Introduction: Starting to Airbrush Part 1 

“It’s crazy, I’m not sure how it works, there’s probably science involved” -tech priests of mars

I have watched countless videos on airbrushing. This is the best one, you are the first person to explain why no siphon feed, what two stages are (not just that you want one). I am clueless about airbrushing and have no friends around that do this to learn from. So I was completely in the dark. Thank you, a lot.

This video made me feel more comfortable about getting an air brush thank you. Made it feel slightly less intimidating.

Another reason miniature painters are better off with gravity feed airbrushes is paint volume. With most siphon feed airbrushes (or at least the ones I've seen/used) you generally have to keep a certain amount paint in that jar and once it falls below that level the performance level drops pretty quickly until even at higher PSI you're not getting any paint because there's not enough in there for the siphon effect to pick up. With gravity feed, you can work in much smaller amounts of paint and not have to worry about whether or not its enough to get good flow from the airbrush. As a tool, I highly recommend investing in an airbrush if for no other reason than the freedom it grants you; you touched on it when you were talking about priming, and as someone who also lives in a state far enough north to get some pretty brutal winter cold and summer heat, not having to worry about temperature/weather conditions when you want to start a project is well worth the cost of an airbrush and compressor. Some people never take it beyond that are they're still getting their monies worth of use out of the airbrush, which is perfectly fine. Most times though, it will open new doorways when you feel like experimenting/playing around with what you can do with your airbrush, i.e. base coating, smooth gradients in shading and highlighting, OSL effects, etc. It doesn't replace traditional brushwork (its just another tool for the hobby), but it compliments it nicely.

I love your videos. Your English is so easy for me (Italian) that I understand all the things you say. Thank you

I like how I just got an airbrush and I was literally about to ask you about a video of airbrushing, and bam... Damn Adam.. Back at it again with the perfect timing videos

Yes, get an airbrush. If you are painting more than just a small crew, have any plans for larger armies, or want to paint terrain it is invaluable. I've been using one for 2 years and the time it can save you alone in base coating and priming it is worth it. Great tips can't wait to see more.

Just found this series and just starting out. Love that it's very matter of fact. No attempts to be silly or annoying and not snobbish. +1 to subscription.

"cave men were blowing paint through reeds or whatever they found in the 1950s"

This was really helpful. I bought an airbrush last year but had no idea what compressor to get or what paint to use so it just sat there. Now I feel confident enough that I know what I need to get. Thanks :)

Your videos are the closest I'll ever get to listening to ASMR Love watching and learning

Extremely glad to see you're doing a series on this. I've been putting together supplies and building a plan of attack for some Heresy era Word Bearers, and this is sincerely helpful in developing an assembly line for them.

I feel your pain on the weather being unforgiving. What you described is also an apt description for my experience down here in Louisiana. In fact, it is the weather that brought me to accept airbrush and brings me to this video lol

I was on the edge about getting an Iwata airbrush from my local hobby joint, this video pushed me right off the edge and I now have a brand new airbrush sitting next to me. Thanks!

Your videos keep me inspired and motivated. Thanks Atom; the coolest uncle we never knew we needed.

I live in MN, got an airbrush to prime in winter also. Now I’m learning lots of other ways to use the tool. Thanks for the video!

totally agree with you about the weather thing, from Canada over here and it's too dang cold to go outside to spray, airbrush has changed my hobby life. Good tip for finding a cheap one is waiting until the makeup schools are out as lot's a makeup artist students don't stick with it and end up selling their airbrush and compressor. Nice too because most makeup schools suggest an iwata eclipse for students

Not until I master the art of paint brush will I move on to the airbrush ...I love your work! Thanks for the video Uncle Atom!

This video has to be the most informative video I have seen yet on air brushes.. You now have a new subscriber.. Thank you very much and great job on the video!

Atom, I live in New England and what you say about "rattle can climate" is so true. Throughout the year there's always times when I find myself waiting for breaks in the weather when the temperature is either high enough or the humidity low enough for me to be able to take my minis outside and prime/seal coat them. Thanks for this video on getting started with airbrushes.

Thank you! I'm just getting started with wargaming miniatures with my 13yo son. We're both keen to do the making/painting properly and I've watched a few 'how-to' videos about airbrushing for beginners, and I have to say that yours has made more sense than ANY of the others. For a simple Yorkshire (UK) lad like me, you just told it simply and straight. And for that I thank you. I've subscribed and will watch more! I just wanted to thank you for a job well done. Martin Haresign

Thanks for the great videos! My wife and I went to Warhammer World in the UK a few weeks ago and are now diving into the hobby, we've had your channel running on our TV almost constantly whilst building her chaos demons and my imperial knights, definitely interested in airbrushing these guys now 😀

As somebody who is looking into an airbrushing set up this video answered a lot of questions. Thanks. Looking forward to more on this subject.

