Complete Guide to Airbrush Priming - HC 350

or just take the airbrush apart and clean it properly after every use, i have a 10 year old master and it looks brand new, even replace the seals as needed, not hard to take care of your shit

Thank you so much Vince! I have some questions. I currently own both 0.2 and 0.4 nozzles and I struggle with constant tip drying with the 0.2 nozzle. Shall I switch to 0.4 for priming? How can I prevent tip dry with 0.2 as I want to do some detail work in the future and not scared of 0.2 tip. I tried retarders, thinners, flow improvers but still having the same issue. What is the ratio do you recommend? Thank you!

Hey Vince, I just started priming my models after watching your videos, but I’ve ran into an issue. After priming, a few models had there primer taken off when I set them down, a while after priming. Similarly, another model had its primer come off when I positioned it with some bluetack, as if it just pulled off the primer.
Any advice?

Idk this definitely seems cumbersome and messy. Spend half an hour cleaning after painting for 2-3 minutes? Delicately mix and measure chemicals and thinners and alcohols for every single layer? I’ve used crystal figure pipes to smoke weed that took less maintenance to use than this, no thank you

If only I had seen this before making every mistake in the book today! This is now saved and downloaded! THANK YOU!

Great tips thank you.👍🏻✌🏼

i am building aircraft only. i bought Vallejo PU primer and started several attempts to pime with this stuff.
But each time i put on the multi color paint (acrylic) i exerienced that the primer coat was stuck at the masking tape upon removing thus ruining the result!
I tried to clean the surface beforehand with warm dash washing water, isopropyl alcohol as well as glass cleaner - none of this methode worked out and each time i was able to peel the PU primer jut off the surface!
I suggest that it makes total difference if you prime a figure or a smooth wing / fuselage surface as the sticking is totally differnent!
i changed to the Mr Surfacer 1000 / 1500 which sticks to the surface really good!

Question: is there any other issue or rule i violated with VALLEJO PU primer?

I am binging your videos on airbrushing, cause by August I will have a modest airbrush setup and want to make sure I don't screw it up 😅

Hi there, just got into the hobbie (basically priming my first mini ever). Thank you for your videos, it's a great help. I have a question that i've never really see adressed : What do you do with your water wastes (or those solvants) ? I'm a little bit concerned to just flush it down the sink.

Pro acrylic specifically says dont use thinner?

Dear God. Title your video priming models so I don't have to waste my time listening to your smug condescending tone.


Dude looks and acts like you'd have to answer riddles before you could play Warhammer at his store. Insuferrable.

Im new airbrushing and i knos you can flush water and rinse aid till clear into a bucket. That plug and backfill tip is some super nerd, overpicky nonsense what a waste of time.

I can flush and change color in a 3rd of the time.

So I got the priming ... but how many layers of gloss you put on to got all that glossy head? 😂

I have never air brushed before, I got one a yr or so ago but never used it *(Had medical health issues going on preventing me from doing much but now I’m better) I have 2 models I am painting for my daughter. I was having a crisis moment bc I didn’t know what I should do on priming. I was heavily leaning towards brush painting which would not be hard on most of the pieces which are tiny. But the main piece is roughly 6 inches in length that wouldn’t be as simple to prime (It would I guess because it doesn’t have any real hard areas to paint except one part where it’s a gate up next to a wall that could cause issues of paint pooling if done to quickly.) Which I also thought about using a spray can but again haven’t primed much so very hesitant of using it on these pieces since I can’t screw them up. So I am getting out the air brush, it seems to be the best way to go about it, your tutorial was very precise and calmed my fears. Other people made this way more complicated than it needed to be. So I am going to pull it out and practice on some cardboard first, then when I feel comfortable begin priming my pieces. I will later try more detailed work at another time, right now just wanting to prime it so I can get to painting it.

Doesn't take time? You say that you can't let the paint sit in the pot more than 2-3 minutes?!
I will spend more time changing paint and cleaning than I will do painting. I won't even have time to finish a model before I have to replace the paint?

It will take ages to prime my models, compared to rattle cans. It will most likely even be slower than brush applied primer.

Great video!! Thanks!! I usually use Ammo or Vallejo Primers, but when I need to sand the figure after primer it, its a mess, primers start pelling....any tip to solve it? how to sand it better or another primer that works better....normally I wait hours before sand it. Thanks

Airbrushing sucks so much when the paint clogs the tool :/

The only thing missing for this to be the PERFECT beginner video is explanation HOW to do a backflow with an airbrush. Bubbles...
[ Apologies if this info is in the manual that comes with the airbrush, mine arrived today and it's still in the package. :) ]

I love my airbrush!

I got an Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS Siphon Feed Dual Action Airbrush many, many years ago when I was airbrushing shirts and fabrics. I am wanting to use it for miniature painting now, but most/ all videos I find revolve around airbrushes that use paint cups at the top. What would be the best way to use it for priming if I can not add a few drops of thinner before the paint? Should I use a separate bottle for thinner, spray a bit of it, and then put on the primer bottle? Thanks for any advice.

Very good advice so thanks for the tutorial.

This was such a helpful video thank you!! I was just using white primer yesterday and was getting very frustrated with it

Hey Vince, love your content. How do you use white ink? I've seen videos where you've added white ink to colors in the airbrush for highlights. Do you ever use it in the priming process? Picking up my first air brush this week. Tired of the crappy priming results from rattle cans. Your videos have inspired me to take the plunge. Cheers.

Now I know why my airbrush is constantly clogging, I'm doing literally everything wrong lol. I always thought pre-thinned paints didn't need thinner, tho my first indication that I was wrong came in the form of buying a multicolor kit of airbrush colors that came with THREE bottles of thinner.

