How to Airbrush Sunset Pictures

Airbrushing a sunset requires a subtle blending of colors.

Airbrushing is a technique of spraying paint through a compressor-powered air gun to create a fine mist of color in short, directed bursts. Airbrushing is an ideal technique to use on sunset pictures because it gives artists the ability to gently blend colors into one another, creating a realistic-looking airbrush sunset picture. Learning how to airbrush sunset pictures requires a focus on the blending and shading aspects of airbrush painting.

Things You'll Need

• Double action airbrush gun
• Airbrush hose
• Airbrush paint
• Compressor
• Respirator
• Easel
• Drawing paper
• Drawing pencil
• Canvas
• Stencils

Instructions

1. Sketch out the sunset design on paper. Ideas to consider include a mountain sunset, a lake sunset, a black silhouette, or a sun setting over treetops. The airbrushing of the sunset itself will include a blending of colors in the uppermost portion of the canvas, so direct your sketching attention to the non-sunset elements of the picture.

2. Use masking techniques to outline your design elements. For example, if you want to make a mountain sunset picture with a black mountain in the foreground, mask the shape of the mountain on to the canvas with a stencil prior to airbrushing the sunset.

3. Load airbrush gun with paint per manufacturer's guidelines. Suggested sunset colors include orange, red, yellow, pink, and violet in transparent or opaque acrylic airbrush paint.

4. Place canvas on an easel in a well-ventilated, draft-free area and put on respirator.

5. Turn on compressor and allow it to warm up, if necessary.

6. Apply color layers in straight, horizontal lines across the surface of the canvas, moving from dark to light. Allow lower layers to softly overlap the upper layers in order to blend the colors.

Tips & Warnings

• The closer the airbrush is to the canvas, the darker the mist will be. Experiment moving the position of the airbrush to achieve different gradients of the same color.

• Masking can be done using self-made or commercial stencils in a lightweight, flexible plastic, applied to the surface of the canvas with spray adhesive. You can also employ a reverse masking technique of covering up the painted sunset with a solid stencil with the desired image cut out. Apply the stencil and paint the image only after the base colors have fully dried.

• Always test the airbrush gun on a piece of paper or cardboard before using it to make sure there are no clogs in the line that would cause the brush to "sputter" during painting.

• Airbrush paint is delivered in a fine mist, so consider your surroundings and cover any furniture, floors, or work surfaces you don't want to risk spraying with paint.

References

• How to Airbrush