Hello all. I have got a decent air brush but have one little problem. I suck at airbrushing. i mean I can't hardly put on a good even base coat on. I have heard a lot about practicing and would like to know what works for everyone here. I was just going to learn as I build but my airbrush skill isn't advancing as fast as others and it is going to start really holding me back in the near future. In particular I am looking for a book that will help and maybe have a list of exercises I can do, sorta like some "homework". My airbrush is the aztec 470 btw and I have a cheap compressor thats set to about 30 psi.

Here's the thing I did which I would highly recommend to you Andrew.
Get yourself some cheap latex or acrylic house paint. A quart of white runs about $4. You can get a ton of practice in without expending your precious model paints (which can be quite pricey)
Thin it like any other paint for the AB. You could use water, better yet use rubbing alcohol or windshield washer fluid. (very cheap products)
Drop your AB's compressor to around 15 - 20 psi. 30 is too high. The paint should be like low-fat milk. Practice making it the right consistancy for that pressure.
Get your self a large cardboard box...any, and open it up so you have a canvas to practice on.
Now for the fun part...practice, practice, practice...like crazy. :-)
There are tons of different exercises you could do to hone in your skills and learn your limitations. Practice making straight lines, feathering, tapering, making circles.
Learn how different distances from the model (box or canvas in this case) effects the spray pattern. What will going real close do? Far away? Find the right distance for you! What will turning up the pressure (psi) do? Turning it down? Have fun and learn your new tool.

Don't forget you have a duel action AB. You could learn it's uses too. Spin the thumb dial on the AB to change from single to double.
Keep us posted on your progess. :-)

Kenc' said it best! A very smart man he is, that Kencelot. My only additional suggestion would be...get an Iwata.

...just kidding.

Tread.

You've got a beater kit to practice on and a compressor so you're not spending $8 a can for air.. spray, spray,spray..

I like the idea of using cheap acrylic paint, but you might want to then move up to practicing with the brand you intend to use.

My thinned paint ratio ( thinned with US$0.60 rubbing alc from Wal Mart) for Tamiya and Poly Scale arylics is to thin the paint until the drops that fall from your stirrer 'bead up' on the surface for just a moment before settling back into the paint. It's less than 50-50 but not by too much.

I also wish I had used a measuring cup.. like those clear plastic graduated medicine cups with cc's ml's oz's and drams on the sides as I was learning so I got more of a feel for what % of paint to thinner.

There are an amazing number of variables, temperature, humidity, paint, thinner, air pressure.. nozzle adjustment.. so try to control as many of those as you can. Use the same pressure and thinner..try to paint in as close to the same temp as you can manage.

just brainstorming here..

If I remember rightly , didn't Badger used to have a 'beginning ab projects book' with some modeling stuff in it?

Check out the art shop or the art section of the bookstore as well.

good luck, and practice (x3)
Mike

Oh....one little additional thing you should be aware of. It's about the 'distance' thing. When spraying acrylic's, if you pull the AB too far away from the kit being sprayed. The paint actually dries before it hits the surface of the model. This causes a kind of 'grainy' affect.
This is most often used when 'dusting' the lower surface of the model to simulate an AFV that is coloured with road dust.......at least that's the way I do it..

Tread.

Oh, another thing. The double action AB is superb for 'fine-tuning' your weathering, or pin washes. Do, again, as Kenc' said. Turn your AB down (30 lb's is much too high for just about any application in modeling) to a very low pressure. Now, using the AB, hold the air ON, and verrrrrry slowly allow the paint to slowwwwly flow along the weathered line or depression.
You'd be suprised at how nicely it goes on. Just don't get impatient. Remember, the air can flow as long as it want's......it's the paint that is the important ingredient.

Tread.

Oh, another thing...........just kidding. #:-)