@@AzraelThanatos lol.. my gf watches all kinds of competition shows (cooking mostly). That environment is NOT for me. I do NOT work good under pressure. God bless those of you who do! 🤠
for anyone that stumbles upon this, it's important to note that he's talking about WATER BASED acrylics. there ARE solvent/alcohol based acrylics that you should not thin with this solution, but generally you would know if they're a solvent based acrylic because it will have some sort of flammable warning on the bottle/package. it's a great solution for water based acrylics, the thinners are pretty much the same stuff but marked up for being premixed. just don't use it for any solvent acrylics lol. Cheers Bryan
Rinse aid! Genius. When I brush on paint my water jar also has one or two drops of washing up liquid to dissipate the surface tension and help the paint flow more evenly. Thank you very much for the tip. I also use emulsion paint on kits with the appropriate priming and thinning. The availability of colours in ordinary house decorating emulsion are legion. Most (such as Dulux in the UK) will mix a colour from a swatch you show them and you can get a small trial tin for £6 that will keep you going a lifetime. Thank for the video....from a fellow skinflint.
House paint, yea, that crossed my mind, but I haven't really put a lot of thought into it, but I can definitely see some possibilities there. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!
Being a wargamer I go for 'lots' and 'cheap'. It doesn't mean any old rubbish will do. I want my stuff to look good too. I have used a colour called bitter chocolate for a few hundred cavalry horses. Yes, you must prime, and yes you must use thin coats but I would be very interested to see what you think should you get round to experimenting. Again, thanks for the video.
Thank you, I will be trying this today. Another reason for using craft paint that is overlooked by many is that a large number of people live far away from hobby shops. For me it is a 55 mile drive to a hobby shop and more than double that to a miniatures shop. So small town America makes do with Wal-Mart.
I airbrush every weekend so I have airbrush paint but also apple craft paint. To thin out my airbrush paint and the apple craft paint I only use distilled water it works great and have been doing that for over a year now
I've been using craft paints for years to paint my resin printed models. I am no expert, but I get (in my opinion) excellent results! The paint snobs are welcome to spend all the money they want, but... I have more time than money. It may take a little more time and effort, but I can get similar, if not in some cases identical, results as they do at a much more reasonable price. Thanks for the video!
Paint snob here... joking. But seriously. The main thing I've noticed between craft paint and the more expensive model paints is pigment density (coverage) and the finish (which can be easily modified by adding a layer of varnish over it.) I prefer model grade because I don't have to thin it as much, but craft grade paints usually cover better as long as you don't mind straining them for chunks.
@@thehat4244lol.. I was (half) joking about the paint snob comment, myself. But... No... you are right. Using the craft paint does take a lot more time and effort to get good results. Craft paints tend to have a more... chalky finish? But I coat everything with a matte clear coat from a rattle can and apply a gloss varnish on pieces I want, well... glossy. If I had unlimited money, I might go with the better paints. But... for those of us on limited budgets 🤷♂ The reason for the "snob" comment was because, anytime I've shared my models online, I get good comments until they find out I used craft paints... then the negativity flows freely.
It sounds like you interface with this hobby in a similar fashion to me. I'm working on a cobra gunship at the moment, and it has hobby paint, a concoction of craft paint and floor polish, and cheap airbrush paint off of Amazon. I also broke out my old tube of testers' plastic cement. I've not seen that stuff on RUclips since I don't know when. It's a hobby, I choose my projects and my supplies with one goal in mind, fun! Thanks for the comments, and thanks for watching!
I use Acrylic Craft Paint on the interior side of lexan RC Bodies and thinning is key as well as many thin coats...but never thought about dishwasher rinse agent for thinning, just tap water and acrylic reducers thus the tip drying and spatter with some colors...to seal the acrylic I've found that minwax polyurethane satin is the toughest anti-scratch covering you can hope for them base it with black, silver, white 2x all purpose spray paint... thank's for sharing your tips... ✌🤠👍 HFLPRCing =Having Fun Laughing Playing and RCing 👍😎👍 AOAH =Association of Addicted Hobbiest 🙏 SSPH =Stay Safe and Play Healthy My Friend
Thank you for this tip, I appreciate you trying to find budget hacks for ever more expensive hobby supplies , I also use FW inks more than pre mixed airbrush paints especially with translucent resin .
I appreciate having a randomly received this video since I feel like I could make a a lot of use out of craft paint for dry brushing if I chose to but had no idea how to approach making them useful for my airbrush. I already tend to struggle atomizing my paint in a way that doesn't sputter or in a way that doesn't clog the nozzle multiple times in a painting session, but I'd be happy to try the ideas here nevertheless.
Wow this was absolutely wonderful. Literally wonderful. I am super good at modeling, sculpting, and diorama creation but have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in regards to airbrushing. I have looked through many forums, posts, videos, and sites to find concise and thorough information on airbrushing, and now I find that I'm typing in "[subject that I need to learn] Bryan's Hobbies" in my search bar, like subjects for primer, sanding, etc. Thank you so much!
Thanks for posting as I have some of the home made older stuff with non-ammonia Windex. I'll now be switching to your formula. I have 2 airbrushes, one Harbor Freight Chinese one that I use for lacquer based paints and my Badger Anthem 155 for acrylic paints. Cheers from eastern TN
Some of the box craft stores have large bottles of acrylic paint that is out of this world for relatively little money. I am thinking of one brand in particular that is normally $12 a quart but they are routinely on sale for 40-60% off. I bought twenty something bottles one time when I stumbled across them on a 60% off sale. It was still a small chunk of change but I got so many high quality high pigmentation acrylic paints it is scary. They are good enough for small details on miniatures so I can't wait to see what I can get from them in an air brush.
@@bryanshobbies On miniatures, characters and even small vehicle like bikes or weapon teams they are insane! I have not used them on terrain except to make rust effects despite them actually being cheaper than craft paint. The name of the product is Master's Touch (Hobby Lobby) $12.99 for 500ml/16.9fl oz. but it is almost always at least 30-40% off and I have seen year end sales hit 75% off. They are just so vibrant and fun to work with.
