How to Airbrush a Car Trunk
Airbrushing a car trunk gives you art in motion. The artwork goes wherever you go and will get you noticed. The key to succeeding at this mobile art form is preparation. No paint job is good enough to cover a poorly prepared surface. But with the proper time spent in preparation, combined with a solid application technique, you can create rolling art that gets attention no matter where you happen to be driving.
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Things You'll Need
- Automotive grade masking tape
- Dust mask
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Orbital sander
- Sandpaper (120 grit, 320 grit)
- Red Scotch bright
- Automotive primer paint
- Sanding block
- Tack cloth
- Degreaser
- Paint sealer
- Airbrush
- Paints
- Clear coat
Instructions
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1
Prepare the trunk for painting. Thoroughly wash the car until it is spotless, removing all dirt and debris from the surface of the trunk.
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Use masking tape to mask off the edges of parts connecting with the trunk, especially the windows, side and rear panels, lights and the bumper. If only covering a section of the trunk, mask off the portion of the trunk that will not be painted.
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Don protective gear, including the dust mask, rubber gloves, safety goggles and long clothing that covers as much skin as possible.
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4
Sand the unmasked portion of the trunk using the orbital sander equipped with 300- to 400-grit sandpaper. Use the flat of the sander to cover the entire surface, using a small circular motion. Take care not to sand through the masking tape at the edges. Sand away the glossy finish of the automotive paint until you've created a smooth, even finish on the trunk. The sanding process also adds texture to the surface of the trunk for the paint to stick to. For difficult to reach corners, use a red Scotch bright pad to sand the surface.
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Prime the area by spraying with automotive primer paint and allow it to dry overnight.
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Place 320-grit sandpaper onto a sanding block and sand the primer coat until you create a smooth finish.
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Remove the masking tape from your car trunk. Blow away the residue left over from sanding using the compressed air from the airbrush. Apply a degreaser to the trunk to remove any traces of oils from your hands. Remove any dust from the area and allow the dust to settle overnight.
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Reapply the masking tape and don your safety gear.
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Run a tack cloth over the trunk to remove any dust that may have settled then apply a layer of sealer to the paint and wait two hours for it to dry. The sealer helps to form a surface for your airbrushing over the primer.
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Paint the trunk with the desired pattern and colors. Use long strokes to paint the trunk, holding the airbrush 6 inches from the surface of the trunk. Work in layers if painting an image, painting background areas of the image first. For example, if painting a cloud in a sky, first paint the sky, allow it to dry then paint the cloud onto the blue sky background. Allow each layer time to dry before beginning a covering layer. Point the airbrush directly at the trunk, not at an angle. Spraying at an angle may force paint beneath the masking tape. To paint in more detail, move the airbrush closer to the trunk's surface; doing so will create a denser layer of paint.
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Spray three layers of clear coat over the paint job, after finishing the painting, to seal in the paint and to protect it from damage. Use a light layer of clear coat for the first layer, lightly covering the trunk. Follow this layer with two full layers, allowing a two hour drying time between each coat. Let the final coat sit overnight.
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Remove the masking tape to view the painted area against the rest of the vehicle.
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Tips & Warnings
For complicated images, create a stencil to use when applying the paint to the trunk.
