Airbrush crawl or plunge?

[DreamKnight]

This is more for the modelers that currently use an airbrush.  When you first started the hobby, did you hand paint then work up to getting an airbrush?  Or did you just take the plunge and go out and get a rig and just jumped in the deep end?

[Backbreaker]

I must admit that I just jumped straight in, with all the variables of the set up it kind of reminded me of MIG welding.
Joolz

[elend]

Started out brushing and later bought an airbrush. But at the moment I only brush when neccessary (for example, when I have to paint lots of plain areas). I still prefer the brush quite a bit.

[Jeep]

brush painting and decals of a LONG time,  airbrushes were always expensive until 10-15 years ago when inexpensive compressors became obtainable.   

Once I got a airbrush though *(that worked)  I have never looked back, 

[JMac]

I jumped right in to the airbrush pool - I got my first airbrush given to me from a family member who did not want it anymore. I'm just learning how to brush paint now...

[Elm City Hobbies]

I was probably 5 or 6 when I first started, the first few kits probably didn't paint at all.

Dad had an old Badger 150 I think....just a very basic airbrush. It was alright for doing car bodies, but couldn't do detail work at all. Run it off of a can of air. I then got the little attachment for a car tire so you could fill up a tire and run your airbrush off of that. Also used spray cans, but never mastered that art of spraying a car body with a spray can.

I then saved my money, and bought a Badger 200NH (which I still have here), and bought an air pig and regulator. And my airbrushing improved greatly. Over the years I had gotten one of the better Testors Aztek ABs, bought it used, it was OK. I then took the plunge and bought a double action Mr. Hobby airbrush which was just a knock off of an Iwata. Late last year I got myself a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity, and haven't looked back.

So a slow progression from no painting to spray can, and then into the world of airbrushing over the last 30+yrs.

[Grendels]

I started model building at 5 or 6 years old.  I wasn't allowed paints back then, and when I could have them it was with a paint brush.  From there to rattle can.  I started working with an air brush about 16 years ago, then took a 14 year break.  The air brush I had then worked off of a air can, and was not much better than a rattle can, but I could mix the color.  I still have that air brush, but it isn't used any more. 

I got back into this about a year ago.  My first completed model was painted with a air brush (paasche VL), and my contest entry is part rattle can and part airbrush.  The rattle can part gave me much trouble.  So I am going to take some time and work with the air brush.  It was much better at putting down an even coat of paint.  I just have to learn how to control it better, and clean it up.  (Got a nice crust of enamel paint on the needle right now.  When I bought the air brush, I also bought a cleaning kit, time to find it.) 

I am more comfortable with a real brush than an air brush, and will brush paint any area where I know strokes won't show.  I spent a good 10 years of my younger life with a paint brush in hand, so that really isn't a surprise.  I am just reviving an much earlier learned skill set, while with the air brush it is all new.

[Quaralane]

Took baby steps with the first attempts at airbrushing almost 20 years ago.
I only recently got a new brush after years of not having one.

[Ken Abrams]

Like others, my first kits weren't painted at all, decals right on plastic. I thought they molded the battle ship in gray for a reason? 

I brush painted for years, in fact I still have a box of my brush painted Tamiya German armor from the late seventies, early eighties, figures too. Looking back they're pretty rough but I was having fun and that's what mattered.

I was maybe seventeen when I bought my airbrush, 1986 maybe? At first it was a steep learning curve and I made a lot of mistakes. Started with the propellant cans and saved up until I could afford an airbrush compressor, now I can't model without one.

I guess I was a crawler. 

[MrNatural]

I tried to brush paint for a while, well i still do, only fine details and touch up. Everything else, airbrush all the way baby. I brush painted my models for about 6-7 months until i had enough cash for an airbrush setup. I've only been modeling for about a year and 7 months.

warp me to halifax!

[sunsanvil]

...just a very basic airbrush. It was alright for doing car bodies, but couldn't do detail work at all. Run it off of a can of air. I then got the little attachment for a car tire so you could fill up a tire and run your airbrush off of that.

Similar story.  Been building since before I can remember but about 15 years ago I was wowed by what I was seeing other modelers do with ABs so, being too cheap at the time to follow advice, I bought a badger 350 and a can of air.  I quickly switched to the spare tire thing which was absolutely ridiculous....and the hobby gradually fell by the wayside till I was pretty much out of it all together.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Then 3 or 4 years ago I got interested in the hobby again and got a Badger 200NH and one of their AirStar compressors at a really good price....IT WAS GAME CHANGING!  I know now that if I had had a compressor 10 years ago I would have never gotten out of the hobby.  I got a Badger 105 last year and its has taken things up a notch, but life started with the internal mix and compressor.

[Talen]

Definitely hand painted then worked up to the airbrush

[Ferris828]

Started with hand brushing around '83, the old Testors enamels (The old square bottles). my hand painting never looked quite right. slid out of the hobby around '89, got back into it around '92 with a 1/72 testors F-22. Things looked better. Slid out of the hobby again not much later. Came back around '04, bought an Aztek AB with the blue compressor. Loved it! it was a little difficult to control for finer painting-no pressure adjustments. Just recently bought a comp from harbor freight, It works much better. I can't wait to get another WWII kit going, can't wait to see how much easier the mottling will be with adjustable pressure instead of using a clamp to kink off the pressure line like I did for my 410. Not matter what AB you choose, it's the air source that TRUELY counts.

[Dano1945]

Kinda funny I just came across this topic. Always wanted to use an airbrush. I even bought a nice Badger about twelve years ago but a compressor was so expensive, $150 or more. Harbor Freight had one on sale for $60 and an airbrush for $15 so I was in. Had this stuff at home for three months. After reading a ton of websites I jumped in today. Painted a Tamiya Willys with MM Field Drab. It came out nice. Cleaned up the brush and admired my work. I figure I when I get confident I will dust off that Badger.

[DreamKnight]

Kinda funny I just came across this topic. Always wanted to use an airbrush. I even bought a nice Badger about twelve years ago but a compressor was so expensive, $150 or more. Harbor Freight had one on sale for $60 and an airbrush for $15 so I was in. Had this stuff at home for three months. After reading a ton of websites I jumped in today. Painted a Tamiya Willys with MM Field Drab. It came out nice. Cleaned up the brush and admired my work. I figure I when I get confident I will dust off that Badger.

YAY! Dano!   Glad you shared your first time with us! LOL  Just keep practicing.   It'll get easier!