Fantastic, no-nonsense, get to the point, lucid video. I use craft paint, and will try to mix a suitable thinner from the ideas layed out in this informative lesson in saving money!
Im doing a wargame table. And craft paint is the cheapeast option for covering 16 feet of terrain. Craft paint being able to be watered down and air sprayed for terrain color changing helped alot. Thanks.
I appreciate this so much, i have always had trouble getting "any" paint to work in my airbrush, and i use model paints mostly, occasionally ill use Citadel aka GW or P3 but that can get expensive and if you mess it up it can either A take you forever to achieve what you want or B mess the whole thing up and lose a few bucks in paint which adds up so fast. I airbrushed a Imperial Fist army one time, which is yellow, and yeah.... if i didn't know to use bleached bone color as a under coat with tiny bits of brown, the project would have been impossible. Thanks a ton once again!
This is great information for me because I'm just getting started with airbrushing my gunpla models. Tips like these are a good way for me to get adjusted to how airbrushing works. Thank so much!
Ive been using about a 50/50 mix of ammonia free windex with acrylics for about a decade, along with a drop or two of airbrush medium. I've had great success with it. I do get tip drying occasionally. Im using a Pasche model H @ 35psi. Never had good luck with water, but never tried distilled. I see so many modelers use 70% alcohol, but i get too much separation trying to blend.
I get the same issue with IPA alcohol sometimes turns to cottage cheese. I have had some success using PGA, especially with polyurethane based stuff, thining it about 50/50 with my thinner recipe. Thanks for watching!
Great informative video. I can't understand why so many reviewers for years have been recommending IPA and/or distilled water! Finally a video that makes sense.
Great tips! Thanks for coming up with a new (to me) alternative. I've been experimenting with craft paints for months, to a little success but not as much as I'd like but I see the potential. I've used everything from water to Createx 4011 to get craft paints to mix right. I've tried different psi settings, tip sizes and diluted the craft paints to different levels. I've had partial success at it but no hard formula that I could pass on. I would add that when using craft paints it's very important to filter your final mix before putting it into the airbrush cup. Craft paints often have thick, chunky and inconsistent mixes. I'm going to try your method because it makes sense. Thanks for sharing this and I sub'd
Thanks for your comments! I've got some filters somewhere. I just don't know where I put them. The biggest takeaway I've gotten from testing these craft paint so far is that every darn one of them is different, and you have to find that particular paints sweet spot to make it work.
Thanks Bryan, good info and research. Enjoyed the presentation very much. I have always wanted to see if rinse agents helped flow/coverage, and now you have confirmed it. Subbed
I have done several models now using craft paint. If I have one gripe it's that I don't get a good gloss, but other than that, I am learning each time to get better results. Thanks for the video!
Depending on what you're looking for, I've had decent results using DecoArt DuraClear thinned with either denatured alcohol or the stuff from the liquor store and just about anything Rust-Oleum in a rattle can. Thanks for watching!
While it's slightly less cheap, what I've used whenever I can is the acrylic art inks that are available rather than the craft paints. End price tends to be about the same since you need far less thinner to paint and you tend to get a stronger color out of it. The prices tend to even out or even lean in the inks side if you include things like discounts such as hobby lobby has regularly.
That's the route I went when I was refinishing a scuffed motorcycle helmet. I went to a dedicated arts supply store and browsed the shelves. The pigment density is higher and the consistency is high. Anything they didn't carry but is recommended by experts in helmet airbrushing I ordered online from airbrush supply companies; the ones that sell hardware as well as coatings and additives. It was a pleasure laying down coats of those things. Five years later it still looks fine and I was too chicken to attempt clear coating the entire helmet afterwards, so that's the acrylics with additives holding up on their own in the sun.
@@bryanshobbies I've used a few different ones over the years, FW, Liquitex, and Amsterdam being the main ones because they tend to be in local stores more often though I have a few others. Just make sure you're looking at the acrylic art type of inks rather than the calligraphy type as the calligraphy type is intended for soaking into paper and does a lot of other things that the art ones don't.
I'm a fan of craft paints as well. To do a proof-of-concept test once, I painted a model with craft paint that I had thinned with Future. I used hairy sticks and makeup sponges to paint it, and clear coated it with Testors rattle-can Glosscote and Dullcote. I actually placed second place in its category (1/72 single engine prop) among eight other entries in a club contest here in my state. So, I just laugh and purists who say you can only win with high end elite products.
Thank you for sharing and for explaining! I've always liked to take advantage of craft paints as much as possible and your mixture for thinner is working so well for me!
@jimbollman2292 I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the pouring additives. Wouldn't hurt to test it. You have to clean your airbrush regardless if it works or not. 😉
Just getting into airbrushing. I'm one step below a rank amateur. I have a set of 24 water based craft paints that my wife found at the local hobby store. I started yesterday by spraying a piece of cardboard. Learned a little and looking forward to learning more as I subscribed to your YT site. Many thanks for taking the stress out of learning this craft.
Im new to airbrush didn’t want to spend a fortune on expensive paint learning so I heard about using the cheapest hobby acrylic paints and i already had large bottles of was having so much trouble with thinning acrylics I almost gave up,i kept hitting a dead end road but you showed me another road to travel so maybe my airbrush journey hasn’t ended just yet , thanks for sharing your wisdom
Thank you so much this is exactly what I needed to know, I am just starting my journey into using an airbrush and I am on a limited budget craft wise . Thank you . I am off to Walmart for some supplies I can afford!
Thank you for making such a detailed tutorial and sharing recipes cant wait to try it my daughter got me a bunch of beautiful Folk art metallic and color shift paints but when I thinned one it was disaster had to clean my gun so many times I ended up having to re-lube it
Awesome video, and I thank you for it. I too discovered, a long time ago, that the priming is most definitely the most important part of the process, and makes all the difference in the world. I use Stynylrez primarily, and gesso secondarily (gesso mainly just for terrain pieces and such, but works amazingly if you also wanna add a little gritty texture sometimes), but it was a game-changer when I finally started using those instead of spray can primers.
