Art is a timeless experience that always seeks for something new. Be it those colorful crayons, paintbrushes, or sketch pens; art indulges in vibrant colors. Airbrushing is one such technique that has made its entry to the realm of art.
In comparison with other methods of creating art, Airbrush has achieved more popularity within a short span of time. Are you a connoisseur of art with love for vibrant colors? Then, you would love to know more about creating airbrush art.
The Story Behind Airbrushing
The origin of airbrushing dates back to the Stone Age when the cavemen used to spray liquid colors on the cave walls to create colorful pictures. Due to the absence of chemical colors, cavemen used their mouths to spray juices for painting the walls. Later, the technique was again made popular during the later part of the 19th century when Francis Edgar Stanley applied the airbrush method to paint huge areas in the automotive and model production industry.
After the 1960s, the application of airbrush technology began to expand, and artists started to use it in creating different types of art.
Definition of Airbrushing
In this method, colors are sprayed on a surface through an airbrush gun. A compressor is used to produce the airflow. Nozzles of various shapes and sizes are applied in this gun to create different coloring effects. Airbrush guns paint not only large areas but also create beautiful color gradients and subtle details.
Equipment for Airbrushing
Are you a beginner in airbrushing? Then, you need to have the right equipment for creating the perfect airbrush art. In this comparison with other equipment for creating art, an airbrush set is a bit more expensive. However, you will get airbrush sets in different price ranges according to your preference. The primary equipment of an airbrush set includes:
The Airbrush Gun
There are two kinds of airbrush guns available in the market, including Single Action and Double Action.
Single Action airbrush gun is capable of controlling the pressure and the airflow with the help of two control buttons. This type of gun maintains a continuous flow of colors. In case you are a beginner in airbrushing, this gun is suitable for making simple artworks.
On the contrary, the artists who want to enhance their skills can take the help of double-action airbrushes. This gun has only one button to control both the volume of paint and air. Although it needs adequate skills to control this gun, you can create finer artworks using this airbrush gun.
Airbrush Compressor
The airbrush compressor controls the pressure of air in your gun so that an appropriate amount of airflow is generated. When the user presses the button of the pistol, the compressed air is released and also helps the color to come out of its container. Air pressure plays an important role in creating airbrush art.
Therefore, you should be careful while choosing the right compressor. If you do not maintain the air pressure between 1.5 to 2.5 bar while airbrushing, you will come across difficulties like color splashes and unsuitable streaks.
Airbrush Paint
The quality of your airbrush art depends on your chosen paint. There are two types of paint, including water-based and lacquer-based paints. The choice of your paint should be based on the purpose of your airbrush art.
Lacquer based paints contain harmful components for health. Therefore, you need to wear a respirator while airbrushing with this paint. Once you are done using this paint, you will need to hire a professional cleaning agent to clean the airbrush gun. However, you can clean the water-based color by yourself using clear water.
Though water-based paints are not harmful to your health, you should take proper safety measures during your work with airbrush paints. The nozzle size should also be taken care of while choosing the appropriate paint.
Other Useful Tools for Airbrushing
Besides the essential equipment in your airbrush set, some other useful tools that you need while airbrushing include-
While airbrushing with lacquer based paints, you should remember to wear a leakage-proof respirator for protecting yourself from the hazardous particles of the paint.
The cleaner is essential to clean the airbrush gun after your work is finished.
- The suction system is used to absorb the generated mist while airbrushing.
- Masking film mainly helps you to spray paints on fine edges and corners.
Essential Techniques of Airbrushing
The three essential techniques of spraying airbrush paints include –
- Lines: While creating even lines with your airbrush gun, you should maintain the steadiness of your hand and the appropriate amount of paint.
- Surfaces: You should apply colors on the areas of your picture from the upper left to the bottom right direction so that you can avoid stains and create an even surface of your picture.
- Shades: To create darker shades in your airbrush art, you can use black paint. However, if you want to add lighter shades into your picture, you can apply diluted water-based colors.
Steps for Creating Your Airbrush Art
Some necessary steps that you need to follow for creating an airbrush art include-
- Firstly, you should make a loose sketch with your pencil or use airbrush templates to have a clear outline of the picture.
- In order to paint the edges and corners of your picture, you can stick the tape to those particular areas and then cut it according to particular sizes using a knife. Be cautious while using a knife to cut the sizes. It will help you to protect your picture from splashing the paint. Blurred pictures don’t require masking film.
- Next, you need to connect your airbrush gun with the compressor and set up the pressure based on the paint and nozzle size. Then, put the diluted paint into the gun’s container.
- Now, you can apply the colors on your picture in an even manner.
- Once you are done with the initial application of paints, you can again cover some parts of your picture with mask tape and spray colors to create light and darker shades.
- Lastly, you can use black spray paints in some parts of your picture to adjust the effect of light and shadow.
Final Words
In comparison with other art techniques, airbrushing also requires practice to achieve excellence. So, there is no need to be disheartened if you fail at your first attempt. Your passion and perseverance for airbrush will gradually lead you towards perfection.