UPDATED: How to airbrush Vallejo Model Air paints. 

Glad I could help! Post pics abs videos of your builds.

Glad, you liked the video!

Glad you liked the video!

Thomas, I do the same thing by adding a drop or two if satin varnish. Future is becoming like gold, so I use it sparingly ha.

Hey, I’m glad to hear.

Glad you liked the video!

I am so happy to hear! Glad my videos have helped you start loving airbrush. I have created a Facebook group, please feel free to post your pictures there!

Nigel, I’m glad to hear it worked for you! My only goal was to help my fellow modelers have better results with acrylic. Good to see it’s working:)

Glad you liked it.

Glad you like the video and it was helpful! Next video I’m planning to advance techniques with Vallejo Metal colors. So be on the look out for that.

Glad to hear it worked for you! Please post pics of your build in the Facebook group.

Glad you like the video. But don't forget the retarder!

Mike, glad I could help. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you, I’m glad you liked it.

Glad you liked the video!

Glad to hear that it helped you enjoy airbrushing again! For Vallejo primers, I recommend adding in "Future" or if you are in Europe, it is called "Klear". It helps the the primer go rock hard in 30 minutes and makes it easily sandable. If you use my thinner mixture with vallejo primers, make sure to wait 24 hours before sanding. But to be honest, I have moved on from Vallejo primers to Badger primers. Badger primers thinned with my mixture, airbrush beautifully and go rock hard in 30 minutes. Then you can sand them easily!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Will do some testing with the primers :) Used the black primer today but after a few minutes of use it clogged the nozzle. So had to clean that first to prime the other models :P

Scott, I have a Badger Sotar with the fine needle for detail work. It is a great airbrush and you will love it! Glad you liked the video.

Glad you like the video and welcome to airbrushing. You will really love it!

Glad you liked the video! And Hello to a fellow Trekkie. I can't say I have had the same problem as you. I have been able to mix Vallejo Mecha paints with other Mecha paints, with no problems. I have also been able to mix Mecha paints with other Vallejo paint brands (except for the premium brands). Just my guess....but the bottles you have might have gone bad. The only time I have had a problem is, when I purchased several bottles of Vallejo paint from a fellow modeler who added in paint stirring balls. But he used the wrong type and the stirring balls rusted slightly. This caused all the bottles to go bad. I could not use any of the paints for airbrush or even brush painting. Other then that, I have never had any issues with Vallejo paints of any kind.

Glad you like the video. Please let me know how it goes with the F-86 and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 i will. and ill send you a picture. just let me know an email i can send to. im also going to try this formula on cheap acrylics which i have quite a few. hope it works as they are far less expensive. ill probably try after i receive my order for thinner, flow improver and medium. i get this week and ill try on plastic spoons first.

@@dicksmith3553 email me at davisstudent25@gmail.com

Glad you liked it!

Hey, I am glad you like the video. So I didn't know what a 1/48 DKM U-boat was and had to look it up. Wow, that is a big model, haha. Unfortunately, I don't have a model that big to do a video on. I mostly build model 1/48 airplanes and 1/35 tanks....which are much smaller than the U-boat. I am currently working on a 1/48 Skyraider and that is a pretty big model by airplane standards. Hopefully that might give you some insight. What I will say is, I used repair large paint works. I would recommend a .5mm or .7mm needle airbrush. I would go in section and assemble the painted parts separately. For such a big model, you might want to look at a siphon feed airbrush because it can hold much more paint. Look at a Paasche VL, airbrush artists use it for large paint projects and you can pick it up super cheap. I hope this is helpful. If you need more direct help, email me at davisstudent25@gmail.com

David, glad the mixture worked well for you! And you got it exactly, the mixture helps the paints airbrush well and lay down without hiding the details. You can create different effects this way and get fantastic results with acrylics.

Glad I could help you on your airbrushing journey!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196One question. What do you use to clean the airbrush when using this thinner mixture? Alcohol?

I’m cheap and kind to save money ha. So I use a product called “simple green”. It’s a natural house hold cleaner that goes for $4 in Walmart. It eats acrylic paints. If you watch “airbrush tips and tricks” video, that is what I use to clean out my airbrush.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 hahaha ok. I know simple green

Thank you! Glad you liked the video and I subd to your channel as well.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thanks !!

