We will examine the Top 5 airbrush brand we have selected for you with the title of Best Airbrush for Miniatures and Models.
Have you considered painting your model kits and miniatures using Airbrush?
Airbrushes help you speed up your painting and you can achieve great results with them in practice. With Airbrush, you can prepare miniatures in the color you want all year round. You can use an airbrush for miniatures and everything you do on your model; flooring, varnishing, priming, stencils, highlighting, and more.
Airbrushes are a little expensive investment for your hobby. There are so many options that will surprise you. That’s why I created this detailed guide with my recommendations for an absolute novice airbrush for miniatures and model painting.
Airbrush Getting Started Guide
When choosing your airbrush, you will immediately realize that there are lots of different features and a number of different concepts and features to deal with. Some airbrushes are more suitable for certain tasks, while others are generally better.
This guide will help you find your way in confusion.
Types of Airbrush
There are several different types of airbrushes and choosing the right one is the key to getting the best experience.
Single-Action vs Dual-Action
Single-action airbrushes give the user control over the airflow through just one trigger or button. When you push it down, both air and paint come out of the needle.
With the dual-action airbrush, the air comes out when you push it down. Then you need to pull the trigger back to release the paint.
What to choose – In general, a double-acting airbrush will provide finer control and more intuitive interaction with the brush, especially for your miniatures and models.
Gravity vs Siphon Feed
This refers to the way the paint is actually delivered to the gun, and here both options have their pros and cons.
A gravity-fed airbrush is placed in a small container above the paintbrush. This will then allow the paint to “slip” naturally into the main room. Gravity-fed airbrushes allow you to work with lower air pressure, which can give you a little more control when painting the detailed parts of your mini. It also helps prevent “overspray”.
Siphon feeding airbrushes meanwhile place the container under the main unit and feed the paint up into the mixing chamber using a small amount of pressure. These allow you to store more paint at any time and are advantageous when larger models or base coats are painted because they do not require continuous filling.
Needle Size
The size of the needle is an important feature when comparing airbrushes. Smaller pins allow you to create finer lines, and while drawing small details on a smaller model, this can be a Godsend. However, fine needles are also not useful for dyeing large objects. Moreover, fine needles tend to clog so you need to thin the paint.
For miniature painting, it is recommended to take a needle from 0.2 to 0.5mm.
If you’re just starting out and can only buy one airbrush right now, it might be a better option to start with 0.3 pins.
Brands
It’s a good place to start with different brands. There are three special brands that are very popular. These are Iwata, Badger, and Paasche. Other well-known brands include Harder & Steenbeck and Grex. If you choose one of these brands, you can usually expect the product to be well done and perform well for what it does;
Kits and Brushes
When purchasing your airbrush, there is a difference between buying a brush on its own and an airbrush kit. Second, it will provide all the different tools and accessories you need to start airbrushing.
If you buy an airbrush on your own, you will also need to invest in an airbrush compressor. This is what will power the airbrush and is the most important piece of equipment outside the airbrush!
Airbrush Compressor for Miniatures and Models
Perhaps the most important equipment after Airbrush is the compressor. This will provide the airbrush with a constant supply of air and will help maintain the ideal pressure and airflow.
Fluctuations in pressure can cause imperfections in your final product. When choosing, you need to consider PSI, which will tell you the maximum amount of pressure you can offer. For miniatures and models, painting takes a picture that is at least 30 psi.
The ideal compressor ensures silent operation as well as quiet operation.
For more details, see “Choosing the right Airbrush Compressor Is it expensive? Is it performing?” We recommend you to read our article titled.
Other useful accessories to consider:
Airbrush cleaner – necessary to keep your brush running well all the time
- Cleaning brushes
- Hoses to connect your compressor to the airbrush
- Moisture trap
- Fittings and connectors
- Spare parts for repair – many kits come with these
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best airbrushes on the market right now.
Best Airbrush for Miniatures and Models
Top 5 Airbrushes for Miniatures and Models
Iwata Media Eclipse HP CS
First Iwata-Medea Eclipse. This is an airbrush with a 0.35mm needle and self-centering nozzle. This combination makes the application of smaller details perfect. This is also a gravity-feeding gun, which makes it more suitable in this capacity.
Eclipse CS is specially designed to spray heavier acrylics and Medea textile colors without losing its definition or clarity. Despite feeding gravity, the cup is still a good size at 1 / 3oz, so you don’t need to constantly change the paint.
The spray pattern is hairline / 2 ”round.
Iwata is one of the best-known brands of airbrushes, meaning you can count on a high-quality finish and durability. It also means that you can count on perfect compatibility with a wide range of accessories and paints.
In fact, there is not much negative to say about this product, except that it is very suitable for the purpose and the chrome is damaged from time to time.
Badger 105 Patriot
It’s actually a pretty bombarding name for what’s just a painting tool, but “patriotic” is never a little well-done double-acting, gravity-fed airbrush. This time the product comes as a set with an additional tip, user manual, and more.
The needle is .5mm in the very middle of the road, making it perfectly versatile for a range of different jobs. This, together with the included extras, makes it a very attractive option for beginners.
Maintenance is also easy thanks to the self-centering nozzle design. The tapered color makes the weapon look fresh over the years.
The only experienced experience was occasional jamming but to an alarming extent.
Harder and Steenbeck Infinity CR Plus
This is a brilliant comprehensive airbrush kit that comes with additional caps, two cups, and even a nice carrying case.
The big bonus in this pack is the cleaning brush set and additional hose!
Two self-centering nozzles provide 0.15mm and 0.4mm patterns, respectively, making this a versatile option for miniature painters.
But not all freebies in the world will make up for a weak product. Fortunately, this is another well-made airbrush with some great quality-of-life features such as an innovative adjustable trigger mechanism and a quick-fixing tip piece with a numbered dial.
This is once again a gravity-fed gun.
Badger Renegade Krome
This is an ultra-fine airbrush that allows spraying patterns up to 1/1000 of an inch! A softer trigger also provides extremely precise control, while the gravity feed is well chosen for the purpose. This is an excellent airbrush for models and miniatures like the Warhammer 40k.
Also noticeable is the real structure of the airbrush. This is a brush with a highly ergonomic design, perfect balancing, and a really attractive appearance. It also comes with a case!
However, airflow and precision slightly reflect the low price. It is definitely fit for purpose, but if you spend more, you will see a more consistent experience.
Iwata Media Revolution CR
This is another more affordable airbrush gun, this time from great player Iwata. So what happens when a company at the top of its game tries to offer something that can compete with more budget providers?
The answer is Iwata-Medea Revolution CR Dual Action / Big Gravity Feed Cup. This name describes many things you need to know, including the double-acting nature of the brush and the large gravity-feeding container found in other Iwata products.
The needle is beautiful and versatile at a 0.5mm sweet spot, which means the brush can use heavier paints. The product has replaceable internal solvent-protected PTFE needle packaging, and thanks to the well-known brand, you should have no problem finding spare parts or accessories.
Results
They say that a bad worker blames his tools. While this is true, it is also true that the right airbrush can make all the difference with the precision and quality you can do when painting your figures and models.
Any of the items on the list will serve you better, more expensive options, of course, provide a slightly higher level of sensitivity and comfort. Choose the option that suits your budget and consider the type of job you want to do. If possible, invest in several different airbrushes and needles to handle different types of detail and scope.
And whatever you do, have fun! This is an extremely relaxing, rewarding and addictive hobby that results in beautiful figures that you can show the world.