Do I need a compressor to use an airbrush?

Airbrushes can be somewhat mysterious to anybody who doesn't already own or have experience using one. Probably the biggest and most unfortunate surprise for any modeller is the discovery that when buying an airbrush, it often doesn't include the compressor. But do you really need one?

Well, yes and no is the non-committal answer to that question. Yes, you will need some way of passing air through an airbrush for it to operate, but no, that doesn't necessarily have to be provided by a compressor as air cans will do the job providing you have an appropriate connection. However, although using an air can is a cost-effective way powering an airbrush for occasional use, a compressor will provide you with more consistent results, and if used relatively frequently, will pay for itself in the savings you'll make not constantly purchasing cans.