Hi Andrew, introspect I didn’t explain that properly. So the way to look at is, the formula is 2 parts: 90% liquid + 10% goo. The liquid portion is 70% flow improver + 30%thinner. Hope this clarifies things more.

​@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 what is goo?

If you end up with 100 mls total of thinner and improver, then add 10 mls, or 10 percent medium

​@@MastaBorilla i think he means the retarder..

Retarder is not needed IMO, I think ratios are good. My test is how paint drop acts on vertical card.

You're very welcome!

Haha glad I could help. That’s the point, to help other modelers.

Sergio, glad you liked the video! For Vallejo Model Color, I have another video on my channel. Recommend you check that video out. As far as Vallejo Primer, I recommend not using the thinner mixture. It increases the drying time…which is not something I recommended. To get the best results from Vallejo primer, I recommend adding in “Future” floor polish. It makes the primer go rock hard in 30 mins and also makes it sandable! But to be honest, I have moved on to Badger Stynylrez primers. They are amazing! They go rock hard and super easy to sand. I thin the badger primers with the thinner solution (60:40) at 25psi. And you get good results and a nice smooth finish!

David, I have a video on how to best spray Vallejo primers, check it out. And as far as Varnishes, I think Vallejo varnishes with Vallejo thinner at 50/50.

Thank you, glad you liked the video. Regarding your questions, 1) The paints will dry in about 15 minutes. If you look at my other videos, I handle the paints with my bare hands and no gloves on. No issue of leaving finger prints or paint rubbing off, etc. They are fairly scratch resistant....but this is subjective, because how hard are you scratching the paint? But overall handling and drying time is very good. I painted the entire Bf-109 in about 35-40 minutes. That includes black basing and several light main coats. 2) Yes, the paint will tolerate the rest of the modeling procedure if you have a gloss coat on. I use AK extreme Gauzy agent. I let it dry for 15-20 mins and then use enamel washes with no problems what so ever. I know some modelers recommend waiting minimum of 24 hours. I also use the strongest decal setting solution, Solvaset, and the paint holds up just fine. 3) So for my final flat coat, I go with Vallejo Matte Varnish. I personally think it leaves a very nice Matte finish that is not completely a dead flat. I will say if you decide to use the Vallejo Matte, you HAVE TO LET it dry for 24 hours....no exception. I also use to use Tamiya Flat as well, which goes rock hard in 2 hours. For gloss coats for decaling/weathering, I stick with AK Gauzy agent....but before that I use to use Future. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any further questions.

Shadow, glad you liked the video and it was helpful for you. Regarding your question: yes, you must play around with the airflow via the airbrush trigger. Here is some general guidance that might help you. The closer you are to the surface of the model, the less air and paint you want. But as you further away you want to increase the paint and airflow.

Hi yes it works with mecha line as well! Several modelers have tested it out with the mecha line. I believe that mecha comes in two lines, a ready to airbrush line and brush painting line. For the airbrush line, thin it 50/50. For the brush paint, thin it 80/20 (thinner to paint)

DS, glad the video is helpful to you. Funny thing, the most questions I get are airbrushing. So I’m working on an airbrushing video for beginners. So look out for that video in about 2 weeks. But as far as your question; yes I recommend primer. The primer helps acrylics stick, helps find any flaws, and makes the paint uniform.

Hi Rivian, introspect I didn’t explain that properly. So the way to look at is, the formula is 2 parts: 90% liquid + 10% goo(retarder). The liquid portion is 70% flow improver + 30%thinner. Hope this clarifies things more. So you add 90% liquid and 10% retarder=100

Jay, glad you liked the video. My go to paints were the Hataka orange line lacquers. There smell was just to much for me. I have used Ammo paints but it was before I created my formula. But at the time, I was never able to get them to work right. I might have to pick up a bottle and do some testing. Bring that Vallejo and Ammo paints are very similar….I think formula might work on Ammo paints.

Yes, they work with all Vallejo paints except with Vallejo Premium....as I haven't tired them yet. With the mecha lines, I believe one line is airbrush ready and the other is made for airbrushing.....if I am remembering correctly. With the airbrush line, do 50/50 thinner to primer. With the brush paint version, 80/20 thinner to paint.

