I recently got an airbrush (a few months back) to paint my 30k Imperial Fists, I would say that it is harder than the tutorials would make it seem and it takes a while to understand the mechanism properly ( at least for my one). Starting to get the cool shading patterns they get will take lots of time and practice I can tell you that much...
I've actually only been using the discontinued GW citadel airbrush, lol. But then I ended up just using canned sprays anyway. That being said, it was great. Imo, go to a local airbrush class; I got into a great one here in Maryland for $10. It was excellent.
EBay the crap out of it. If you're patient enough you can get really high quality second hand air brush assemblies for very cheap. Honestly if it's a large amount of space being covered (i.e. a lot of minis or a large model) I use the darker spectrum Montana GOLD spray cans. They come in a large variety of colors and if done correctly it is thin enough to not overwhelm the tiniest of details. I have a nice concrete back porch and run my compressor there. Because I'm a bit if a perfectionist and like a lot of if attention to detail I only use the airbrush for glow effects and/or power weapons. Although I've found a nice chrome spray for my Grey Knights and because of how it is acting as a primer I'be had mixed results with a glow effect using a glaze medium.
Here you go Noah, this is pretty much what I've been able to do with it, from right to left just airbrushed, little bit of ink, to a WIP hand painted + airbrushed. Should of taken photos of my rapier, looked better but with smoother surfaces it's a lot easier to a nice shading thing going MK3 plate I've found to be quite a hassle to do. PS those Phalanx torsos would look good ingame
I don't own an airbrush, and I absolutely don't consider buying one, because I just don't like the feeling of it. True the results are beautiful and smooth, but the noise of the compressor (even if it's a very quiet one) quickly gets on my nerves and sets my teeth on edge, they end up vibrating in my gums, and it's really painful. Soooo, it will be traditional brushes for me, and I begin to master the gradients pretty decently, even if it's done with a hand brush
Every time I see object source lighting done with an airbrush, I consider buying one. Doing it by hand takes so much longer and requires a ton of practice to look good.
