I had the same problem when I first started using my airbrush. The simple answer is that the paint is partially drying before it hits the surface. The airbrush atomizes the paint so finely that drying is almost instantaneous.
Another common problem is that the paint has an orange peel look, or even runs. This can happen if you apply too much paint, too fast.
Both of these problems are affected by several variables, including paint consistency, air pressure, distance from the surface, and speed of brush movement.
Maybe you are one of those people to whom paint application comes naturally, and you can produce great results right off.
I am not one of those. It took me a while to get the feel of it. In the process, I got pretty frustrated. It's especially frustrating if you're trying to paint something that matters, like a model that you have spent a lot of time on. And, it's very easy at this point to blame the brush. But there was nothing wrong with the airbrush, I just had to learn to use it.
If you ask for help on a forum, you will no doubt be told to practice, practice, practice. Well, that is really what it takes, along with experimenting with things like thinning, distance, and air pressure. So be prepared to spend some time learning to use your airbrush.
But,
let me recommend
that you practice on something disposable, like plastic bottles.They are free and they take paint just like a kit. Buy some of the paint you plan on using and experiment with all the variables until you have a feel for the brush and can consistently produce a nice smooth coat. It will be money and time well spent. I wish I had done this in the beginning. I still keep a couple of bottles handy and give them a couple of shots before spraying a model. And, if I have any paint left over in the cup, I use it for practice on a bottle. See samples on the right. I also use them any time I try something new. For instance, decals vary quite a bit in their tolerance to decal setting solutions. So I always find something on a sheet that I don't need on the model and try it on a bottle first. That way I know what to expect when I do the real thing.
If you spend any time on airbrush forums, you will see the terms dots, lines and daggers. There is a good explanation of these at Airbrush-guidance.com. They are a good way to get a feel for the brush. What I did was to use a roll of paper towels and an old bottle of ink. If you can't make fine lines with ink, you surely won't with paint. Practice until it comes as second nature to press down for air, pull back for spray, let the trigger go forward to stop the spray, and then release the trigger to stop the air. I've read that some people have modified their brushes so that the air is on all the time. But to me that seems a little Mickey Mouse.
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