Using Citadel paints in an airbrush.

[fubar]

Hi all.

I plan to start making one of the larger Games Workshop models soon, a Land Raider to be exact, and i was wondering if using Citadel paints in an airbrush is a good idea or not for a novice like me!

I know that Games Workshop claim they are ok for airbrush use, but then they would wouldn't they as they sell their own branded air brush (shaped like a flamer i believe!) : So i thought id ask the opinion of you guys and see what you think, my skill with airbrushes is very limited and the only paints i used in the past were airbrush ready ones by Vallejo so want to avoid any nasty and costly mistakes as the Citadel paints arent cheap.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

TTFN

 

[MrNatural]

You can airbrush Citadel paints, I've done it before, they are not the easiest paints to work with when it comes to airbrushing in my opinion. I've had success thinning them down with a combination of alcohol and water. They can also be a royal pain to clean out of your airbrush.

If you're starting out airbrushing I would recommend Vallejo model air in combination with the Vallejo thinner and airbrush cleaner. Also Tamiya acrylics, while not having the most diverse color range, they are the nicest paints to work with when it comes to airbrushing.

 

[fubar]

Yeah i was told that the Citadel paints can be awkward to use for a beginner in an airbrush.....think i'll stick to Vallejo and just try to match the colour ranges as close as possible.

Thanks

TTFN

 

[TiM]

I don't have any of the recent Citadel paints - mine are from the era when HMG made them in the round 18ml or hex pots...

I think it with ~50% vallejo airbrush thinner to keep the strength in the bond and not weaken the paint too much. I mixed a whole pot of Citadel 50/50 and it works a treat.

I would also never thin water based paint with alcohol because it will flash off even faster than normal and not really retain the resin consistency in the body of the paint - flakes, poor adhesion etc. are likely, although not experience by me as I don't do it.

What I also find is that they can be suceptible to tip dry on the needle and as long as I know this and keep it clean then not an issue, although when I first painted a Landraider I was getting inconsistent finish until I realised this was happening.

 

[fubar]

Hi TiM

Thanks for the tips, it may be my imagination but i'm finding the new range of Citadel paints dry very fast indeed, especially whites and off whites like bone white or ushabti bone....i can put a decent amount on my palette and 10 mins later its almost dried out and the brush is almost rigid. I cant decide if its the new paints or maybe the rooms warmer than normal and drying the paint faster? It makes me reluctant to try it in my AB!

I'm wondering if i need to try some sort of thinner or retarder rather than just normal water.

TTFN

 

[TiM]

As I said, I don't have any of the recent Citadel paints for that exact reason, never mind the reduction in quality / size of pot / price hikes... they have a reputation for being poorer quality and drying too fast so I never bother with them. Plus most of my original Cidadel colours from 20 yrs ago are still fine and VMA & Coat D'Arms filled any other requirements.

( I do wish I could get hold of some Moody Blue .... oh well.)


If you need certain colours, try looking up Coat D'Arms, these are the "old" citadel paints as originally made by HMG of Manchester. I have several and they work fine and are colour compatible with the second incarnation of Citadel.

Coat D'Arms are the round 18ml pots with snap lids, and pretty competitive price of ~£2.20.

My recommendation is not to use retarder, cut it 50% with Vallejo airbrush thinner which you can get a small bottle of to try for less than £3 ish.