Gregory, I made a video on how to airbrush Vallejo primers. I do not recommend using any thinner mixture with primers. It increases the drying time. I mix in "Future" instead...not sure if you are in the US or Europe, I believe it is called "Klear" in Europe. Mix future with Vallejo primers and this will make the primer go hard in about 20 mins. You can start sanding without the primer rolling up on itself.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Future has been discontinued as of Jan 2022. "Looks like Glass" by Deluxe Materials is my replacement for it.

Hey, so you can do two things to make Vallejo primer more stronger, more airbrush-able, and sand-able. One is to add in Future…but since Future is more expensive than gold…that’s not the best option anymore haha. The second thing you can do to get the best results with Vallejo primers is to use the thinner mixture in my video. It will make the primer airbrush better, less clogging, smoother finish, and most importantly you can sand the primer after about an hour. I recommend 70/30 primer to thinner mixture at 20-25 psi (based on your airbrush).

I also have a video on acrylic primers on my channel. I would recommend checking it out

Josa, glad you liked the video. In regards to your question, if you are using Vallejo's gloss, you need to wait 24 hours minimum. If you don't wait that long, the gloss coat will start breaking apart. Since I don't like to wait that long, I use AK interactive Guazy Agent. It goes rock hard in about 20-25 minutes. You can apply a wash as soon it goes hard. If you plan to use Vallejo washes, go in small sections and don't wait to long before wiping away the excess. Acrylic washes like Vallejo, once fully dry are more difficult to remove. Enamel washes are easier to remove using odorless mineral spirits but they smell more. I hope this helps!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thanx for the info😊 i Also have Tamiya enamel wash

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 So i can use enamel wash on acrylic paint?

Yep you can use Tamiya enamel wash over acrylics. Just use a gloss coat first. I recommend AK Intermediate Guazy Agent. Spray it on and wait 20 mins. Then apply the Tamiya wash.

Good question. I’m not sure as I have never tried with the Vallejo Premium paints. I believe it should work as they are acrylic polyurethane paints, and the thinner and flow improver work on polyurethane

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thanks, will test it

Hi Alvin, I have a video on my channel for thinning Vallejo Model Colors and how to brush paint as well. Check it out, I think it might be helpful to you.

This one is not as big of a factor and so I didn't go into it as much. Temperature affects paint (all types of paint) but that is really more if you live in a very hot place or very cold place. If you live in a moderate climate (say between 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit)....honestly its not something you need to really worry about. It would take to long to type how paint is impacted by temperature...I can send you a video that explains it.

Hi, yes. Model Color is formulated for brush painting. So it has much more pigment and less carrier liquid. I have a video on how to airbrush Model color using the thinner mixture. I recommend 80/20 thinner mixture to paint.

Hi Lemur, so a couple of questions. First your color intensity should not change what so ever. Unless you are thinning the paint to much and if you thin acrylic paint it becomes translucent. And not sure why you are getting tip dry, you should not be getting tip dry. 1) Are you sure you are following the mixture properly and using Vallejo products? I have found there are problems when you don't use Vallejo flow improver, thinner, and retarder. Just to reiterate that the equation is 90% liquid + 10% retarder. And the Liquid is 70& flow improver + 30% thinner. And make sure it is thinner and not airbrush cleaner. 2) Are you thinning your paint properly, you should be thinning about 50/50 or 60/40 for most of the time. More than then that, your paint is going to be translucent but you can build it up. 3) is your airbrush clean? If you're airbrush is clean, paint can build up in the nozzle area and you will get drying into the nozzle. 4) Do you live in a very hot environment?

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 yes, followed exactly as shown in the video. The thinning is making it more transparent which in turn requires more coats. Using vortex mixer to prep each step out of the airbrush. Used two different airbrushes just to confirm. Yes there was less tip drip but it still happened after about 10 minutes of detail spraying - which happens with all acrylics. Tried your mix with model color, game air and model air using your different ratios. It's ok - these were just my findings

Interesting. I can go 40 minutes airbrushing no problems. The only other thing I can think off is if you’re work bench the light setup might be increasing temperature and causing drying. Increase the retarder to 20% but keep the liquid portion same. Let me know it goes, email me: arewethereyetmodeling@gmail.com

Magnus, if you plan to use the whole bottle fairly soon. Then there shouldn’t be a problem. But if you leave the bottle sitting with the flow improver inside, eventually it will separate the paint pigment from the carrier liquid and you won’t be able to airbrush the paint anymore.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 I was curious if something like that would happen. Thank you.

