New Airbrush!!

So you're thinking about an airbrush. Maybe you want to get through that huge pile of minis that are just lying around in boxes, or maybe you're just looking to touch up some camo before a tournament. Tired of using brushes to try and get German camo patterns the way I would like them to look, I made a leap into something new. On my recent trip to Historicon, I had just finished buying some new buildings and some other gaming terrain. I had seen the Grex booth in vendor area and heard the name Grex airbrushes through other sources, but I had never seen one in action. After trying both the pistol grip 'Tritium' and the 'Genesis' models they had on their demonstration area, I bought 'Genesis.XSi3' with the compressor. I'll get to the compressor in more detail later, let's take a look at what you get in the kit.

Everything to get you started in one box!

The packaging from Grex pops out from others on the market. The neon green draws you in for a closer look, you can see everything you're getting through the display window on the box. The kit comes with everything you need to get started, it even comes with some paint, so you can practice as soon as you hook it up! Opening the box, you have a nicely packaged product for shipping. Grex has taken the time to make everything you're getting secure and safe for any journey from their factory to your hobby table.

Instructional DVD, paint and manuals.

Packed in tight, compressor and airbrush kit.

Airbrush in it's own hard plastic case.

You can tell when you hold everything in your hand for the first time that you are going to enjoy using this brush. Not only is it easy to get hooked up right away, the instructional DVD really makes you feel more at ease in the use and more importantly the clean up after you're done with the brush. It really is a quick process and ensures your new Grex airbrush is ready for your next painting session.

Ensure you are familiar with your compressor and it's settings.

Great storage solution for everything.

Two magnetic airbrush tips.

Regulator and quick connects make for easy setup.

Once you have the initial air settings dialed in, some paint in one of the pots that simply screw onto the side of the brush, you are ready to start. Granted, I have never owned or used an airbrush before, so I am hardly an expert on comparing it to other ones on the market. I could tell you that sometimes you will stumble on a product that's just right for you and your skill set. I used the brush for maybe 5 minutes at Historicon and used my own brush for a few minutes just to dial in the paint settings and made sure the air flow and pressures were set correctly. Now it's time to paint! If you make any mistakes along the way, just re-prime and try again. I'm not one to shy away from just jumping right in and taking my time. So here we go.....

Panther turret side view.

Panther turret top view.

The two tips allow you to have different views on your work. The tip with the slots cut into it allow you to get closer to what you are painting. This would be used for fine line painting when you have to be almost right up against your models. I had no problems with air/paint control, this particular airbrush is a side feed dual action, which means you simply press down for air and slide the paint release to the rear to inject paint into the airstream. The rear of this brush also has a dial to control how much paint you can inject at any one time. This is particularly great for beginners and will make it easier to become familiar with your airbrush. The distance from your models makes all the difference as well, if you are in tight to what you're painting, you will get fine details like lines and small dots. The opposite is true from far away, this will spray paint in more of a 'fog' pattern and can be used for more coverage if you are painting something larger or priming a model.

You have to own a cleaning kit!

Once you are done with your brush, it will be important to fully clean it out. The DVD video is great at explaining breaking down the airbrush and properly cleaning out all the paint so it is ready for you to use the next time. The internal needle on your airbrush is EXTREMELY sharp. With a super fine tip of a small sewing needle, you need to handle the needle and all the internal parts of your airbrush with care. I've heard of airbrushes being difficult, time consuming or messy to clean up. The great thing about working with water based paints is that you only have to use water for clean up! By the second or third time taking your brush apart and cleaning everything, it really will become second nature.
As I use this airbrush and kit a little more, I am sure you will see some pictures of what I am working on next. I have a Panther platoon to get through as well as a new box of the plastic Battlefront Panzer IV's that came out a while ago. These I will be doing from scratch and using my new Genesis airbrush from start to finish. I look forward to your comments and I can answer any questions about anything relating to your apprehension about buying your own. I don't suggest you wait too long!! You can check out all of the Grex products HERE

*Note: This review is not endorsed by Grex in any way. I just know a good thing when I see it. Go buy one!!*