Paint And Colors For Airbrush.

[BQ22]

If you were to tell someone who was starting out which colors to begin with (airbrushing), which 8-12 might you suggest? What do you find yourself using the most of? Also, any advise on thinning ratio of createx paints? I'm leaning towards biting something already thinned out, like Aztek or golden paints for the airbrush. I get tired of having to break down my brush mid paint job to clean it so it will work properly.

[gone2long]

My opinion is instead of getting a myriad of responses and no real answer look on youtube for guys posting their paint schemes most list or tell you what colors are being used and why - I think you'll get a better understanding of color use and you will see the colors they use and how they use them, remember pictures/videos tell a thousand stories. As far as thinning no paint is truly A/B ready and I think you would hurt yourself trying to find just the paint that is, Createx has some very good colors in several different paint lines, I use their 4012 high performance reducer.

[Boondox]

first off sorry for such a long post.. second what are you painting hard bait spoons and so on? what color do you use the most for fishing bait i.e perch colored rapala's etc ??  if painting hard baits of balsa what about nail polish? thinned with laquer thinner since there is no plastic to melt with heavy solvent and  you can spray it threw a air brush just fine.. plus  cleans up easy with acetone  but do it out side for sure not meant to be spray In home.. same with house of colors paints.. the h.o.k. paints are mixed very specifically to the reducer etc.. if you add hardener you can make isocyanates which is poisonous gas you cant smell or see so be warned.. I have taken a ton of auto body classes air brushing etc classes that deal with chemicals... so I don't want you getting past what you think you can do and get over your head fast...  the createx colors, auto air colors first version of  wicked colors.. and so on I find are to thin no mater what you do to be spray with the air bush then you got to seal it with epoxy I find works best but ads bulk you could use a clear coat from hok but any nicks in the finish will blister the paint underneath when trolled threw water.. after wasting you money on the createx would be to find a faster drying paint...  this is were it is cheaper and easier to just go to the drug store and get nail polish on clearance for like .50 cents a bottle thin it with lacquer thinner that you can get at the hard ware stores like lowes and home depot etc even Walmart carries it.. but first get a niosh approved carbon vapor removal mask used for painting you should even ware it if using rattle cans cause the over spray will deposit its self on your lungs. so you should have it any ways if you have a point five or point three brush it wont have to be thinned very much just enough to spray it try to avoid the color with flake and sparkles in it some times it to big to go threw the air brush...  by the way createx you are to use those niosh masks with too  this is not the paper kind for like sanding dry wall these are the kind with a charcoal filter in it ...does the same as rattle cans cause it is atomized in the air and the over spray is inhaled or breathed Into the lungs with out it... the faster drying nail polish is easier to use and will dry real quick in light coats but for sure do out doors with lots of ventilation if you do use nail polish it accelerates your learning curve.. which I have found the opposite for createx .. which is a big pain in the arse to use and get use to using if you got a point 5 tip in your air brush forget using createx I feel some times the point 3 is the same way you need detail brushes to do any sort of work with it casue the stuff is over thinned the stuff from janns net craft I am referring to...the createx really irked me on how it preformed ... but every one is different o be aware of it as for colors

 

 

 

these sizes are for starting in createx water borne type colors

I always reduce unless they say it is pre done with fast dry reducer  I think its 4011 not sure though I would have to look..

 

 

first layer would be sealers either black or white depending on shade and hue your after I buy those in 16 ounces sizes they are used that much!!  if making a red or orange base color you can mix the orange in to the white for a deeper orange for less coats of orange etc etc...

 

the two most used colors:

these I buy in larger quantities like 8 oz's  

 

black base coat

white base coat             

 

next would be detail colors like base coat colors ::

in  smaller quantities like 2 oz's

if you get good at what you do a little white or black to the color will make it dark or lighter a tad

 

browns dark / light

olive green dark / light

blues a dark / light

purple dark/light

red

fl. chartreuse

fl. orange

fl. pink

 

last but one of the most used would be a clear coat either epoxy like a lite formula rod finish or a spray on clear either from a rattle can or a spray brush... the epoxy is your best one and strongest so remember that if the rattle can clears don't work out ...