Hi, yes I can give you tips on Hataka Red line. So I tested with my thinner mixture (the one in this video) a while back. The mixture in my video works on all water based acrylics With the red line, I did 60:40 thinner to paint ratio at around 18psi. They worked really well at that range and thinning. Hope this helps!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thank you very much!

Sure, give me 2 weeks.

Hi Jerry, the formula works on Vallejo Model Color but the ratio is different. I recommend 80/20, 80% thinner mixture to 20%paint. If you look at my Banshee build, I airbrush model color to paint the kit.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 got it, use 80% of your thinner formula to 20% paint. Watched your banshee video and a few more, learned a lot in a short amount of time! Glad I found your channel.

Daniel, the 350 is a good airbrush. I recommend you look at the Paasche VL, it is a siphon feed double action airbrush. But you can use it as a single action airbrush like the 350. It has a roller in-front of the trigger that makes it into a single action. The good thing is about the VL is that it has different options for the needle sizes so it gives you versatility. Plus, the VL is super cheap! You can grab one for 25 -- 30 dollars and it is a tank and will last for a long time.

Hey glad you like the video! I didn’t explain the formula mathproperly. So the way to look at is, the formula is 2 parts: 90% liquid + 10% goo. The liquid portion is 70% flow improver + 30%thinner. Hope this clarifies things more.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Yeah, it does, thanks a lot for the quick response!!!

Dick, glad to hear the video was help. You are correct, do not use the thinner mixture with Vallejo Metal Colors. If you ever need Vallejo Metal Color to flow better, use a bit of Vallejo flow improver.

Hi John, I have never tried automotive polish on acrylic paints. So can’t say….but for a high gloss finish, you can use the ultimate modeling high shine. There are also other similar products that do the same thing. Are you building a car model? Thus the high gloss finish?

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 thanks for the response. Yes, I am mucking around somewhat on a cheap Tamiya Porsche trying out an airbrush for the first time. Not doing particular well at the moment. Would you have a link for the ultimate shine, please? Thanks for the help.

@@johncater7861 here is the link to the Ultimate Weathering products:www.umpretail.com/ I am also including a link to their how to video. I know a lot of car modelers use this but there are other high shine products as well. I only build military kits so never had to use high shine before.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PT0J7b36_Sk.htmlsi=an2wpEfmvZvhqY_z

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 many thanks again.

Patrice, I would not recommend using the formula for the resin varnishes. It will make them dry much slower and make them tacky. To thin the Resin Varnishes, I recommend using Vallejo Thinner only at 50/50 ratio at about 15psi. Hope this helps!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thank you!

Hi, I’m sorry to hear you’re having issues. Email me, and maybe I can help you figure it out. My email: davisstudent25@gmail.com

Vallejp paints have a congealing problem. If you use a wet pallet, you will notice it immediately. Every time you squirt a fresh bottle, it fights and squirts a congealed snotty bit. I may do this several times before the tip clears up. I believe the problem is they are putting the paints in the bottles too dry, so the air inside is dry enough to congeal them.I think they put just a little bit of gel media in their mix, which is why it gels rather than just plain drying out hard like most other paints. I'm experimenting with squeezing them and sucking a few water drops in to see how many drops is needed on average to eliminate that behavior. And yes, that means that the fancy "dropper bottles" everyone seems to praise are actually a pain in the pertushki for anything other than a wet pallet.

Hey, so I am gonna drive cleaning airbrushes into two categories. Simple clean and through clean. Simple clean is cleaning your airbrush everytime you use your airbrush. Through clean, you should do once a month just to be on the safe side. I have a video in my channel titled "Airbrush tips and tricks" recommend you check out that out for cleaning techniques. Hope this helps!

