Added Airbush Class page

Today I have added the Airbrush class page where you will find detailed information about the courses. That page will be updated whenever changes will occur.

Harley Davidson tank, not yet sprayed with clear coat

Airbrush class to start soon

We have been planning to conduct airbrush classes for some time now, but when you want to do things right, it takes time to arrange matters in the way you see fit. Preparations for the airbrush classes are almost done. Designs for the promotional post cards I submitted yesterday. Here they are, front and back:

 

An other way of tuning airbrushes

While scientists and tinkerers think of ways to tune airbrushes to improve their performance, I tried a different approach, since the airbrush is only one of the components used during airbrushing. The others are water, air and paint. Paint will always be the result of the manufacturers choices; all artists can do, is change the mix ratio by adding more water to less paint. There's also not a lot private persons can do about the quality of air. But there is something that can be done about the quality of water used for spraying.

Combo meter

DIY lightbox projector

A cheap and effective way to accurately project drawings or photos for airbrush artists is explained in this blog entry. It has several advantages over traditional projection methods that involve art / tracers projectors and does not necessarily cost s ton of money. These advantages are:

1. the drawings or photos are not heated by the projector's lamp that generates a lot of radiation heat which tends to deform the reference material, resulting in inaccurate or incorrect projection
2. the image can instantly be made visible while the artist does not have to worry about maintaining the position of the photo / drawing relative to the surface (s)he is airbrushing on
3. it is not necessary to trace the photo / drawing on the airbrush paper or canvas with a pencil. No pencil lines have to be erased later which is difficult or impossible to do with some types and brands of paint
4. prints are used that give an accurate representation of the reference image
5. the printed reference image can be made visible at any time it is necessary by the flip of a switch while the artist is never blocking a traditional projector's light beam

DIY polishing airbrush needles

Polishing airbrush needles can lead to rewarding results for artists that often spray fine lines and don't like to clean the crap off their needles and nozzles between paint refills. To the naked eye stock needles may seem shiny and smooth, but when viewed under a magnifying glass or microscope it becomes clear that the needle's surface resembles a moon landscape after a bad storm. Cracks, grooves and puts are all over it. These spots allow paint to firmly adhere (which paint finds difficult to achieve on really smooth surfaces) to the needle's surface.

Work in progress - Chief Plenty Coups

Here are some images of the various stages of my September 2012 project, a freehand airbrush portrait of the legendary Nez Percez chief Plenty coups.


Note: clicking on any image will show it against a dark background in a slide view in which you can watch all images on this page. You can browse through them by turning the scroll wheel of your mouse. 

 

Why every airbrush artist should have a microscope or magnifying glass

Allow me to first state that I'm aware of the fact that most airbrush artists struggle to make ends meet and that some of the options discussed in this blog entry are too expensive to purchase. But hang on, those that have to survive on a tight budget often tend to be the ones that are creative as hell. All you find in this article can also done by hand, using just a piece of fine grained sanding paper (1000 - 3000), perhaps some polishing paste and a cheap magnifying glass. It just takes more time and control of hand movement, but it most certainly is doable!

Airbrush needles are important parts of the guns. If their bent you can not spray correctly, because the jet of paint and air mixture that the airbrush is disturbed. If their scratched you will get tip dry in no time and the airbrush does not spray nicely, because paint will flow into the minute cavities and build up from there since paint is made to adhere.

What happens beyond your capacity to see? I got a USB microscope today that allows me to see what is actually going on in the area of the needle's tip. Below you see a magnified capture of the needle of the Iwata Custom Micron SB I recently bought. I sprayed one A4 size portrait with it that contains 8 drops of Holbein Aeroflash paint:

Iwata CM SB's needle after one portrait and 8 drops of paint

The magnificent uselessness of the Paasche Turbo

To a certain breed of maniacs among airbrush artists the legendary Paasche Turbo has a strange kind of appeal. I always felt it to be something similar as seeing a woman that is too beautiful to approach - an out of my league type of beauty. Only difference is that the Turbo is a lot cheaper than the chick... Like many gorgeous women the Paasche soon starts to frustrate many of her partners (sorry ladies..., don't take it personally) - adjusting it to a level where you can work with it is an ordeal for those unfamiliar with its quirks. But once you have struggled your way into having a clue about how to adjust and use the tool, you may fall in love with it forever, while there will also be bunch of artists that hate the gun without end.

Various generations of Paasche Turbo airbrushes