Mixing paint for airbrush

Tamiya's recommended 3 paint to 2 thinner works just fine for me - the rule of thumb seems to be to match the consistency of milk.

On occasion I find that the 3>2 isn't quite thin enough & required slightly more thinner - but not much & it doesn't happen very often.

Welcome to the forums.

There's really no set ratio, though some are likely to siggest various ratios to you. Generally speaking, you want your paint to be abot the consistency of low-fat milk. If you don't know how to judge that, pour a little into a glass and swirl it around. That's about what you want. 

The reason why I say there's no set ratio is simply that paint  viscosity can vary from one colour to another within the same manufacturer's range, even between jars of the same colour from different production batches.

The required consistency may also vary depending on your equipment setup and your own individual painting style. This is where a little trial and error comes in, but once you work it out it becomes second nature. Personally, I like to run my Tamiya paints very thin, moreso than other s here, but that's what I'm used to and I'm sure others might have difficulty in using the same mix that I do.

So, to summarise, a "milk like" consistency will put you on the field and then you might need to fine-tune to find what's ideal for you.

Welcome to the world of airbrushing!

There is no hard and fast rule, but the usual consensus is to thin to the consistency of 2% milk. Different colors can require varying amounts of thinner, and I use anywhere from 60-80% paint. A good starting point is 3 parts paint to 1 part thinner and adjust as required. It is easier to start too thick and add thinner, than it is to start too thin and add paint. Do not be tempted to put thinned paint back into the jar. Thinned paint is paint that is starting to bind, and you will only ruin your paint.

One thing to realize is that air brushing is a balance between paint, thinner and air pressure. Changing one part will affect the others and you will always need to be ready to compensate "as required". Having the means to control air flow via a pressure regulator will help fine tune the operation.

Practice, practice, practice is required to become proficient at air brushing, and I encourage you to practice on a model, rather than on paper or cardboard. Paper and cardboard are fine for learning how to control the paint flow, so you can spray thin or tapered lines, but paper is absorbent and flat, and styrene is not! Sacrificing a cheap kit is much better than suffering the frustration of removing a bad paint job from a $50 kit. The nice thing about Tamiya Acrylics is how readily they can be removed with Windex (or other alcohol/ammonia based cleaner).

Good luck!

Bgrigg

A good starting point is 3 parts paint to 1 part thinner and adjust as required.

I agree.  

Phil_H

Welcome to the forums.

There's really no set ratio, though some are likely to siggest various ratios to you. Generally speaking, you want your paint to be abot the consistency of low-fat milk. If you don't know how to judge that, pour a little into a glass and swirl it around. That's about what you want. 

The reason why I say there's no set ratio is simply that paint  viscosity can vary from one colour to another within the same manufacturer's range, even between jars of the same colour from different production batches.

The required consistency may also vary depending on your equipment setup and your own individual painting style. This is where a little trial and error comes in, but once you work it out it becomes second nature. Personally, I like to run my Tamiya paints very thin, moreso than other s here, but that's what I'm used to and I'm sure others might have difficulty in using the same mix that I do.

So, to summarise, a "milk like" consistency will put you on the field and then you might need to fine-tune to find what's ideal for you.

 

I also find that if it is a tad thin, just build up the color rather than add more paint. if it really is too thin even for that add a drop or two and mix then should be right! Airbrushing paint with all the variability involved can never be an exact science, but practice practice practice with what you have, if thrown a curve ball by a new jar of paint, watch the ball and then hit a homer.

I like the milk comparison the most.  

Just want to also add that the paint needs to be more thinned if one is spraying (1) on a lower pressure or (2) using a smaller needle.

For example, if one is using 20-30psi and a Badger Patriot with the 5mm needle, not having accurate thinning isn't as a big of  a deal as using 6-10psi and a Badger Velocity with the 2mm needle.

I spray with Tamiya paints exclusively, and I'll usually mix 3 parts paint to 2 parts thinner, or sometimes even 1 to 1.