Airbrush vs Brush for Miniatures
An airbrush is a fast priming and blending tool, not a replacement for brushes. Detail work still happens with a brush.
| Airbrush | Brush | |
|---|---|---|
| Priming and basecoats | Very fast and smooth | Slower |
| Blends and gradients | Excellent | Needs skill |
| Detail | Poor | Excellent |
| Setup and cleaning | Compressor, thinning and cleanup | Minimal |
| Cost | Airbrush, compressor, booth | Low |
| Space and ventilation | Needed | Any desk |
Choose Airbrush if
- You paint vehicles and large models
- You want smooth gradients
- You batch-prime many models
Choose Brush if
- You are starting out
- You paint mainly infantry and characters
- You have limited space
The bottom line
Learn with brushes first. Add an airbrush when priming and large surfaces become the bottleneck.