Figuring out what I need; any advice?

[Lady Jemima]

Hello all! I've just recently become interested in airbrushing, mainly because I've heard that it can be an excellent tool for painting costumes. I've been doing some reaseach on the web, and have thoroughly read through this website, but I'll admit I still don't know quite what I'm looking for.

My goals is this:

1. To use an airbrush to achieve a light color base on a nylon/lycra unitard.

2. To use a thinner lines (1/16 - 3/16 of an inch) for a texture similar to that in this photograph:



3. To color in stenciled areas.

I will probably not use an airbrush for other projects (perhaps in the future, but not now,) and I make these sorts of costumes about twice a year (so not tons of wear and tear on the brush).

~I believe I should purcahse a duel-action airbrush, but for my purposes, would single-action work just as well?

~What sort of feed do I want? (Would gravity work best for those thinner lines?)

~Which sort of feed is easiest to clean, and easiest to switch colors?

~Why do some airbrushes I see mention needing to change needle sizes, while others advertise never needing to change needle sizes?

~I'm also still a bit confused about compressors (and regulators, but we can revisit those questions after I get these answered). I would want a small, quiet compressor if possible. Which type would best suit my purposes?

Thank you!

[Crouselambra]

Well, from what I gather your use will be, my recommendation would be the Iwata Revolution CR (Gravity feed). It will do everything you';ve mentioned, and then some. I've found mine to cover broad areas well, and can achieve quite fine lines with it. I think they have a .5mm nozzle now, but mine has a .35mm. They're quick and easy to clean, easy to operate and easy to learn with. The only minus I've found is that the screw in nozzle is easy to break if you don't thread it properly, but that's a mistake you only make once... Hope this helps... Jay.

[Lady Jemima]

Thank you for the reply. I've had two different recomendations for my purposes: a gravity feed, and a siphon feed. The siphon feed was recommeded because it can hold larger quanities of paint, so now I need to find out why several people have also recommended a gravity feed; what are the advantages? Are they easier to clean, easier to maintain, easier to understand from a beginner's viewpoint, etc...?

I'm just not sure which one I should lean to without knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each with my specific purposes in mind...

[aixguy]

In a nut shell:
Bottom feed:
Holds lots of paint in a jar or metal cup
Requires a jar for every color if you don't want to open it up and wash out the paint that was not used. Jar cost money.
Requires higher airflow and pressure to suck the paint out of the jar.
Usually has a larger nozzle and needle to let the thicker paint that textile artist use flow better. This reduces the detail you can get out of the brush, especialy as a begginer.
More and slightly harder to clean.
usually less expensive.

Gravity feed:
Holds small amount of paint
Requires less paint since you can put as little as 1 drop of paint in the brush and spray it.
Requires less air flow to make the paint spary since gravity helps move the paint and it does not need to be sucked UP the tube from the jar.
Usually has a smaller nozzle and will allow for smaller detail
Easy to clean, no jars and tubes to deal with.
can be slightly more expensive but there are no jars to buy.

Personal experiance:
I bought a bottom feed, (vl) then a dozzen metal cups at $4.99 each.
Next bought an anthem 155 since it could use the same cups and I thought it would be better for me since I have small hands and the VL is fat and uncomfy to hold.
Next I wanted more detail and bought an Iwata HP BH.
Next I wanted a gravity feed brush to give wider coverage like the bottom feeds, so I got a Eclipse CS.

I also started this adventure wanting to paint Haloween props.. found out I could do other stuff to. Knowing what I do now, I would have gone with a gravity feed bursh like the Iwata HP-C+ or Richpen 113C or the Eclipes CS and skiped the bottom feeds all together, but that is just me.

Good luck!