This is a fantastic video. I've been trying various ways to use Craft paints and have experienced various degrees of success. This should really help to make my results more consistent. Thanks and I will be sharing this on my Facebook feed as well as my next video on my channel.
I just got into airbrushing and bought a bunch of those exact same cheap model paints, got pretty okay results with first using tap water, then distilled water, and just went and found the stuff to make your recipe thanks for sharing that! I'm about to pick up a quart of some zinsser 123 water based primer and have a year supply if that stuff will spray.
I'm not either, just looked like a lot of primer, a quart for 16$ and says it sticks to anything oil or glossy plastic surfaces so thought it might work well for a base coat on airbrushing projects. Haven't tried it yet though. I grew up building model boats and would really like to get back into itso subscribed for more model building content :D @@bryanshobbies
I've been airbrushing for about a year now, mainly doing custom skateboards. I find just distilled water is good enough for wood anyway. Great insight. Subbed
The recipe, for lack of a better term, I came up with is for non-porous surfaces. I agree with distilled water, or sometimes I even use tap water if it's something super absorbent like cardboard. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video. some good ideas here. But, just thinning doesn't always work. Craftpaints aren't all just "thicker", many are using bigger pigments (which is the main reason for the price difference). You can sometimes get away with thinning those paints, especially with wider nozzles, but if the pigment size is too large, no amount of thinning will suffice. Think of an hourglass, if the sand particles are too big, it'll clogg the channel. Same principle. Thinning only changes the pigment density within the paint, not the pigment size.
I agree the washer fluid works great. I just didn't like the idea of aerosolizing it because my setup doesn't have a convenient way to exhaust it. Thanks for watching!
I'm glad it was helpful. Quick update, though. I've tweaked my recipe a bit to eliminate the glycerin. Try doubling up on the rinse aid and see what you think.
Great video! I use windex as my thinner, but your method looks better. The worst thing I deal with is it seems I have to use a paint strainer because of 'parts' that will clog up the air brush. Thanks for sharing w us!
Thanks for watching, I also use the paint strainer but I hate paying for those little disposable ones so I finally ended up making one out of nut milk bag material. Works pretty good.
This is great! I can’t wait to try it for my cosplay projects :) this made the very initially daunting learning curve of air brushing a lot easier to tackle
Who doesn't own craft paints? I am thrilled to find this video. Airbrush paints are so expensive. I have tried various thinning methods for craft paints, but I think you have the answer thanks to your 'problem solving'! Thank you so much. I hope your channel grows. I subscribed and liked.
I found that the best craft or model paints to get have a liquid pigment. It's saved me serious time and money. Also if you are using "spray paint" primer you need to let your models leech for 5 days to get better coverage with whatever paints you are using.
Thanks for the video mate ... we have over 120+ craft bottles here that I have had mixed results with - but always useful for different model applications. Now I need to try and find a similar thinner here in Sth Australia. Cheers 👍👍
An interesting mix for sure! I have a vented spray booth and washer fluid has never let me down but I am curious to try what you've exhibited here. As far as pressure goes, 20-25psi is pretty normal for water based acrylics. Also you hit the nail on the head for success with any water based acrylic, a good primer is a must! Badger Stynylrez is easily the best water based primer on the market.
Thank you for sharing. Not being able to conveniently vent outside was one of the reasons that set me down this path. I've got plans for a new shop and a more permanent modeling space, but that's more than a year out. Thanks again!
Doesnt dish soap also break down surface tention? I appreciate your way of research and breaking down what is what. I do the same thing when it comes to research and i appreciate it when i see it. Kudos
Yes, it also breaks down surface tension, and I've heard other folks say they've used it, but I haven't really played around with it yet, but I will get to it.
I started airbrush craft paint when there was almost no videos how to get it to work. Well if using craft then with distilled water 99 cent per gallon and in 10 years has never reacted with any craft paint. I would also suggest to always use a funnel with a screen on it you be suppressed how fast it can clump up
Lol, yeah, I'm kind of living fast and loose that way, I know I should filter it, and it has come back to bite me a timer to. Hey, though, I was just checking out your channel, and you've got a new subscriber. 😉
I have watched literally hundreds of tuts about spraying craft paint through a airbrush. Yours really simplifys the process. Thank you! One question I do have is what type of finish do you spray on top of the paint? For instance if you want a gloss, semi gloss, or matte finish and also to seal the paint? I have seen everything from using some sort of floor polish to lacquer.
Thank you for watching! As for clear coating, it depends on what what's next. If there's a lot of decals and weathering to do, I'll apply a satin clear coat first and then when everything's finished I'll come back with a dead flat clear coat just to seal everything in. As for products, I use a mix of Deco Arts Duraclear and anything Rust-Oleum in a rattle can.
I was pondering your video and what you use for the thinning solution. Noticed that you use pipettes for measuring the drops of media into the water. We get 1 ml syringes for pet medication. Thought that might work. Also syringes from the farm store are available...without needle (need a vet's OK for it ). Getting the water, rinsing agent and glycerin ready and "brush up" on my skills.
I have plenty of syringes laying around but you can not beat pipettes for just convenience. Especially when you just need a few drops and accuracy is not that critical.
First time watching one of your videos Bryan. This was very thoughtful and well explained. I'm soaking up as much knowledge as I can before I make my first pass with my new airbrush. Thanks for the video. I'm a subscriber now! bugs
The reason I went down the road I did was because I'm modeling in the house with my family and was a little concerned about the VOCs. If I had a better ventilation, I'd probably use the washer fluid as well. Thanks for watching!
Interesting. I have been using an alcohol/glycerin/distilled water recipe and I do get alot of splatter and clogs. Will definitely try this. I guess this is more of a flow improver than a thinner...
Nice, thanks for sharing. I’m a noob and my main painting is for large 3D terrain. So I use a lot of craft paint with airbrush. I will try this for sure, I have been using distilled water, glycerine and windex. It works, but not with all colours that I use.