Robert, this is a great question. There are numerous mixture formulas out there for Vallejo/ammo, etc. And before I came up with my formula I looked at those other formulas. Here is the key question to ask when you decide which formula you want to use. What are you painting? Yes, you can 80/20 thinner/flow improver to get results. But the problem is, all the other formulas I looked at were short-term solutions. What do I mean by that? You can use the mixture to do short-term airbrushing. And if you are shooting paint rather than airbrushing paint....like Gunpla figure builders do, then these other mixtures work fine. But I go for long periods of time where I need consistent performance....so my goal was to come up with something that would give me consistent results for long long airbrushing sessions. If you look at my 1/32 Bf-109 video, I airbrush for over 40 mins (built was speed up 2x) with no issues. You will not get that with the other mixtures. I know I tested them. The other benefit of creating a long performing mixture is that it also works very very well for short term performance. Lastly, another thing that my mixture does that I only learned about later from professional artists. The three ingredients combined together to form a polyurethane addictive that makes the paint more resilient. This is something that professional artists use all the time to make their paints work better and become stronger. But don't take my word for it, do a test with the other formula and mine. I bet you money the other formula you will get tip drying in about 5 mins.

Thanks for such a thoughtful reply!

Hi Red, do not use this formula with Vallejo Metal colors. It will make them very tacky. Best way to airbrush Vallejo Metal color is to use Tamiya x-22 at 50/50 and lower psi at 12-15. If watch my other videos, I do a full build of a P-51 using Vallejo Metal colors.

Oh wow, really lol? learn new things everyday. I'll go and find some X-22 then. Thanks!@@arewethereyetmodeling2196

Your other vids that use the metal colors mention to use just the flow improver for the new formula, which I have. I'll use just the flow improver since I already have that, and see how it goes. @@arewethereyetmodeling2196

@@redbones01flow improver definitely helps! But after testing I found that Tamiya X-20a works best. Do a test with both and see which works for you the best. Good luck!

Because IPA has such a low vapor pressure it evaporates much faster than water and is one of the prime reasons for tip drying.

Hi, so yes it does. I created a Facebook group for acrylic users and one of our members tested Ak 3rd gen with the mixture formula. He was able to get pencil lines with the paint. His post is in the group feed. He did one issue, he used 2 different airbrushes, one worked great the other didn't. A fellow modeler has sent me some AK 3rd paints, I am going to do a test with them and post a video soon (I hope). As far as using AK thinner, flow improver, vallejo retarder. I don't know....but I think it should work. The only issue I know what AK thinner is that you cannot use it with Vallejo paints, it has an ingredient that ruins the Vallejo paints. Hope this helps!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 fantastic, thans for your reply! I will try it next week so I will post the result here after. One more question - I got the retarder and it is really thick (like honey) - how do you measure it? I can’t imagine to put it in the pipette.

@@davidriha3125 so if it’s really thick and foggy it has gone bad. Don’t use it, retarder will go bad by itself fairly quickly if not kept in the right conditions. Grab a new bottle, it should come off pretty easy.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 So, i’ve just tried your formula for AK interactive 3rd gen acrylics with white crown bottlehead (formula mixed of AK interactive flow improver (black label with orange AK logo), AK 3rd gen thinner (white label, not the one with orange cap and blue water on label) and Vallejo retarder medium). The paint/formula mixture roughly 50:50. It worked on 100%! Perfect coverage, no tip drying and even though my trigger control was just awful (I even let the trigger lose directly from back position) there was no clog no tip dry nothing. So I can confirm that your formula is working with ak 3rd gen acrylics. I cannot explain how this helped me. You literally saved my hobby since I was spraying gunze laquers and it is not possible anymore due to new family members. Thank you and cheers!

@@davidriha3125 I am so glad to hear! Please join the Facebook group I created and post your results.

Bryan, if you look on my channel you will see I made a video on how to airbrush Model Color as well. And you are not that far off the mark on the ratio!

Hey, yes you can use a big needle setup, .5 or .7. Just make your paint is thinned properly and psi is good (bigger needles you typically don't need as much psi, keep that in mind) But to be honest, you really won't need it. If you look at my 1/32 Bf-109 build, I did that entire kit using a .2mm needle. Smaller needle gives you more precise control and it is better to small sections than large. I have noticed that when people use bigger needles they tend to flood the paint. So just be aware of that. Let me know if you have any other questions.

​@@arewethereyetmodeling2196thank you, appreciate it! Could you give me email or something to ask for advice... I don't want to ruin your video with my rookie questions.... 🙂 Thank you in advance!

Sure, feel free email me at davisstudent25@gmail.com

Hi Sean, I make a big batch and store it into 17ml bottles (I have like 7 of those bottles) and use it when I need. The mixture holds up just fine. I found a bottle I had forgotten about from 5 plus years ago and the mixture still was good.

