The Best Airbrush for Miniatures | Top Picks + Buyers Guide
If you’re someone who’s into the world of tabletop gaming or just nerd culture in general, you probably already know about miniatures. Miniatures are neat little figures that can be used in tabletop RPGs or can just look pretty somewhere on a shelf. Either way, they’re pretty cool and for those who are really artsy, it’s a great hobby to get into. The only issue is that it can be pretty hard to figure out exactly what you need to get started with miniature painting. So today we’re going to be talking about one of the most important tools that need to be in your arsenal. Airbrushes are cool little tools that do exactly what you think. So let’s jump right into our list for The Best Airbrush for Miniatures.
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The Best Airbrush for Miniatures
They work kind of like a spray can but with much more functionality. Using air, the airbrush sprays a surface with whatever is inserted into it. Whether that’s primer or paint or whatever you need to spray. So it’s pretty easy to see why an airbrush is so useful and important. It makes life with miniatures so much easier and with this article we hope to make your lives a lot easier too. We’ve rounded up some of the best airbrushes you can get right now and put them all into this list.
YLINGSU Cordless Automatic Airbrush Kit
We’re starting this list off with an option that is perfect for those who are beginners to airbrushes. We’ve gone for this airbrush from YLINGSU for its ease of use and simplicity. Immediately the first thing you’ll notice is that this seems like a pretty simple airbrush. It doesn’t come with any big air compressors or anything like that. This is a really simple unit that works almost straight out of the box. It’s nice and small, weighing only 16 ounces which is obviously going to be affected by whatever liquid you’re spraying. This really is a simple airbrush to use in general, though that does come with some negatives too which we’ll get into in a bit.
After a charge with the USB cable that comes packaged with it, this can be used for around 30-50 minutes. Plenty of time to get the job done but for those who want to spray a ton of miniatures at once, it might not be long enough. But as long as you’re aware of the time limit here you should be able to work around it. Plus the fact that this unit is so quick and easy to use makes the entire process a lot simpler.
The only real issues with this spray are that it may be too simple for those with experience in airbrushing. For instance, you can’t change the air pressure on this brush which might annoy those who like that functionality. This airbrush also only comes with one 0.4mm nozzle, meaning that you’ll need to buy extras if you want different nozzles. Apart from that though, this is a great way to start your journey with airbrushing. Especially if you have no experience whatsoever.
Pros:
- Beginner Friendly
- Cordless
- Very Simple to Use
Cons:
- Too Simple for Professionals
- Only One Nozzle
Gocheer Mini Airbrush Kit
Next up we’ve gone for an option that is still great for beginners but leans more towards the professional side of airbrushing. We’ve gone for this Gocheer airbrush for its great functionality and inclusive kit. Straight away you’ll notice that this airbrush comes with a lot more stuff than our last option. Coming with a full cleaning set, an air compressor, and a few other handy little tools. Meaning that for those who want to start with an airbrush that is a lot more conventional, this is a great choice. Plus you won’t really need to buy any additional bits to make the most out of this airbrush, which is a huge plus.
In terms of the airbruish itself, this is a really nicely made piece of kit. With a shiny silver body and a lightweight feel. After you’ve used it for whatever spraying you need done, it’s really easy to clean and sort out. The tube that provides the air for the brush is braided, making it feel strong and good for long term use. In fact the build quality overall is pretty good, with everything feeling like it should last for a decent amount of time.
The only real downsides here come down to how you want your airbrush to work. If you want something that is exceedingly simple and easy to use then you might find this to be a struggle. The extra steps in setup and maintenance make this a little more work than our last option. But for those who want to get the full airbrush experience, this is a great way to start off. Just be aware that this is going to be a little more complicated overall.
Pros:
- Full Kit
- Great Build Quality
- Easy to Use
Cons:
- Complicated for Beginners
NEO CN Gravity Feed Dual Action Airbrush
This next option on this list is more geared towards those who are experienced with airbrushes and are looking for an upgrade. We’ve gone for this airbrush from Neo Products for its great build quality and good functionality. For those who are simply looking to upgrade their airbrush to something that’s a little better, this is a great choice. Now, this isn’t recommended for beginners since it isn’t really a comprehensive kit and doesn’t come with a compressor or anything like that. This is just the airbrush, so if you already have a compressor then you’re good. Or if you’re a beginner that wants to spend the extra money on this and a compressor, then that’s a good choice too.
What you mainly get with this airbrush is great build quality. It’s really light, weighing only 8 ounces on its own. Plus it comes with 2 different nozzles that offer different ways to spray. Each nozzle is going to offer a medium amount of coverage but one is slightly bigger allowing you to cover a slightly larger area. While the other nozzle is more designed for finer details and covering less of an area.
The cleanup process here is also nice and easy and shouldn’t cause you too many problems. In terms of using this for miniatures, this would be a fantastic way to apply a primer or a base coat. You won’t really be able to get fine details with an airbrush like this so don’t expect to be doing that. For bigger models, this is still a great choice to apply primers or base coats. Overall this is a great airbrush for those with experience or complete beginners. Just make sure you have the compressor and other components to make it work.
