Modeling impossible without an airbrush? No, it's not!

[seadude]

Taking a cue from what PR19 posted here in a thread I had wrote, I tend to agree with his comments. 

The current belief that modelling is just impossible without the use of an airbrush is a myth put about by people who are too young to have learnt how to paint with a brush.

I agree with the above statement. Spray can painted and/or hand brushed models can do just as good, if not better, than airbrushed models. The models I have built over the years have been proof of that. (See pics below.)
But I still get pissed off from time to time when people tell me that I should use an airbrush or that my model would look better if airbrushed, etc., etc.     I've tried (Once), and failed, long, long, long ago to use an airbrush. It just didn't work out that well. Could I do airbrushing now? No. My eyesight is getting worse as I get older. When I did my first try at airbrushing long ago, my eyesight was at 20/75. But now, it's at 20/200. Also add in that I live in a small apartment with no proper room/space for airbrushing. And I can't have any noisy compressor or other equipment in my apartment. Airbrushing in the basement is out of the question as it's too dirty and dusty down there. Airbrushing (or spray can painting) on the patio could be done, but you never know which way the wind is blowing and you could end up painting yourself rather than the model. LOL!

It may sound like I'm making cop out excuses for not airbrushing, but I don't care. I'm content to just continue using spray cans and/or hand brushing my models. If somebody else wants to airbrush, fine. YOU can do it that way to your heart's content. But leave me do my models MY WAY and stop pestering and harassing me to do airbrushing.  And for those that think spray can or hand brush painted models don't do well at contests, here's a sample list of what I have gotten:

a) USS Montana - March 1, 2008 - "Most Creative Entry" Plaque
b) USS Montana - May 2009 - Veteran's Best of Show Certificate
c) USS Montana - Oct. 31, 2015 - Best Scratchbuilt Trophy
d) HMS Habakkuk - May 8, 2010 - Best Navy Subject Certificate + Best of Show Trophy
e) HMS Habakkuk - Oct. 30, 2010 - 2nd Place Reserve Grand Champion Certificate + Turkey (for Thanksgiving dinner)
f) PBJ B-25 Diorama - Nov. 10, 2012 - Best Use of Creativity Plaque
g) Aurora Hypersonic Spyplanes Diorama - Oct. 31, 2015 - Best Hand Painted Aircraft Certificate
h) LHD Hospital Ship - Oct. 29, 2016 - Best of Show Certificate + Ham (for Christmas dinner), also Best Scratchbuilt/Kitbashed trophy.
j) USS New Jersey Nuclear BB - Oct. 5, 2002 - 1st Place Trophy
k) USS Special Delivery - Oct. 4, 2003 - 1st Place Trophy
l) USS Montana - Nov. 7, 2015 - 1st Place Medallion
m) HMS Habakkuk - May 8, 2010 - 1st Place Certificate
n) HMS Habakkuk - Oct. 30, 2010 - 1st Place Certificate
o) PBJ B-25 Diorama - May 19, 2012 - 1st Place Certificate
p) PBJ B-25 Diorama - Oct. 27, 2012 - 1st Place Certificate
q) Aurora Hypersonic Spyplanes Diorama - March 5, 2016 - 1st Place Medallion
r) LHD Hospital Ship - Oct. 29, 2016 - 1st Place Certificate

http://www.arcair.com/Gal14/13201-13300/gal13261-bomber-SteelWolf/00.shtm

[PR19_Kit]

Magic. 

But if you tried to get Airfix Magazine to print that as a letter (not they actually have letters in AM....) you'd stand no chance, they just don't think that way, ever.

Keep up the campaign.

[seadude]

Magic. 

But if you tried to get Airfix Magazine to print that as a letter (not they actually have letters in AM....) you'd stand no chance, they just don't think that way, ever.

Keep up the campaign.

Is that with just AM magazine, or all modeling magazines? I've thought about trying to get one of my modeling projects in the pages of FineScale Modeler magazine (Reader Gallery), but have backed out several times because I just didn't have any confidence in myself and believed that only "professional grade" stuff is what people wanted and got noticed.

And then there's another "train of thought" so to speak that I've had. Maybe the only reason I got the awards I did was because of "sheer dumb luck". It wasn't the painting, gluing, decals, etc. that got the models noticed and such. But rather just the "creativity, imagination, inventiveness, and uniqueness" of the model subjects which made people like them and got me the awards that I got.

Whatever the case is, I still feel that spray can and hand brushed models can still compete with airbrushed stuff. Maybe not always to the same quality as airbrushed stuff, but close to it nonetheless with a good amount of skill and experience.

[PR19_Kit]

All the modelling magazines that I read tend to have the same opinion to  my mind. Perhaps that's because the airbrush manufacturers have big advertising budgets and they can't afford to put their backs up?