Thank you, this is the series I need. I was just about to blow a bunch of money having models painted for me. Now I feel that I can (with some practice) paint them myself and get what I’m looking for.

I got a Grex airbrush kit for Christmas last year and I couldn't be happier with it! it has everything you need in one box and it's very easy to set up. it's also made my painting look a lot better!

@tabletop minions Cheers 🍻 my fellow Wisconsinite! I'm located in SE Wisconsin near the Southern Kettle Moraine Unit. Maybe I'll run into you at one of the local hobby stores someday! You rock, your videos rock, and you've been an inspiration to me since I picked up miniature painting a few years back. I purchased my very first airbrush today!!!! Its an Iwata Eclipse. My compressor just arrived and I'm literally setting everything up as I write this. Thanks dood! Keep up the great work. 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I'm glad I came across your "pin in the haystack" video.. I too live in the "6 - 7 month" Cold as H climate (Canadian Maritimes) and spraying an enamel paint indoors - in the basement where my hobby room is, is simply not tolerable to the other inhabitants of the household. I didn't realize that spraying the same type of paint through an airbrush however, had less fumes than it coming from a aerosol can... Good to know! Thanks!!

This was incredibly helpful, Iv been painting miniatures for years, and I wish I found your channel so much sooner. Thank you so much!!!

I have a pancake compressor and I noticed my carpenter running a nail gun off of one with a 100 foot long 1/4"- 3/8" line. In the winter I will leave the compressor in the garage and run a line through the foundation into my geek bunker. No noise. Thanks, Atom, for getting me into this.

I just stumbled onto this video, and I wish this were here four years ago when I first purchased my air brush; regardless I purchased it for many of the arguments you make. Priming in doors; as well as; under painting, Zenithal shadows, incredibly even coats on vehicles... It's a tremendous tool if you enjoy painting as a hobby (with or without models). I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and your other painting content

Perfect timing man! My brother and I just got one for our birthday... Thanks for the vid!

A indispensable pice of kit, took my painting to the next level. Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, there's also Harder and Steenbeck airbrushes. Thanks for posting 😆

I just started using an airbrush so I'm finding your 'starting to airbrush' series really helpful. I do most of my airbrushing in the garage, so I'm able to use my big 20-gallon compressor with an additional moisture trap/pressure regulator.

Glad someone understands the struggles of Wisconsin 🤘Winter= frozen hellscape Summer= humid…also hellscape

Really nice, I can't wait to see the following episodes.

Michael's sells Badger airbrushes and compressors and the great thing is they'll accept A.C.Moore coupons! Meaning you can get up to 50% off!

Excellent video thanks. I'm just started getting back into modelling after 40 years thanks to good ole covid and this gave me a good start on learning about airbrushing.

Your videos are great. They are really well done! Your tips and advice is amazing! I appreciate the time you put into them. I am new to warhammer and modelling you are a huge help! So thank you! Cheers!

Well done! You're a great speaker and very engaging. Thanks for doing this!

Wonderful video and perfect timing as I'm just looking into airbrushing for the first time. Looking forwards to the rest of this mini series thing.

Great video, helps those of us thinking about airbrush. You gave some great information, thank you.

Thank you for all your videos, they have been a great source of knowledge. All the tips and subsequent comments are invaluable! :)

Hey man! Shout out from another Wisconsinite! That just makes me like your channel even more!

Been thinking about investing in an airbrush for a couple of weeks now, think I might treat myself at Christmas (if not before), so thanks for making videos like this! I've gotta say, though, I really love this channel! It's got, like, everything you would ever want to know about the miniatures hobby! It just feels like a proper community somehow, so really, thanks for all the amazing videos!

