Painting camo patterns?

after i apply the second color i touch the edges of it with a dry brush to soften the lines between colors

wibhi2 wrote:

That is exactly what I do for aircraft and armor where the camo can get real fine in spots. You can paint fine lines, but that takes lots of practice and patience. I've been foolin' around with various airbrushes for 10 years and I feel I am only beginning to understand these tools. I have only started doing free hand camo on aircraft. When creating your masks, you can use regular paper and something like blue tack, silly putty or similar to tack the paper in place. and leave a very small gap between the paper and the surface of the model - this will produce a soft edge. If you want a hard edge, then use masking tape. Always spray lite coats, perpendicular to the masked areas.

What he said. :)  I use rolled up masking tape to attach my masks, but just about anything will do.  The article in July 2001 used blue tac, I think; that might give a more realistic gap.

That is exactly what I do for aircraft and armor where the camo can get real fine in spots.

You can paint fine lines, but that takes lots of practice and patience. I've been foolin' around with various airbrushes for 10 years and I feel I am only beginning to understand these tools. I have only started doing free hand camo on aircraft.

When creating your masks, you can use regular paper and something like blue tack, silly putty or similar to tack the paper in place. and leave a very small gap between the paper and the surface of the model - this will produce a soft edge. If you want a hard edge, then use masking tape. Always spray lite coats, perpendicular to the masked areas.

crockett wrote:

My feeling is that you should save up and buy a good quality double action airbrush. Steve

WRONG!!! The Aztek A470 is an excellent airbrush; just a little different to use from a Badger or Iwata.  I actually gave up my Badger after purchasing the Aztek A470.  It just takes a little pratice, it is a somewhat newer concept in airbrushes.

As stated by others, try using the Tan nozzle and check out this link: http://www.testors.com/tes_cds/hobby_guides/06%20Airbrushing.pdf

Scroll down to "Perfecting the Balance for Fine Lines".  You need Adobe Acrobat to view this page.

Jesse

Ninjamasta I have found that the tan nozzel is best for me & spray it between 5-10psi. It may take a bit longer but you should not have the paint overflowing, also bring your airbrush about 10cms away from your model.

Sounds like the psi or you are spraying to close. Alan

I've posted it before, but I'll post it again. :)  I use the tips suggested in the July 2001 FSM, where Paul Boyer describes how to create masks from photocopies of the model's instructions (or other diagram) and make raised masks.  I've used this very successfully for several builds, and I'm preparing to do it again on my current projects.

I have had next to no luck painting fine lines myself, which is why I use this technique. :)

We all have our modeling budgets to consider. My feeling is that you should save up and buy a good quality double action airbrush. There are just too many problems like this on the forums concerning the Aztek line. They are finnicky and, from what I have seen, unreliable. Some modelers who continually perform maintenance on them have good luck, but........Badger or Iwata......they are low maintenance highly reliable brushes.

Steve

Try using the black nozzle, that will give you a smaller spray pattern. You can try the Tan nozzole which will give you the smallest lines, but it wasn't intended for acrylic, so it will clog easily. You can add Tamiya thinner, which has a retarder, to minimize the clogging. Alos thin appropriately. Most of all, you have to practice, I presume you are using the 4709 kit? Try practicing thin lines on a piece of paper of scrap plastic sheet first.