Thanks so much that’s what I was hoping. And thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

@@seanyoung8085 of course! The whole goal is to help fellow modelers. Feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions.

Dr, I use 20 psi and my paint is thinned at 60% paint to 40% thinner. Sometimes I will do 50/50 paint to thinner mixture. A lot depends on your airbrush and it's settings. Start with 20 psi and 60/40 paint to thinner ratio and go from there.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thanx!

About 30 mins. I recommend using AK guazy agent for varnishing. It’s really strong and has no effect on acrylics.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 thanx! Yeah i bought Ak gauzy agent

David, picky questions are good. 70% Flow Improver, 30% Thinner, and 10% Retarder (total 110%) is correct.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 I'm 110% confused.

@@bryanjensen6095 so am I 🤷🏻‍♂

@@bryanjensen6095 If you were mixing up in milliliters, you'd do 7ml Flow Improver, 3ml Thinner, and 1ml retarder.

@@bryanjensen6095 so easiest way is, of the liquid stuff: 70% flow improver and 30% thinner (do not use the cleaner, make sure it’s the thinner), and 10% added to the total of liquid of the gooey medium retarder.

Trekker, I have never used Mecha and Game colors….but I think the ratio will be the same. I do have a video on my channel on how to think Model Color for airbrushing purposes.

Hi, I do it by volume. I have it marked on my bottle from testing and just use that as my guide. Hope that helps!

John, if you only learn one thing about acrylics…let it be this: never ever thin acrylics with water for airbrushing. Water thins acrylics but also causes the binding agent to have less adhesion. This is why you’re leaving finger prints in the paint. What might help if you have a hair dryer, use that to dry the paint and that might help. Then add in a gloss varnish for weathering. Be careful with any masking as the paint will be weak. I recommend in the future you prime your model and use my thinning formula in the video and you will get fantastic results!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 thanks for the response. The model was primed - again thinned with water. Next attempt shall follow your rules and not be such a cheapskate.

@@johncater7861 no worries, you don't know what you don't know. You didn't mention in your original message you thinned the primer with water as well. Use the thinning formula to thin the primer in the future, it will help the primer (assuming your using Vallejo primer or Badger primer) flow and not tip dry. Now having said that, you can use water to thin your Vallejo paints for brush painting. When painting small parts, thinning the paint with water (slight bit of water) will help flow the paint better and a trick gunpla/figure modelers use to create variations. I use this technique to paint my cockpits.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 many thanks.

Hey so sorry for my belated reply. Unfortunately, I didn’t really explain it well. So hopefully this better explanation makes sense. So think of the mixture as a math equation: 90% liquid + 10% retarder. The liquid portion is made of 70% flow improver + 30% airbrush thinner. Does that make more sense? But more importantly, the reason I did percentages was that people wanted to mix large batches and not just do one at a time.

Did you apply a gloss coat over the paint prior using the wash?

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 no.

@@danielbear9183 recommend always putting on a gloss or satin coat prior to decals or washes. Even if it’s an acrylic wash, some of the chemicals can eat the paint….even if it’s enamel or lacquer paint.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 i have used citadel washes for years and never had an issue, now I use them after I have painted with the airbrush and it has this reaction. Perhaps its reacting with he thinner/flow improver

@@danielbear9183 run a test and share the results. If you can paint two test pieces. One with the mixture, other without. See if the same thing happens to one or both. Would be helpful for others to learn.

You don’t need to thin Vallejo model air if the conditions are perfect. But normally you need to thin for best results.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Ok great. Thanks for your quick response.

Hi Bonikee, I do not recommend using water to thing Model Air for airbrushing. You are not going to get good consistent results. It will not flow well, it will clog, etc. But you can thin Model Air with water for hand painting. Figure painters use water to thin Vallejo paints for various tricks!

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 so what thinner should i use?

@@bonikee1667 for airbrushing, I recommend using the thinner formula I describe in my video. For thinning in general, use Vallejo thinner. Don’t confuse it with Vallejo cleaner.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 okay so i have to buy airbrush thinner,retarder and flow improver

@@bonikee1667 for the formula I created, yes. You need thinner, retarder, and flow improver. But it will completely change the results you get from Vallejo paints

Hi Woody, glad you liked the video. As far as your question, yes you must apply a gloss coat and let it dry, then add the decals (gloss coat makes decaling easier), then after decaling you can add another light gloss to protect the decals (if required). Then you can add a wash to bring out the panel lines.

