Ron Pare
A brush this nice is hard to come by
The Eclipse CS from Iwata-Medea is not the first time for me using an airbrush. In fact I have used a single action airbrush for quite a while now. Still, this is my first foray into dual action airbrushes. I have been told to forget about that old brush as dual action is the way to go.
In light of this info, I am not going into this review alone, because I am new. I have invited a good friend and airbrush artist and model designer Mark Williams of Imagine That Laser Art to walk me through the features of this brush.
The Eclipse CS airbrush from Iwata-Medea is a fine piece of workmanship. I was inspired to make note on the solid appearance even before it was removed from the box. This brush displays absolutely no weakness in its unused state. The weight is not heavy, however is a bit thicker then other brushes and easy to hold.
The Eclipse CS is a Gravity Fed airbrush with a 0.35mm needle. Instructions make note that this brush has a high paint flow capacity and is capable of using heavier acrylics with no loss in detail. I was walked through what that means and, as I understand it the acrylic paint still needs thinning (w/ water) which aids in clean-up and better control of paint coverage. Paint is fed through a 1/3 oz cup, I thought I would prefer the ability to paint right from the bottle, instead I found is easier to remember to clean the cup and airbrush, which is more then nesacary (for ALL brushes of any brand). Included with this brush is a metal cap that fits very nicely in the cup.
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deal air pressure is 35 psi, however 20 psi and up will work with lighter paints. I used 40psi under the guidance of my teacher. Because I only use acrylics the higher pressure is important. A 2 1/2" stripe can be produced with the Eclipse and we easily painted a sky on a small backdrop area, spraying through cotton batton makes great clouds but thats another story.
Out of all the equipment I have ever used in modeling none have come so highly recommended. I am unbelievably happy with my Iwata-Medea Eclipse CS and I know you will have no problem with it either.
P.S. A common misconception of Airbrushing is you can start with single action and upgrade to dual later. After talking at length about this subject, I believe learning a dual action should be everyones first choice. The differences of single and dual are rooted in the control of the trigger. Single just does not provide the range we need as modelers, in my opinion.
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Iwata-Medea Eclipse HP CS Dual Action Airbrush Gun / Gravity Feed
