Complete Airbrush Guide | From Basics to Application for 3D Printing & Model Painting

Have you ever wanted to apply professional-quality beautiful painting to the finishing of 3D printed works or DIY projects? With an airbrush, you can achieve uniform painting without unevenness and delicate gradation expressions.

When I first used an airbrush myself, there was a lot to remember and it was a continuous source of tension. Therefore, for future reference and for those who will challenge airbrushing, I systematically compiled everything from necessary tools to actual usage methods and tips to avoid failure.

What is an Airbrush

An airbrush is a painting tool that mixes compressed air sent from a compressor with paint inside a handpiece, creating a fine mist and spraying it onto the target object. It realizes a thin and uniform paint film that is difficult with brush painting, enabling diverse expressions from fine lines to wide surface painting with a single device.

It particularly demonstrates power in the following applications:

• Finishing painting of 3D printed works
• Full painting of plastic models and Gunpla
• Painting of fishing lures
• DIY craft painting

Tools and Materials Needed for Airbrushing

To start airbrushing, several tools are necessary. Here I’ll introduce everything from essentials to convenient items, organized by priority.

Essential Tools (Absolutely Necessary)

Beginner Set

• Recommended: GSI Creos Mr. Linear Compressor L7 Regulator/Platinum Set Hobby Painting Tool PS309
  • Reference price range: Approx. 56,000-65,000 yen
  • Set contents:
    • Mr. Linear Compressor L7
    • Procon BOY WA Platinum ver.2 (top-grade airbrush)
    • Air Regulator (with pressure gauge)
    • Drain & Dust Catcher
    • Mr. Stand & Tray Set II
    • Mr. Air Hose

Paint

Tools That Make Work Comfortable

Safety Measures & Stain Prevention Supplies

Preparation Before Airbrush Painting

Thoroughly Implement Safety Measures

Before starting airbrush painting, always follow these two points.

Create a Painting Image

Starting painting suddenly is likely to fail, so plan your painting in advance.

Tips for Creating Painting Images

• Basically, starting with weak coverage colors (light colors) is the standard, but it’s also important to adjust the order by working backwards from the finished image.
• Making the undercoat painting area wider than the finished range makes gradation expressions easier.
• It’s also important to respond flexibly during actual work.

Setup Procedure

1. Spread old newspapers on work desk
2. Assemble the airbrush
3. Prepare compressor and necessary materials
4. Connect airbrush and compressor with hose
5. Turn ON compressor power

Three Basic Principles of Airbrush Painting

To achieve beautiful painting finish, it’s important to understand and properly adjust the following three elements.

1. Paint Dilution Consistency

Paint must always be diluted with thinner before use. Various troubles occur if not adjusted to proper consistency.

Basic Dilution Ratio

• For lacquer paint: Paint 1: Thinner 3 is the guideline.
• However, adjustment is needed depending on the original paint consistency.

Differences by Dilution Consistency

2. Spraying Distance

The distance between the airbrush nozzle tip and the painting target greatly affects the painting finish.

Point

• Basic is “about 10cm”. At this distance, you can paint evenly and prevent drips and roughness.
• Finish texture can also be controlled by adjusting distance.

3. Air Pressure Adjustment

The pressure of air sent from the compressor is also an important element that affects painting quality.

Basic Pressure: 0.1-0.15MPa (megapascals)

For beginners, it’s recommended to start from low pressure (around 0.1MPa) and gradually adjust. Low pressure, low concentration painting has weak color development, which has the advantage of being easy to recover even if you fail.

Actual Painting Procedure

Now, I’ll explain the actual painting procedure step by step.

STEP 1: Paint Preparation

1. Stir the paint Since pigment has settled to the bottom of the container, mix well with a stirring stick.

2. Put paint and thinner in palette dish Using the guideline of paint 1: thinner 3 ratio, pour slowly along the stirring stick to prevent spilling.

   

3. Mix thoroughly Mix with stirring stick until completely uniform.

4. Put into airbrush paint cup Keep the amount to about half the paint cup to avoid overflow worries.

   

5. Clean up immediately

• Wipe the edge of the paint container with tissue and close the lid tightly (to prevent lid sticking).
• Also wipe the palette dish and stirring stick clean.

6. Close paint cup lid Place airbrush on stand.

STEP 2: Test Spray and Adjustment

Before actual painting, always test spray and adjust the airbrush condition.

1. First close adjustment screw tightly

2. Open adjustment screw little by little

3. Test spray toward old newspapers or waste materials Press trigger (push button) and gradually pull to check paint mist amount and spread.

4. Fine-tune paint dilution and air pressure While checking mist particle fineness and color density, thin paint or change air pressure as needed. Repeat several times until satisfactory spray is achieved.

Points

• Always maintain about 10cm distance between airbrush outlet and target object
• If dilution consistency is not appropriate, return to STEP 1 and adjust

STEP 3: Actual Painting

Once test spray adjustment is complete, enter actual painting.

Basic Painting Techniques

Points When Changing Colors

Common Failures and Solutions

Here are common failures beginners fall into and their solutions. Refer to this when troubles occur.

Cleaning and Maintenance

If you neglect airbrush cleaning, paint will harden in the nozzle and needle, making it unusable. Always clean after use.

There are two types of cleaning methods, used depending on the situation.

Cleaning Points

• Gargle cleaning: Simple, quick to complete. Optimal when repainting similar colors.
• Disassembly cleaning: Can thoroughly clean. Prevents paint clogging, essential before long-term storage.

Summary: Points Beginners Should Be Careful Of

Let’s review the important points for successful airbrush painting.

Impressions

Airbrushing has many processes and many points to be careful of, so at first it was a continuous source of tension. Adjusting mist amount and dilution consistency often feels difficult when you actually try it.

However, as you get used to it, you can achieve beautiful gradations and uniform painting that are utterly impossible with brush painting, and work quality improves dramatically. For finishing 3D printed works and DIY projects, airbrushing is a very powerful tool.

At first, don’t be afraid of failure, and practicing with test spraying is the shortcut to improvement. I hope this article helps with your airbrush challenges.