I am a new subscriber. Thanks for this video! I don't have an airbrush. Would you change your method if you were brush painting? How would you handle orange peel when using craft paint? I've never used craft paint before, so I have lots to learn. Thanks again!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! Brush painting craft paint would not be my first choice for base coating. If an airbrush wasn't available to me, I would use a spray can for this. If brush painting is your only option you're going to want to test each color to find the best way to thin it to get it to coat the area you're applying it to. I also suggest you check out the video, "How to Brush Paint Scale Models" by @quickkits, it has a lot of good information in it. As for orange peel, it is much better to try to prevent it than it is to try and fix it. Keep in mind every paint in every brand is different and if you're going to airbrush it you need to test first to make certain you've got the proper pattern and air pressure worked out to ensure a good outcome. If you do end up with a bit of orange peel somewhere, you may be able to wet sand it if it's not too bad. If it's a lot, just stripping it and starting over maybe your best choice
Keep in mind most famous painted pieces of art in museums today were made with ground up rocks, dirt, animal bits. Which the artists had to grind up and mix themselves. They still got by.
Hi! I always use a craft paint but don’t have any issues ever. 1 coat is enough in most cases. I dillute it with water or Vallejo thinner. (Paints from AliExpress)
I agree there's some excellent craft paint out there, and it airbrush is beautifully, but for this demonstration, I chose the absolute worst performing paint I had in my stash to show how you can make bad paint look good. Thanks for watching!
That looks an interesting acrylic paint thinner. Normally I use 2/3rds distilled water, 1/3rd 99% Isopropyl Alcohol & a few drops of Artist's flow release and Artists Retarder. It works well, but the Isopropyl Alcohol I need to order online, whereas the Dishwasher rinse aid and the distilled water I can pick up at a local supermarket! I think I'll try mixing a batch up and see how it compares :-)
I've tweaked my recipe just a little bit, I'm using twice as much rinse aid and I've done away with the glycerin, it wasn't doing much to start with. I think it's helped even out things just a little bit although you still got to go with slow and thin coats.
New subscriber here. As a budget limited modeler I use craft paints often for brush painting. I will certainly try this method for sure. I just started to use an airbrush and don’t feel comfortable with my mixing the paints. One question, is the vegetable based glycerin also great value brand? I will look for it at our local wally world.
Hi Bryan. When should use use acrylic medium instead of (or in addition to) thinner? And have you tried using Quick Shine floor polish (or Future or Klear) as a medium? I mixed a quart of your thinner last night and will be playing with it today. I'm new to airbrushing; have been using my AB just for applying surface primer but it's time to move up to base-coating, and I mix my own colors. Thanks!
I've not had a need for any additional medium, at least so far. I do keep a bit of the floor polish around and have added it to a flat paint to make it a little more semi-gloss but, mostly use it when applying decals. Good luck!
"this is just a hobby, so what's the rush?" - best advice ever!
I appreciate that, thanks for watching!
Only time to rush is if you have a deadline, mainly with things like various competitions which can be fun on their own there.
@@AzraelThanatos lol.. my gf watches all kinds of competition shows (cooking mostly). That environment is NOT for me. I do NOT work good under pressure. God bless those of you who do! 🤠
It certainly was.
for anyone that stumbles upon this, it's important to note that he's talking about WATER BASED acrylics. there ARE solvent/alcohol based acrylics that you should not thin with this solution, but generally you would know if they're a solvent based acrylic because it will have some sort of flammable warning on the bottle/package. it's a great solution for water based acrylics, the thinners are pretty much the same stuff but marked up for being premixed. just don't use it for any solvent acrylics lol. Cheers Bryan
Thanks for sharing!
This is probably the best basic craft paint video ever. Seriously, thank you!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
Wow your formula is so much better than the windshield washer fluid and alcohol mix! Thank you very much.
I'm 47, just started, I'm right beside you with the problem solving aspect. I'm practising techniques and loving the whole learning by mistakes.
It's fun, isn't it, I get the biggest kick when I figure something out. Thanks for watching!
Rinse aid! Genius. When I brush on paint my water jar also has one or two drops of washing up liquid to dissipate the surface tension and help the paint flow more evenly. Thank you very much for the tip.
I also use emulsion paint on kits with the appropriate priming and thinning. The availability of colours in ordinary house decorating emulsion are legion. Most (such as Dulux in the UK) will mix a colour from a swatch you show them and you can get a small trial tin for £6 that will keep you going a lifetime. Thank for the video....from a fellow skinflint.
House paint, yea, that crossed my mind, but I haven't really put a lot of thought into it, but I can definitely see some possibilities there. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!
Being a wargamer I go for 'lots' and 'cheap'. It doesn't mean any old rubbish will do. I want my stuff to look good too. I have used a colour called bitter chocolate for a few hundred cavalry horses. Yes, you must prime, and yes you must use thin coats but I would be very interested to see what you think should you get round to experimenting. Again, thanks for the video.
Thank you, I will be trying this today. Another reason for using craft paint that is overlooked by many is that a large number of people live far away from hobby shops. For me it is a 55 mile drive to a hobby shop and more than double that to a miniatures shop. So small town America makes do with Wal-Mart.
This.
FINALLY!!!!! Someone who knows what they are talking about. You have helped me tremendously! Thank You my friend.
I airbrush every weekend so I have airbrush paint but also apple craft paint. To thin out my airbrush paint and the apple craft paint I only use distilled water it works great and have been doing that for over a year now
Sounds like you have more skill with an airbrush than I do. As an airbrush hack, I need every advantage I can get!!🤪
I've done the same thing, used distilled water, and the results have been just fine IMO.
I've been using craft paints for years to paint my resin printed models. I am no expert, but I get (in my opinion) excellent results! The paint snobs are welcome to spend all the money they want, but... I have more time than money. It may take a little more time and effort, but I can get similar, if not in some cases identical, results as they do at a much more reasonable price. Thanks for the video!
Thank you
Paint snob here... joking. But seriously. The main thing I've noticed between craft paint and the more expensive model paints is pigment density (coverage) and the finish (which can be easily modified by adding a layer of varnish over it.) I prefer model grade because I don't have to thin it as much, but craft grade paints usually cover better as long as you don't mind straining them for chunks.
