Underground Update: Terrain and Airbrush Musing

For quite some time now I’ve heard raving reviews about airbrushing. Being the stubborn ass that I am, I refused to jump on the bandwagon. However after much carful consideration (and an ever growing pile of models that needed to get done quickly) I decided to take the plunge. I figured the best place to start practicing would be terrain, namely my Underground Lasers Kickstarter terrain. Here’s some pics of what I’ve been working on along with some babble about my entry into the world of airbrushing.

Before I continue, I should mention that I’ve been working with Francisco, the owner of Underground Lasers, for some time on his latest Kickstarter project. You can view pictures here. Those models are really my first go at using an airbrush and I think my technique has improved a lot since then.

Back then I was using low budget equipment and a loud-ass, smelly compressor. I bought it from a friend and it smelled like a moldy basement whenever I turned it on. A few months later, I purchased an entire set of Bagder Minitaire Airbrush Paint and a Badger Sotar 20/20 airbrush. Holy rusted metal Batman, what a difference!

If you’re a frugal individual like myself, then you hate feeling uncertain about any investment, much less an expensive one. That being said, if you plan on getting into airbrushing, I recommend buying the most expensive machine you can afford. You’ll be better off for it. The set up I ended up with was $300 to $400 (USD) and I don’t regret it.

Also, do yourself a favor and don’t bother mixing your own paint. It’s extremely tedious, time consuming and frustrating. Purchase a set of legit airbrush paint in a few colors (black, gray, white and some primary colors are a good start). Most of all practice and experiment!

Thanks for reading and happy painting.