I don't read FSM all that often, but I'd be surprised if they're any different in attitude.

[zenrat]

Meh.  What do they know.
It's the current fashion.  Like unrealistically dark, cartoon-like* panel lines brought about by preshading and not enough colour coat.

Send in your pics to the mags.  All they can do is not print them.  It's not like they have a "lets laugh at this guy for doing it wrong page"**.
They are more likely to reject them for being whiffs anyway - when's the last time a Readers Model page showed one of our type of build?


*Not necessarily a bad thing - I like cartoony builds - but not usually the intention.
**Not that you did. All great builds.

[NARSES2]

Send in your pics to the mags.  All they can do is not print them. 

Absolutely, fantastic models 

[The Chaos]

Cool Great work on good Models.

[Rheged]

Seems to me that "The Fellowship of the Rattlecan and Hairy Stick"  is alive and well .......and in the case of our esteemed colleague, producing some first-rate results.       Well done, sir!!

[Steel Penguin]

ill add my 2p
if modelling is impossible without an airbrush,    Just what have I been doing for all these years?  Expressive dance ?
my blog production count  alone, shows that a whole lot of stuff can be done, sans airbrush.
and Seadude, those photos show top rate stuff seriously good         and how exactly would one airbrush the launch plume of that missile any way, the cotton wool would clog up the nozzle straight away wouldn't it   

[sandiego89]

While I get the argument, and everyone should be free to paint any way they want, I have found that brush, spray cans and airbrushing all have their places at least for me.  I do think some modelers could benefit from learning to spray or airbrush, or to improve their brushing technique. We all likely made horrid brush stokes and runs with our early attempts, but as with most things, with practice things get better. 

I brushed for years, and still do, but made myself learn airbrushing.  It is a learned art, and no one can master it after a few models.  The fear factor is huge but I am glad I took on the fear.  Clean up is a royal pain, especially if you are only doing small bits and spend hours on prep for seconds of spraying.  It can give an excellent result.  I do encourage others to try it- respray some old builds or cheap kits and practice. 

Spray cans can also give an excellent result.  I find they give a great finishes especially on some colors that I find tough to brush- yellow, white an silver especially. 

There is no "right" way of course. Build what you want and keep it fun.       

[Rheged]

There is no "right" way of course. Build what you want and keep it fun.       

That, sir, is one of the great truths of Whiffery!!...........but it does no harm to remind us of it from time to time.

[PR19_Kit]

The argument is that modelling is impossible without using an airbrush, an attitude that's put about by most modelling magazines and some forums (forii?)

I've seen threads elsewhere when someone has taken the time and trouble to mask up a tiny part and sprayed it, when it would have been far faster and more convenient just to brush paint it.

I've used my two airbrushes on numerous occasions, but the clean-up routine is what gets to me. It just takes FAR too long, sometimes as much as 10 times the spraying time, and at my time of life that's just crazy.

[seadude]

I've used my two airbrushes on numerous occasions, but the clean-up routine is what gets to me. It just takes FAR too long, sometimes as much as 10 times the spraying time, and at my time of life that's just crazy.

That's another reason why I won't do airbrushing: THE DREADED CLEANING! That, plus I'd be willing to bet I'd be spending more money buying tons of thinner/cleaning solution to clean the airbrush with than the paints being sprayed.

Another thing I like about the models I built is that they don't have much, if any, aftermarket accessories like resin, photoetch, 3D printed, etc.  If possible, I'd rather scratchbuild extra stuff, modify parts, or rob parts from extra kits. This notion that models don't look or do good at contests without a TON of aftermarket goodies is crap too.  But........that's another debate for a different time and a different thread.

[TheChronicOne]

I tend to agree! Even as a little kid I brush painted a number of models that still look great 25 years later. It's all about the technique and it's not hard to learn, really. It's alot like the "macro" version of painting a house or something... use decent brushes... don't "play" with the paint you've already put down... be quick but not too quick... don't dry brush (unless intentional) thin adequately, stir thoroughly, etc etc etc.

Some of the best builds I did back in the day were with brushing acrylics.. the stuff I sprayed would be nice, but the brush was better. Dare I say, now, though,  I can use rattle cans to spray things pretty darn good but still.. that doesn't take away from good ol' brush painting. Haven't tried airbrushes yet, though. 

[TheChronicOne]

Picture is lousy but I did these both when I was either 10 or 11 years old. I tried to knock dust off best I could.

Brush paint all the way and if a goofy kid like me can do it, anyone can!  Even back then I was impressed with how nice and flat it all laid down and how good they looked. At the same time, I had been doing things with spray paint and they weren't as good.