Hi Folks, I am very interested in learning some of the basics and troubleshooting some of the stumbling blocks I have encountered while trying to learn how to airbrush. I would like to learn the art of airbrushing & incorporate it in as many ways as possible in my one man shop, but I am obviously missing some of the basics. I tried subscribing to an airbrush magazine, but found little guidance for learning what most took for granted.
My main problem is just keeping the brush spraying! And I know I need more knowledge about needles and some maintenance and masking issues.
I live in a relatively remote area, so I thought I would try the bull board.
Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to respond.
Posted by Steve Spiry (Member # 2201) on :
Give me a shout at maddartist@hotmail.com I can help ya out with most problems and might be able to help, I airbrush cars,murals and vinyl in Brandon Manitoba........cya
Posted by Ed Ryall (Member # 3221) on :
Im here, I don't know everything but have played with the stuff. Ed Ryall/ WWW.REBEL-AIR.NET Posted by J.T. Gazaway (Member # 2001) on :
I can answer just about any question you have on several different brands. What type of airbrush are you using?
Posted by Mark Matyjakowski (Member # 294) on :
I'm sure you could get just about any question answered here if you narrow down the problems... and what you're using. Lots of people play with the airbrush around here (some play the hell out of it)
Can't keep it spraying?... My GUESS is you're using a waterbased paint a little too thick with not enough pressure ... maybe a damaged tip or needle building up paint?
What kind of masking issues?
A good exercise is to completely dis-assemble and re-assemble the brush a few times thinking in terms of what each part does to complete the whole.(greater understanding of the tool)
E-Mail or post your questions and I will help you out..
It is my first choice of brushes!
Posted by Mark M. Kottwitz (Member # 1764) on :
Wow, what a concidence. I just got the bug to learn to airbrush.
If you do a google search for "airbrush instruction" you will come up with tons of links.
Also yahoo.com has online communities called Yahoo Groups. I did a search and came up with 33 different groups. I personally joined "custompaintandairbrushing" and "airbrush".
On a side note, what brand gun are you using? I just picked up a Badger 175 "Cresendo", and would like to know what the guys on here think about the brand.
Posted by Steve Barba (Member # 431) on :
I'm no expert, but I fake it really well. You can e-mail me as well.
With the variety of airbrush artists that have responded to your post, between all of us, we should be able to answer just about all of your questions.
Posted by J & N Signs (Member # 901) on :
Hey Ivan: I'm planning to do the same as you , learning about airbrush. I have always been interested in it. By the way I met your Mayor, Mr. Zimmer if I remember correctly and some of your Tisdale co habitants in Bathurst N.B. at the Air Canada Cup (AAA Midget) in March.
[ August 31, 2002, 01:18 PM: Message edited by: J & N Signs ]
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Any time you have problems keeping an airbrush spraying, it's dirty.
It could just be paint drying up on the tip of the needle as it exits the gun, especially if it's a waterbased paint. Just grab a towel (or your shirt) and use it to pinch off the dried paint. If you cant get it that way, then use some thinner (Denatured alcohol for waterbased paint, laquer thinner for anything else) on a paper towel or something and wedge it in there.
If the tip is clean and it's not spraying right (and the airbrush is in new condition or you know the seals inside are still good) then there's some paint jammed up inside it somewhere. Take the airbrush apart and clean it.
Also you might get in the habit of straining the paint through a fine mesh (pantyhose, t-shirt, filter screen) before using it in case there's any larger chunks of solids in it. Those don't flow through the airbrush very well. Posted by RaveOn (Member # 885) on :
Well thank you kindly people, and yes Mario, Rolly Zimmer is our mayor! You must be one of those Hockey nuts. heh heh.
As far as the airbrush goes, it is a Pasche VL suction feed.
Hmm, yes all three of my needles are bent on the end a bit, no doubt from me inserting them point first after cleaning attempts.(which I have since stopped doing)
I have taken it apart quite a few times in an effort to understand/clean it.
I am using Createx Auto Air & Air Brush colors. (water based) Could these colors come to thick, or perhaps thicken with age? Should a person use water or a specific airbrush cleaner and medium?
BTW, I am copying and pasting all responses, so that I can compile and refer, and dare I say, perhaps email a few of you when particular problems crop up.
My masking problem was the front of a goalie mask(yes hockey), where I was to put a Maple leaf and lettering running across the uneven surface on the forehead of the mask. I masked and attempted, one at a time to paint these.
I tried premask, and paint mask, one after the other and found the paint bled under both. So I sanded it off, and began again. I ended up doing it in vinyl, which worked well. but I would have liked to haved used the air-brush alone.
Thanks again for your time. Ivan Allan Eye Signs SK, Canada
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Ivan, it's the AutoAir and Createx.