@@thehat4244lol.. I was (half) joking about the paint snob comment, myself. But... No... you are right. Using the craft paint does take a lot more time and effort to get good results. Craft paints tend to have a more... chalky finish? But I coat everything with a matte clear coat from a rattle can and apply a gloss varnish on pieces I want, well... glossy. If I had unlimited money, I might go with the better paints. But... for those of us on limited budgets 🤷♂ The reason for the "snob" comment was because, anytime I've shared my models online, I get good comments until they find out I used craft paints... then the negativity flows freely.
It sounds like you interface with this hobby in a similar fashion to me. I'm working on a cobra gunship at the moment, and it has hobby paint, a concoction of craft paint and floor polish, and cheap airbrush paint off of Amazon. I also broke out my old tube of testers' plastic cement. I've not seen that stuff on RUclips since I don't know when.
It's a hobby, I choose my projects and my supplies with one goal in mind, fun!
Thanks for the comments, and thanks for watching!
I use Acrylic Craft Paint on the interior side of lexan RC Bodies and thinning is key as well as many thin coats...but never thought about dishwasher rinse agent for thinning, just tap water and acrylic reducers thus the tip drying and spatter with some colors...to seal the acrylic I've found that minwax polyurethane satin is the toughest anti-scratch covering you can hope for them base it with black, silver, white 2x all purpose spray paint... thank's for sharing your tips...
✌🤠👍 HFLPRCing =Having Fun Laughing Playing and RCing
👍😎👍 AOAH =Association of Addicted Hobbiest
🙏 SSPH =Stay Safe and Play Healthy My Friend
Thank you for watching, I appreciate the feedback!
Thanks man, Im going to give that a whirl. I just spent a fortune on rc paints, Vallejo. Nice paint though
My first visit to your channel and you sum up my modeling approach perfectly. "Buying. Where's the fun in that?" Thanks for the good ideas!
I know right!! Thanks for watching!!
Thank you very much for the clear and concise video. There's beauty in simplicity. Best regards and happy holidays!
Thanks, same to you!
Thanks for the tips! Especially the thinner!
Thank you for this tip, I appreciate you trying to find budget hacks for ever more expensive hobby supplies , I also use FW inks more than pre mixed airbrush paints especially with translucent resin .
I'm looking to add some inks to my Arsenal I'll give FW a look. Thanks for watching!
I appreciate having a randomly received this video since I feel like I could make a a lot of use out of craft paint for dry brushing if I chose to but had no idea how to approach making them useful for my airbrush. I already tend to struggle atomizing my paint in a way that doesn't sputter or in a way that doesn't clog the nozzle multiple times in a painting session, but I'd be happy to try the ideas here nevertheless.
This video is fantastic, the advice is amazing, and the content is absolutely solid. Very fine work, I'll be back for more!
Thank you!
Wow this was absolutely wonderful. Literally wonderful. I am super good at modeling, sculpting, and diorama creation but have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in regards to airbrushing.
I have looked through many forums, posts, videos, and sites to find concise and thorough information on airbrushing, and now I find that I'm typing in "[subject that I need to learn]
Bryan's Hobbies" in my search bar, like subjects for primer, sanding, etc.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much 😀
Just tried this with thinning my gouache paints, works like a charm and this is super affordable compared to other acrylic thinners! Thanks! 😊
Cool, thanks for watching!
Good recipe for thinning craft paint 🎨
Thanks for posting as I have some of the home made older stuff with non-ammonia Windex. I'll now be switching to your formula. I have 2 airbrushes, one Harbor Freight Chinese one that I use for lacquer based paints and my Badger Anthem 155 for acrylic paints. Cheers from eastern TN
Thanks for watching!
Some of the box craft stores have large bottles of acrylic paint that is out of this world for relatively little money. I am thinking of one brand in particular that is normally $12 a quart but they are routinely on sale for 40-60% off. I bought twenty something bottles one time when I stumbled across them on a 60% off sale. It was still a small chunk of change but I got so many high quality high pigmentation acrylic paints it is scary. They are good enough for small details on miniatures so I can't wait to see what I can get from them in an air brush.
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
@@bryanshobbies On miniatures, characters and even small vehicle like bikes or weapon teams they are insane! I have not used them on terrain except to make rust effects despite them actually being cheaper than craft paint. The name of the product is Master's Touch (Hobby Lobby) $12.99 for 500ml/16.9fl oz. but it is almost always at least 30-40% off and I have seen year end sales hit 75% off. They are just so vibrant and fun to work with.
Practicing tight wad! I love it! Thanks Bryan. Good tips!
Yep that's me, thanks for watching!
Fantastic, no-nonsense, get to the point, lucid video. I use craft paint, and will try to mix a suitable thinner from the ideas layed out in this informative lesson in saving money!
I appreciate that, thanks for watching!
Im doing a wargame table. And craft paint is the cheapeast option for covering 16 feet of terrain. Craft paint being able to be watered down and air sprayed for terrain color changing helped alot. Thanks.
Cool, thanks for watching!
I appreciate this so much, i have always had trouble getting "any" paint to work in my airbrush, and i use model paints mostly, occasionally ill use Citadel aka GW or P3 but that can get expensive and if you mess it up it can either A take you forever to achieve what you want or B mess the whole thing up and lose a few bucks in paint which adds up so fast. I airbrushed a Imperial Fist army one time, which is yellow, and yeah.... if i didn't know to use bleached bone color as a under coat with tiny bits of brown, the project would have been impossible. Thanks a ton once again!
Glad I can help. Thanks for watching!
This is great information for me because I'm just getting started with airbrushing my gunpla models. Tips like these are a good way for me to get adjusted to how airbrushing works. Thank so much!
Good luck and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great info. I’m definitely going to try the rinse agent. Where were you able to find the msds for mr hobby products?
Ive been using about a 50/50 mix of ammonia free windex with acrylics for about a decade, along with a drop or two of airbrush medium. I've had great success with it. I do get tip drying occasionally. Im using a Pasche model H @ 35psi. Never had good luck with water, but never tried distilled. I see so many modelers use 70% alcohol, but i get too much separation trying to blend.
I get the same issue with IPA alcohol sometimes turns to cottage cheese. I have had some success using PGA, especially with polyurethane based stuff, thining it about 50/50 with my thinner recipe. Thanks for watching!
