Black

Vallejo Game Air Black — black for the airbrush

An acrylic paint from the Game Air line by Vallejo. It is not a kit, but a paint. Game Air is a line ready for airbrush spraying: it is thinner than classic brush paints, contains a very finely ground pigment, and dries quickly to a matte, self-leveling finish. It was developed primarily for figures, fantasy, sci-fi, and wargaming miniatures, and its shades match the Game Color line, so spraying and brush painting can be combined. The dropper bottle holds 18 ml.

Use

• a base black layer sprayed with an airbrush over a primed (pre-treated) plastic, resin, or metal surface,
• a foundation for zenithal highlighting — a black undercoat with light applied from above,
• dark areas: leather, tires, weapons, and metal parts,
• darkening and tinting other shades, and shading corners and seams.

How to handle pure black

A practical tip worth knowing: pure black is used carefully on models. It swallows detail and, in photographs or under light, looks flat and lifeless — the area loses its sense of volume. For shadows and dark areas, experienced modelers therefore often choose a very dark gray instead, or mix black with another color (a drop of dark blue, brown, or green, depending on the surrounding tone). Black then reads naturally and the detail stays visible. Reserve pure black as a solid tone mainly for the truly deepest recesses and small accents.

Thinning and setup

The paint can be sprayed straight from the bottle; if needed, it can be thinned further with Vallejo airbrush thinner. Work with lower pressure, and shake thoroughly before use. For a brush, Game Air is fairly thin — the thicker lines (Game Color, Model Color) suit brush painting better.

Who it is for

For figure painters, wargamers, and modelers who work with an airbrush and want a black they do not need to thin before spraying.

A water-based acrylic paint. When spraying, work in a well-ventilated space and use respiratory protection. Store out of reach of children, and reseal the bottle after use.