[Bee4Me]

The banana or curved pattern is a blockage in the airhorn holes. Most touchup guns don't have cap holes other than the main fluid opening.
Could be trash/defect from the drilling during manuf. or from the air supply.
Possiable air leakage around aircap seal where it screws on to the gun.Not the paint nozzel,the "ring" you tighten around the airhorn.Some have an O ring or Teflon washer to seal this.
The Q-tip or dumbell is air/fluid misadjustment,Most likely,too much air pressure as your blasting 55 into the gun. Most HVLP want around 20-30.
Never shot this water base myself but it sounds like it's too thick to atomize properly which is why your cranking it up to 55 and your spray pattern is going to heck..