Airbrushing 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Painting Gunpla

Graduating from simple snap-builds to custom-painted masterpieces is thrilling. While spray cans (rattle cans) are a good starting point, an airbrush unlocks infinite possibilities in color mixing, shading, and pre-shading.

Choosing Your Equipment

For Gunpla, you want a Dual-Action, Gravity-Feed Airbrush. "Gravity feed" means the paint cup sits on top, allowing you to use very low air pressure for fine details. "Dual-action" means pushing the trigger down releases air, and pulling the trigger back releases paint. This gives you absolute control over the paint flow.

You'll also need an air compressor with a moisture trap and pressure regulator. A setting around 15-20 PSI is standard for most Gunpla paints.

The Holy Trinity of Painting

1. Primer: Always spray a primer layer first (like Mr. Surfacer 1000). It gives the paint a microscopic texture to bite into and reveals any sanding mistakes you made before you apply color.
2. Thinning: Airbrush paint must be thinned until it resembles the consistency of skim milk. If it clogs, it's too thick. If it runs and pools like water, it's too thin.
3. Patience: Spray in light, sweeping coats. Never hold the airbrush stationary. Build the color up gradually over 3 to 4 thin passes rather than trying to drown the part in a single heavy, wet coat.

Airbrushing requires proper ventilation—always wear a respirator mask and use a ventilated spray booth!