Jose, I prefer using a small needle nozzle setup. Normally I stick with .2mm and sometimes .3mm. But I don’t really bigger than that for painting.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 thanks!

Never tried Tamiya retarder. Try it and see what happens.

No problem, ask all the questions you want. So two ways you can go with Vallejo primers. If you use my thinning formula with primers, they will airbrush nicely and leave you a smooth self leveled finish. But the issue is, that you need wait 24 hours as the polyurethane takes that long to go hard. If you don’t want to wait 24 hours, you can mix the primers with Future and airbrush it on. If you use future, the primer will go hard in 30 mins. But the airbrush will clog a bit more while airbrushing.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Perfect! Thanks again! I don't mind waiting if it means my airbrush doesn't clog.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 I looked in your videos... but didn't see any. Do you have a video on how to properly thin cheap acrylic paints? Like Decoart or Folkart? I tried this Vallejo mix and it worked great on my vallejo paints but seized up on these cheaper paints.

@@DarksouIjah I don't have a video on how to thin cheap acrylic paints. I recommend you not use cheap acrylic paints for airbrushing. The pigment tends to separate and results aren't great. You can use the cheap acrylic paints for hand painting. I use them to paint cockpit dials and buttons.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thanks again sir!

Thank you! Glad you like.

Hey, that is a good question. Unfortunately, I didn’t really explain it well. So hopefully this better explanation makes sense. So think of the mixture as a math equation: 90% liquid + 10% retarder. The liquid portion is made of 70% flow improver + 30% airbrush thinner. Does that make more sense?

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Yes that makes sense. Now I’m to ponder how to portion out the retarder. Say we use a drop as one unit. That’d be 7 drops improver and 3 drops thinner for the 90%. To make it “whole” you’d use 1.5 drops retarder? (Gonna have to work out that math later)

Oh it’s 1.11 retarder

About 30 mins. I use Tamiya tape and masking liquid to mask. Make sure to remove the tape nice and easily. Don’t rip it off.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 thanks for the tip. Your videos made my first experience With airbrushing a really good one👍👍

@@Josa1984 glad I could help and feel free to reach out if you any more questions. I’m working on a how to airbrush video, keep an eye out for it.

Paw and AJ, I hope you enjoy your build! Yes 70+30+10 is correct. If you look at my Model color airbrushing video I have a ratio for airbrushing Model Color and should same for Game Color. Also, what Paasche airbrush are you using? If it’s a siphon feed you might need to increase air pressure a bit. To see if the paint is ready to airbrush, use the back flush method. Look for bubbles like you get when you blow into chocolate milk. If you need anymore assistance, email me directly and I’ll be happy to help anyway I can. My email: davisstudent25@gmail.com

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 Thank you! We will email you. I think we are confused. AJ is here all weekend :-)

Hey, that is a good question. Unfortunately, I didn’t really explain it well. So hopefully this better explanation makes sense. So think of the mixture as a math equation: 90% liquid + 10% retarder. The liquid portion is made of 70% flow improver + 30% airbrush thinner. Does that make more sense?

Awesome, thanks!@@arewethereyetmodeling2196

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 So 63% flow improver, 27% thinner, 10% retarder? Probably easier to measure out 60%, 30%, 10% (6:3:1).

90% liquid + 10% retarder=100. The liquid portion is 70% flow improver + 30% thinner= Liquid portion

Brent, if you can’t get the Vallejo thinner/flow improver/retarder. If you can find an art store nearby they will have similar items you can use. Hope this helps!

