Give me your spiciest product opinion

I have a relatively heavy and very stable desk. And my vortex mixer just makes a quiet humm. No vibrations going through the desk at all. And I wouldn't want to ever miss that particular piece of hobby-equipment ever again. So useful for shaking up my paints, I consider it one of my best hobby investments.

Interestingly, I still recall the class at art college where we were taught how to look after our brushes. We were told never to invert the brush, ideally even when using it, as we should protect it so that no liquid of any type could get into the ferrule. Putting it point up when drying would likely lead to a ruler across the knuckles.

You can change the needle in the iwata. I changed from the stock to .5 because I do larger scale statues mostly. But there are options you just buy the needle and the little tip for the inside.

A compressor with air tank is good for your ears and longevity of the compressor.

I figure I'd be less impressed with a vortex mixer if I could paint daily. Or at least, multiple times a week. But since I mostly manage an hour or two once a week for painting - and I can easly go over a month without the time to paint at all - it does earn it's keep for me, because my paints do get all the opportunity in the world to settle and seperate.

That thing about the brushes needing to dry bristles up from Windsor Newton only makes sense if you're really thoroughly cleaning your brushes - otherwise paint getting in the ferrule is the biggest issue. If your brushes are completely clean then maybe evaporating 'upwards' helps keep the shape. Most people probably don't clean their brushes enough, though.

On the topic of air compressors. Air compressors with tanks are pretty nice if you live in a humid location, that tank serves as your first water trap. Speaking of which, please do NOT forget to open up the drain valve on the bottom of the tank to remove any water inside of the tank (just say NO to rusty pressure vessels kids!). I still use an inline water trap just to be extra careful, which has resulted in me not having the dreaded water splatter in my airbrushes over the last 6 years. Great video, I look forward to seeing your videos! :)

As far as I can tell about the airbrush compressor, your environment can play a huge factor in whether or not you benefit from it. Where I live, I get crazy condensation inside the airbrush which makes using the airbrush a complete pain. I have a special longer braided cable and a secondary moisture trap and I still get issues. Once i got the tank with the compressor, the problem went away. By letting the air equalize in temp from the compression chamber to my brush in the extra tank it killed the condensation issue entirely

You would certainly regret only having the H&S Infinity to do both 0.15 and 0.4 as opposed to having the excellent HP-CS for 0.3 and the Infinity for 0.15. Changing the nozzle and needle every time is a pain in the neck, having a separate brush is far far better. I have both and although technically I could make do with just the Infinity, I really wouldn't want to. By the way, I got the PaintPuck after seeing it on your channel and I wouldn't be without it now, I'm definitely taking better care of my brushes with it being somewhere convenient to hang them during a painting session.

Glad to hear Mochi is feeling better! And yeah, every hobby I've ever gotten into has had a ton of "WHT did I buy that?" moments

As far as I know the compressor with a tank just means the compressor isn’t running all the time, theoretically meaning you can paint longer as motor (?) doesn’t overheat as fast. At least that’s what I was told when I looked into getting my first airbrush set up.

WAAAAAAAAAAAT I disagree with the Iwata, you just need to regulate the pressure to be able to glaze with it just but a quick release with a mac valve and practice, and that's it. I can even do it with a .5 needle. Nice video keep it up.

I went from a tankless compressor to a Sparmax AC-501 and the difference was huge. I wasn’t concerned with noise, but the Sparmax was much quieter. The big difference was the airflow quality which never varied. With the tankless I’d occasionally get uneven drop offs or ‘blorts’ in air pressure that could potentially ruin my paint layer. It made a big difference for me, not just in quality of painting but in confidence that I wasn’t going to get an unexpected paint problem any second.

Thanks for the video Lyla! I hadn't thought about that angle for the Kimera paints! Cheers

The major benefit to a compressor with a tank is a more steady stream of air vs. the buffering you can get with a tankless, and when the air is compressed it heats up then condenses when it expands and cools, your tank can act as a first expansion chamber to reduce this effect and combined with a water trap can give you an increased run time for sessions with no worries about moisture ruining your work. My first set up was a tankless one and I could only get around 45 minutes before my moisture trap was overwhelmed and there would be water in the hose. Can' remember the last time I was as frustrated as I was when I saw that giant drop of water come out of the brush and completely ruin almost an hours worth of work.

