How To Learn The Elements Of Airbrushing Techniques

You may not yet be aware of how of the magazine pictures you have looked at over the years were airbrushed. A technique developed in the late 1800s, it has been refined through the development of precision triggers, paint feed systems and the ability to airbrush in Photoshop on one's computer. The result is that the airbrushed pictures today can have an incredible amount of detail and be impossible to tell from a natural photo.

Airbrushing is used for many different purposes. Here are a few of them.

T-shirt painting
Acrylic Paintings on canvas or other materials
Photo retouching
Murals Toy model painting
Vehicle painting Body painting or painted tattoos
Commercial artwork and illustrations
Fake tanning
Cake decoration

If you are a young person interested in learning how to do air-brush art, you may be able to convince your parents very easily. Airbrushing can be a way to reduce risks for teenagers interested in graffiti and tattoos. That's why some parents happy to buy their teens airbrushes. It's a great way to be introduced to acrylic painting and can lead to wonderful places.

When used for tattooing because it means no needles are used! Airbrushing the body with acrylic color or makeup is safe and easy to remove when it's time to go natural again. Instead of painting on walls with graffiti cans, which can contain dangerous solvents, young people can enjoy doing airbrush art to create many of the same effects with water based acrylics. They can use their inspiration to become amazing acrylic painting artists and perhaps one day place their work in art galleries.

Airbrushing is a wonderful way for any artist to add to their toolbox of techniques. Traditional acrylic painting has some limitations. Here's one very simple example. If you want to create a glowing sun, radiating it's light in your sky, you will have to carefully distribute and apply your color the traditional way. You can't do this if the color is too wet. You may need to wait until the next day to be able to create the sunshine! This can take so much time and thought! With an airbrush it's so simple. Even if your colors are wet, you can create an even, fine distribution by simply pressing the button on your airbrush and spraying the color on your canvas or paper. That's just the beginning! There are so many other things you can do when you begin to include the airbrush art techniques into your workflow.

But first let's talk about other places you may have seen airbrush art without realizing it.....

Rolling Down the Highway

Have you ever noticed the paintings on the backs and sides of motor homes rolling down the highways? Have you ever admired the flames painted on a restored 1956 Chevy? How about that football team logo painted on the tailgating trailer? What about those detailed pictures painted on t-shirts, for sale at the arts and crafts show that caught your attention.

These are all common examples of the stunning detail that can be achieved with airbrushing. Some of this artwork may look a bit cheesy, but the techniques are very useful in fine art. Most people are unaware of the incredible spectrum of air-brush art techniques that they can draw on to create unique works of art.

Notice some of these new techniques.

Using air from the brush to manipulate the paint.

You can use the actual air coming out of your compressor to blow the colors around. This can be useful for creating natural looking shapes. Depending on how wet your colors are, the results of the blowing will be different. Use this technique for creating plants, clouds, waves and more.

Using newspaper and sponges to manipulate the paint.

When you apply color with an airbrush, you have the ability to create thin layers of wet paint. It's possible to work with this layered color using simple household materials like newspaper and kitchen sponges. Dragging the colors around can produce amazing mountains and rocks. You can create the curl on a wave. Using sponges to remove layers you can create the fine texture of skin or the texture of an exotic planet or galaxy.

Getting Set Up

To do airbrushing you need some simple materials. First of all you need an airbrush. This can get confusing, especially when you are just starting out. There are so many factors. Do you want a gravity feed or a bottom feed brush? A single action or a double action? What brand do you prefer? Some common brands are Grex, Iwata, Chandler, Paasche.

If you are intrigued by some of these new airbrush art techniques, the choice is more simple. Instead of purchasing an expensive brand, you can use a little known brush called the quick change airbrush which costs about $10. This brush shoots more color than most styles of airbrush. The major advantage that it has is the ability to change colors quickly without having to clean the brush. This is essential for creating some of these new airbrushing effects.

You will also need a small compressor and a hose that connects the airbrush to the compressor.

Many airbrush artists use something called Frisket which is a special film that protects picture sections while you paint. In other words, frisket will prevent damage to an already painted section while you're completing your picture. Frisket is used for something called masking, or covering up things. It is possible to avoid using this material and to mask your painting with household materials such as newspaper, plates and bowls. You can create amazing complexity in your work by learning how to use these materials.

You may want to purchase an easel so you have a steady place to put the item you will be painting. It's important to think about the angle at which you prefer to paint. If you use only small amounts of paint, there is no problem in working at a more vertical. If you like to layer your colors and keep them wet, it's important to work on a horizontal surface so that your colors does not drip. I enjoy layering my colors, so instead of an easel, I just purchase a square piece of wood to lay on a table. I work on top of this flat table to avoid the colors moving around by themselves.

Incredible Detail

Once you have assembled the art supplies, then it's all about enjoying yourself as you explore, discover and play. With traditional air-brush painting, you start out by learning how to develop your skill at applying the right air pressure as you make the picture. You have to learn how to hold the air-brush while manipulating the trigger that releases air and paint. You will need to practice your strokes and your handwriting. It may take a long time to become proficient.

If you try some of the newer air-brush art techniques, you can avoid this process. Using the quick change air-brush is simple and only involves pressing a button. The skills you need to learn come easily when you start practicing painting planets and galaxies. The best part is that you get to have fun and create impressive paintings right from the start!

Some artists are frightened of air-brush techniques because they would need to purchase a compressor. It can look like a very mechanical and complicated piece of gear. But the results speak for themselves! As soon as you see how many options open up with a compressor and an airbrush, you will never want to go back.