"Back in the 1950s; or whenever there were cavemen." had me laughing more than it probably should! Love the humor and channel man! looking to get into tabletop games and you have a lot of knowledge to share. Good job look forward to more of your videos

Excellent all around explanations regarding airbrushing and the tools required Atom. I’ve been airbrushing for several years now coming over from the scale modeling world. I actually bought one of those inexpensive setups on eBay, the entire kit...compressor, hoses, airbrush, etc for less than $70 shipped. Always thinking I’d upgrade down the road. Of course I’ve gone through several cheap $12-$15 airbrushes...I just treat them as semi-disposable, but the small, quiet compressor is perfect for what we do and it’s still going strong. You are right about good airbrushes, and I will get one at some point, but the kit is worth buying for the compressor unit alone. Anyway...good video, per usual. 👍

Sweet, this was a fantastic vid! Been thinking about getting an airbrush for a while now but don't have a clue what to get and why. The info you shared gave me a good starting point...gravity feed 2-stage. Thanks Uncle Atom!! Can't wait to see your follow up vids on the care and feeding of your airbrush. 😁

Great stuff, thanks. As a fellow Wisconsinite (now, Three Lakes; ie. the Northwoods). I now know how handy an airbrush can be. Because of this video, I'm really looking forward to buying my first airbrush (and I've been painting for 40 years).

Side note: Bought an Iwata Eclipse over the weekend from Hobby Lobby - they no longer honor the 40% off coupon. 3/19

This is so helpful! My wife got an airbrush of the same type you recommend, and I have a hardware store compressor, but didn't know where to begin. I have long felt that an airbrush could up my painting game, but didn't really understand how. I look forward to your next video.

This is a great start. have been thinking about an airbrush for some time but did not have a clue about how, why, what or when! Looking forward to the next instalment. Thanks!!

Just starting to use the airbrush. Thanks for putting out a lot of useful information 👍

Outstanding video as always. Good work.

I'm glad you mentioned getting a 'hardware' compressor as being an option. The one thing I'd add is you can get a better regulator and moisture trap combo for very little money (~$10) that will make the hardware compressor perform better. The regulator I had on the cheapy hardware compressor I started out with was....untrustworthy. Thanks for the vid!

Fantastic explanation for someone who has no idea about airbrushing. Can't wait to learn more.

Thank you so much, great heads up before my ominous purchase. You've made my day!

Fantastic video mate. Have been thinking about this for a while and you've given some great ideas.

Thank you for that really interesting and detailed introduction into the topic. Thumbs up and keep going !

Priming inside, that sounds amazing. I'm upstate New York so temperature fluctuates like some kind plane of elemental chaos (last year it was too cold for the visiting Norwegians, this year it was 25° C in mid-Febuary). So priming during the Summer makes everything look like it's fuzzy. No matter when i do it I can't bring it in for at least 6 hours because of the smell.

Great video as usual. Thanks Atom.

I haven't started painting with it yet but I just purchased an entire airbrush setup made by Central Pneumatic from Harbor Freight tools for $89. It comes with the compressor (58 psi max), all the hoses and standard stuff with and the airbrush. I plan on getting a new airbrush like an iwata detailer. I'll update everyone after I play with it in the near future. Awesome vids brotha!!

This video helped me tremendously! I love your videos!

Thanks for the video! One thing I found from doing research and in the package of the cheap airbrush I got was they say is to add a moisture filter, they are cheap and supposed to keep the moisture out. I had one sitting around from horrible fright and seems to work pretty good.

Love this video uncle Adam. Going to nab myself an Iwata Eclipse and a Studio Series Sprint Jet Single Piston Air Compressor. Can't wait to get them so work on my Wood Elves Army.

So uh... What air brush should you get... Or... Whatever. 🤣🤣🤣 Love it

Just got badger 20/20 can't wait to start using it. Love the video

Shout out from the Frozen Tundra/Hoth System! This es exactly why I'm thinking about finally...FINALLY getting an airbrush.

Glad I stumbled on your videos, helps coming back to the whole Miniature/model hobby. Your sense of humor is awesome! Never thought about how gravity feed's are better for mini's and detail till now, thanks, I'll either need to find my VSR90 (hopefully still in a box in garage haha), or get a nice Talon if hobby lobby or someone has one cheap:) (I just like paasche, since I have used them forever). Cannot wait till your post more great vids on this subject.

Great video dude, you are very informative, I just got back into 8th edition 40k after over 15 years out and I'm thinking of an airbrush for the vehicles and wraithknight. Cheers!

I laughed when you described how the hardware store compressor scared the crap out of you when it would restart. I learned the hard way about that, too. I still use my 5 gallon shop compressor, and every now and then still get startled.