Compressors with tanks are so you can use the airbrush for longer without running out of air. It's useful for large areas (painting model planes or large Gundams for example).

Great concept for a video! Thanks for the honesty!

I have a similar wrist problem and the vortex shaker is a godsend, I do sometimes shake a paint by hand, but i use the mixer for most of the work and I feel much better. I use it on my thigh to keep the noise down :p And I know it can damage your hand, but I'm pretty sure you'd need to use it all the time in a lab for that to happen. But if used to mix a dozen paints every few days, I doubt it can do much harm, unlike shaking by hand in my case.

Clickbait title is clickbait, but the information is so helpful! You can find so many day 1 reviews of products that are never updated. It’s very much appreciated to get a better informed opinion after extended usage of a product. Thank you for sharing!

The iwata Eclipse HP CS Is my favourite airbrush of all time a true workhorse!!! I say this with an expert opinion on airbrushes. I have reviewed many, many airbrushes over the years. Iwata are second to none in quality and performance. The harder and steenbeck is a nice airbrush I would strongly recommend the 2 in one 0.4mm and 0.2 combo set. 0.15 is not necessary really it just means you will be struggling with thinning and spraying more.

My wishlist has been updated. Great follow up video!

I've been hanging my brushes tip down for over 30 years, it is how I was taught. I have some expensive sable hair brushes I have been using since back in the 80s that are still in perfect condition now, going on almost 40 years of use - so long as you take care of them and clean them nice brushes will last you forever.

Appreciate your honesty and revisiting some of the recommendations. Refreshing. Thank you

Hey Lyla. A 'Pro' tip from modeller to modeller. Drop the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity and get a Silverline Evolution 2 in 1. You get a 0,15 needle and nozzle, + a 0,3 needle and nozzle set and an additional paint cup extra, for the same money as a basic Infinity. Belive me, i got both, and both in 2 in 1 sets. It's a joy to use the Silverline, it's a real workhorse, easy to maintain, seconds to disasemble and clean.

I bought the paint puck partially on your recommendation and I love it. I love having the option to have the brushes held in the water but without touching the bottom. its perfect.

I bought a Makita Quiet Series air compressor that has a 1 gallon tank. In spite of the name, I still find it louder than I care for when its filling up the tank. I took a large cardboard box, lined it with egg crate foam for sound dampening and cut holes for the hose and air intake (very important). Works great! The air intake opening can also let heat escape but the engine really doesn't run long enough to generate much. The hose out of the box runs to a little regulator and pressure gauge I have mounted at the desk so its a pretty sweet little setup.

I think your purchase in airbrush is actually fine. The vast majority of people DO get away with something like the iwata, which can have both the. 35 and. 50 needles. It really isn't the worst to have a second one like the SOTAR 2020 or Krome or such, for fien detail and keep the second one for priming and blasting. In either case I got mine used, but your choice is still probably the right one.

Brand new to painting and your channel. I really respect how you don't have issues with apologizing for past comments instead of trying to put a positive spin on them.

The air tank improvement can be pretty subtle. You will get a longer life out of the air compressor components with an air tank. If you want to see what it does for you, use really low (or high? It's been a while since I tested this myself) pressure and draw thin lines. You should see the pulse of the compressor in your line without the air tank.

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see Mochi being a shit in this video. It's so great he's feeling better. 😁 Much love to you all. ♥️ I forgive you for the wrong steers. They've worked out ok for me. I bought the brush cup and hang all my brushes to dry. Maybe the WN brush drying thing is why I am still not 100% loving my series 7 brushes. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I more and more enjoying your videos. Keep up the work🤩

Great video, thank you! And yay for mochi 😊❤️ great news!

Glad to see the kitten is doing better! After seeing Ninjon accidentally squish his portable paint cup, I will not be using that particular item 😂

I've researched compressors for a range of uses, including woodworking tools, HVLP sprayers, and sandblasting. The biggest benefit of a tank for airbrushing is the lower temperature, which helps keep moisture levels down and reduces wear on the motor. You can also keep moisture out with a cheap in-line filter. If your air pressure isn't fluctuating during airbrushing then you're not pressing it hard enough to matter. This is a bigger issue with multiple painters at once. For me, it's all about the noise levels. I built an entire machine closet just to quiet down my big stationary compressor.

