Devlog #5: Painting and finishing

One thing that I have learned from cans of spray paint is that you’re not in control of the volume of the paint that comes out, nor the speed. If you push too hard, you’ll get a blob of paint. Go too slow, and it’s just mind-numbingly boring.

So, I had to gear up with a proper spray gun and compressor. One thing was for sure - I was not gonna be doing spray painting for large objects anytime soon. Nor was I going to buy a big, loud compressor that will just collect dust and rust in the shed.

I will definitely be doing more airbrushing in the future, but at a smaller scale - and maybe, just maybe, I will be getting into 40k miniatures painting.

So I decided: I’m gonna buy an indoor compressor with a bigger spray gun. And once I’m done with this project, I’ll go for a smaller airbrush.

CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) and the matching rule

Here’s the thing: the compressor’s continuous CFM output needs to be higher than the spray gun’s CFM demand. If the compressor can’t keep up, the tank empties faster than it can refill. The FD-186 puts out something like 15-20 L/min (0.5-0.7 CFM), while the Stanley gun demands 70 L/min (2.5 CFM) to run properly - but I was up for the challenge, for the greater future of my painting endeavors.

Also, I like finding a good reason to buy a new tool. And this one was a good one.

Deciding how Shmulis should actually look

Sadly, I don’t have a picture of the compressor in action, but it was a satisfying experience, even though I had to stop every few minutes to let the tank fill up and the compressor cool down. It’s a nice feeling, knowing this project is finally coming to an end.

But how many coats of paint would it take to get the desired finish? One thing about wearing an artist’s hat is that you, and only you, can decide when it is done…

… for me it took approx. 4 coats of paint to call it done.

Also, at some point, I considered painting the statue in color, but it didn’t feel right. And again, that was my call to make. So I painted just the eyes and put on a transparent coat of varnish.

Done!

It was Aug 22, 2025 when I called it done.

First exhibition