In many cases, reducing or thinning airbrush paint takes some experimentation to find the best consistency for the paint to atomize in your airbrush.
Thinning Acrylic Paint
You can use distilled water or an airbrush reducer to make most acrylic colors thinner. This will help the paint to flow more easily.
You must consider many things when finding the right consistency for the airbrush paint you use. The type of airbrush, needle size, fluid nozzle size, and air pressure all play a role in getting the paint to atomize correctly.
The reduction also depends on the size of the nozzle in your airbrush. A 0.5 mm nozzle will spray thicker paint than a 0.2 mm nozzle, as long as the correct air pressure is used.
If you reduce some paints too much, the paint might also not stick to the wall. Always check the product’s technical sheet if it is available. To find what reduction works best for you, experiment until you figure out what works best for your specific situation.
Airbrush Extender Vs. Airbrush Thinner Vs. Flow Improver
Airbrush thinner is for making paint thinner. Paint companies make the paint more transparent, but these products don’t always make the color thinner.
Flow improver is a substance that improves the flow of paint. It helps to avoid the paint from drying out in the airbrush. You can add a few drops of flow improver to the airbrush, improving the flow.
How To Reduce Auto-Air Colors
For this project, you will need a 0.3 mm needle and a nozzle of – Transparent Colors thinned with Auto Air Reducer approx 300% or more (3 Reducer: 1 color).
You will need a 0.2 mm needle and nozzle size to use the transparent colors thinned with Auto Air Reducer. For each color, you will need 5 parts Reducer and 1 part color.
To improve atomization when using an airbrush, you can use Auto Air Reducer. This will help to thin the paint, making it easier to spray. When using an airbrush, it is often necessary to reduce the paint by up to 400%. However, the ratio will vary depending on the color and series of colors being used. There is no need to be precise with the ratios; just ensure they are within the recommended range.
How To Thin Createx Airbrush Paint
If you want to use less of the Createx Illustration Colors, Auto Air Colors, or Wicked Colors, you can use the 4012 high-performance reducers.
Using the 4030 Balancing Clear can improve your paint job’s durability and spray performance. This clear base medium also helps increase adhesion.
GOLDEN Airbrush Colors
Golden High Flow colors are made from a safe and archival 100% water-based acrylic emulsion. They are finely ground and easily spray through the smallest orifices available for airbrushes.
Adding GOLDEN Airbrush Medium (formerly known as Airbrush Transparent Extender) to your colors will make them more transparent without making the film less durable or less able to be protected with a frisket. In fact, adding this medium will actually make the film stronger and more resistant to damage.
I found this paint mixing ratio chart on various forums. It shows the right ratios to use when thinning different brands of paints.
Paint | Thinner | Ratio | Pressure | Clean-Up |
Polly Scale | Distilled Water | 3:1 or 4:1 | 15-25 | H2O/Washer Fluid |
Floquil | Solvent/Thinner | 2:1 or 3:1 | 12-20 | Lacquer Thinner |
Badger Modelflex | Water Very little, if any | 25-30 | H2O/Washer Fluid | |
Tamiya | Alcohol | 2:1 | 15-20 | H2O/Washer Fluid |
Vallejo Model Color | Vallejo Thinner | 3:1 | 20-25 | Lacquer Thinner |
Vallejo Model Air | Vallejo Thinner Very little, if any | 20-25 | Lacquer Thinner | |
MicroLux | Vallejo Thinner Very little, if any | 20-25 | Lacquer Thinner | |
Humbrol | Water | 1:1 or 2:1 | 15-20 | Water |
GunzeSangyo | Alcohol or Distilled Water |
1:1 or 2:1 | 20 | Water/Alcohol |
Scalecoat II | Solvent/Thinner | 1:1 | 15-20 | Lacquer Thinner |
ModelMaster(Testors) | Universal Thinner Very little, if any | 18-20 | H2O/Washer Fluid Future |
|
Alclad II | Lacquer Thinner Very little, if any | 12-15 | Lacquer Thinner | |
Pactra | Lacquer Thinner | 1:1 | 20-25 | Lacquer Thinner |
Pactra Acrylic | None | 25-30 | H2O/Washer Fluid | |
Lifecolor Acrylic | Distilled Water, Washer Fluid | 1:1 | 12-15 | H2O/Washer Fluid |
Craft Store Acrylics | 25% Liquitex Slow-Dri, 25% Flow Improver, 50% water | 1:2 | 20-30 |
Thinning Solvent-Based Paint
There are many different types of solvent-based paints on the market.
When I say “solvent-based,” I’m referring to the paints we use for airbrushing murals, flames, and graphics on bikes, cars, and trucks. With these paints, it’s best to get to know your local paint jobber well.
Remember that most of the information on tech sheets is for painting cars and not for applying these products through an airbrush.
When you use an airbrush, you will usually have to use more of the product than recommended on the tech sheet for it to flow correctly through the airbrush.
Thinning solvent-based paints is a personal choice. You need to experiment to see how much you want to thin it.
I usually use a 50/50 mix of paint and reducer when using House of Kolor paints. The technical sheet says to use a 2:1 ratio of paint to reducer for spray guns, but I usually reduce it more. A good starting point might be to make the mixture flow like milk.
It is important to be careful when using a solvent-based product in your airbrush. You must be careful because you might have to add a catalyst to the mix. I will update this page with more information soon, so please bookmark this page and return often.
I hope this information was helpful for you as you figure out the best consistency for the airbrush paint you are using.
FAQ
How thin should acrylic paint be for airbrushing?
Acrylic paint should be thinned with water to a milky consistency for airbrushing.
What is the best way to thin acrylic paint?
The best way to thin acrylic paint is to add small amounts of water until the desired consistency is reached. Acrylic paint should be thinned with water to a milky consistency for airbrushing.
Can you use regular acrylic paint in an airbrush gun?
No, regular acrylic paint is not made for use in an airbrush gun. Acrylic paint should be thinned with water to a milky consistency for airbrushing.
How do you know if paint is thin enough for airbrush?
To test if paint is thin enough for airbrush, add a few drops of paint to a dish or jar and mix in an equal amount of water. If the paint is too thick, it will not spray well through the airbrush. Add more water until the desired consistency is reached. Acrylic paint should be thinned with water to a milky consistency for airbrushing.