Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver: Brush Painting Tutorial

Do you want to achieve a smooth airbrush-like finish, but all you have is a brush? Don’t worry! We have just the thing for you! For this blog, we’ll be talking about Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver and will guide you on how to use it for making paint washes and brush painting.

Summary

What is Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver?
Why Acrylic Paint?
How to use Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Watch and learn by following our video

What is Vallejo Airbrush Improver?

A Surface tension breaker is a substance used to reduce the surface tension of a paint mixture, typically used alongside water or paint thinner. It prevents surface flaws like bubbles, pinholes, and scratches, giving the paint a smoother finish.

The Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver is a surface tension breaker that can be used for both brush painting and airbrushing. Depending on what you plan to use it for, it’s available in sizes ranging from 17 ml to 200 ml. It not only aids in reducing surface tension but also acts as a retarder that slows down the drying process of the paint, allowing it to fully set before drying, which gives the paint a level surface and avoids streaking.

For airbrush painting, the tension-breaking properties of this make it come out of the airbrush smoother, preventing the paint from clinging onto the nozzle and drying prematurely there. On the other hand, when brush painting, it helps avoid flaws in the paint coat by allowing you to spread the paint evenly on the surface. This stops the paint from drawing back into itself, preventing watermarks and bubbles from forming.

Why Acrylic Paints?

Flow improver is often used with acrylic paint, but why is that? Why is acrylic paint the best choice?

Acrylic paints have a lot of variety. This makes them really attractive to modellers looking into the different kinds of paint to use for projects they are working on. It’s an excellent paint to use in either spray or brush painting and can be used to paint on styrol resins, styrofoam, wood, and other common model plastics. Here are three examples of excellent acrylic painting you might want to check out:

Vallejo Model Colour

These are artist-type acrylic paints that share a lot of similarities with gouache and work best with brush painting. The Model Colour collection is a large assortment that contains basic tones, glazes, transparent colours, and even fluorescent hues used to create special effects. with colours that are ideal for use on historical figures, cars, planes, and military models. It is safe to say that Vallejo Model Colour Acrylic Paints were made with modelling in mind.

Check out our collection of Vallejo Model Colour here

SCALE75 Acrylic Paints Set

In comparison to Vallejo Acrylics, these acrylics have a far more concentrated formula and feature fine pigment paints that come in tubes. It can be applied and handled easily, has better intensity and coverage than run-of-the-mill acrylics, and may be used for both painting and airbrushing. It has different sets designed to paint all types of miniatures, from historical to fantasy, with an extensive collection of shades, surely perfect for whatever purpose you want them for.

Check out our collection of SCALE75 Acrylic Paints Set here

Tamiya Colour Acrylic Paint

These paints are referred to as "Hybrid Acrylics," as they can be used with both alcohol and water-based solutions. Alcohol-based Tamiya Colour Acrylic Paint works with water, acrylic, and lacquer thinners. It is an airbrush-friendly paint that is fast-drying, so adding Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver or any other retarder is one of the best ways to make it easier to work with when brush painting. It offers a wide range of colours, including basic, matte, glossy, and other diverse shades.

Check our our collection of Tamiya Colour Acrylic Paint here

A Step-by-Step Guide to Using The Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver

Airbrush Improver can be used not only in airbrushing but in brush painting as well. Adding it to the paint mixture along with water or thinner can guarantee a smoother-looking finish. It also extends the paint’s drying time and lowers the chances of it streaking.

Materials you will need:

Acrylic Paint
Water/Thinner
Brush
Vallejo Airbrush Improver
Small Container

How To Use Vallejo Airbrush Improver

Step One: Pour

In your container, add paint, water or thinner, and your Vallejo Airbrush Improver. Put around 30 ml of water and 5 drops of your Vallejo Airbrush Improver for one drop of paint; if you think this is too little or too much, feel free to adjust the measurements according to how you’d like your mixture.

Step Two: Mix

Using the brush, mix the paint solution thoroughly. Do this gently and stir it continuously until it is fully combined.

Step Three: Swatch

Swatch the mixture on your preferred palette. You can use a piece of plastic or a wet palette for this, but any surface could work.

Tip: Swatch it using something that is more closely related to the material you are going to be painting on for more accuracy.

Step Four: Observe

Observe your paint mixture after swatching to see if it requires any changes. Adjust the amount of paint, water/thinner, or your flow improver as needed.

Tip: If you have more time, you can also wait for your swatches to fully dry to see the end result of the paint mixture and adjust it accordingly based on that.

Step Five: Use

After getting your mixture sorted out, you can now proceed with using it for your intended purpose.

How To Make Paint Wash

The process for making paint wash is essentially the same, but depending on how sheer you want your wash to be, you will need to add a lot more water and paint thinner. Add your Vallejo Airbrush Improver steadily as you continue to thin the paint.

Check out our collection of thinners here