First off, love the channel. A lot of great info and I'm so glad you did a series of videos on airbrushing. I just ordered a Badger 105 Patriot (0.5mm) to use for priming, base layer, initial shading/highlighting. I've never airbrushed before but it looks really fun and should cut down on getting all my Descent & Bolt Action miniatures done (obviously will still do the detail painting with a brush). I still haven't picked up a compressor yet as I'm totally confused as to which one to get. I've got a Porter Cable that I use for woodworking, but it is LOUD as hell though I figure it will get me by for now. Still, it's -15c in the garage so having one I can bring inside would be nice. I've looked at: - a Master TC40 (hard to find in stock) - Badger Aspire TC910 (seems a bit pricey for what it is - might even be rebranded Chinese model...looks familiar..some reviews say it is surprisingly loud) - Iwata Smart Jet (doesn't have a tank for that price?!) I'm sort of considering a "Pro Air by WeberDisplays" as it looks *very* much like the Master TC40 (has a fan/tank, etc) and most reviews are good. It's not uber expensive, so as long as it is quiet, if it only lasts a year and I like airbrushing I can always upgrade to something better. Out of curiosity, do you really need a tank if you can get a quiet and well cooled auto-on compressor (one that runs on demand)?

Nice and informative video for beginners. The way you hold the airbrush all the time during the video is making anxious... I was waiting for you do drop it all the time :P ! Regarding your airbrush if it is 0.3 needle then it is more than ok for small details work.

I have watched tons of airbrushing videos and this is the best one so far! I am puzzled how every single person pronounces Iwata incorrectly though lol

I use a Pasche V jr. It is a gravity fed dual action. Although it has a smaller cup. Be aware the needle and tip size. I went with the larger needle and head. VM-2. The smaller VM-1 would clog too much. Also get a reamer, you use it to clean out the airbrush. It has a cut out in the tip so you remove the needle and then put the reamer in, twist and pull out. It cleans the head.

Wisconsin (Winter or Summer) = Inhospitable to rattle cans & humans; Caveman blowing paint through reeds back in the 1950's; How something works? = I don't know, it's science or something. Enjoy your humor, thank you for keeping a pastime fun. Having lived in Wisconsin in the 80's (the middle ages, between the 1950's and now) that one really busted me up. Keep up the great work, a fan from Rattle Can Territory.

Getting a dual action gravity feed brush is the most important. I started with a siphon feed (a Paasche VL) it was a good brush but took forever to clean, so I used it very rarely. Last Christmas my wife got me a Paasche Talon, which is a gravity feed brush. I have found that as long as I shoot cleaner through it I rarely have to tear down the entire brush. I now use it almost daily. For starting out I would recommend trying the Vallejo model or game air series of paints. I would still thin them slightly (maybe 1 part water to 5 parts paint). The nice thing about this line of paints is that they still work as brush-able paints, and they thin well with water. For choosing a brand of airbrush: get the one that feels good in your hand, and get one that has a paint cup appropriate to the project you are working on. If all you work on are small figures, I would get a very small cup. The Paasche Talon that I have has a fairly large cup as I also use it for painting scenery for my model railroad.

great vid , look forward to next installment. I have 2 airbrushes 1 of each type . The syphon feed is good for pva when wanting to flock terrain. Only used gravity feed for priming so looking forward to learning how to get more out of a great bit of kit.

I just think you have a great sense of humor. I live in TN and visit Eau Claire Wisconsin every Christmas. "Frozen wasteland " is hilarious to me. My sentiments exactly. But hey, if you choose to live there than you are tougher than I.

Love the vid. Was just at hobby lobby today picking up some paints. Looking forward to hearing more...I'm a youtube/self taught miniature airbrush painter and really would love some practical advice like this.

Thanks for the video! Also, I've been to Sayner, WI when there was 5 feet of snow and -20F...that was a new level of cold! #OnWIsconsin!

Just great, thank you very much. I'm a lifetime model painter and just had my interest tweaked. Mainly because I started a 1/32 project and painting scenery is booooring. You prevented me from making some fairly serious purchasing mistakes. Your guides have always been good.

