Well I can agree about the chunky Rustoleum. I happen to like the paint for many of its qualities (especially its lack of sensitivity to humidity), but for the chunk problem. I can't say there's a good solution other than warming and shaking the cans really well before use, and then spraying out a bunch to (hopefully) clear the can of the chunks before applying paint to the item in hand.

Airbrushes are an alternative, but like anything, without careful preparation the results may not necessarily be better. As a rule, I like to use my airbrush for smaller models, and I always strain the paint and insert a wire mesh filter in the paint bottle before spraying; otherwise you get chunks, just smaller ones. And don't forget that airbrushed paint sprays in a much thinner coat (which is a good thing from a weight point of view), and therefore is not as forgiving as a coat sprayed from a rattlecan. It means the attention to surface preparation is a little more critical.

In short, I've not found a foolproof painting method (at least not for this fool); they all seem to have their pros and cons. What separates a great finish from a mediocre one is meticulous surface preparation followed by a patient, practiced, and consistent method, rattlecans and airbrushes notwithstanding.

Photo on the left is with the trusty rattlecan; the one on the right is with the trusty airbrush.

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John
YORF #003
SAM #004