The Letterville BullBoard: Airbrush, Smairbrush, how do I use this thing?

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Posted by Cheryl Lucas (Member # 1656) on :

I'm picking up my Paasch VL for the first time and need advise on blends, fades, etc.

I've acquired a job that that requires three colors to blend, FLAMES. Orange, yellow and blue tips. The largest one is 13"x28"wide.

Got any pics or websites you'd recommend on techniques? ANYTHING, ANYTHING will help!

Here are some of the questions I have:

What color vinyl would you start off with? Premium? Why not intermediate? How about the paint colors? I have the 3 primary colors, Oneshot. (plus white & black) Will the color I choose change when is is overlayed onto another color? Which color should I start with? Bottom to top? Let it dry completely before spraying the next color? Hold the airbrush 90 degrees from the vinyl, at all times? Long wide sweeps? Should I end strokes with air only? Slow, not fast? How far away for best effect and blend? Air pressure?

Thanks,
Cher.

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Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag"
Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc.
Cape Coral, Florida
VSignsNgraphics@aol.com

Posted by LazyEdna (Member # 266) on :

It is a LOT easier to blend two colors that are close in hue... that is.. like dark blue to light blue, or blue to violet... red to orange, and so on.
When you try to blend completely disparate colors, you need a good deal of space for the blend to modulate between colors. Two inches of yellow, then 6 inches of blending, then two inches of blue.
Practice on newspaper first... get your paint thinned properly.. the consistancy of 2% milk.
Practice practice practice
LE

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LazyEdna
in RL known as Sara Straw
from southern Utah
5 National Parks within 3 hours drive
Red Rock Heaven

Posted by T.Howell (Member # 875) on :

Cheryl, I do blends on most lettering jobs I do. I use wet on wet technique. First color is mixed a little heavier than the first fade, second fade is mixed even thinner etc.
Becareful not to sag the fades with too much paint. Turn up the air pressure and back up with the airbrush to get a nice fade.
Like Edna says "practice", you will get the hang of it in no time.
Later, Tom

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Tom Howell
Newbury, MA
Custom paint, pinstriping, lettering since 1979.( I think)
www.bluechipracing.com
bchip105@hotmail.com
978-465-5675

Posted by Robert Thomas (Member # 1356) on :

Hey Cheryl,
Thanks for lunch last week!
Sometimes when I do a blend I will mix the two colors together, say you are doing a sunset, yellow at the top to red at the bottom, spray the yellow, then the red, then mix the two and spray the orange. then sometimes I will go back over the red, then yellow to get a better blend.
Thin the paint, but don't over thin it.
You should get a water separater with a regulatar so you can adjust the pressure just before it enters the airbrush hose.
Use about 20-30 psi. I would have showed you my set-up if I would have known you were getting into airbrushing.
Have fun and use a spray mask!

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Robert Thomas Creative Signs In Beautiful Naples, Fl.

[This message has been edited by Robert Thomas (edited December 08, 2000).]

Posted by Mikes Mischeif (Member # 1744) on :

Cheryl. I know this may seen sacreligious here at he letterhead site, but you can do this in vinyl until your up to it with an airbrush.

I order pre-airbrushed fades from a Tx co. Called K & R Rainbow. 1-713-896-9981. They fed-ex for rush orders.

They blend 40 different color combinations including the yellow-orannge-red on 13" and 20" punched and unpunched calon calendared and High-perf. vinyl.

You simply cut, weed, tape , apply.It's also uv protected and has saved me hours by not having to air-brush it. You can use it a s a guide to see how this blend should look as you practice.

E-mail for more info - 40% of my "airbrushed" work uses these vinyls - they are fantastic.

Ps This company came to a ussc show in 1993, and hasn't returned since. They are a little known secret in the bus.

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Posted by Cheryl Lucas (Member # 1656) on :

Mike,

I appreciate the security of a backup...Thanks!

I'm taking this project on to learn about airbrush... I think it has alot to offer.

To me, it seems like I'm trying climb a mountain when I've never had experience hiking. I may very well have to resort to your source.

At this point, I'm going to 'try'.

Looking forward to
a masterpiece!
(in my eyes)
Cher.

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Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag"
Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc.
Cape Coral, Florida
VSignsNgraphics@aol.com

Posted by Wizsigns (Member # 778) on :

The way the fade works depends on the paint you use.
The paint you use depends on what you are painting on to.