Great informative video. I can't understand why so many reviewers for years have been recommending IPA and/or distilled water! Finally a video that makes sense.
Thank you very much, I appreciate you watching!
Great advice and thank you. And thank you for letting viewers know what size tip you were using.
Great tips! Thanks for coming up with a new (to me) alternative.
I've been experimenting with craft paints for months, to a little success but not as much as I'd like but I see the potential.
I've used everything from water to Createx 4011 to get craft paints to mix right. I've tried different psi settings, tip sizes and diluted the craft paints to different levels.
I've had partial success at it but no hard formula that I could pass on.
I would add that when using craft paints it's very important to filter your final mix before putting it into the airbrush cup.
Craft paints often have thick, chunky and inconsistent mixes.
I'm going to try your method because it makes sense.
Thanks for sharing this and I sub'd
Thanks for your comments! I've got some filters somewhere. I just don't know where I put them. The biggest takeaway I've gotten from testing these craft paint so far is that every darn one of them is different, and you have to find that particular paints sweet spot to make it work.
@@bryanshobbies So true 👍 that's been the case with my experiences as well. I'm excited to try your reducer idea 💡
Thanks Bryan, good info and research. Enjoyed the presentation very much. I have always wanted to see if rinse agents helped flow/coverage, and now you have confirmed it. Subbed
Thank you I appreciate that!
I have done several models now using craft paint. If I have one gripe it's that I don't get a good gloss, but other than that, I am learning each time to get better results. Thanks for the video!
Depending on what you're looking for, I've had decent results using DecoArt DuraClear thinned with either denatured alcohol or the stuff from the liquor store and just about anything Rust-Oleum in a rattle can.
Thanks for watching!
You can try mixing Gloss Medium with your paint before thinning.
While it's slightly less cheap, what I've used whenever I can is the acrylic art inks that are available rather than the craft paints. End price tends to be about the same since you need far less thinner to paint and you tend to get a stronger color out of it. The prices tend to even out or even lean in the inks side if you include things like discounts such as hobby lobby has regularly.
Interesting, I've started experimenting with some inks but my results so far have been mixed. Is there a brand of ink you prefer?
That's the route I went when I was refinishing a scuffed motorcycle helmet. I went to a dedicated arts supply store and browsed the shelves. The pigment density is higher and the consistency is high. Anything they didn't carry but is recommended by experts in helmet airbrushing I ordered online from airbrush supply companies; the ones that sell hardware as well as coatings and additives. It was a pleasure laying down coats of those things. Five years later it still looks fine and I was too chicken to attempt clear coating the entire helmet afterwards, so that's the acrylics with additives holding up on their own in the sun.
@@bryanshobbies I've used a few different ones over the years, FW, Liquitex, and Amsterdam being the main ones because they tend to be in local stores more often though I have a few others.
Just make sure you're looking at the acrylic art type of inks rather than the calligraphy type as the calligraphy type is intended for soaking into paper and does a lot of other things that the art ones don't.
Noted, don't get calligraphy ink, at least not for model kits... thanks for the advice!
I'm a fan of craft paints as well. To do a proof-of-concept test once, I painted a model with craft paint that I had thinned with Future. I used hairy sticks and makeup sponges to paint it, and clear coated it with Testors rattle-can Glosscote and Dullcote. I actually placed second place in its category (1/72 single engine prop) among eight other entries in a club contest here in my state. So, I just laugh and purists who say you can only win with high end elite products.
I would have liked to seen their faces LOL!
Thank you for sharing and for explaining! I've always liked to take advantage of craft paints as much as possible and your mixture for thinner is working so well for me!
As I'm fond of saying, "Buying it, where's the fun in that?" Thanks for watching!
I used to do acrilic pouring and i have lots of paint colors mixed with flowtrol. Can i airbrush it?
@jimbollman2292 I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the pouring additives. Wouldn't hurt to test it. You have to clean your airbrush regardless if it works or not. 😉
Just getting into airbrushing. I'm one step below a rank amateur. I have a set of 24 water based craft paints that my wife found at the local hobby store. I started yesterday by spraying a piece of cardboard. Learned a little and looking forward to learning more as I subscribed to your YT site. Many thanks for taking the stress out of learning this craft.
Im new to airbrush didn’t want to spend a fortune on expensive paint learning so I heard about using the cheapest hobby acrylic paints and i already had large bottles of was having so much trouble with thinning acrylics I almost gave up,i kept hitting a dead end road but you showed me another road to travel so maybe my airbrush journey hasn’t ended just yet , thanks for sharing your wisdom
Thank you for watching, I appreciate the comment!
Good luck!
Really thin the paint. 50/50 to start. If it's too thin you can always add a drop or three of paint till you get a consistent that works.
Thank you so much this is exactly what I needed to know, I am just starting my journey into using an airbrush and I am on a limited budget craft wise . Thank you . I am off to Walmart for some supplies I can afford!
Thank you for making such a detailed tutorial and sharing recipes cant wait to try it my daughter got me a bunch of beautiful Folk art metallic and color shift paints but when I thinned one it was disaster had to clean my gun so many times I ended up having to re-lube it
Really cool. Thanks for the video, good points. The paint looks great
Thank you. I'm a beginner, this was very helpful
Glad I could help, thank you for watching!
Awesome video, and I thank you for it. I too discovered, a long time ago, that the priming is most definitely the most important part of the process, and makes all the difference in the world. I use Stynylrez primarily, and gesso secondarily (gesso mainly just for terrain pieces and such, but works amazingly if you also wanna add a little gritty texture sometimes), but it was a game-changer when I finally started using those instead of spray can primers.
I've not quite giving up on my spray cans yet, lol... thanks for the gesso texture tip, and thanks for watching.
This is a fantastic video. I've been trying various ways to use Craft paints and have experienced various degrees of success. This should really help to make my results more consistent. Thanks and I will be sharing this on my Facebook feed as well as my next video on my channel.