I also have the bad habit of blowing the airbrush until it's dry because I didnt want to waste paint. I see now that I was making my own problems worse and worse. I had always wondered why my brush ran perfect the first time I used it, and then became increasingly worse. I was cleaning it the worst way possible lol. But at least now I know better.

ok... now I have airbrush, thinner, flow improver and ipa. I saw the video of laquer based primer but using laquer at home is quite challenging for me so I'll try this first. thanks for nice video.

I bought an airbrush (Ultra 2024) just last week.. primed a load of models, used it three days running, no gumming, jamming nastiness..

1: empty paint out..
2: use thinner/flow improver
3: run the liquid through
4: wipe out cup
5: run airbrush cleaner through the brush
6: inspect cup, exposed needle and nozzle
7: run a small amount of flow improved through the brush.
8: wipe down exterior

This has kept mine running beautifully and only takes a minute to do..

just running flower improver/thinner after brushing and then cleaner.. and finishing with a few last drops of flow improver..

Can’t prime because it’s raining is such an odd thing to say. You airbrush indoors, why don’t you spray indoors?

I am learning the hard way that air brush paint and primer by itself causes problems

I've just had a go at priming with my airbrush. I've been priming with rattlecans but it's freezing these days so I thought I'd give my airbrush and Vallejo surface primer a go. But this stuff rubs right off.. :O I've paid close attention and followed instructions but it still just rubs off.

Thanks for all your video tutorials. Do you think it's possible to create a primer using ink and some other products? Keep up the great work!

My 2 cents Primer from old bottles generally has some coagulated bits, which make the process a nightmare. I recomend to thin the paint first and then run it through a paint filter.

Thank you Vince. you are a Jedi. i have learned so much from you. Thank you! i am just starting on my 40k journey and you are a wealth of knowledge

Hello, Vince... Still planning my Airbrush Debut. I was hoping you could help with some more insights. I want to buy the new Harder&Steenbeck Ultra2024, because i think that those features will help me learn and that airbrush should last me really long. Buuuut I am profoundly confused regarding compressors. I found the Universal II-C on Amazon and that looks good. But is it really? Or would you recommend a different product? Thanks in advance!

Do you need to wear a mask when priming?

Finally! I was always frustrated with white rattle can primer, and now I know why! And now I'm frustrated with white airbursh primer and I also know why. Thank you.

Just starting to get into hobby painting again really, saw your painting tierlist for AoS painting with Poorhammer and now im deep in the depths with Seraphon and Soulblight both 😂 thank you for helping reignite a hobby I havent done in years and all the videos you have showing techniques and reviewing products!

Is the rinsing procedure every ~2min the same as the post primer cleanup? If not, would you mind describing it?

Thanks for all you do!

Thanks! This really helps a lot. Explains my failings in the past with air brushes

Just got the thinner flow improver and alc. thanks my friend

If i do 20 psi with a 3 to 1 primer to thinner mix i clog instantly. i can bearly get two or three bursts out before its clogged, and those bursts are filled with debris looking paint. what am i doing wrong?

I've just bought an airbrush, mostly for priming at this stage, so this advice is gold! One question: in this video you clean the brush with isopropyl alcohol, is this instead of, or in addition to using airbrush cleaner?

so you shouldn't use those airbrush cleaners where you spray into a pot?

From the future, thanks for the video!
I have a question... did you ever tried to mix inks with white primer to "color" it?
Asking because I have a lot of Vallejo White Primer and... I... printed a lot of stuff in white... I wont be able to see if the area is primed or not.
Wondering if I could use the "colored" white primer, like the brow /red/green/whatever primer color.
Would it mess with primer properties?

I’ve found instead of struggling with white primer (my airbrush/compressor combo is relatively cheap and small, as I’m in a temporary living situation) I can use a thinned white base paint over the black to zenithol something

Vince's videos are a godsend. Thank you sir! These have really helped me understand how to use my airbrush and help me understand what I did wrong on my first couple sessions. Thank you again!

do the paints have to be their respective airbrush versions or can i use regular, thinned down citadel paints?

Just dropped in to say think you, Vince! I just had my first ever painting session, and it was a 20 figure zenithal Stynylrez grey + liquitex white ink for Cthulhu Death May Die. It went surprisingly smoothly, and because of your method, I experienced no tip dry or flow issues whatsoever. I really appreciate what you do for the community, taking some of the mystery and intimidation out of the equation!

Thanks! I have watched this video many times and I find it so helpful!

I bought a cheap airbrush and compressor set on ebay for about £30. And have had mixed experience and results. Including totally clogging up a cheap airbrush. I got so frustrated with it I threw it in the bin! Watching your very helpful video made me realise all the mistakes I have made! Thank you

I checked for why to use isopropyl alcohol and it is very interesting, normal alcohol is (C₂H₅OH) and isopropyl is (C₃H₇OH) which means more toxic, but more volatile, which helps the mixture evaporate quickly and without residue. Unfortunately I bought 1 liter of the wrong one, so I will use it until the next purchase. :(

To confirm a reply you made below - every 2-3 minutes you put water into the cup and backflow, dump the water, then a few drops of isopropyl alcohol, swish around, backflow, put in more water and backflow more, swish with paintbrush, dump - x2 - then return to what you were doing?

I just want to clarify that if, say, you're priming a bunch of minis all white, you'd do this routine after 2 minutes and then immediately re-add thinner, primer, etc. and keep priming white?

I'm waiting for my first air brush to arrive and I want to make sure I do this all correctly ... but without overkill! Your "just get the airbrush" video really helped me pull the trigger. Love your vids! :)