Airbrush starter kit for beginners - what to buy?
I’ll probably write a more detailed article about this soon. But here’s the answer in a nutshell for question:
"I want to start airbrushing - what starter kit should I buy?"
Source of this text: https://www.aerografit.pl/blog.html
Harder & Steenbeck Ultra (or Evolution)
Gaahleri Mobius (with the discount code "aero10" you get 10% off on their official store)
Alternatively, you can try a cheap Chinese airbrush, but it’s a bit of a lottery sometimes. If you go that route, I’d suggest a model similar to the Iwata HP-C or Iwata Micron.
I personally think you shouldn’t buy a (too) expensive airbrush at the beginning, because as a beginner you’ll make beginner mistakes - including probably damaging the nozzle and/or the needle, which are much more expensive to replace in higher-end models. That’s why it’s better to make cheap mistakes while learning.
Additional question: What exactly are you planning to paint with it?
If you’ll be painting large surfaces and need to changing colors frequently - go for siphon-feed version of airbrush (and optionally: buy additional jars/bootles for different paint colors)
If you’re not (or not sure yet) - best universal choice is gravity-feed type of airbrush with a 0.3 mm nozzle
2. Air Compressor for airbrsh:
Single-cylinder mini compressor with a tank - But it must be this version with tank! And there existing silent version of it.
Disadvantages: it can’t run continuously for too long because it overheats. Not very durable and average performance.
Advantages: cheapest option, little, optionally silent, and i think its perfectly fine for beginners
50L piston air compressor for spray painting - good if noise doesn’t bother you, you have workshop/garage and you’ll use it for other things too, especially clearcoating, applicating primer. As i said: loud, heavy, needs space in workshop.
DIY refrigerator-based compressor - this is honestly the best possible option for airbrushing, but only if you’re into DIY. Buying one ready-made is quite expensive. But nothing beats it: its silent, its mobile, and It can run continuously even 24/7.
And of course we also need a hose that connects these two things.
3. Paints for airbrushing:
Here it really depends a lot on what exactly you want to use them for. They should generally be dedicated to the surface you’re working on. That’s why this topic would require a much more extensive explanation, and there are also a lot of different paints - everyone has their own preferences (me too). For example, automotive paints are completely different from textile paints, etc.
But one thing is common for all paints: you need paint + thinner (medium) + cleaner.
Some examples of airbrush paints worth considering (for beginners where i considering price):
Createx Wicked (more expensive, but dedicated to airbrushing),
Daler&Rowney System 3 Color
Chromacryl or Polycolor (these are acrylic paints for pencil artists, but with proper thinning they can also work quite well for airbrushing).
Kaleido Colorworks (from Gaahleri) - probably also worth considering. I’ve heard they’re quite good and reasonably priced, but honestly I haven’t tested them yet. I might try them soon and share my opinion.
Or solvent-based automotive paints - very "specific" - with a very strong smell that not everyone will like. Usually used in automotive paintings. Also needs solvent reducer and cleaner (In practice: usually reducer = cleaner)
That’s the short version. Probably soon I’ll try to put together and publish a more detailed article about it.
By Adam from aerografit.pl - airbrush studio from Poland