Ok, airbrushes. As a bit of background, my son and I have been in this hobby a LONG time and until Covid were yearly regulars at Wonderfest in Louisville and used to post on RPF regularly. If you were to walk out to our model room, you’d find 3(4/5?) diff types of Iwata airbrushes (including several workhorse CSs and the sometimes maligned M2), several Infinity CR+s and several Iwata air compressors including the large tank/2 regulator model which rigged to run through an electric air dryer. All in all about 10 airbrushes are usually out on the air booth station (a large downdraft Artograph). And just as important to note is just about every brand of model paint you can imagine is represented (though mostly I’d say Vallejo), this is important cause not all paints shoot the same and sometimes it’s great to leave a couple of ABs setup for them specifically when on larger or multiple simultaneous projects. Why so many? Diff MAC settings (almost all have MAC valves either built in or added, including the Infinities) on each and in the case of the Infinities, 3 diff needles and diff regulator settings (all of the ABs are hooked into a manifold w individual regulators off of the air dryer). Is a shame to hear you regret buying your CS. They are fantastic airbrushes. It’s just natural to grow your airbrush collection over time and get specific setups for your needs. That’s why we’ve acquired so many over the years. We airbrush everything from 17/28mm to 8.5’ long <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="82">1:22</a>.5 models. Kinda sad to hear you regret the CS. It’s probably our most used model of airbrush! BTW if you do expand into Infinity’s and it’s the non-AngelG model, take a look at the trigger mod for silky operation that’s on KZfaq. Spraygunner is where we source our Infinity brushes and parts; Iwata we get from Tom at TAG team. Not associated w SG other than as a VERY happy longtime customer. Tom on the hand I consider a friend, he did teach my son and I how to airbrush oh so many moons ago 😱 and it’s hoot to hear himcomment to others that we buy airbrush cleaner from him by the gallon 😁 So in closing, if I were going to have just one airbrush…just one for ever and ever it’d be the CS. But I’d ADD an Infinity given the chance and keep the CS w no regrets 😉 PS, we have two of that model Vortex mixer and they get used constantly. Wore out several of the smaller models before getting this one. No problems w wrist (so far). We’re Kimera base set and metallic fans, all colors in each have been used, but buy individual refills for the most used colors (somehow one of their figs always jumps into the order w the paints!?). We use cheap disposable brushes a lot (glue, dry brushing, basing etc) but our go to brushes for painting a Windsor&Newton 7s and Raphael sables. Prefer Olfa knives over Xacto. Super Sculpey, 50/50 Cernit+Fimo, Apoxie and Monster Clay all get used pending the project. Smooth-On silicones and resins; Never fretted buying BMC, Dspiae (kinda fell in love w their mini desktop vac, great if there’s small parts laying around), God Hand they are all top notch and no regrets on any of those items purchased. And the list goes on 🤓 PPS air tank..it really only makes a diff IMHO in two cases 1) noise reduction (I get tired of a constantly running compressor and before someone says it, we’ve addressed the spray booth exhaust noise via a mod - hint take a look at inline combo-duct fans on Amazon) and 2) if you are doing a lot of continuous application (w/o letting trigger up) you may notice a reduction in paint pulsing. I can say on physically small models where we tend press and release quickly (not basecoating) not much of a diff. But on larger scale models, you likely will notice a diff. If I were doing it all over again, I’d buy a California Air Tools tank (UltraQuiet), they start at about a 1 gallon tank I think, over the Iwata. So having said that we do have a 50gal CAl Air Tool 220v compressor w electric air dryer and auto water drain out in the shop. Just need to get around to plumbing the copper airline (no Blue line here) into the model room. Then the Iwata compressors will all be retired (except a couple of portable ones). Cheers! As always, I emphasize YMMV. Just sharing. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not YTubers or influencers, so our opinions are based on our own hard earned cash and the purchases made from it. Now, back to the model room.

