Airbrush Supplies

Series Summary

The first airbrush machine was a hand operated compressor developed in 1879 by Abner Peeler in Iowa to be used for artistic purposes. The modern airbrush works by passing compressed air through a filter pump, which then creates a reduction in air pressure, or suction, which allows paint to be pulled from a connected reservoir. The high pressure of the air turns the paint into tiny droplets as it passes a very fine paint-metering component. The effect is a very smoothly blended one that mixes a variety of colors in a seamless way. Airbrushing has been used by many artists for photo retouching, murals, makeup application and for detailing cars and motorcycles. In this free video series, learn how to start airbrushing. Our expert, Mike Royall, shows you everything you need to know to create fantastic airbrush art. Learn the supplies and materials you need to get started. Also, learn how to clean your airbrushes. If you are trying to practice your freehand airbrush skills, learn how to make newsprint, cursive writing, rat tails, and more! So, what are you waiting for? Find the inner airbrush artist in you!

Video Transcript

"Okay, for safety reasons and future videos you are going to see me, but do as I say, not as I do, you'll need something if you're using water based paint, you'll be using a mask like this to keep it from filtering in through your lungs. And if you're using automotive stuff, you definitely need a respirator. Another thing just for you to keep practicing with, is stop at your local drugstore and just grab a couple of kids' coloring books. And they've got plenty of pictures in there. You can just color away on them. But right now I'm going to show you just about anything you need to start airbrushing, and hopefully by the end if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at mike@theartofroyal.com. Hopefully you've visited my website and you've seen some of my work. First off, absolutely have to have an airbrush. There are several different kinds and we'll get into more detail about that in another video. You'll need the hose for the airbrush, quick disconnects. You can get those at your local hardware store. The airbrush you can get at any local art store or craft store or anything like that. And you're going to need some kind of air supply. You can either use a compressor like this one here, or you can use a CO2 tank. First off with the compressor, the biggest thing is is, this is one of the cheaper models. You need about a half horse to three quarter horse with at least half a gallon tank. You need some kind of a tank. There's other more advanced compressors that you can use that you can buy through art stores and stuff like that, but let's get you started on something inexpensive. The only bad problem with this is if you're working in a situation like this, it does make a little noise."