What Type Of Air Brush Kit Should I Buy

Decorating By highstar8 Updated 31 Mar 2014 , 5:14pm by edenleah

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highstar8 Posted 8 Sep 2013 , 8:19pm
post #1 of 59

This is my 1st post....

 

I would like an Air brush kit and I am unsure that brand or type to buy and what I would need.  I have never air brushed before but am really excited and cant wait to purchase one. My budget is $100-$150 

 

What should I be looking for?  Help!

58 replies
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BatterUpCake Posted 8 Sep 2013 , 9:16pm
post #2 of 59

I'm glad you asked this. I almost bought the Duff kit the other day with my Michael's coupon. Then I pulled up reviews on my phone and wasn't impressed.

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cupcakemaker Posted 8 Sep 2013 , 9:22pm
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AI don't know if she exists over there but I want dinky doodle's. failing that I want cassie browns.

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lindseyjhills Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 12:03am
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AI just have an Iwata airbrush and compressor. It's what my teacher had and what I learnt with and it's great. Having said that I'm interested in the Dinky Doodle colours as my work is moving much more towards modelling chocolate sculpture and they work well on that apparently (KopyKake colours that I have now don't as they are water-based.)

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juliepalangi Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 12:16am
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I bought Duff's...and returned it the next day.Totally depressed about it too because I had high hopes.But I felt like I was painting with an out-of-control fire hose.  I see Dinkydoodle's stuff and wish I could have that talent! Has anyone taken the Craftsy Airbrushing class? I was trying to read the reviews but the only one they had posted was a 5 star and I wanted to see the real deal. I checked out the instructor's website and wasn't too impressed. She may be great and all but I couldn't figure out why they didn't pick a person who is in the cake business.

 

Just my $.02.  :)

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jennicake Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 12:19am
post #6 of 59

AI have a master airbrush and compressor and have been very satisfied! It works well for someone who airbrushes from time to time and would not be using all the capabilities of a better airbrush.

Oh and it's cheap :)

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highstar8 Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 1:34am
post #7 of 59

I see the dinkydoodles is available in the UK as well as Cassie Browns.  Any other companies recommend?  I dont want to waste the money of Duff's. Saw those reviews and was not thrilled.

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Gails Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 3:27am
post #8 of 59

AI have the Dinkydoodle and love it, Dawn Butler from Dinkydoodle has great videos on Youtube and will always help with questions, her paints are wonderful.

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Gails Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 3:29am
post #9 of 59

ACheck Dinkydoodle, I had one given to me last year for my birthday, cost about $160 Australian dollars and its great, excellent tutorials to help you on youtube.

Original message sent by highstar8

This is my 1st post....

I would like an Air brush kit and I am unsure that brand or type to buy and what I would need.  I have never air brushed before but am really excited and cant wait to purchase one. My budget is $100-$150 

What should I be looking for?  Help!

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Nadiaa Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 4:04am
post #10 of 59

Gails, can you buy her airbrush paints from her in the UK and get them shipped to Australia? And you can use her airbrush with the Americolor airbrush paints and so on, can't you? I've been looking and I think I want a Dinkydoodle. Might ask for one for Chrissie :)

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cazza1 Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 7:43am
post #11 of 59

I bought the craftsy airbrush class with Lisa Berczel and found it really good.  She goes in to a lot of detail about different types and styles of airbrushes and compressors, how the airbrush works, how to use it, how to clean it and how to problem solve.  I especially found it useful understanding the mechanics of the airbrush as I have been using a cheap one for a while and have just been aiming and shooting.  Understanding 'Why it is so' helps to lead towards more refined practice for me.  I am actually sitting on my hands in excitement because I have just bought  a Grex pistol style airbursh and it is due to arrive in the next 2 days.  For those with no airbrush experience I would recommend that they purchase the craftsy class and watch it before they make a decision on what sort of airbrush to buy.

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cupcakemaker Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 7:46am
post #12 of 59

AI think you can use any paints. Have you heard of pretty witty cakes? Dawn from dinky doodke has some fabulous tutorials on it. Basic air brushing stuff up to a dragon! It's £9 a month and you could just subscribe for one month and watch them all!

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lindseyjhills Posted 9 Sep 2013 , 9:43am
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AIf you're in the UK, I did my airbrushing course in Lancing (near Brighton) with Lisa Munro and she was great - a very good teacher. The company is called airbrushes. I think they do a beginner course and an advanced one now (when I did It a few years ago it was just one course).

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Gails Posted 10 Sep 2013 , 5:02am
post #14 of 59

AI bought my first lot of paints from the uk, cakes around town now supply them here and I also use their own brand pearl colours which work great, the thing about these paints are that they are ethanol based and not water based so it dries a lot quicker and you can put another colour on top without it running into the base colour, can also brush with them for smaller detail.

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Nadiaa Posted 10 Sep 2013 , 5:35am
post #15 of 59

Oh, awesome. I saw that Cakes Around Town sold the airbrush, but I got sidetracked with children and didn't think to look to see if they had her paints too. Thanks for that!

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Claire138 Posted 10 Sep 2013 , 5:47am
post #16 of 59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nadiaa 
 

Gails, can you buy her airbrush paints from her in the UK and get them shipped to Australia? And you can use her airbrush with the Americolor airbrush paints and so on, can't you? I've been looking and I think I want a Dinkydoodle. Might ask for one for Chrissie :)

 

You can use Dinkydoodle's airbrush kit with americolor paints, I emailed Dawn and asked bc I keep kosher and the ones that Dawn sells with her machine are not. She was really nice too. Am waiting for the show in November where I will definitely buy it.

