Airbrushes

Do a google search and you’ll find the best prices
As for brushes gravity fed
2.mm detail
3mm for broad spraying
Never use any metallic paint in your 2mm
Also buy extra needles 0 rings and a nozzle for the 2mm

 

If just starting out in Airbrushing you can get a compressor, and 3 different brushes. Single, double action and a syphon feed, paint and moisture trap, hose and regulator. Airbrush Wearhouse I think was the name. Master the single action, use stencils, brush, paint pens, rubs and masks to get what effect you want, then move onto the double action. Never had much use for a double action when doing taxidermy work even on fish. I would start by practicing with water colors or inks on paper then lacquers and then water based acrylics. Learn how to airbrush with cheaper brushes before drooping BIG $ on the Iwita.

 

Badger brushes are unbeatable
I have the renegade, chrome and velocity
Great for competition work and commercial
Going on ten years with these three
Stay away from stencils, paint by your reference pics
Paint what you see

 

Stencils that they sell SUCK. You can make your own from some heavy paper(FILE FOLDERS). Don't cut the paper but rip it to give a ruff edge, making negative and positive shapes. The stencils that are the whole side of a Bass, SUCK and don't help much. Use perinate markers, you can cut the tip to shape for the fine dots and spots on fish or poke random holes in the paper for spots and spray threw it.

 

Guys
Try some vine charcoal for your spots and patterns
Looks awesome when softened

 

Are you using water base?
If so throw it out
Lacquer paint is so much easier to us
I e only changed needle and o ring twice in ten years
Water base paint and metal flakes will give you grief
I use a old pashee to apply these , when I do
I use allot of powders in these cases
I e never known any one that had isssues with this air brush except when using water base paint

 

Also how thin is your paint
Do you use retarder for certain colors
Been doing fish for 42 years, and this brush is as good as they come

 

I enjoy painting reptile replicas and they often require a very detailed airbrush if the situation calls for it. I looked around quite a bit a few years back to try and find the best brush fro that job and I settled on the Iwata HP-B. I use a Paasche VL for bigger jobs. Frank is absolutely right about picking up a couple extra needles if you go with something like the HP-B that has a .2mm needle. I really like the brush and its user friendly in my opinion. Hope this helps

Chris

 

My son Mike was very happy with Coast Airbrush Co.(Google them) Great prices and excellent customer relations which sometimes means more than the price. They will work with you and answer all of your questions.