I feel your pain- know where u r coming from- all I can say is it gets better- I keep 2 or 3 practice baits around now for new color schemes because I realized I have no need for 500 crankbaits with small imperfections in them!!!! about 10 years ago I took a 2 day airbrush class from terry hill in destin fla. who is a true artist-he is the t- shirt king and knows all the ins and outs of create paints- I took some baits with me and he helped me work out the paint to my needs which was invaluable- the biggest thing I can tell you and its nothing anyone else hasn't said is thin your paint to the right consistency, build your paint in thin layers, have a clean airbrush, and take a zanex(just kidding) but be patient-it will come and unless you are trying to make a living doing this -JUST HAVE FUN