Regarding the compressor, I went with a CO2 tank from the local welding shack and the appropriate regulator on it. Dead silent, lasts a long time, and no worries about water in the line.

👍👍 great advice and awesome cat snuggles, thank you Lyla!

Airbrush compressor with a tank: The main benefit is having air pressure remain very constant. When you dont have a tank you can get some fluctuations in the airpressure especially if you are new and just constantly hold the trigger down. Its also quieter. For most beginners a cheap $40 set on amazon that has a cheap airbrush, hose, and square compressor is fine to start with. I got one a few years back when I started airbrushing and I was using that airbrush till it finally broke a few months ago. I still use the cheapo compressor and broken airbrush to "dust" my workspace and to blow dust off minis before painting.

glad to see Mochi is feeling well enough to be back to their usual antics!

What is the brown stuff you are using to mask parts of your models? I always have trouble with getting stray paint on completed parts as I work outwards.

Artis Opus brushes are made by Rosemary & Co. You can pick them up for cheaper under the Rosemary brand. S = Series 33 / 99 M = Series 323 / 93 D = Model Dry Brush

Vortex mixers are that loud, but totally change your desk top for plywood. Plywood won't warp as easily and it's very strong. Also, don't just let the top "rest" on supports. Install some small angle brackets. The last thing you want is for the top to fall or the expensive stuff you put on it to. These are cheap and quick things from the hardware store. The plywood will also be cut to size for free at Home Depot or Lowes. Love the content and the honesty. Keep up the great work

Great tip for a beginner about the airbrusch☀️👍 Thanks Lyla.

So, I have no idea how to use an air brush, but I can tell you the benefit of having a tank vs having just a compressor. The benefit you get is air pressure consistency. A compressors only job is.... well to compress (duh), but not every compressor does this equally, meaning that sometimes it can compress the air harder (meaning more pressure) or softer (meaning less pressure). Having the compressor feed into the tank means that the tank should (theoretically) always be at whatever pressure you set it at plus or minus a few PSI. It's essentially a buffer in between the compressor and whatever tool is on the other end. Another reason this is good is because without the tank the compressor would have to continuously run to keep the pressure running through the tool. The tank allows the compressor to rest when it is no longer needed to maintain pressure essentially giving it more life.

Cat! I love my Vortex Shaker, bought an expensive one that barely ravels my desk and is quiet. But I still put mixinf balls in there, glas ones, I find steel ones rust in GW paints. On the brushes: I have seen videos on brush care where the main info is: Don't store them tip up, gravity will pull the tip apart! I believe when it comes to brush care you do you, I use a variety of cleaners and brush soap, which helps a lot. I also paint with like 5 brushes till these are driven to destruction while having 20 or so waiting to be used. But i didn't festroy the ones I currently use properly, so no switcheros.

Thank you for sharing your experiences

As someone who worked at an art store that sold fine brushes. I worked at Daniel Smith Artist Materials in Seattle for nearly 8 years. Never let them dry bristles up. Why W & N says to do this is beyond me. Letting them dry bristles up allows the water to actually travel down the brush and into the Ferrule. This is bad for 3 reasons. One the glue in the ferrule can become somewhat soft allowing bristle to loosen and fall out. (its and even larger issue with hot water) and Two the water seeps into the wood handle causing it to swell. Which over time loosens the ferrule. Three the water can rust the ferrules over time. Other tips are 1) do not use dish soap on natural bristle brushes. Use a brush soap like General's Masters Brush Soap. Most soaps strip all of the essential oils from the hair causing them to become brittle and break. Hair conditioner can work in a pinch. Synthetic brushes are hardier and can handle harsher soaps. 2) Don't use hot water. Hot water can cause the glue to become soft and cause you to loose bristle. Luke warm water is fine. 3) Do not let them dry points up. Either lay them flat or points down to keep the ferrules from rusting and the handles from swelling and loosening the ferrules over time. Storing the brushes points up once they are dry is ok. Another brush to look at are the hand made Da Vinci Maestro Series 35. They have really fine and long points and are a little less expensive than the W & N Series 7, especially in the larger sizes.

What are you using to hold the mini? Looks cool and has extra support.