I know what Vallejo recommends and I have spoken to them about their recommendations. Vallejo has even let me post this video in their official Facebook. The issue is that majority of their focus was figure painting and gunpla. When you airbrush figures you don't have to go consistently for 30-40 mins. You shoot bursts of paint, and having a small amount flow improver works just fine. But if you want to shoot consistent paint for a long period of time, you will never ever get results using just a small bit of flow improver. AND it does not matter if you use a .4mm or even .7mm. When you airbrush for a long period of time you will get tip drying even with a large needle. As far as using a needle size two small...you must not have watched my other videos. I don't know where people learn you have to use a large needle set up with acrylics. It is not true at all, I use nothing but small needle setup in my airbrushing all the time because I like the control and there is NO ISSUE WHAT SO EVER. If you watch airbrush artist videos....they all use acrylics and small needle/nozzle setups. I didn't just come up with this formula out of thin air. I am a former professional airbrush artist with 25 years of experience working with print companies and magazines. I worked on this formula for a while and asked my professional airbrush artist friend to test it and tell me what they think. Try the formula and what I recommend and then see if you change your mind and or not. And btw, that is why I have 50 airbrushes. Watch the Bf-109 video and the Skyraider video. Hopefully, that might help you understand and change your mind.

The cleaning is the same for all the airbrushes. If you watch my other videos I back flush with every airbrush I have and I have over 50 airbrushes. As long as the needle packing screw (which is hidden with the airbrush) is fine, you don't have to worry about painting leaking into your trigger or such. I also clean my airbrush by backflushing. The only time I had issues is with over airbrushes that don't have solvent proof seals. The seal can break.....but with acrylics that is not a worry. Checking out my airbrush tricks and tips video.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 It's just not necessary though and results in significantly more cleanup.

@@jackberlien8916 this is where you are mistaken. Backflushing in no way results in more cleanup. It actually reduces clean up time by removing paint that remains in the nozzle tip section. It forces the paint out and you can clean your airbrush faster. By not back-flushing you will need to blow paint out and that takes more time as you have to keep blowing paint several times over.

Daniel, I think your apprehension might be unwarranted. In my opinion, flow improver is no more viscous than Vallejo thinner. If you were to remove the markings from each bottle and compare them against each other. I don't think you would be able to tell the difference between the two. Also, if you watch my video....I am able to get great atomization and extremely fine pencil line quality spraying, using a .3mm airbrush nozzle.

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 I'll play around with it. Even though Vallejo says that the Airbrush Thinner delays drying time, I've seen others mention the exact opposite. That Airbrush Thinner is a drying accelerant. I'll experiment with your method, as well as some others. Thank you.

@@dbroadwayvfx Good luck, let me know if you have any questions. And as far as drying time, you should find that everything is drying in about 15-20 minutes time. You can even tape over your model (gently of course). If you look at my Bf-109 build video. I first painted the underside and then taped some areas on the topside and airbrushed both sides in under 30 minutes. No issues what so ever with any of the paint being wet. Just make DAMN sure to add a primer first.

One small grammatical error. Too instead of to. Example “too much” instead of “to much” Great demonstration and information.

So introspective I didn’t clearly explain myself. Here are two ways which might help clarify things: The way to look at is, the formula is 2 parts: 90% liquid + 10% retarder. The liquid portion is 70% flow improver + 30%thinner. The retarder is just the retarder. You don’t need to be precise with the retarder portion. If you live in a colder environment you might only need 3-5% retarder and the rest liquid mixture. But if you live in a hotter environment like me, you probably want to do around 10% retarder. The thing I want everyone to note, you have to have all 3 ingredients for the formula to work effectively. And here is an even more simplified way: 7 part flow improver, 3 parts thinner and 1 part retarder

Darth, I don't know where this "Vallejo need bigger nozzle" thinking came from either. In my opinion, acrylics work better with a smaller nozzle as they do not cover like enamels/lacquers. Now having said that, I definitely recommend using a bigger nozzle with Stynylrez, like a .5mm or .7mm. Or you will get clogging issues.

Hi, introspect I didn’t explain that properly. So the way to look at is, the formula is 2 parts: 90% liquid + 10% goo. The liquid portion is 70% flow improver + 30%thinner. Hope this clarifies things more.

Hi LeLong, so there are 2 parts to the equation. A liquid part and a goo part. The liquid part is 70% flow improver & 30% thinner. So the equation is 90% liquid portion to 10% goo.

Yea, I should have explained that equation better, ha. But hopefully it made some sense to you?

@@arewethereyetmodeling2196 I think I know what you were trying to say. I'll give my understanding a try. Thanks for the video.

Yea, I should have explained that equation better, ha. But hopefully it made some sense to you?

1 litre of the other two and plus 100ml of the other.

Yes…math is not my strong suit haha