 

then you add in the transparent colors are colors you paint over the lest say orange base coat separate by the black back line  to make it set back a tad or get darker so it disappears or fades in to the black better.. kind of like true fire they start out with moly orange then go to the pagan gold in certain spots to get it to get darker...  like it is 3d and doing the opposite of popping out at you it sinks or fades away from you...  little trick you learn with paint in water borne trans parent color do what candy colors do in house of color paint or h.o.k . paints...   

 

like

reds

golds or yellows

oranges  

blue

green to darken up green etc..

etc.. those color I would not buy more then 2 oz's at a time kind of if you were doing a perch black baring chartreuse body you can spray the green transparent over the black and chartreuse. to darken up the chartreuse like up by the top of the back but the black the green you cant see it on the chartreuse you can it disappears on the black so concentrate the over sprayed area on the black.. so it not as noticed...so its like layers black darker green/ chartreuse  then full chartreuse...    if you can if you do go with this I did not like the createx as much as the hok paint but it not always easy to find some were to spray the h.o.k. paints cause  they can be toxic so be warned...

 

 

I will leave it off here there is just to much info to digest on paint alone...as you can tell... let people know if you need help and what you need help on!   

[Chuck Young]

This is a really hard objective you are attempting. Most of my patterns use 10 colors or more. Some patterns (like pumpkinseed) use 25 or more. Some of those colors are custom blended from 3 - 10 colors. The Createx colors I consider indispensable are O(paque) white Pearl white, metallic silver, T(ransparent) black, T Dk brown. T forest green, T canary yellow, wicked gold, pearl gold . From there I would suggest you choose a pattern or two you want to paint and purchase what you need for those patterns. If you really want to paint lures, you are probably looking at a $100 dollar investment in paint alone . Somewhere I have suggested a $100 starter list which would cover about 85% of patterns, Search forums if you want to find it.

[SVT-Power]

Like mentioned above, there are so many options that it's hard to narrow down 8-12 colors to start with. I'll simplify as much as possible. You need 2 base coat primers. Light and dark. I use auto air autoborne sealer white and black. The overall base color will determine which I will use to prime my bait with. Then you will want transparents, opaques and pearls/flakes. You will need bright fluorescent colors, earth tones and good old white and black (non sealer).

As mentioned above, some of my patterns will have between 10-25 different colors used in a variety of ways. Mixing and layering colors can turn 2 bottles of paint into a dozen different colors. I'll try and make a list of colors I have to have. But this is just my opinion.

Sealer white

Sealer black

Opaque white

Opaque black

Fluorescent yellow

Fluorescent orange

Brown

Green

Blue

Pearl gold

Pearl white

Purple

With those colors, you can get numerous different colors by mixing or layering. For example, mix black with Pearl white to make Pearl silver. Mix blue with Pearl white for Pearl blue and so on. This is really hard lol. I have about every color made in water based and solvents. Plus dry pearls and flakes along with specialty paints like chrome. Hope this helps rather than confuses you. But I've been at this since the late 90's and I'm still adding new brands and colors every week. You will build up a pile of colors over time if you stick with it good luck.

[Chuck Young]

Whatever you decide to start with, You will likely end up spending much more on paint than you ever expected.

[BQ22]

Thanks guys'

[SW Lures]

Similar to what Chuck has stated. My opinion is "you will never be satisfied with what you have". You will buy, mix, thin etc. to get a different look.

Good luck, mean it.

Dale

[gliders]

I recommend starting with primary colours and learn how to mix them to make any colour you want,ideally get them in transparent and opaque, add a few metalics and pearls , opaque black and white, and transparent black.you can make any colour with these, add some fluorescent colours and you have a good base.