Anyone use an airbrush for minis? Be curious to hear about your setup.
I started with the discount starter set on Amazon. It's typically listed as
Master brand with a compressor. They are usually $75-100. I used that for about 3 years, and then just replaced the airbrush with another Master for $25. Some people have quality issues, but mine have been pretty robust. Maybe if I did small details I would need a higher quality airbrush, but probably not...
It substantially cuts down time on painting large model counts. I can't imagine painting a fleet of orcs or zombies without it. Large models are also much better with airbrush so you dont get patchy brush strokes. I did about 500 CMON board game minis this summer. 90% airbrush.
I originally started with the airbrush to try and get better blends and OSL ; however, I never managed to get an eye for how to do this. And most people still use brush with glazing. I do some zenithal highlighting with basecoats, and then I go back to a brush. I think I imagined doing cloaks and skin tone blends, but i still do those better with a brush. Swapping colors is also a bit of pain at first because you have to spend 2-5 minutes cleaning out the pot before switching colors.
There 2 required tools are Iwata Airbrush cleaner solution and Vallejo Flow Improver. Both of these make operation super simple. You add flow improver and you will never get a clog. The cleaner solution dissolves anything left over. You'll need to take it apart to clean occasionally, and this cuts down on that.