Pros:
- Great Build Quality
- Easy to Use
- Good Functionality
Cons:
- Not a Full Kit
- Not Great for Beginners
Master Airbrush
For this next option, we’ve gone back to a full kit that is perfect for those who are just starting out. We’ve gone for this option from Master Airbrush for its great functionality as well as its appeal to beginners. So we’ve gone back to the full kit style of airbrush with this option but it’s a little more involved than the last kit on this list. In this kit, you’re getting the Airbrush, a compressor, an air hose as well as a guide to using airbrushes. So if you’re a beginner, this is a fantastic option to go for. Though there are still a few things to be aware of before you decide to get this airbrush.
So first up, the compressor on this airbrush is huge. At least in comparison to some of the other compressors that have featured on this list. This means that you might have a hard time moving it around if you have a pretty dynamic or chaotic workspace. The compressor also needs to be maintained and you have to make sure that it’s in good working condition throughout its lifetime. Apart from that though, the rest of this kit is pretty simple.
Right down to the airbrush itself, which isn’t really anything special but it does the job well. It’s nice and easy to disassemble and clean so there shouldn’t be any issues there. The biggest downside is that it doesn’t come with any extra nozzles for you to use. This can definitely be a little annoying but if you look around a bit you’re bound to find some extras. Overall this is another fantastic choice for beginners who want to get a little bit serious with their airbrushing hobby.
Pros:
- Full Kit
- Great Build Quality
- Comes with a Guide
Cons:
- No Extra Nozzles
- Complicated for Beginners
Iwata-Medea NEO TRN 1 Trigger Airbrush
Our next option is similar in style and functionality to the previous choices with a few little improvements that go a long way. We’ve gone for this airbrush from Iwata-Medea for its great style and nice little design features. So this airbrush definitely looks similar to one of our previous options, the Neo Products Brush. Mainly due to the fact that they’re compatible with the same brand. Either way though, this brush is fantastic and offers a bunch of nice little features. The first thing you’ll notice is how stylish this brush is in comparison to all of the others so far. With the tube of the brush being a shiny silver and the handle being a black and orange combo. So right off the bat, this airbrush looks a lot more interesting.
In terms of how it actually functions, this airbrush has a few interesting little quirks that set it apart from other bruises. This airbrush utilises a trigger to initiate the spray, which makes it a lot easier to use. Most other airbrushes use a type of lever on the top which you move back and forth to spray. Some people tend to find this a little awkward and a trigger is a lot easier to understand. It gives you a lot more control and also just feels better to use.
Apart from that the nozzles here offer a medium amount of coverage which makes them great for applying primers or base coats to models. This is a fantastic option for those with experience in airbrushes and want an upgrade. Again this is an airbrush that doesn’t come with any compressors or hoses or anything like that. So make sure you have that stuff before you buy this airbrush.
Pros:
- Great Build Quality
- Easy to Use
- Great Functionality
Cons:
- Not a Full Kit
- Not Great for Beginners
Buying Guide
If you’ve made it this far down the list and you still have no idea which airbrush you should buy, don’t worry about it! In this section we’ll be giving you some helpful advice and little tips that should help you out with your purchase.
What you need to get to start Airbrushing
So airbrushes are pretty simple tools by themselves. The tricky part is getting the rest of the stuff to actually make them work. Thankfully you won’t need to get too much stuff so the price won’t get absurd or anything. But if you’re a beginner to airbrushing it is strongly recommended that you get a full airbrushing kit. These usually comprise of the airbrush, the compressor, a hose to connect the two and a cleaning kit of some kind.
These are all incredibly important not only for using the airbrushes but also to maintaining them. You want to make sure that each component is well made and suitable for long term use. Make sure that the compressor has good reviews, make sure the hose is strong and be extra careful that the airbrush itself is well made.
If you decide to buy all of these components separately, you need to be sure that everything is compatible with each other. For instance, you have to make sure the air hose can connect to both your compressor and your airbrush. And you need to know if your compressor is sufficient at giving enough air to your airbrush too. There’s a lot of factors that go into it but if you just take your time and double-check everything you should be good.
What paints/primers to use for Airbrushes
If you’ve got everything set up and working perfectly you might be a little stuck on what to do next. Well the next thing on the todo list is to get the paints and primers you want. This is a little easier to do than you might think and it comes down to not picking something that is too thick. Most airbrushes are not going to be able to spray liquids that are really thick. So you need to use something that is thin enough for the airbrush to disperse properly. The exact thickness is going to depend on the airbrush you have so double check what it can handle. If the stuff that you bought is too thick don’t worry, just thin it out with some water and you should be good to start airbrushing!
Tips:
- If you’re a beginner to airbrushing, take a look at full kits that offer you everything in a single package.
- Do plenty of research before deciding on your airbrush of choice. Make sure that it fits in with what you want to do. If you’re going to be painting miniatures make sure that the airbrush doesn’t have too big of a spray pattern. Miniatures aren’t that big so you won’t need something that is meant for industrial work.
- There are 2 main types of trigger action on an airbrush. One that sits on top of the airbrush and acts like a lever, or one that rests on the grip and is an actual trigger. The latter offers a much easier time controlling the brush and gives you a little more control. The other way is a little more awkward but it is the more commonly used method.
- When painting a miniature you should always start with a primer or a base coat to ensure you get a really nice finish.
- If you have any friends that own an airbrush, ask to check it out and see how it works firsthand.
Verdict – The Best Airbrush for Miniatures
That’s that for our list for The Best Airbrush for Miniatures. Hopefully it’s helped you find that next perfect airbrush. If it did, be sure to let us know! Thanks for reading.
