What do I need to get started?

Hi, Newbe wanna be airbrush artist here. I have some questions about what size of compressor to use or get to do airbrushing? I have a 3 gallon 100psi compressor, can I use it? Will it work well for airbrushing? Also which is better a gravity feed airbrush or one like the Paasche VL-Set Air-Brush Set (Product ID Name 99VLSET) from DixieArt.com that has the side feed or bottom feed? I mainly want to learn how to paint true fire/flames. So I will mainly be using House of Kolors paints and painting on autos, toolboxes, cycle fenders & tanks and such - later on - much later, when I get good...lol I hope. Anyway will the compressor and the Paasche VL-Set Air-Brush Set be good for what I want to learn to paint?? Also what types of effects will I get from using the different types of #1,#3,#5 tips & needles?? Any help on this will be greatly appreacaited. Thanks.
Good to be here and excited about getting started on something new!

[mayhem]

your comp is fine i believe..might be a little noisy...make sure you have a regulator and filter !!!! as far as your brush take a look at the product news for reviews ....I have heard that gravity feed is better for detail work but I have an anthem 155 and with practice am gettin better with the fine lines but take this all with a grain of salt cause I am a newbie with 4 month exp

Originally Posted by mayhem

your comp is fine i believe..might be a little noisy...make sure you have a regulator and filter !!!! as far as your brush take a look at the product news for reviews ....I have heard that gravity feed is better for detail work but I have an anthem 155 and with practice am gettin better with the fine lines but take this all with a grain of salt cause I am a newbie with 4 month exp

The compressor will be outside so it souldn't be to noisy. And it should run too much if built up on pressure in the 3 gal tank. It has a regulator on it and I will install a filter on it. Is your anthem 155 a bottom feed?

[mayhem]

yes ,syphon feed I use a 1 cup and change colors as needed... heres a pic..
my wife bought it for me for a early christmas present...I like but I want a gravity feed brush also but havent decided on which one...

Originally Posted by mayhem

yes ,syphon feed I use a 1 cup and change colors as needed... heres a pic..
my wife bought it for me for a early christmas present...I like but I want a gravity feed brush also but havent decided on which one...

Thats one good thing I have heard about the side & bottom feed, is that you can change colors quickly as needed. As with a gravity feed, you have to clean the cup for each color needed.

[mayhem]

well welcome to the board !!! there is alot of info here and alot of artists that im sure will help with what they can

[codepunk]

I do some real fire stuff occasionally well almost every day and have a few suggestions....

Your compressor will work just fine no problem there..

I woud go with a gravity brush to start out it is the most common for realistic flame rendering as well as hard surface painting in general.

Airbrushes in order of price cheaper to more expensive
Badger 100-LG
Richpen 113C
Iwata HP-C+

Once you get the hang of things then get a bottle feed like
a peak, richpen or iwata to speed along the candy color application. My personal weapons of choice now to do realistic flames are a richpen 113C, richpen spectra bottle feed, and a peak x-3. I use the 113 for white flame rendering, the x-3 for candy application, the richpen spectra for white and chrome yellow highlights.

Originally Posted by codepunk

I do some real fire stuff occasionally well almost every day and have a few suggestions....

Your compressor will work just fine no problem there..

I woud go with a gravity brush to start out it is the most common for realistic flame rendering as well as hard surface painting in general.

Airbrushes in order of price cheaper to more expensive
Badger 100-LG
Richpen 113C
Iwata HP-C+

Once you get the hang of things then get a bottle feed like
a peak, richpen or iwata to speed along the candy color application. My personal weapons of choice now to do realistic flames are a richpen 113C, richpen spectra bottle feed, and a peak x-3. I use the 113 for white flame rendering, the x-3 for candy application, the richpen spectra for white and chrome yellow highlights.

WOW! so it takes 3 airbrushes to paint true fire flames? Is the bottle feed a bottom feed type? So for just starting out what is the 1st airbrush I need to get to practice my dots and lines? And I want it to be one of the 3 that I will need to paint true fire flames.

[vilner]

If you are just starting out I would go for the VL kit or a Badger 155 they are both cheap yet good quality airbrushes and will be easier to learn to airbrush with. You can get a higher end gravity feed once you get proficient and still have a decent bottom feed airbrush for larger coverage. You don't need three different airbrushes to paint 'true fire' you could do it with any of the airbrushes mentioned in this post. Be patient and practice airbrushing basics and learn how to use the airbrush subscribe to the online magazine here as there is a wealth of information.
good luck,
John

[codepunk]

Originally Posted by texjake

WOW! so it takes 3 airbrushes to paint true fire flames? Is the bottle feed a bottom feed type? So for just starting out what is the 1st airbrush I need to get to practice my dots and lines? And I want it to be one of the 3 that I will need to paint true fire flames.

