My Harder&Steenbeck airbrush has a 0.2mm nozzle and needle.
Spray distance is about 6-7 centimeters from the surface of the model, and for fine details the pressure is lowered to 1.2-1.0 bar. After each 20 seconds of work the tip of the airbrush is swiped with an ear bud dipped in isopropyl alcohol to remove the clots and residues that might form.
The Vallejo Model Color paints work best when diluted 1 to 1 with the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner new formula (71161) . Using any other thinner leads to various problems, such as paint clotting or having trouble adhering to the surface of the model, so use ONLY the Vallejo thinner and nothing else. To avoid a grainy texture due to the paint drying while sprayed, for every 6 drops of paint (diluted 1 to 1 with thinner), I add 2 drops of Vallejo 70597 Retarder Medium.
Vallejo Model Air paints are superior to the Vallejo Model Color range, will need one part thinner for three parts paint and will work very well without adding Retarder Medium.
Let me tell you a little secret I discovered while working with Vallejo acrylics: if you rub the surface with a piece cotton cloth about two minutes after it was airbrushed, the sheen of the paint will change from almost flat to a satin/gloss finish, without changing the other properties of the paint.
11 attached images. Click to enlarge.
