Acrylics are less health hazardous when brush painting, but when airbrushing it’s not really “non toxic”. In other words yes acrylic paint fumes are safer than enamel and solvent based paints but when atomized with an airbrush you’re going to be inhaling the actual paint not just fumes, which can’t be good for your lungs and your blood stream kidneys etc. Instead of spending a lot of money on a ventilation hood I just wear a respirator regardless of what type of paint spraying.
I gave up on spraying acrylics and switched back to spraying enamel thinned with mineral spirits. In my experience enamel paint is much less problematic and just works, a joy compared to fussing with acrylics. Acrylics are a pain, gotta use this thinner with this brand of acrylic, gotta use a different type of thinner with this other brand of acrylic.. compatibility issues. Enamel paints, spirits is compatible with them all. Enamel doesn’t have the spray pattern issues and needle tip drying or thinner issues causing splotchy coats and toejam. Speaking for myself acrylics were a constant struggle. And when I learned that acrylic isn’t really any safer to breathe I questioned why go through the trouble with acrylic if I got to wear protective equipment anyway. Spraying freehand camo patterns is so much easier with enamel for me anyway, but different strokes for different folks.
