WHICH AIRBRUSH AND COMPRESSOR SHOULD I USE FOR MY TYPE OF WORK?

"Airbrush Quick Tips"

12/11

Realer Than Real—Abstract painting was in the spotlight in the 1960’s when along came sharp focus realism. Paintings in this style were more realistic than a photograph and usually much larger in size. (This was before giclee printing was available.) Among photo realists the airbrush was a preferred tool with which to render. Painters such as Don Eddy, Audrey Flack and Chuck Close painted subject matter from gigantic portraits to still lifes to landscapes in acrylics as well as oils using the airbrush with its innate ability to spray in a manner that mimics a photograph.

Galleries that championed this art form sprung up on both coasts. OK Harris, Lewis K. Meisel and the Nancy Hoffman Gallery still exist in SoHo, New York City, within a few blocks of each other. On the West Coast, exhibits were held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and at San Jose State, both in CA, as early as 1971. This sharp focus look in painting was also utilized by abstract painters such as George Green, Michael Gallagher and Paul Sarkisian and was called abstract illusionism. These works are collected by major museums throughout the country and can be seen on a regular basis in Manhattan galleries.

Drain Your Tank—Most piston-operated compressors have a storage tank in which the air is held before it’s consumed. This tank tends to collect condensation and/or oil, so it must be drained periodically. At the bottom front of most storage tanks there is screw valve that is unscrewed while there is pressure in the tank to allow the moisture and excess oil to drain. Once the tank is drained, the valve is closed so that it can again build up pressure in the tank. If moisture is left in the storage tank too long, rusting can take place; and excess moisture buildup can lead to moisture in the air line, neither of which is desirable. Periodic draining will prevent both.

Diaphragm Compressor—This is a small and inexpensive compressor of a moderate noise level that is used in airbrush technique. Unlike a piston-operated compressor, this produces air in a pulsating manner that can be interpreted in the airbrush spray. This can, however, be alleviated by attaching the compressor to a storage tank. Normally the highest pressure available is around 35 pounds per square inch (psi). A diaphragm compressor is not especially suited for spraying high viscosity materials such as artist acrylics, but it works really well when spraying inks, dyes, watercolors and airbrush paints. It is designed to propel one airbrush at a time and is not compatible with larger spray guns. However, because of the cost factor, diaphragm compressors are well suited for beginners, students and hobbyists. See www.silentaire.com.

10/11

Inks, Dyes and Liquefied Watercolors – The airbrush will spray virtually any paint or color that exists, but in many instances, the paint must be thinned for spraying. In the case of inks, dyes and liquefied watercolors, they come naturally in a fluid consistency compatible with spraying. However, the term liquefied watercolor is a misnomer. These are not natural watercolors because there is no pigment used; they are actually dyes similar to ink that are normally fugitive and susceptible to ultraviolet rays and fading. On the other hand, inks—although of the same liquid consistency—are available colorfast and waterproof.

For a beginner, the easiest materials to use when learning techniques are inks, dyes and liquefied watercolors. With these, the airbrusher need not be concerned with thinning formulas or clogging the airbrush, since these materials are the thinnest colors available and rarely clog the airbrush.

A Stiff, Flat Brush – A handy tool to have in the studio for airbrush maintenance is a stiff, flat brush, e.g., a No. 4 flat bristle. This inexpensive paintbrush is well suited for cleaning the airbrush because it enables you to get into the nooks and crannies of the color cup or the slot in which the needle gets dirty or the air cap and tip to eliminate dried paint and clogs. A small round brush is also handy when using a bottom feed airbrush where paint may dry in the siphon intake or a side feed airbrush where paint may need to be removed from the color cup intake.

Note that a paintbrush is a preferred tool for these cleaning purposes. Some artists make the mistake of using a cotton swab to clean the color cup, which can deposit cotton fibers during the cleaning process that may contribute to clogging of the airbrush

Airbrushing in the Round—Frisket film is used for stenciling on a flat surface, but when an artist works on a three-dimensional surface, a different type of material must be used—and STRETCHmask from Artool fills the bill. Because it stretches, it’s ideal when airbrushing on curved surfaces such as motorcycle tanks, sculpture, helmets, ceramics, models, etc. This flexible and repositionable masking film is clear so that you can see through it, it cuts easily with a stencil knife or razor blade and can be reapplied after removal. STRETCHmask has a medium tack and won’t lift paint when removed; it is solvent-proof and can be used with either water- or oil-based paints; it doesn’t wrinkle; paint does not bleed underneath; and it will not flutter from airbrush spray. This material is excellent for use by the auto graphics painter, sign painter, fine artist, ceramicist, hobbyist, modeler, sculptor and more. STRETCHmask is available in rolls 18” wide and 10 or 25 yards long. See www.artoolproducts.com.

08/11

—Diner/Restaurant Ware: A Hot Collectible—Throughout the U.S. from the 1920s to the 60s, pottery manufacturers produced thousands of different airbrushed plates, cups, saucers, platters, etc., for diners and restaurants. This dinnerware would sometimes incorporate the logos of the establishments or visual images that denoted the diner or just plain decorations that were easy to produce using the airbrush and stencils. These potteries included Syracuse China, Chenango China, and Sterling, among others. This type of ware is easy to identify because of its extremely distinctive airbrushed look of designs such as ducks in flight, bounding deer, Western motifs, leaves/flowers, and silhouettes or airplanes for such places as the Yankee Clipper Diner or Steer Head Steakhouse. Keep an eye out for these at your local flea market and swap sales; and there is always some for sale on e-Bay.

—Simplistic and New for Its Time – The American Dadaist painter Man Ray developed a series of paintings in the early 20^th century between 1917 and 1919. These were the first airbrushed fine art paintings to be shown in a gallery and were called aerographs. In today’s standards, they would be considered extremely simplistic, since they consisted of images developed by airbrushing around found objects such as tools, paper clips, paper cutouts, etc., that were used simply as stencils. When airbrushed around, repeated images—both opaque and transparent—were created that lent themselves to the look of cubism. It is said that Man Ray was primarily interested in producing paintings with a high gloss, machine-like finish. Because the paint was airbrushed onto the surface, there were no brushstrokes in the artwork—which imparted an industrial appearance.

Man Ray was introduced to the airbrush while working in an ad agency in New York City. An excellent collection of his works is held by the Art Institute of Chicago and, even when viewed today, their simplicity is astounding.

—Rough Paper = Texture – There are many textured papers available today. The two used most often in airbrushing are smooth or hot press paper and slightly toothed cold press paper. But airbrush artists can work on any type of paper, from crepe to heavily textured watercolor paper and from pastel to tracing paper. Keep in mind that airbrush spray mimics the texture of the paper in the appearance of the artwork; and the heavier the texture, the more apparent that texture is in the end product. Therefore, when selecting a heavily textured paper such as 300 lb. watercolor paper, be sure you wish to incorporate the resultant appearance as part of the rendering.

Interesting effects can be achieved on heavily textured paper by spraying the paint at various angles so that the color hits only certain parts, e.g., the high parts and not the valleys. Experiment with different papers and see how you can manipulate the surface to add to the uniqueness of your artwork.

"Airbrush Quick Tips Archives"

AirbrushTalk will post new "Airbrush Quick Tips" on AirbrushTalk.com. An announcement of the tips will be e-mailed to subscribers with hyperlinks to pages on which the tips appear. This new e-blast will go out six times a year, alternating with the AirbrushTalk e-newsletter. "Airbrush Quick Tips" are appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced airbrush users.