Acrylick paint turning into fine dots on the model

The short answer is no, it should go on nice and smooth.  Since this is your first model, I'm guessing that the airbrush is new to you.  If so, practice on some junk plastic until you get the knack of it.  It sounds like you are too far away when you spray and the paint is drying before it lands.  Play with air pressure and distance.  Thin to milk like consistency.

Don

I agree with Don but would add that part of the equation is the use of water as a thinner.  I would recommend using Tamiya thinner-it has a retardant that keeps the paint from drying too quickly. 

Don and Bob have it covered.

I'll second Bob's comments regarding water. Don't use it to thin Tamiya acrylics.

Use Tamiya X-20A thinner, and when you get a little more experience, you can try substituting Isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol. Someone will probably be along shortly suggesting that you use Tamiya lacquer thinner. While it does work, I'd consider it an advanced technique and you're probably better off getting the basics down before you go there.

You can certainly clean up using water, but it's not ideal as a thinner.

Phil_H

Someone will probably be along shortly suggesting that you use Tamiya lacquer thinner. While it does work, I'd consider it an advanced technique and you're probably better off getting the basics down before you go there.

You can certainly clean up using water, but it's not ideal as a thinner.

I would suggest exactly this, but I'm not sure how it's an advanced technique. It's just a different thinning medium. I use Tamiya lacquer thinner - or Gunze Mr. Leveling Thinner - because I find it easier. Better spray characteristics, less tip dry, and IMO easier cleanup (cleanup is with Windex followed by two final flushes of water).

This'll sound weird, but I paint with Tamiya all the time, and I always find Flat White really hard to get 'just right', meaning it either spray lumpy for me or I thin it too much.

Probably just me!

Water is not really a good thinner for acrylics...it is a common misconception that acrylics are "water-based"...they aren't.  They are acrylic-based...hence the name, "acrylic"...

I'm guessing the surface tension of the water caused the "beading" effect...