I like to use auto Uro paints to paint on aluminium
I paint Createx on to vinyl - works well.

I prefer the auto paints to paint with - they go though the air brush better - less clogging.

You will have to play with the airbrush to work out how to get the fades - it is quite easy really.

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David Allen
Wizard Signs - It's a kind of magic!
ICQ 3467358
Email letterhead@wizardsigns.net
ICQ Pager 3467358@pager.icq.com
www.wizardsigns.net
Resident of Letterville
and Virginia, County Cavan, Ireland

Posted by RichDiltz (Member # 367) on :

Well, what a batch of questions! I find with fades it works better if you do the light first and then the dark. The light colors seem to spray with bigger dots and don't blend as well, plus some light colors will not show on top of some darks. Feel free to email me if I can help with other questions.

For a step by step complete with illustrations see one of my web sites at
http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/ThePePainter/clean1.htm

It's not a Paasche, but it's similar enough to help.

Good luck on your project!

~Rich

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Rich Diltz
In Sacramento for now, but who knows where next

www.peoplepainters.com
dreamers@slip.net

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Cheryl..I have to agree with David Allen about the automotive paints. They are "engineered" for spraying to start with and do bite into vinyl very well. Ditto on the "dark onto light".. use a yellow vinyl as the background, spray your orange edges and then spray in the blue "tips".

Just my humble opinion!

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Dave Grundy shop#340
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@quadro.net
www.quadro.net/~shirley
"A PROUD $ supporter of the website"

Posted by Cheryl Lucas (Member # 1656) on :

The batch of questions:

Well, I thought I'd spark a memory cell, maybe a seasoned airbrush artist might overlook the obvious.

What pressure should I use...? I have an air gauge between the compressor and the airbrush.

Thanks for your advise,
Cher.

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Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag"
Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc.
Cape Coral, Florida
VSignsNgraphics@aol.com

Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :

I'd have to say that using your lights first and your next darkest colour until you spray your deepest colour will work the best...

Unless you are doing a reverse image were you will work you darkest colour to your lightest... for example Backlite signage..

Many times a picture will ask for the image outline and this will be the (Pencil Sketching in the main colour of the body work.. Next is the fill in of the artwork..

But more then enough times the fade effect is only overlays of 2-3 colours and top to bottom is in order from light to dark colour...

Raven/2000

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Raven/2000
Airbrushed by Raven
Lower sackville N.S.
deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca

Posted by John Deaton (Member # 925) on :

Not much to add to the above, but I myself usually spray at 60psi. I've done that for years and its worked for me. Psi's are like everything else, and everybodys will be a little different. Airbrushes are one of the most versatile tools ever created, and when used properly, will add much to your creativity. Have fun.
THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY TUBE ROSE FLOUR

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John Deaton III
Deaton Signs&Grafix
109 N. Cumberland Ave.,Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-573-9101

johnd3rd@kih.net
http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/dsigns

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Cheryl..I agree with John..about 50-60PSI is what I use. I ain't an airbrush "artiste" just a "blender/fader". But I find more air and less paint works for me in the "blending" stage. I "open up more" and "bear down" more at each end of the blend and then back off more in the middle.

But I am only just a vinyl guy!!!!!!

Posted by RichDiltz (Member # 367) on :

PSI varies alot with what you are painting and what you are using for paint. You can also change PSI for various effects. I'd say start at around 50 PSI or so and adjust to what is comfortable. To a certain point you will get a finer spray at higher PSI and a coarser spray at lower PSI.

Hope this helps.

~Rich

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Rich Diltz
In Sacramento for now, but who knows where next

www.peoplepainters.com
dreamers@slip.net

Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :

Yo Cheryl (I sure like your name) I have an old Thayer & Chandler airbrush. Actually Cisco told me it is an antique. I should whip it out and try it again. (hey......remember that song Whip it?....what a crack up)

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"surf" or "MoJo54" on mirc
Cheryl J Nordby
Signs by Cheryl
(206) 300-0153
Seattle WA.....!
Whatever you are...be a good one! Abraham Lincoln
http://signsbycheryl.homestead.com/home.html
http://mojosignco.homestead.com/home.html

Posted by Mark Matyjakowski (Member # 294) on :

Only one thing to add to some good info... MOISTURE TRAP ... nothing worse than having a fade go well then all of a sudden a splat of water
I have one on the guage and one on the hose about six inches from the brush.

