Airbursh or not to Airbrush

I would like to talk about growing pains when using an airbrush for the first time. When I first got one, I was very excited. I had seen and heard what others could do with it. The prices were intimidating but I figured it was an investment. Now I get this thing home and read up on it for a little bit. I turn on my compressor and put paint in my cup. This airbrush worked well for less than three minutes. I research more on the air brush I had just purchased. I spend maybe four hours trying to push paint through. It clogs, it spits, and is just working worse and worse. I put it away for a few days after I take it all apart and clean it. I pull it back out and use it again. I talked to my buddy and he said you have to thin it down a lot. I also look up ratios. I put all of this into practice and I have very similar results as the first time I used it. I try for a few hours to push paint through and clean it and put it away. I do this a few more times and just give up.

Of course I have trouble letting problems and short comings go, so a few months later I try again. I read about some products and techniques and I give it another go. I start to be able to use it for about twenty minutes at a time successfully before it starts clogging and spitting. I kept trying and therefore I kept on improving with using it. I see it as a waste of time though, I could not get the results others were and it was way too much work for just base coating. I put it away for another few months.

Again, I just can’t let it go. I see all kinds of cool things that others are doing with it and I take in their advice. I actually get a new air brush. This time I purchased a much more expensive one. It works the same as the other. This time though I was not letting up. I figured out by site and touch what mix ratios I needed to be able to put paint through the airbrush. I figured out how to clean it and what to clean on it. Now I am very comfortable with the airbrush. Now I can’t see how I lived without it. I am using it for base coating, highlighting, weathering, and source lighting.

What I have learned through using it is that it probably is not your airbrush if you are having trouble. It is your lack of experience with it. That older airbrush I was using works fine, I use it along with my nicer one. I would say the major things that you would have to learn about before you use an airbrush is something about what paints to put in your airbrush, what mixes, cleaning, and take care of your needle.

To learn more about airbrushing and techniques check out our page: http://www.gateway-gamers.com/air-brushing.html

Article by: Tobias