I've been airbrushing for like forever, and love all sorts of airbrushes. One thing I've found is there is never any one airbrush that can do everything I have needed to do. Out of the Iwata line I've owned a few brushes including the HP-C. I found that the HP-C was good for bigger projects and larger coverage, but I didn't like the weight and the large center-feed cup for doing smaller detail. I liked the HP-SB Plus side feed because it could get very fine lines, it felt lighter, and having the side-feed cup meant I could see what I was doing better. (I've also had a couple of Paasche brushes I liked including the infamous AB turbine). Once upon a time a tank was especially good for relieving the pulsing of air to the airbrush. Most compressors are rotary these days instead of piston, so the pulsing is a non issue (from what I can tell). The best thing a tank is good for is if the tank is big enough the compressor fills it up and then shuts up, and you have air pressure without the noise for a while. Once upon a time I had a large studio and I had a compressed air tank that I used instead of a compressor. It was so quiet. Now I keep my compressor in an insulated box that is fan cooled so it's much quieter. One thing to remember about the tank is vent the air after every use and leave the valve open for a little while so the condensation can run out.

I've just recently subscribed to your channel (and in fact only recently started the tabletop side of 40k), but holy moly is that some quality content you put out here. Love your personality, the straight "to-the-point-ness", and the cat cameos.

Vortex mixer is one of the most convenient additions to the daily painting. If you have issues with the wrist some ingenuity is needed - get a nice, firm, ball-ish shaped sponge. Cut out a hole/indent in it so it holds the paint and hold it this way. It will dampen the vibrations enough to make it a non-issue for the wrist while still mixing WAY better than by hand. Doesn't help with your rattly desk though... but when in need, just spin them on the floor, a polystyrene base makes it almost silent on the carpet/floor. I also had a bit of a fight on Reddit about Artis Opus telling people that they are really nothing special and not worth the money (the storage box is the best part of them) - even proven the same wood, ferules and hair (just a bit more dense wick) as a regular Rosemary & Co. They are not exact, but they use the same materials with... questionable quality check. I'm happy I wasn't just going crazy on those, they were really disappointing (especially as I own all Rosemary/W&N/Raphael 8404/Da Vinci sets, Artis Opus ranked lowest, even below regular R&C). As for the compressors, ignore Iwata (those are actually, literally, same parts as Chineesium ones). IF you want a good tank compressor - Sparmax dual piston 610/620H are the ONLY ones that make any difference, yeah they are expensive AF but they do work way better than anything else (mine takes less than 15 seconds to get to full tank while being way quieter than all the others I've seen). Not to mention that due to that speed it tops up very rarely making it much quieter overall.

I have that airbrush. So the needle cannot be swapped out for a smaller needle? no option? Thanks

Good Mochi! I'm glad you're feeling better! Kitteh sure was vocal today, huh?

The main thing a air tank compressor is used used for is 3 things none a really to improve your hobby more quality of life, less noise (as it's not on all the time), the other is less electricity usage for the same reason finally they tend not to burn out as easily. Air brush wise I bought 2 £25 (around $40 maybe less!) Air brushes off Amazon 1 a 0.3 needle the other 0.15 & a spare tip that's a 0.5 with a quick release valve to change them quickly if needed, been using this setup for about 2 years now & don't think I will ever go back to an expensive airbrush had an iwata eclipse that broke after about 6 months. Hope this helps. Love your colour choices & palette. Keep working on those creamy blends & cracking paint jobs :)

Awesome, loved this video, looks like you had fun making it :)

Great video! Thanks!

I’m a Badger guy, have been for years. Although their needle sizes are a bit weird, super fine, fine, medium and large. They breakdown as .2, .3, .5 and .7mm. Easy to change needles and can spray as low as 8psi. I have 3 models, Sotar 20/20, Patriot 105 and a workhorse siphon feed Crescendo 175. High quality at nearly 1/2 the cost

I love my Iwata. Perfect for most applications. Sure, it’s not the pinpoint accuracy of a Harder Steinbeck, but I don’t need that and the price difference wouldn’t be worth it. I love my Kimera’s, but I’m loving the mixing process. There are plenty amazing options, I just enjoy Kimera a lot. And if you’re not going to be mixing the whole set definitely won’t be worth it. I really like the high flows through an airbrush. I only have a few key colors for under painting, but the price per volume isn’t as bad as this makes it sound. (Though the $45 is a bit steep…) The tank makes it so that it overheats less, controls moisture better, and sometimes improves airflow consistency. I wouldn’t go out and buy a new compressor with a tank if I already had one without, but it’s worth the bit extra for me to have the tank.