Great video, as usual. There are two things that definitely have to be pointed out here, based on actual experience. I got into airbrushing about a year ago (after like 15 years of super-slow miniature painting with brushes), so I just recently went through all of those noob stages and my experience is quite fresh :) 1. Nozzle size. If you want to keep using our traditional acrylics - which is definitely a good thing to do because they are non-toxic, convenient to use, come in hundreds of colours etc. - then you'll need an airbrush with a larger nozzle size. Acrylics - even those that specifically made for airbrushing, like Vallejo Game/Model Air or Citadel Air - are just too rough and viscous, and they just don't go through nozzles of size 0.2 mm or smaller. Such fine nozzles either will clog too quickly, OR you'll have to make your paint so thin that it will be nearly impossible to control. My first airbrush (H&S Evolution) had 2 interchangeable nozzles of 0.2 and 0.4, and my current one (Iwata Eclipse HPCS) has 0.35 mm nozzle. To put it simply, 0.35 and 0.4 nozzles work, 0.2 nozzle doesn't. 2. Brand. In my experience, the brand absolutely does matter. As mentioned above, I started with the German-made Harder&Steenbeck Evolution airbrush, which is considered to be a relatively expensive and high-quality tool. After about 6 months of endless frustration I had to replace it, because it just doesn't work with acrylic paints, even those that are specifically designed for airbrushing. Even 0.4 nozzle gets clogged all the time as soon as I try to reduce the air pressure in order to achieve at least a remote semblance of precision. After some research, I bought an Iwata Eclipse - and things have changed entirely. That airbrush is indeed great for all sorts of model-painting, and now, with gradually improving airbrushing skills, I can even do some precision highlighting on infantry models. Evolution currently is demoted, I use it only where no precision is required, which is to undercoat and basecoat large areas, spraying paint through 0.4 nozzle at high air pressure. I wouldn't claim that Iwata Eclipse is THE best tool for a model painter (although some people do say that), but I definitely can say that there some airbrushes out there that are NOT good for that type of job, and it's not related to quality or price - so a mindful approach is required here. I'd at least look for an airbrush with a description specifically mentioning that it is suitable for spraying viscous/grainy paints like hobby-grade acrylics. And if you want to feel 100% safe about your choice, go for Iwata Eclipse :)

Was worried about spilling a gravity fed. But for the reasons you just gave it's obviously better than the siphon. Thanks

Fellow Wisconsin native, perfect description of the weather here lol.

I just ordered a set. Will be back here a few times.

High five from another Wisconsin guy! T-shirt also arrived, good stuff man.

I live in Niagara Falls Canada...same weather here. In fact, I live a ten minute walk from the actual falls themselves so the humidity in summer around my house is like Vietnam during a downpour. I think I saw Charlie Sheen and Barnes setting up an ambush on the sidewalk once. I'm looking forward to priming on xmas as well. Your videos are a fantastic and contain a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing what you know.

Thanks for this video. I bought an airbrush when I decided to get back into miniatures, and it has been sitting on my table for weeks. Maybe this is the push I need.

Speaking as a life long Wisconsinite his description of the state’s climate is dead on. Love to go somewhere with a more moderate climate but to difficult to do when your in your 40’s and the roots are planted way to firmly. Such is life.

This is very handy, thanks for making such videos.

Really enjoy your content generally. Thank you.

I really enjoyed this vid! Subscribed!

I agree with others who said this is the best intro to airbrush & compressor

On Wisconsin!!! Milwaukee here. Great video...

Thanks for this video series! Staggering volume of videos, but I'll stick with the guy I trust (Uncle Atom). Just purchased a Badger airbrush/compressor set for cheap (25 yr anniversary sale) and figured I should start learning the basics principles. Winter is almost here, so what better time to start airbrushing!

Great info and well explained, really helpful! Thank you. :)

funny video as always. thanks uncle Atom for putting this one

I live in upstate NY, and got an airbrush for the same reasons - priming and varnishing. Winter is like Hoth, and summer is often humid enough that it causes the varnish to go partially opaque. For what it's worth, I use 2 brushes - a cheap siphon feed single action (Badger 350) at something like 40-50psi to blow primer (50/50 mix of white gesso and glass and tile medium thinned slightly with distilled water) and varnish (Jo Sonja's Matte varnish) undiluted. They're too think to go through my other brush, which is a Badger Patriot Arrow XL (with the small cup) and am generally pleased with it. The devil is in the details and you need to just get your paint thinning right. I've been using more of the Badger Minitaire paints because they're pre-thinned so you don't have to thin them yourself. I did start by buying a simple airbrush and compressor combo (for maybe $150). I still use the compressor, and the brush worked poorly for both priming (needle too thin) and detail work (needle poorly ground, bent quickly, etc.)

Gonna be enjoying this as I just got an airbrush and love it. If you had a mad Afro, you'd be the Bob Ross of miniature painting. 😄👍🏻

I live in Canada and I had some good results with using cans outside during the winter. I was afraid at first that it would give a grainy texture to the miniatures but I was surprised to see they were clean and dried properly.