Paint mix

Welcome to the forums! You'll find a lot of neat stuff here.

Thinning paint for airbrushing isn't an exact science; even with the same brand of paint, I've found that different bottles often need slightly different ratios for successful spraying.

When I started out airbrushing, a standard rule of thumb was to thin the paint to the consistency of milk. That's worked well for me over the years, regardless of the paint brand. The real secret is to practice with your own airbrush and air supply to get a real "feel" for how it works.

Good luck!

Greg

gregbale

Welcome to the forums! You'll find a lot of neat stuff here.

Thinning paint for airbrushing isn't an exact science; even with the same brand of paint, I've found that different bottles often need slightly different ratios for successful spraying.

When I started out airbrushing, a standard rule of thumb was to thin the paint to the consistency of milk. That's worked well for me over the years, regardless of the paint brand. The real secret is to practice with your own airbrush and air supply to get a real "feel" for how it works.

Good luck!

Greg

Great advice! The consistency of milk is a good starting point.

I'll add that besides the paint- thinner ratio mix, you experiment with the air pressure as well.

I'd say skim milk if we are using consistancy of milk as a standard.  I like it more watery than ordinary milk, or even 2%.

The mix does not need to be a perfect ratio.  Adjustment of pressure, distance from model, needle adjustment, and the spraying technique can vary to make up for variations in the mix ratio.  I start out with a mix I have found optimum for a given brand of paint, spray a little on a scrap surface, and adjust ratio of way off, or change one of the other parameters if close.

THANNKS to everyone that help with the paint mix . lot of idears I get into spraying and let you know how things go