Lyla, does your vortex mixer have rubber nubs underneath that are basically its legs? The one I picked up does and I haven't had any issues with using it on a card table. Really helped to revive some citadel paints I've had since the early 90's...

For the air compressor, i think the benefit in having a tank is that your compressor doesn't have to run as often or as long to deliver air. Most air compressors have some sort of duty cycle on them, or how long it can run for in 1 hours. If you're exceeding that, then you can wear out your compressor faster. I have a 3 gallon tank on mine, and i can get a good 10-15 minutes of air before the compressor kicks in again. So my compressor is really only turning on 4-6 times per hour for a couple of minutes to pressure back up.

A quick tip that might help with the noise of your vortex mixer is a piece of foam/rubber which is used for bigher speakers or washing Machines. Those should help reduce the transfer of vibration

The Infinity CR Plus from Harder and Stenback is one of my biggest regrets, brush clogged constantly had to stripped and cleaned 2 or times a session mid job, I was really dissapointed in it considering the price point and my Iwata went years without an issue.

Glad to hear that Mochi is better! Thanks for mentioning the Harder & Steenbeck. While I use my Hp-cs for general application (priming & basecoats), the H&S is just above and beyond!

I'm so glad your kitty is feeling better!

The biggest thing about having a compressor with a tank is that you get a STEADY airflow, even when the compressor kicks in. With a tankless compressor you're getting pulses of air as the compressor works continuously to give you airflow.

The smaller the nozzle in your airbrush the more problems you'll have with clogs. If you have a .3 nozzle and theres a tiny bit of dried paint in the nozzle its just going to be blasted through no probs but if you've got the .15 nozzle it takes the smallest chunk of dried paint to clog it completely. You can do some really fine stuff with the Iwata, it's just down to paint reduction and airbrush trigger control. I have the H&S infinity (and multiple Iwata's) and I ended up putting a larger nozzle/needle setup onto it because I spent most of the day cleaning out blockages. The infinity is an amazing airbrush but get the 2-in-1 option that comes with 2 different nozzles as you will probably get frustrated having to clean the .15 out constantly.

I have airbrushed for 20+ years at this point and own 7 airbrushes but i never use any other needlesize than a 0.3 needle no matter what i am painting. Glazing, fine lines, eyes, osl etc all can be done with a 0.3 needle, its just a matter of trigger control. The hp-cs is a true workhorse and i find iwata superior to the haarder steenbeck airbrushes imho.

The compressor tank is mostly about noise. My friend Ken Steacy is a very proficient airbrush artist, and he forgoes a compressor entirely, and uses pressurized nitrogen tanks with a regulator that he gets recharged at the local scuba shop.

Super cool. We all buy stuff then try it out only to find it wasn't exactly what we needed. But pretty much all game Envy is utilitarian and awesome. Worth every penny. You rock

This was an interesting video for me because I've had the same journey with my airbrushes. I got the Iwata Eclipse and it was a pefect purchase for getting started. Then I got the H&S Infinity for more precise painting. But I still love my Eclipse and use it for 90% of my work, like priming, base coating, varnishing, etc. It's like a dependable Toyota truck. Rarley clogs, hard to damage and applies paint smoothly. I upgraded my compressor to the Iwata model with an air tank and two airbrush hookups. You can set the pressure seperately for each hookup, so I reach down and grab either airbrush without having to make any adjustments.

Just a bit of advice about shaking paints: shaking up and down is actually pretty inefficient, as you just make the content go up and down. A trick I learned from my chemistry courses is the fastest way to mix is to flip the solution upside down and back right side up. Shaking your paints in a semi circle will create more chaotic motions (because you are shaking alongside more than one vector compared to up and down) that will mix faster.

