I am sure there are many more tips that others can share airbrush. Unless you are already in the art field and want to
with you regarding your journey into airbrushing. I also know use the airbrush to enhance your art, try not to worry about
that you only need to ask and there are lots of folks that will these things.
try to help you. Remember to keep your questions specific Everything else will come with time and you will know it
and clear. when it happens. Everyone is different and what is wonder-
Okay you have practiced and want to try to make something ful to one is a pain in the neck to another. Don’t try to fit
that sort of resembles art. There are a lot of ways to begin. into someone else’s mold, let yourself discover your niche’.
This is one of the simple methods. If you’re drawing skills Some folks pick up the airbrush with the intention of start-
are not the best. The first exercise (wait don’t shoot me) will ing a business; others just want a fun hobby. Both of these
allow you to paint a picture, but will also help you to learn are great reasons. Just remember you get out of it what
control lines and blending techniques. Get a hold of a color- you put into it.
ing book; trace a couple of the drawings on to the paper
towel. Remove the page from behind the paper towel and
proceed to paint the picture. It is okay, for now, to draw the
lines in with a marker. Just practice filling in the color, trying
to stay within the lines. The goal is to paint the color in so it is
smooth looking. Try adding a bit of color over one another, to
see the effects. Try adding a bit of shadowing to give it more
appeal. Trace another with pencil and practice airbrushing
the lines instead of using a marker and then coloring it. This
is a simple fun exercise that will build your skills. Yes you
can still use the food coloring. Red, Blue, Yellow and Green..
Red/Blue = purple, Red/Yellow = Orange etc.
Another is a free hand exercise that is fun and will cover
just about all of the drills mentioned above. It is the freehand
beach scene. I know you have seen them; they are still one of
the most popular requested designs.
Keep it simple: Sunset, Water, Beach, Palm Tree. While you
will need to start practicing you lettering we are not con-
cerned with it at the moment, only the picture itself.
The sunset and the water will give you the blending and fad-
ing practice and the beach and Palm tree with give you line
CLEANING YOUR AIRBRUSH
practice and dagger strokes.
Start off with a horizon line (where the water meets the
A major factor in having an enjoyable experience airbrushing
sky), then determine where your shore line will be. Once you
is keeping your airbrush clean and functioning properly. The
have determined this you simply blend the water color to the
smallest speck of dried paint on your needle or in your nozzle
beach and the sky colors from the horizon line up.
can lead to a very frustrating situation especially when you
Once the sky and the water have been placed you then add
are new to airbrushing. I’ll say it again using the correct air-
you beach color. Then the palm tree and a few sea oats or
brush ready paint is critical to reducing the amount of frus-
grass if you like on the beach. Now, you can also paint in the
tration you experience plus properly cleaning your airbrush is
palm tree and sea oats if you are using black or dark color
much easier with airbrush ready paints. Use a textile water
for them.
base paint like Createx and you’ll find it much harder to clean
I did not go into placing clouds or waves or any of the hun-
your airbrush than if you use Golden Airbrush Colors or Co-
dreds of the other details that can be added to this type of
mart paints. While learning the basics of airbrushing using
scene. This is just to practice. I don’t really care what colors
the paint I suggest will make it much easier to clean your
are used, try them all. You will learn what colors will look
airbrush, that paint is Comart or Golden Airbrush Colors.
great together and which will look like mud. You can even do
We won’t even touch on Craft type paint as you should NOT
the whole scene just using one color. Color theory is not a
be using that while in the airbrush basic’s learning stage.
part of this article. Manuals can be written and have been on
color theory and color rules. This article is about just fun!
What to clean your airbrush with:
Let me address something that I found very frustrating and
There are all sorts of home made cleaning solutions posted
difficult to deal with when learning to airbrush. Worrying
all over the Internet; some are good, some are way out in left
about what I wanted to paint or what I wanted to do with the
field. Be aware that your airbrush is made mostly of brass
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