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If the world didn't suck we would all fall off ... but, on the other hand ... there's different fingers

http://www.slamgraphics.com
Rochester, N.Y.
mark@slamgraphics.com

Posted by Daniel R. Perez (Member # 1585) on :

Dear Cheryl,
You're picking yours up for the first and I'm picking mine up for the last...you see very little around midnight when that midnight oil starts burning low. I cleaned my 20 year old after it faithfully performed for that chromed-metal-reflecting-the horizon-look.
Somewhere between cleaning it out and disconnecting the air hose, the little air trigger came out and I stepped on it snapping the stem clean off...I guess it's time to get a new one.
I like to do wet on wet blending using 1-shot going down with the darker color first and then up with the white or whatever your lighter is.
Hey David, who is your supplier for the Createx?

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There is nothing new under the sun. What will be has already been and what has been will be again.
Daniel R. Perez
Daniez Dzines
Fresno, CA
daniez2001@yahoo.com

[This message has been edited by Daniez (edited December 09, 2000).]

Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :

First thing I'd do after cleaning and preping the surface and masking and weeding, would be to apply either a base color or clear coat of Frog Juice. When the base coat is tacked up, I'd start spraying my color on. The base will bond better and hold the spray. With a VL the pressure would vary depending on the tip and needle size. I often remove the back red cover and loosten the set nut and slide the needle back just a tad and tighten the nut. This will give you a broader pattern. 35-50 lbs should be very adequate. Mixture usually requires around 40% reducer to atomize properly. Build up thin layers to not get sags. I like the light to dark process also, but often come back with some like to fix my over enthusiasm. IOAFF

PS. This post could be called "Flames in Florida"

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The SignShop
Mendocino, California
"Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"

[This message has been edited by Rick Sacks (edited December 09, 2000).]

Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :

I'd start off with yellow vinyl, you can use a steel wool pad to scuff the vinyl surface (although most of the time I dont even worry about this step) then use a paper towel doused with denatured alcohol to clean oils, dirt and fingerprints off.

I use a Paasche VL as well (actually I have 3 VL's) and for fades I usually go with thinned paint (Createx, Dupli-Color, even the cheap-o non-thinned waterbased acrylics from Wal Mart) with the consistency of 1% milk. It seems to flow nicely when thinned like that. I usually just thin with water (for waterbased paints only) but Createx (my main paint for vinyls) also markets a reducer and retarder (keeps paint from drying in the tip.)

If the coverage area is small, I keep the a/b in close and use a light flow of paint.
If the coverage is broad, I pull the lever back for full paint flow and hold the a/b back from the piece to cover a larger area.

I use 35-45 PSI, basically whatever pressure my Paasche D500 compressor feels like supplying. =)

Sometimes I'll want to make a spatter pattern.. pull the lever back for paint flow but dont push it all the way down. This loads the needle with paint and it will spit the pattern for you. =)

I have a cool trick for doing the little highlights or lens flares that really add great detail to your work.
Using pure white or white with a drop of yellow, spray the a/b at full pressure with maximum paint flow for a split second.
Hold the a/b where you want to place a highlight, then give it a blast of air only. This will blow the paint drop off the needle and onto your work, and the pressure will force the paint to run out from the center and create a "starlet" highlight. It takes some practice but it turns out really cool!

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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com

Posted by T.Howell (Member # 875) on :

Rick, that is not the proper operation for that tool. LOL
I do the same thing (slide the needle back for a bigger pattern) I don't think I have ever had larger than a #1 set in my VLs

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Tom Howell
Newbury, MA
Custom paint, pinstriping, lettering since 1979.( I think)
www.bluechipracing.com
bchip105@hotmail.com
978-465-5675

Posted by Wizsigns (Member # 778) on :

Dave

Please note!

I actually use the Auto paint direct on the vehicle or what ever metal I am painting on to.
I tried to use auto paint on vinyl but without much success. That's where the Createx comes in.

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Hi David. ..Actually all I ever use on vinyl is automotive basecoat/clearcoat. It sticks to the vinyl extremely well and is, of course, as impervious to chemicals etc. as the finish on a vehicle. The only time I have a failure is when I get in a hurry and lay too much clear on the vinyl and it wrinkles the vinyl up like a prune!

I know lots of folks prefer Createx, but I just happen to use the materials I do because I am familiar with them and they work fine for me.

UBB.classic™ 6.7.2