I also started out with the Iwata HP-CS Eclipse (3.5 needle). Like you, after my airbrushing skills had improved I wanted a brush with a smaller needle for doing detail work. So I understand where you're coming from however I think you missed the huge upside of the Eclipse: it is extremely user friendly for beginners. Not only that it's a quality airbrush that I will continue to use on every army I have. It doesn't clog easily and is easy to maintain. For base coating vehicles, terrain or large #s of miniatures at once, it is my absolute go-to. My second and only other brush, is the Iwata HP-BH High Line (2.0 needle). This brush takes care of any and all fine detail work I ask from it. It's more ergonomic and really built for long periods of detail work without having to adjust your grip. There is something to be said for buying an airbrush with multiple needle sizes. Still, if a beginner asks me what airbrush they should start with I'll recommend the Eclipse. I've known several people who started to learn how to airbrush, but we're quickly put off because of the maintenance. You don't get as much of that with the Eclipse and again, it's not only a good place to start, it's a tool you'll never stop using no matter how many airbrushes you have. Quality and reliability are it's best attributes.

The air compressor tank won't improve your painting, but it cuts down on sound because once the tank fills, the motor shuts off -- and that's why I bought mine. It also extends the life of the compressor because it's not running nonstop because you're drawing air from the tank.

Do you use any paint with 0.15mm needle? I have hard time to reduce some of the paints for 0.2mm needle already 🙀

Another great video. I appreciate someone going back and admitting if they were wrong about something as well so kudos on that. :)

Oh, for paint mixing, I also keep toothpicks, especially for white paints, shades, and contrast paints that all tend to settle. I have mixing balls that I have to break free sometimes.

On H&S brushes: they're great! However, you don't need the top of the line Infinity. The Evolution has all the same features and can even take the same needle sizes/kits. Get an Evo CR+ '2-in1' rather than the Infinity and the money you save gets you most of the way toward buying another needle set. The Evo '2-in1' set retails with the same 0.15 and 0.4 combination, or with an alternative 0.2 and a 0.4. At least they do here in the UK... The 0.15 is great for inks and contrast paint, but it clogs quickly with regular paint, even ranges specifically sold as 'airbrush' paint. Imho the 0.2 is the sweet spot for detail work, at least it is in my sausage fingers!

I have the H&S Infinity. It's a good detail brush when it wants to be, but it's finicky. Have a look at the GSI Creos PS-771 It's about 100 bucks less than the infinity and arguably better. I have both, as well as the Eclipse. They're all great tools and I'm not giving any of them up any time soon. If you want the best of the best, there isalways the Iwata Micron, @ $500 to $800. I've never used a Micron, but they say my Creos sprays exactly like one at $220.

Assuming that you have invested in a QD fitting for your airbrush and hose, having a second airbrush with a smaller needle if you want that, is a lot better way to go than swapping needles back and forth on one brush.

MOOOOOCHIIIIII!!!!!!! glad he's feeling better! and if you even remember, sorry i haven't finished my homework, health stuff keeps coming up. it's also very intimidating to put paint on models you really like and dont want to mess up

In regards to Kimera paints, I think Expansion set 1 has some excellent colors. Alizarian crimson and Cobalt Blue Green are real stand outs for me and I also frequently use the brown oxides

I bought a tankless air compressor. because I work for a soda company I was able to scrounge up a stainless steel 2galon water booster tank. a couple of fittings later and I had an airbrush compressor with a tank. I also mounted a small fan on top of the heat sink on the air compressor. of course my paint booth was made out of an old beat up dresser and some parts from a bunk bed. Materials on hand (MOH) construction is how I keep my hobby tool bill out of the troposphere.

Brilliant video Lyla 😊

I have a vortex mixer, and mixing balls, and Army painter paints. How many mixing balls per bottle do you recommend?

HI....At 0.50...What's the big plastic C shape for on the left side of the painting handle ? It looks like it would get in the way !

To anyone watching this, don’t use a vortex mixer like that. Place the paint pot on the mixer and hold it in place with your index finger on top with the rest of your fingers and thumb resting on the base of the mixer. Apply a little pressure with your index finger to get the motor spinning. 2 to 3 seconds is enough when used this way. Firmly gripping the paint pot prevents a vortex from forming in the pot. Holding it lightly makes it happen immediately. You’ll know it worked when you open the pot and see the swirl.

