Hello,
I am relatively new to airbrushing and have a few questions regarding the amount of time needed between coats using Tamiya acrylics. I am using a Paasche H single action external mix airbrush. The type of painting that I'm doing is just basic single-color coverage for the various model parts, (i.e. no fancy graphics or designs). I plan to start by airbrushing each part or subassembly with a mist coat to provide a "tooth" for the future coats. Then apply a series of light coats until I've achieved good coverage.
Ok, so my questions are:
1) How much time should I allow between each of these coats, before applying the next? Is it sufficient to wait until the paint is dry to the touch, or longer? With Tamiya acrylics, how many minutes does this usually take?
2) How do I keep the paint from drying in the color cup and/or the airbrush nozzle/tip while I'm waiting to apply the next coat? From other posts I've read, it seems the basic process would be to remove the color cup and cover it in plastic to keep the paint from drying, while also spraying some thinner (or isopropyl alcohol, or possibly water?) through the brush to keep the nozzle/tip from clogging. Is this the best method? Or is it ideal to actually remove the nozzle/tip and fully clean it between coats?
Your help is appreciated!
-Alan