I just got into airbrushing and bought a bunch of those exact same cheap model paints, got pretty okay results with first using tap water, then distilled water, and just went and found the stuff to make your recipe thanks for sharing that! I'm about to pick up a quart of some zinsser 123 water based primer and have a year supply if that stuff will spray.
I'm not familiar with that primer, I'll have to check it out. Thanks for watching!
I'm not either, just looked like a lot of primer, a quart for 16$ and says it sticks to anything oil or glossy plastic surfaces so thought it might work well for a base coat on airbrushing projects. Haven't tried it yet though. I grew up building model boats and would really like to get back into itso subscribed for more model building content :D @@bryanshobbies
I've been airbrushing for about a year now, mainly doing custom skateboards. I find just distilled water is good enough for wood anyway. Great insight. Subbed
The recipe, for lack of a better term, I came up with is for non-porous surfaces. I agree with distilled water, or sometimes I even use tap water if it's something super absorbent like cardboard. Thanks for watching!
Fantastic safety step everyone forgets. Read the SDS.
Thanks for this video. some good ideas here.
But, just thinning doesn't always work. Craftpaints aren't all just "thicker", many are using bigger pigments (which is the main reason for the price difference).
You can sometimes get away with thinning those paints, especially with wider nozzles, but if the pigment size is too large, no amount of thinning will suffice. Think of an hourglass, if the sand particles are too big, it'll clogg the channel. Same principle. Thinning only changes the pigment density within the paint, not the pigment size.
Been mixing my craft paint with windshield wiper fluid. Seems to work ok in air brush for me.
I agree the washer fluid works great. I just didn't like the idea of aerosolizing it because my setup doesn't have a convenient way to exhaust it. Thanks for watching!
You are completely right about that. I built myself a spray booth (storage bin and bathroom fan) but still wear a mask.
a good example of someone who is able to think for himself. thx!
Well put together video with all the info I was looking for. Its also very well spoken.
Thank you I appreciate it!
This is such a great video thanks for the info especially about the hazards of my home brew thinner. I’m going to try out you recipe for sure.
I'm glad it was helpful. Quick update, though. I've tweaked my recipe a bit to eliminate the glycerin. Try doubling up on the rinse aid and see what you think.
Great video! I use windex as my thinner, but your method looks better. The worst thing I deal with is it seems I have to use a paint strainer because of 'parts' that will clog up the air brush. Thanks for sharing w us!
Thanks for watching, I also use the paint strainer but I hate paying for those little disposable ones so I finally ended up making one out of nut milk bag material. Works pretty good.
Great video! I use craft paints, absolutely because of the cost difference. Thanks for the less6! I need it!
Thanks for watching, I learned a lot myself.
These are great, no-nonsense tips! Thank you
Thank you for watching!
This is great! I can’t wait to try it for my cosplay projects :) this made the very initially daunting learning curve of air brushing a lot easier to tackle
Cool, thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. What causes craft paint to come out flat vs glossy when airbrushing?
Thanks for sharing. I'm always looking for alternatives for my kids school projects that craft paint is perfect for.
I find the modifier "for kids" to be a powerful motivator. Thanks for watching!
Thanks SO MUCH!!!
This is exactly the information I was looking for!! BRAVO!!!!
Glad I could help. Thanks for watching!
Who doesn't own craft paints? I am thrilled to find this video. Airbrush paints are so expensive. I have tried various thinning methods for craft paints, but I think you have the answer thanks to your 'problem solving'! Thank you so much. I hope your channel grows. I subscribed and liked.
Thank you Ruth. I appreciate that!
great tips! I like the slow down it's a hobby!
Saying it and doing it are two different things, LOL! Thanks for watching!
I found that the best craft or model paints to get have a liquid pigment. It's saved me serious time and money. Also if you are using "spray paint" primer you need to let your models leech for 5 days to get better coverage with whatever paints you are using.
Thanks for the video mate ... we have over 120+ craft bottles here that I have had mixed results with - but always useful for different model applications. Now I need to try and find a similar thinner here in Sth Australia. Cheers 👍👍
That's a lot of paint, good luck!
@@bryanshobbies great bargain sales over time have also helped :) LOL
This was SO SO helpful!!! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!! New subscriber sending love from Texas!
Cool, I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for subscribing!
An interesting mix for sure! I have a vented spray booth and washer fluid has never let me down but I am curious to try what you've exhibited here. As far as pressure goes, 20-25psi is pretty normal for water based acrylics. Also you hit the nail on the head for success with any water based acrylic, a good primer is a must! Badger Stynylrez is easily the best water based primer on the market.
Thank you for sharing. Not being able to conveniently vent outside was one of the reasons that set me down this path. I've got plans for a new shop and a more permanent modeling space, but that's more than a year out.
Thanks again!
Thank you for this video. I've been spending so much money on airbrush ink and thinner, which end up clogging my airbrush anyways.
Thanks for watching, I had fun making that one.!
Doesnt dish soap also break down surface tention? I appreciate your way of research and breaking down what is what. I do the same thing when it comes to research and i appreciate it when i see it. Kudos
Yes, it also breaks down surface tension, and I've heard other folks say they've used it, but I haven't really played around with it yet, but I will get to it.
I started airbrush craft paint when there was almost no videos how to get it to work. Well if using craft then with distilled water 99 cent per gallon and in 10 years has never reacted with any craft paint. I would also suggest to always use a funnel with a screen on it you be suppressed how fast it can clump up
Lol, yeah, I'm kind of living fast and loose that way, I know I should filter it, and it has come back to bite me a timer to.
Hey, though, I was just checking out your channel, and you've got a new subscriber. 😉
I have watched literally hundreds of tuts about spraying craft paint through a airbrush. Yours really simplifys the process. Thank you! One question I do have is what type of finish do you spray on top of the paint? For instance if you want a gloss, semi gloss, or matte finish and also to seal the paint? I have seen everything from using some sort of floor polish to lacquer.
Thank you for watching!
As for clear coating, it depends on what what's next. If there's a lot of decals and weathering to do, I'll apply a satin clear coat first and then when everything's finished I'll come back with a dead flat clear coat just to seal everything in. As for products, I use a mix of Deco Arts Duraclear and anything Rust-Oleum in a rattle can.
