Tools of the Trade: Iwata HP-C Plus Airbrush Impressions

Hey you guys!

As promised, my first impressions of my new Iwata HP-C Plus airbrush.

The airbrush with my first test-sheet

The HP-C Plus is an gravity fed, double action airbrush. It has a 0.3mm nozzle, which for me is the sweetspot for fine lines on the one side and bigger surfaces on the other. The paintcup is rather large with 7ml, so you can spray large project without refilling your paint. Other features include a precut handle for balance and adjustment purposes. Finally, a needle stop rounds out the package.

One of the first things you notice when picking the brush up is the build quality. It just feels very solid and well balanced. The trigger mechanism is very smooth and even the slightest pull lets the paint flow. For beginners and very tricky situations, the needle stop gives you very good control and it is possible to work very precise.

Something I have sorely missed in my Paasche, was an even cap. The crown cap was nice for detail work, but also a bit fickle. With the even cap, cleaning is much easier, as you can plug the tip of the airbrush with the palm of your hand and use the blowback to clear out clogs and help mix the paint. The airbrush is also very nice to clean and even dried up paint clears right out with a bit of cleaning solution.

Right from the start I was able to lay down fine hairlines, seamlessly adjusting to larger spray patterns. The pattern is very even, as the paint is atomised much finer than any brush I've used before. All in all a very impressive airbrush, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to advanced airbrushers, as the trigger mechanism reacts to the slightest movement - which might be too much for a beginner, even though the needle stop can level the playing field a bit.