How to Airbrush Art onto Race Cars

Airbrush designs will make this race car much more recognizable.

Airbrushing a custom design on a race car can be challenging, but the end result provides a one-of-a-kind work of art. You can use an airbrush to create wildly imaginative artwork, resulting in a car that will be easily recognized by spectators and fans. If you have never airbrushed before, it is a good idea to practice on posterboard until you feel ready to move on to a car.

Things You'll Need

• Frisket sheets
• Pencil
• Razor blade
• Airbrush
• Air compressor
• Hose
• Sandpaper (coarse and fine)
• Low-tack painters tape
• Tarp
• Automotive airbrush paint
• Posterboard (optional)
• Clear coat

Instructions

Prepare Stencils

1. 

   Example of layered stencils

   Draw the designs you want onto frisket (plastic sheets with adhesive backing available in art supply stores) with a pencil. Airbrushing is often accomplished by layering many shapes, so you may want to break your design into several layers. For example, the cat in the photo was accomplished with two stencils: one for the dark cat shape, then another for the pink areas. Stencils are the easiest way to get clean, crisp edges.

2. Cut out the designs with a razor blade to create stencils. You should have a few inches of frisket material around the cutout to protect against overspray.

3. Sand any rough spots lightly with fine-grit sandpaper to remove burrs and other imperfections.

Prepare the Airbrush

1. Plug in the compressor.

2. Connect the airbrush gun to the compressor with an air hose.

3. Set the air pressure (PSI) to a level that you are comfortable with. Higher pressure will cover more area faster because it sprays more paint, but is also harder to control. Lower pressure is easier for beginners, but requires much more time to get an even coverage.

Prepare the Car and Work Area

1. Lightly sand the area to be painted with coarse sandpaper to help the paint adhere.

2. Tape off any areas that you want to protect from the paint with low-tack painter's tape, the kind you use to mask off windows and doorways when painting a room.

3. Cover the floor with a tarp.

Painting

1. Decide the order in which you want to paint your elements. If the background is light, you should paint it first since other elements can be painted on top. If the background is dark, you may want to paint it last.

2. Add airbrush automotive paint to the airbrush.

3. Begin painting. Set your PSI to a higher number for filling in large areas, and to a lower number for fine detail work. Allow each color to dry completely before painting over it with another one. Drying time will depend on what paint you are using and how you have applied: thin coats dry faster than thick ones.

4. Peel the backing off of the stencils and attach them to the car. Paint through each stencil, allowing each layer to dry completely before removing the stencil. If you put a stencil against wet paint, you will get a smeary mess.

5. Add fine detail either with an airbrush or with a small paintbrush if you feel you have more control that way. If you use a paintbrush, use the same paint as the airbrush to make sure the color matches. The effect you achieve will depend on the thickness of your paint.

6. Allow the entire paint job to dry once you have finished.

7. Remove the masking tape from around your artwork.

8. Paint the entire area with a clear coat to match the shine of the rest of the car.

Tips & Warnings

• You can work much faster by using an airbrush that is fed by bottles plugged into the gun. Use many bottles, each with a different color of paint. That way, you can switch colors quickly.

• Work with confidence. Remember: If you make a mistake, you can almost always paint over it or incorporate it into the design. Some very interesting artwork has resulted from artists' mistakes.

• Check the paint you are using for the correct solvent to clean your airbrush.

• Always airbrush in a well-ventilated area.

• Never allow paint to dry in an airbrush. Clean it out immediately after painting.

References

• Airbrush Talk: Beginning Excercises
• How to Airbrush: Airbrush Use of Frisket Film
• Airbrush Technique Magazine: Monster Truck Mural

Resources

• How to Airbrush