Thank you so much for all the advice and all the information you've shared. I truly appreciate it!
You're welcome, and thank you for watching!
Super informative, easy to follow video! I've never seen a thinner recipe like that, I can't wait to try it out. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for the comment! I was going to say good luck but I think the stuff's pretty bulletproof you shouldn't have any trouble.
I was pondering your video and what you use for the thinning solution. Noticed that you use pipettes for measuring the drops of media into the water. We get 1 ml syringes for pet medication. Thought that might work. Also syringes from the farm store are available...without needle (need a vet's OK for it ). Getting the water, rinsing agent and glycerin ready and "brush up" on my skills.
I have plenty of syringes laying around but you can not beat pipettes for just convenience. Especially when you just need a few drops and accuracy is not that critical.
Got both. Always prepared, I always say.
Awesome! Im all about working around expensive products you can duplicate and improve yourself especially your thinner recipe
Appreciate that, thanks for watching!
First time watcher....thank you for this information! Love the channel already.....just subscribed! You're awesome!!
Thank you very much. I appreciate that!
First time watching one of your videos Bryan. This was very thoughtful and well explained. I'm soaking up as much knowledge as I can before I make my first pass with my new airbrush. Thanks for the video. I'm a subscriber now!
bugs
Cool, thanks for watching!
I use the same paint, but I use windshield wiper fluid. I get pretty good results.
The reason I went down the road I did was because I'm modeling in the house with my family and was a little concerned about the VOCs.
If I had a better ventilation, I'd probably use the washer fluid as well. Thanks for watching!
@@bryanshobbies I feel the same. I do my models in my garage. No one but me goes into that mess of a place, so I don't have to worry
I do this all the time on bulk painting figures and vehicles.
Interesting. I have been using an alcohol/glycerin/distilled water recipe and I do get alot of splatter and clogs. Will definitely try this. I guess this is more of a flow improver than a thinner...
It's a little bit of both, good luck, thanks for watching!
That was a really good video. Saving some money is always a good endeavor. Thanks for sharing that wisdom.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the tip. Will try it out.
Nice, thanks for sharing. I’m a noob and my main painting is for large 3D terrain. So I use a lot of craft paint with airbrush. I will try this for sure, I have been using distilled water, glycerine and windex. It works, but not with all colours that I use.
Thank you I appreciate the comment!
Thanks for the great advice, Bryan! I subbed.
Absolutely brilliant......................................................................
Thank you!
Hey Bryan,
I've just discovered your channel. Great information; I thank you for sharing.
And thank you for watching!
Thanks so much for this. Much appreciated. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
You're welcome!
I am a new subscriber. Thanks for this video! I don't have an airbrush. Would you change your method if you were brush painting? How would you handle orange peel when using craft paint? I've never used craft paint before, so I have lots to learn. Thanks again!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
Brush painting craft paint would not be my first choice for base coating. If an airbrush wasn't available to me, I would use a spray can for this.
If brush painting is your only option you're going to want to test each color to find the best way to thin it to get it to coat the area you're applying it to. I also suggest you check out the video, "How to Brush Paint Scale Models" by @quickkits, it has a lot of good information in it.
As for orange peel, it is much better to try to prevent it than it is to try and fix it. Keep in mind every paint in every brand is different and if you're going to airbrush it you need to test first to make certain you've got the proper pattern and air pressure worked out to ensure a good outcome.
If you do end up with a bit of orange peel somewhere, you may be able to wet sand it if it's not too bad. If it's a lot, just stripping it and starting over maybe your best choice
Wow! I've never received such a thorough answer before. Thank you!
yes . finally something i understand thank you !
Thank you for watching!
Keep in mind most famous painted pieces of art in museums today were made with ground up rocks, dirt, animal bits. Which the artists had to grind up and mix themselves. They still got by.
i have been useing just water wnd have had no problems but ill add this to my list to try out
Hi! I always use a craft paint but don’t have any issues ever. 1 coat is enough in most cases. I dillute it with water or Vallejo thinner. (Paints from AliExpress)
I agree there's some excellent craft paint out there, and it airbrush is beautifully, but for this demonstration, I chose the absolute worst performing paint I had in my stash to show how you can make bad paint look good. Thanks for watching!
@@bryanshobbies thnx for sharing ur experience!
Thanks for the info. Great work, great advice, and a great pace.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
I loved this! A well thought out and tried and true method from a common sense perspctive.
Thanks for watching!
That looks an interesting acrylic paint thinner. Normally I use 2/3rds distilled water, 1/3rd 99% Isopropyl Alcohol & a few drops of Artist's flow release and Artists Retarder. It works well, but the Isopropyl Alcohol I need to order online, whereas the Dishwasher rinse aid and the distilled water I can pick up at a local supermarket! I think I'll try mixing a batch up and see how it compares :-)
I've tweaked my recipe just a little bit, I'm using twice as much rinse aid and I've done away with the glycerin, it wasn't doing much to start with. I think it's helped even out things just a little bit although you still got to go with slow and thin coats.
New subscriber here. As a budget limited modeler I use craft paints often for brush painting. I will certainly try this method for sure. I just started to use an airbrush and don’t feel comfortable with my mixing the paints. One question, is the vegetable based glycerin also great value brand? I will look for it at our local wally world.
For the glycerin, don't worry about the brand name. Vegetable glycerin is vegetable glycerin. Good luck, and thanks for watching.
This was such an informative video.
Hi Bryan. When should use use acrylic medium instead of (or in addition to) thinner? And have you tried using Quick Shine floor polish (or Future or Klear) as a medium? I mixed a quart of your thinner last night and will be playing with it today. I'm new to airbrushing; have been using my AB just for applying surface primer but it's time to move up to base-coating, and I mix my own colors. Thanks!
I've not had a need for any additional medium, at least so far. I do keep a bit of the floor polish around and have added it to a flat paint to make it a little more semi-gloss but, mostly use it when applying decals. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experimentation to get better value for money !
Great video and a lot of helpful tips (that I didn't know) Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for watching!
Practice good PPE. Safety glasses, best mask you can buy, and exhaust fan