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What is involved in using an airbrush?

For somebody who has never used an airbrush before, the process involved when painting with one may not seem immediately obvious. So here are a few tips to give you an idea of what's involved.
Once you have decided that airbrushing is for you and bought a machine, you will be faced with a few choices like what paint to buy, what sized nozzle to use and if fitted with a regulator, what pressure to select? but don't worry, these are all questions that only more advanced airbrush users need to be concerned with.
For a beginner venturing into the world of airbrushing, it's best to start with a spot of general painting. For this, a 0.3mm nozzle is the standard and a pressure of around 15psi is all you need. The important choice you will have to make is regarding which paint to use. Until you have a little experience, always use a paint specifically designed to be used with an airbrush as these will not require thinning.
When you are ready to start painting, place just a few drops of paint into the reservoir of your airbrush as paint goes a surprisingly long way when used in these machines. You should always practice on a piece of card before tackling a model as this will teach you a lot about how your airbrush operates and is something even accomplished airbrush users do every time before painting to check their paint's mix is correct.
A good distance to hold the brush's nozzle away from the surface to be painted is around 3 to 4 inches. Moving the nozzle closer will create thinner lines and further away more of a blanket mist for when you want really thin coats or a wash. Try to move the airbrush evenly from left to right keeping the momentum going to avoid paint build-ups. Don't worry if the paint looks a little thin in places, you can always apply a second coat but it's best to let the original layer dry a little first to avoid drips or runs forming.
When you have finished painting, your airbrush reservoir and nozzle will need cleaning. This is a must because dried on paint will affect the airbrush's performance. Acrylic paint can be thoroughly cleaned away using plain water, but enamels will require a special airbrush cleaning liquid so always make sure you have some in before you start painting.
And that's all there is to basic airbrushing, most of what you will master will only come through experimentation and practice, but for early attempts, there is not a lot to be afraid of so why not give it a go!
Posted in: Painting

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