilled enough to control it or maybe the airbrush itself? I don't want to fall into the trap of "a poor craftsman blames his tools," here. This looks amazing, regardless, though!

Vince, are you using 0.3mm here, and do you use 0.2mm for other work?

What PSI were you working at?

Even at an apparently low psi I'm getting spider webbing. Is it too thin? Pulling back only a small amount on an hp Cs. Typical compressor.

11:53 'GAH!'