Airbrush (brand) question

Sort of both on- and off-topic; Billy, I hope you don't mind me putting this post in here I know alot of face-up artists use airbrushes and we also have members who are current/former figure painters and GK builders so I'm hoping this might be a good place to ask.

 

I've done quite a bit of research and am familiar with the different types of ABs (feed-, mix- and action types, needle sizes et.c.) and other equipment needed for AB painting. I'm now trying to decide on brand and price range.

 

Price-wise I'm fairly sure I'll go with something mid-range but I'm unsure about which brand to choose. I've heard the name Badger before but other names such as Iwata, Paasche and Harder & Steenbeck are all new to me. I'd like to know if you've had good/bad experiences with those or other brands. Actual hands on experience stories often say a lot more than reviews.

People are passionate about their airbrushes, so you can get a lot of opinions about them

 

An airbrush that will let you paint fine art (that is, painting artwork as opposed to spraying paint) is a quality gravity feed airbrush. Airbrushes are high precision equipment and a quality one is manufactured to a high standard, so there's a huge difference between a cheap airbrush and an expensive one (unless you're paying a high price for a cheap airbrush, which is common unfortunately). Cheap airbrushes use 'fatter' parts that are less precise and easier to manufacture.

 

One of the most popular and widely available airbrushes for artwork is the Iwata HP-C Plus. It's a gravity feed 0.3 mm airbrush, which lets you change colours quickly and get close to your subject without the a bottom-feed bottle in the way, and it's really really good. They're not much point in getting a higher end airbrush than that. Iwata's High Performance line (HP-A/B/C) is decades old (I think the Plus is like the third major revision in 30 years or something, came out ~10 years ago), performs superbly, and most importantly the parts for them are easy to get anywhere because they have very wide distribution. If you need replacement needles and nozzles, and you will if you use your airbrush enough, you can get parts kind of easily.

 

Iwata also has the lower end Eclipse line that came out ~15 years ago. Do not get that, the difference between that and the High Performance line is staggering (I have both). Airbrushes were a big thing until Photoshop took over the world, and that's when they made the lower end Eclipse line.

 

It's also worth mentioning that almost all Japanese airbrushes are manufactured in Anest-Iwata's factories. Zoukei-Mura (Volks) and Mr. Hobby's "Procon Boy" airbrushes are actually rebranded Iwata High Performance airbrushes. I think Tamiya and a couple other Japanese ones are manufactured by Anest-Iwata, but they're not Iwata models. Some of the ones sold internationally under the Iwata brand are actually variations sold in Japan by other companies, like Iwata's Kustom line.

 

I've heard Harder & Steenbeck's great too, which I imagine is pretty easy to get in Europe compared to North America

Thanks foo!

 

Yeah, I guess it's a bit like with all other brand products; ppl tend to stick to one brand All airbrush brands are probably similiar from a quality perspective nowadays anyway. An AB brand/model with known defects would disappear from the market rather quickly.

 

Iwata also has the lower end Eclipse line that came out ~15 years ago. Do not get that, the difference between that and the High Performance line is staggering (I have both).

Oh? Build and/or result-wise? Wasn't sure if the HP-C+ was worth the additional 75€/80$ but I guess there's more to those additional $$$ than just the addition of a needle stop

 

BTW, do you know if the HP-C+ and Eclipse CS (HP-CS) are chrome or nickel plated on the outside? Can't find any info on that on Iwata's site. I don't think I have nickel allergy but better be safe than sorry.

 

Zoukei-Mura (Volks) ... airbrushes are actually rebranded Iwata High Performance airbrushes.

Are you sure? If so then their prices are really good! The most expensive one, the PM B, costs less, shipping to Sweden and 25% import tax included, than the Iwata Eclipse CS. Maybe it's a slightly stripped down, custom specs and/or older High Performance model? I can't find an exact match in Iwata's current catalog for any of the ZM ABs.

An AB brand/model with known defects would disappear from the market rather quickly.

Oh no, there's lots of junk at the low end, and LOTs of Iwata knockoffs. Some people just need airbrushes to use more like simple sprayguns, rather than fine art.

 

Oh? Build and/or result-wise? Wasn't sure if the HP-C+ was worth the additional 75€/80$ but I guess there's more to those additional $$$ than just the addition of a needle stop

 

The HP-C produces a beaaaaauuuuuutiful spray pattern compared to the HP-CS. Here's an example. I'm not showing it inline because the forum will limit the size so you won't see as much detail. I did that a couple years ago actually, the Eclipse is on the left and the HP-C is on the right; one thing I was trying to show is what happens when you move the airbrush out of its comfort zone, the distance between it and the paper. The Eclipse has a very big difference between the 'narrow' spray on right side of the loops and the fat spray on the left side (it gets fat very quickly). Overall it's a much messier spray pattern which makes it difficult to do shading; you get too much 'splash' when you're trying to do something subtle.

 

BTW, do you know if the HP-C+ and Eclipse CS (HP-CS) are chrome or nickel plated on the outside? Can't find any info on that on Iwata's site. I don't think I have nickel allergy but better be safe than sorry.

 

I know for sure they're not chrome actually, afaik they're polished steel. But don't take my word for it >_>

 

 

Zoukei-Mura (Volks) ... airbrushes are actually rebranded Iwata High Performance airbrushes.

Are you sure? If so then their prices are really good! The most expensive one, the PM B, costs less, shipping to Sweden and 25% import tax included, than the Iwata Eclipse CS.

Eheh, it's been a while since I actually looked at their product lineup, but I do remember seeing a video where someone was using a Zoukei-Mura airbrush that was the same thing as an Iwata Kustom. I know for sure some of the Mr. Hobby Procon Boys are actually HP-Cs though.

 

::goes web surfing, couldn't find it on the Volks store::

 

Ok, this ZOUKEI MURA Promodel A Airbrush is absolutely an HP-C,

 

http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=449

 

It's actually the OLD HP-C, that was originally designed a few decades ago. I have it too d(^_^') The giveaway is the elongated, uh, tub inside the colour cup that exposes the needle. That's actually bloody annoying to deal with when you're using tiny amounts of paint, basically they took the HP-A model and welded a colour cup on it. The HP-C+ now looks like the thing on the right in this photo (the thing on the left is the HP-B. As you can see, I use tiny amounts of paint a lot). The HP-CS (Eclipse) also looks like the HP-C+ inside.

 

So, it's a BEAUTIFUL airbrush that performs wonderfully. For my purposes, I'm much happier with the HP-C Plus, but if you can get the HP-C (Promodel A) you'll love it. Doing some searches, yes, this thing that Volks is selling is the classic HP-C. I'm guessing the reason it's cheap is because it's the old model. The new ones were released in 2006 so... ? Either they've had inventory that long or Anest-Iwata still happily manufactures them for Zokei Mura at low cost.

 

Make sure you get an airbrush stand because otherwise your airbrush will land face first on the concrete floor and you'll need to buy a new needle and nozzle FYI, those tiny bits of paint in those two airbrushes were to paint this. I can't believe I haven't finished her yet, I've been spending too much time with dolls >_<