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highstar8 Posted 11 Sep 2013 , 10:02pm
post #17 of 59

I am in the states.... I am looking for an airbrush kit I can buy here. Any thoughts?

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Cakes by Bri Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 2:20am
post #18 of 59

AI'm in search for a good one also.

Almost used a Michaels coupon for Duffs kit also, I'm hesitant but my half off I could get it $75 haha. I'm not hearing great things though , wah. Dinky doodle would be a dream.

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BatterUpCake Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 11:30am
post #19 of 59

I have been looking on Ebay for a beginners kit because I probably wouldn't use it much. I just don't know what is good. A lot of the sellers have very high feedback. I'm just very leery...but pennies are about to be very tight. Only 1 paycheck left until I am unemployed....

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Cakes by Bri Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 2:51pm
post #20 of 59

AI feel the same. $75 at Michael's seemed low enough for Duffs to where if I wasn't thrilled I'd be okay.. As long as I don't get an unlucky one that is crap. I know good ones are $150+ and I just wanted one to start with and practice. I have seen half good reviews half bad about it, I'm iffy.. Still debating it ... :-/

Might check out ebay/amazon.. But all I've found is $150 plus :-( we are on a tight budget.

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DeliciousDesserts Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 3:13pm
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Duffs is useless.  Not even worth it with the coupon.

 

I have the red KopyKake & it really works well.  Had I known then what I know now< I would have purchased a

Grex.

 

I agree with the suggestion of viewing the craftsy class to get some very useful information.  Then, visit the grex site to review the many options.

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Cakespirations Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 3:38pm
post #22 of 59

This works if you are in the vicinity of an AC Moore. I went to their website and got the 50% off one item coupon that comes out every few weeks. I searched all the stores for the airbrush case.. (usually has one airbrush and one compressor that is boxed and covered in dust because it has been there forever.) I found the most beautiful badger airbrush for $300.00. I paid 150.00 for it. A few weeks later I went back to the same store with another 50% one item cuopon and bought the air compressor that was 200.00 for 100.00 and some other things plus I had a 10% entire purchase so I actually paid 90.00 for it.  :) I LOVE my badger!!! Best purchase ever and I have a 500.00 set up for 240.00. 

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JWinslow Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 4:05pm
post #23 of 59

My DH bought me a Grex Kit with a trigger gun for my birthday 2 weeks ago.  Only problem, I have no idea how to use any airbrush. 

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Cakespirations Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 4:13pm
post #24 of 59

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWinslow 
 

My DH bought me a Grex Kit with a trigger gun for my birthday 2 weeks ago.  Only problem, I have no idea how to use any airbrush. 

 

 

I had no idea either. I bought a HUGE pad of watercolor paper. set it up in my front yard and used half a box of americolor airbrush. I had spent the night before on youtube for hours watching every "cake" airbrush tutorial and realized what i wanted was finer work and went to the airbrush tutorials for real paint and artists. It has taken about 6 cakes to get it down and not waste tons of paint or end up with drips. I think it is all in the feel and you will just have to play with it. Rememeber to not do it in a small space and that airbrush mist covers EVERYTHING. I did it in my home studio the first time and was digging rainbow junk out of my nose for two days... ;)

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BatterUpCake Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 4:17pm
post #25 of 59

I wonder if it is similar to spray painting? I spraypaint cake stands every day....never used a spray gun tho

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JWinslow Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 4:26pm
post #26 of 59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cakespirations 
 

 

 

I had no idea either. I bought a HUGE pad of watercolor paper. set it up in my front yard and used half a box of americolor airbrush. I had spent the night before on youtube for hours watching every "cake" airbrush tutorial and realized what i wanted was finer work and went to the airbrush tutorials for real paint and artists. It has taken about 6 cakes to get it down and not waste tons of paint or end up with drips. I think it is all in the feel and you will just have to play with it. Rememeber to not do it in a small space and that airbrush mist covers EVERYTHING. I did it in my home studio the first time and was digging rainbow junk out of my nose for two days... ;)

Thanks for the advice.  I'm going to have to find a place to set up and play.  The weather here is such that being outside will not be possible as I am 3 blocks from Erie Lake and there is  a breeze all year round. 

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sixinarow Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 8:33pm
post #27 of 59

A

Original message sent by JWinslow

My DH bought me a Grex Kit with a trigger gun for my birthday 2 weeks ago.  Only problem, I have no idea how to use any airbrush. 

What an awesome gift!! A Grex is on my list of freakishly expensive cake tools that I want. Sadly..I have kids that need braces, so that has to come first! ;)

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JWinslow Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 8:47pm
post #28 of 59

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixinarow 


What an awesome gift!! A Grex is on my list of freakishly expensive cake tools that I want. Sadly..I have kids that need braces, so that has to come first! icon_wink.gif

 

I couldn't believe it when I unwrapped it.  I know I mentioned it would be good for me to learn in the past,  but never expected one - especially a Grex.  I am watching videos and trying to learn as much as I can - Not one of those presents you leave it in the box - lol

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BatterUpCake Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 8:50pm
post #29 of 59

That is the best kind of gift. Something you mention in passing. Then you know your DH really is listening to you. Except for my friend Regina who once said she wished she knew how to sew then got a sewing machine for her birthday. She still nags about that...lol

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lindseyjhills Posted 13 Sep 2013 , 11:38pm
post #30 of 59

A

Original message sent by Cakespirations

Rememeber to not do it in a small space and that airbrush mist covers EVERYTHING. I did it in my home studio the first time and was digging rainbow junk out of my nose for two days... ;)

Ha ha - yes the rainbow snot is something no one warns you about. My brother-in-law used to work in a repair shop spraying cars and got me a heavy duty mask that they use there, and I [I]still[/I] get rainbow snot...

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