What Kind of Paint Is Used to Airbrush?

Airbrushed T-shirts are popular in tourist areas.

Airbrushing is a painting technique used to paint shirts, license plates, tote bags and other decorative items. This type of art is popular in tourist areas because many people enjoy personalizing an item with their name and the vacation spot on it. Different types of paints produce different effects on the items.

Watercolor Paints

Watercolors form a transparent color on the individual item. It can be purchased already reduced and ready for the airbrush or it can be reduced with distilled water.

Oil Paint

Oil paints are long lasting on objects, but they can take a long time to dry as well. Thinners like mineral spirits or turpentine are effective with oil paints.

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint can be transparent or opaque on the item. Some can be reduced with water, although others require a special formula reducer. This type of paint is long lasting and often requires heat setting, so is perfect for airbrushed clothing items.

Gouache or Tempera

Tempera or gouache paint is similar to watercolor in that it can be reduced with distilled water. It is more of an opaque color though, due to the white pigment in this type of paint. These types of paints can't be allowed to dry in the airbrush sprayer, as they will cause clogging.

References

• How to Airbrush: Airbrush Paint Quick Review

Resources

• Drawing Coach: How to Choose the Appropriate Airbrush Paint