Nope it only takes one brush to do it, it takes three brush's if you want to do it really fast. Start out with a gravity brush it will cause you least frustration when starting out. I know you want to paint hard surfaces and real fire so the gravity brush is exactly what you are looking for. Later if you start doing alot of real fire work you can get a bottle fed brush to quickly lay down the candy colors.

Originally Posted by codepunk

Nope it only takes one brush to do it, it takes three brush's if you want to do it really fast. Start out with a gravity brush it will cause you least frustration when starting out. I know you want to paint hard surfaces and real fire so the gravity brush is exactly what you are looking for. Later if you start doing alot of real fire work you can get a bottle fed brush to quickly lay down the candy colors.

Ok now I am confussed. The previous post recommends the bottom feed brush to start out with first. And to get a higher end gravity feed once I get proficient.

Originally Posted by vilner

If you are just starting out I would go for the VL kit or a Badger 155 they are both cheap yet good quality airbrushes and will be easier to learn to airbrush with. You can get a higher end gravity feed once you get proficient and still have a decent bottom feed airbrush for larger coverage. You don't need three different airbrushes to paint 'true fire' you could do it with any of the airbrushes mentioned in this post. Be patient and practice airbrushing basics and learn how to use the airbrush subscribe to the online magazine here as there is a wealth of information.
good luck,
John

So which is the better of the two? The Paasche VL or the BADGER Crescendo 175 or is it the Badger 155?

[mayhem]

I have the 155 its a nice brush but I dont think it will feed your purpose... but I dont know im still tryin the true flame thing out along with everything thing alse as for the other brushes I havent used them yet....did you check out the product reviews yet?

Originally Posted by mayhem

I have the 155 its a nice brush but I dont think it will feed your purpose... but I dont know im still tryin the true flame thing out along with everything thing alse as for the other brushes I havent used them yet....did you check out the product reviews yet?

No I have not checked out the product reviews yet. What about the Badger model 175 - Crescendo? Have you heard anything about it?

Originally Posted by mayhem

I have the 155 its a nice brush but I dont think it will feed your purpose... but I dont know im still tryin the true flame thing out along with everything thing alse as for the other brushes I havent used them yet....did you check out the product reviews yet?

I was just checking the reviews on the 155 and it looks like it's getting high ratings. What do you mean, "dont think it will feed your purpose."

[codepunk]

Originally Posted by texjake

Ok now I am confussed. The previous post recommends the bottom feed brush to start out with first. And to get a higher end gravity feed once I get proficient.

Well everyone has differing opinions when it comes to brush's. Just ask yourself what brush does Mike Lavallee the original realistic flames painter use for a brush? Hint, he uses a gravity brush.

[Scott Lister]

If you are really unsure you can always get a badger 360 which can be a gravity feed or a bottom feed just by rotating the part where the paint goes.
just my .02

Scott

Originally Posted by Scott Lister

If you are really unsure you can always get a badger 360 which can be a gravity feed or a bottom feed just by rotating the part where the paint goes.
just my .02

Scott

Sounds like to me alot of this is preference or depending on what you are planning on painting. Type of surface, type of paint, etc... And after further reading sounds as if there are different types of brushes required to do true fire, if you want it to look right. And for people such as myself starting out, it's hard to decide which one to get. With so many different types of airburshes out on the market, we newbe's need all the help we can get. Thanks to all out there that have helped me decide what I need to get to get to do the best job possible.

[jeeptuff]

If there is some place locally you can go and hold a selection of brushes that would be your best bet. I use a Badger Cresendo primarily, that's going to change, the Cresendo is just to bulky in my hands. Find a place and hold them as if you are brushing, what feels better in your hands, then make your desision, you have to be comfortable.

Originally Posted by jeeptuff

If there is some place locally you can go and hold a selection of brushes that would be your best bet. I use a Badger Cresendo primarily, that's going to change, the Cresendo is just to bulky in my hands. Find a place and hold them as if you are brushing, what feels better in your hands, then make your desision, you have to be comfortable.

I'll check and see if there is a place locally that I can go and try a AB. After all the reviews and research I think I have decided to buy a BADGER ANTHEM 155. I think it will be good for a starter for me. Then I look into getting gravity feed such as a Badger 100-LG, a Richpen 113C, or a Iwata HP-CS.

[mayhem]

thats what I am goin to do next . just havent decided which one yet but it will be gravity feed...

[markbentley]

i also have the anthem 155 and like it ok but im also wanting a gravity feed brush. i saw a iwata revolution cr {i think it was} for $100 at the hobby store the other day and almost bought it but the reviews were kind of low 6.5 i think and also someone said you can only get to aprox 1/8 inch lines which i can already surpass with my badger. i would realy like to keep the price around $ 100-120 but im worried im going to buy one thats not realy any better than the one i got. am i going to have to spend big bucks on an iwata micron or can any one reccomend something good in this range?