I bought a massage gun for my back, not only does it help relieve muscle tension but it works perfectly as a paint shaker.

First off it is good to see Mochi is doing better and is back to being a pain in the backside with needing the loving. Tank less aircompressors work fine as long as the connection hose is at least 6 feet long. If someone uses a shorter hose then it is far more likely that they will end up having pressure pulsing. The shorter the hose, the greater the likelihood of having that problem. Also, the older/more used the compressor becomes the greater the chance of it becoming louder, which is the upside of a compressor with tank. It is not always running when you're using it and allows for a more constant PSI even when the compressor is running.

Lyla, I really appreciate your videos and reviews. I coughed up the $30 for the paint puck and the information I understood is that it’s best to let your brushes dry upside down. Supposedly, this allows for any residual paint to not get caught up in the ferrule. -Rick, USMC

Badger airbrushes are my go to for all skill levels. Dead easy to clean, and not expensive. Needle size conversion is easy as well. From detail sizes, to heavy spray airbrushes, Badger is awesome.

You should also check out the Badger Company stuff, especially the Patriot 105 and Sotar 20/20. Both of those airbrushes are fantastic and customizable with different needle sizes, they are robust, easy to clean and the parts are readily available from Badger (and other places.) I don't work for Badger, I just am a very happy customer of theirs. Also, I'm not sure what kind of compressor you had before, but the most noticeable difference you'll have between a tankless and tanked compressor is the amount of time you can airbrush before needing to stop and let the air build back up. With most tankless designs (usually called diaphragm compressors) you will see spurting or unintended "stippling" if you use your airbrush for more than a few seconds at a time. With a compressor that has a tank, you are using the air out of the tank directly and can continue to do so even when the compressor is running since there is a small sensor inside that determines how much air is left in the tank before it refills. This way you ensure you have a nice, even flow of air coming from the brush and mixing with the paint coming out. www.badgerairbrush.com/index.html

I was pretty disappointed when I bought the winsor Newton brushes. Maybe I messed them up or something but they don't hold a tip and are actuality splitting after a couple uses. I definitely recommend a sturdy desk for the vortex mixer. I have an old desk that does budge at all.I use mine ever time I paint.

Excellent to see and hear that Mochi is feeling better! That's great news! Great video, and definitely understandable points. On the airbrush front, can definitely see where you're coming from as well. I was looking at the H&S also for a new purchase, but recently also saw some excellent vids from the Art Workshop reviewing a number of H&S as well as vids comparing several companies brushes pros and cons, although the build quality and atomization is excellent. Give and take. Personally am more interested in a consistent application at those small needle levels, but to each their own. Not sure if the Angel Giraldez model addresses it or not, might be worth looking into. Thanks again for the great content and work! Have a good one!

You can indeed change the needle size on the eclipse. You just also need to buy the correct nozzle for it too!

Absolutely loooooove my Infinity. The nozzle and needle swap is impeccably easy and modular. Highly recommend!

My ides for a paint mixer is a device I could load up with 30-40 paints and have it just calmly rock back and forth, upside down to right side up. It doesn't have to go very fast but it does have to slowly rotate the bottles so the mixing balls can get all the paint all around the inside. Let it run overnight or all day when I'm at work and when I'm ready to paint all the paint is mixed.

Re: the buying the Kimera set, agree and up that to most paint sets of any brand. I often oooh and aaah over sets at my local hobby store, then crunch the numbers and the sets often mean"buy 8 pots at the regular price, get one free". Considering that it's unlikely that every single paint in the set is a hard must, there is no really big saving versus buying them piecemeal (not to mention that buying one color at a time spead out the retail therapy endorphin hit over several visits, win/win).

Thanks for the frank assessment of these products. I picked up a bottle of the Golden for a glow effect and it was on sale, buy one get one half off, so I felt a little better. Now now I have a neon yellow and orange. Looking forward to trying them for some effects for Adepticon

To fix the paint mixer issue, go down to your hardware store and grab washing machine vibration feet (looks like a square of rubber noodle/gym mat). will make night and day difference (i use them with 3d printers). That said, i use an impact massage gun with a ball end instead for paint mixing.