How To Use An Airbrush?

What type of paint can I use for an airbrush?

• I just bought an airbrush kit (airbrush and compressor) off of ebay. It not the best quality airbrush but I'm just a beginner so I thought it'd be a good way to practice before getting any expensive equipment. I have newsprint paper to practice on but wasn't sure on the type of paint I could use to practice. I bought some acrylic paint from the local art supply store but it seems to be too thick. I added some water and it sprayed but need some advice on what I can use to practice. I want to eventually end up using auto paint to work on helmets, bikes tanks and cars. Any/all advice from beginner or advanced airbrushers are appreciated. Best response from someone with experience wil get "best answers."

• Answer:

  I airbrush quite a lot. For fine art I use specialized acrylic airbrush paint which I buy in large bottles, there are a lot of airbrush paints and inks on the market. I sometimes also use tube acrylics which can be thinned with liquid medium or water, but they should be sieved before putting them in the airbrush. Gouache is excellent for airbrush, again it must be thinned, but it gives great opacity (coverage) Fabric, I use Createx. Automotive, I only use Urethane airbrush paints, as sold by The House of Kolor. Great stuff with Chameleon shifts etc available too. I used the urethanes on a Harley that is in the current issue of Ozbike. There are great learner DVDs available, do an on line search, the information you gain may save you many hours of battling with it. Craig Fraser's DVD's are the absolute best for anyone wanting to do bikes, cars helmets etc. His "Introducing Automotive Airbrushing" DVD would be perfect for you. It treats you as a beginner, which is what you want.Then you can move onto his other DVD's. There are also online tutorials if do so some searches. It's a bit of a tricky thing especially when you get clogs etc. but it's a matter of being brave and just getting into it. A gravity feed airbrush with a cup is by far the easiest to use. Later when you are looking for good airbrushes, I recommend the Iwata Eclipse as a great all-round airbrush, and for fine detail you can't go past the Iwata Micron. I use them almost exclusively. Have fun with your airbrushing, and be sure to always flush out the paint immediately after use to avoid clogs around your needle.