Paints & Supplies4 min
Airbrush Paint Thinning Chart: Ratios From Vallejo, Createx, Golden and Tamiya
Which paints spray from the bottle, which need thinning, with what, and how much, from the paint makers' own data sheets, with a drops calculator.
Airbrush buying guides
Airbrush gear,chosen on the spec sheet
Which airbrush suits miniatures, cakes or t-shirts, what compressor it needs, how far to thin each paint, and how much air a spray booth has to move. Every guide shows the makers' figures, the sources and the parts you still have to buy.
The specs behind every pick
- NozzlemillimetersThe nozzle size sets the finest line an airbrush can spray and how thick a paint it will pass.
- PSIspraying pressureEach paint maker gives a pressure range; the compressor and regulator have to hold it steady.
- Ratiopaint to thinnerHow far a paint is thinned, and with what, comes from the paint maker, not a rule of thumb.
- CFMbooth airflowA spray booth fan's rated airflow, against the size of its opening, decides how much overspray it pulls away.
Start here
The guides most readers need first.
Buying guideBest Airbrush Kits of 2026: Airbrush and Compressor Sets Compared
Five airbrush and compressor sets for models, crafts, cakes and art, picked on the makers' specs and what each box actually contains.
Read the guide
Buying guideBest Airbrush Compressor of 2026: Tank, Quiet and Portable Models Compared
Five airbrush compressors, from a palm-sized desk unit to Iwata's Smart Jet Pro, picked on pressure, air delivery, tank and noise.
Read the guide
Buying guideBest Airbrush Spray Booth (2026): Hobby Booths Compared on Airflow
Four portable hobby booths, with their airflow converted to CFM and checked against the face velocity OSHA sets for workplace spray booths.
Read the guide
Buying guideBest Airbrush Paint of 2026: Vallejo, Createx, Golden and More Compared
Five airbrush paints for different jobs, chosen on what each maker says it is for, how far to thin it and what pressure it sprays at.
Read the guideWhat are you painting?
Start from the job, not the airbrush. Each row names the usual setup and the guides that compare the gear for it.
Scale models and miniatures
A fine-nozzle gravity-feed airbrush, a small compressor and a hobby booth
Your first airbrush
A dual-action kit with a compressor that has a regulator and moisture trap
Cakes and cookies
A dedicated food-only airbrush and airbrush food colors
Nails
A small airbrush set and nail airbrush paints
T-shirts and fabric
A larger nozzle and textile paint, then heat-setting
Cars and large parts
An inflatable paint booth with filtered blowers
Stencil and freehand art
Reusable stencils, a medium nozzle and fast-drying paint
Kids' crafts
A marker airbrush that runs on markers, not paint
Browse by topic
Airbrushes11Airbrush kits, beginner sets and the main models, compared by nozzle, feed type and job.Compressors4Airbrush compressors, quiet and tank models, regulators, and the pressure each paint needs.Booths & Safety4Hobby spray booths, inflatable paint booths, ventilation and respirators.Paints & Supplies6Airbrush paints, thinners, primers and cleaners, with the makers' own thinning instructions.Cake, Nails & Crafts5Cake and nail airbrush kits, stencils, t-shirt airbrushing and kids' marker airbrushes.
Makers' figures first
Nozzle sizes, pressures, airflow, thinning ratios and warranties from the makers' own pages, manuals and paint instructions.
A clear pick
Each guide names what we would buy, for which kind of painting, and what else you need to buy with it.
Sources on every page
Every guide links the maker documents and paint instructions it was built from.
Latest guides
New and updated buying guides, comparisons and explainers.
Compressors4 min
Airbrush PSI Chart: The Pressure Each Paint and Airbrush Maker Recommends
What pressure to airbrush at, by paint and by airbrush, using only figures the makers publish, plus a finder that matches the two.
Paints & Supplies5 min
Airbrush Thinner Guide: Which Thinner for Which Paint, and How Much
Thinner, reducer, flow improver or water: what each does, which paint it belongs with, and the ratios the paint makers publish.
Airbrushes5 min
Airbrush Types Explained: Dual vs Single Action, Gravity vs Siphon Feed
The four choices that define an airbrush, explained with the makers' own figures, and the type that suits each kind of painting.
Paints & Supplies7 min
Best Airbrush Cleaner (2026): Medea, Vallejo, Createx and Master Compared
Rinse cleaners for color changes, soaking cleaners for cured paint, and the cleaning pot that keeps the mist out of the room.
Airbrushes8 min
Best Airbrush for Beginners (2026): Five Starter Airbrushes Compared
Five first airbrushes, from a $40 three-nozzle set to Harder & Steenbeck's own beginner model, with the compressor each one needs.