Both are too thick straight out of the bottle to use in an airbrush, thin them a bit with either filtered water or distilled water and bring them to a consistency of milk.
You can straighten out your needles by squeezing the tips in the tweezers you use for doing vinyl stuff. Put the tip in the tweezers, squeeze, let go, rotate the needle, squeeze again, let go.. keep doing that and the needle will straighten out.
Also it sounds like you might be using the VL-1 needle set in your airbrush, since the VL-3 and VL-5 needles aren't very prone to bending. You might try the VL-3 needle, cone and aircap set if they came with your VL. The VL-1 needle set is more for spraying very thin items like inks and will not handle the createx, laquers or other slightly thicker paints very well. The VL-3 needle set is a great all-around way to go and can spray most inks and paints.
Posted by Ed Ryall (Member # 3221) on :
Yep you can thin Createx but you will loose some bite. One instructor I had would cut it 1 paint 9 water but he was painting on canvas for indoors.Createx sells a Extender that helps to thin the paint, but they recomend a small amount on the label. With a #3 tip you have to push 50lbs or more air. Auto airbrushers us med. tack transfer tape for masking. Good luck have fun. Ed
Posted by Ed Ryall (Member # 3221) on :
Also, painting that mask/helmet voids the warrenty if that matters to you.Here in Domi and McCarty COUNTY(Essex)the minor leagers can not use painted gear. ~LAWSUITES~ I have been trying to be ITEC factory certified for painting helmets so that warrenty is valid. Ed
Posted by RaveOn (Member # 885) on :
Yes Mike, I am probably a little confused about the needle and cone sets. I have three needles, and three cones. Large, medium and small. I am not sure which cone goes with which needle. So obviously I need to pay more attention to that.
One question is... How do you get the fine controlled even lines and strokes. Is it using the finest needle and cone with your paint thinned to the max?
Are bonding/hardnening additives necessary? And what should I use for clear coating?
Hmm, it seems the questions are endless...
thanks Ivan
Posted by Steve Barba (Member # 431) on :
With the thicker paints you should use the #3 tip. The fine tip is for inks and watercolors.
Just my 2 cents here- you will have better luck without the water base paints when learning. That crap dries way to fast on the tip and clogs the brush 10X faster than the oil base stuff.
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Also Ivan
Createx Paint can be watered down very nicely but you need to give it more Bond-All and Additive. for the bite....
For Fine Line work
I have never used Pasche brushes But use Iwata,Badgers,Vegas,Etc...
Lower your air pressure and take the nose cone off the unit.
The closer you can get to the artwork the better. You can spray very fine lines this way! If you are getting Spider webbing (Splats on the Airwork)as you are brushing then you still have to much air... It takes alot of practice on different surface to master.
As far as the helmet is concerned. Sand with 200 then 400 grid paper,Wipe with Iso Prop. Mask with Spraylat mask (latex mask)
Draw your image with sharpie marker.
Cut and peel and fine spray your image...Remember your will have to layer the colour more then onces to bring it out and to stop runs. A good trick is if you can airbrush and use the heat gun at the same time. It helps stop runs. plus quickens the overlap time of your painting... Posted by J.T. Gazaway (Member # 2001) on :
A Paasche VL won't do what you are decribing there, Stephen. That works on an Iwata but if you take the tip off of a VL, it won't spray at all. It doesn't stipple like the Iwata does.
Posted by R T Thomas (Member # 355) on :
JT's right about the Paasche not spraying without the aircap on. Just not made that way. If you can't get the needles straightened out enough to use by doing as Mike said, use an extra fine honing stone and sharpen them up that way. You might also want to polish them using a jewelers rouge. The small striations left after honing will affect the spray slightly. As for not spraying or having an intermittant spray. Sometimes it can mean there is an air leak around the aircap or the head assembly. To find out, put water in a bottle and pull the trigger back all the way and while doing this spray the head itself with soapy water or cleaner. The leaks will bubble. If you see bubbles around the head assembly, etc. seal them with teflon tape on the threads being careful to put just one wrap. Too much tape can be detrimental to the threads. As for cleaner. For acrylic paints I use windshield cleaner at an 8-1 ratio of ammonia. Works as good or better than the commercial cleaners and is a heck of a lot cheaper. Always use distilled water for thinning, but thin very little. I use a spray bottle to think my paints. I put a bit of paint in a bottle and then squirt a couple of squirts of water in and try try it until i get a good consistency. Doing this for a while you'll learn about how many squirts it take for every different color. Each color has it's on consistency that it will spray the best. At least that's what I've found to be true about Aqua Flow. Createx is thin already from the bottle and I've never had to thin it much, if at all before spraying. Also, if you are spraying on fabric a good starting air pressure is about 50 lbs. When I do t-shirts I run at least 65 lbs of pressure if not more. Hope this helps, R.T.
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