Airbrushing Vallejo Surface Primers and Vallejo Game Airs

I have here some photos on how I painted this beautiful Privateer Press Hordes Skorne Mammoth Gargantuan resin kit. I airbrushed Vallejo acrylic ( polyurethane ) surface primers, Vallejo Varnishes, Vallejo Model Color, and mostly Vallejo Game Airs. I am basically taking a month long ( January ) break from playing plastic robots ( Gunpla ) as I have been testing some of these Vallejo Mediums, Varnishes and the new Vallejo Game Airs on a personal miniature project.

I learned a few very important facts while painting this project and as usual I would like to share them with you. Sharing these facts should help new modelers or miniature painters to eliminate some trial and error with airbrushing using their Vallejos. Some facts I learned from other Vallejo users and some from Vallejo themselves. So here are the list...

1. Clean your kits thoroughly

As usual you should clean or even sand your kits lightly. I clean my minis ( miniatures ) with an old hard bristled toothbrush. I clean using some detergent liquid soap and warm water then finish up cleaning with denatured alcohol ( 90 % alcohol ) with the toot brush. I specially and vigorously brush the metal parts as these parts has obvious white dusts ( used during the molding process ) that will hinder in the adherence of primers and paints.

2. Never dilute Vallejo Surface Primer 

Although you could dilute all of the Vallejo Primers, Paints and Auxiliary products ( Varnishes and such ) with distilled water ( or even with tap water ), diluting the Vallejo Surface Primers ( even with the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner ) will weaken it's bond or adherence to the surface of your kit. The Vallejo Surface Primers has special acrylic, polyurethane and resin components ( all non-toxic ) that are best use undiluted. The more dilution the weaker the Surface Primer gets. I adjusted my .3 airbrush for primer use. I push the pin backwards making the nozzle of the AB bigger. As you can see in the photos, I did not have ANY problem using the Vallejo Surface Primers for the Black and White Modulation. I did post and pre-shading with the undiluted primers without problems ( clogging ).

3. Allow at least 2 days for Curing Primers on Metal Parts

Vallejo insists of allowing the Surface Primer to cure for at least 48 hours for maximum strength. Allowing 48 hours is too much curing time for plastic and resin parts as I personally think that the surface primers adhere to those surfaces well anyways ( after a day at least ). Metal miniature parts even if cleaned thoroughly is a different matter. The metal surface is too smooth thus you should allow at least 48 hours of curing time before handling the kit to avoid scratches. However once cured, miniatures that I painted a year ago have been so resistant to scratches even if I clean with a hard toothbrush. Great stuff once cured! I now plan to prime metal miniatures during Sundays and handle them the next weekend. That should give it maximum strength!

4. Coat with Satin or Gloss Varnish before Masking

After allowing 2 days ( or a day on resin and plastic parts ) for Vallejo Surface Primers to cure ( on metal parts ), and allowing at least an hour before Varnishes ( 2 thin coats of Glass or Satin or Matt Varnish ), and allowing another hour of curing time for the Vallejo Varnishes, you can now be confident to do some masking with some modeling tapes. Allowing those crucial curing time will ensure that you will not have any problems of paint being picked up by the masking tapes after painting.

5. Thin with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner

All of the Vallejo Paints, Washes and Inks can be diluted with water ( Vallejo advises distilled water as impurities in tap water could further weaken or affect the color of the paints ). HOWEVER, diluting with distilled water weakens the adherence of the paints on the surface. I now personally decided not to use water for dilution. I have all kinds of of Vallejo Mediums for diluting the paints during hand painting and I only use the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner to dilute for use on my airbrush. It is important to note that you should NEVER use the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner for diluting paints for hand painting. The Vallejo Airbrush Thinner has components that will harm dried up paint in hand painting.

6. Clean Airbrush in between colors

I have a tub of water in front of me during airbrushing. I just dive my airbrush in the tub of water and gurgle the airbrush for quick clean ups in between colors. I do use a very small amount of Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner as it has some lubricating properties to prolong the need to dis-assemble your airbrush.

7. Dis-assemble airbrush right after use

Vallejo dries really fast and hard! I highly recommend dis-assembly of your airbrush and cleaning with Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner once you are finished.

8. Clean with Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner

Clean with a very small amount in between colors and clean your airbrush with Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner after use OR risk losing your airbrush ( lol ).

Well that is about it! Thanks as always for dropping by! I hope you enjoy your Vallejo paints as much as I do. Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post. Just enjoy the hobby! :)

The photo below shows the kit before hand painting. All of the details and metallic colors will be HAND jobbed, I mean hand painted. :)