Abacus
Antique Dealers: Using An Airbrush
Airbrushing
for the porcelain/pottery artist and the furniture
touch-up artist!
The
skill of using an airbrush is quite simple! It is
like the artist using a paintbrush. It is only a tool.
The results are from the imagination and talents of
the artist.
With
the paintbrush the artist loads a brush with paint
and the brush becomes the vehicle that carries the
paint to a chosen place. The artist does the same
with the airbrush, he loads the cup with paint and
the airbrush carries the paint to its chosen place.
It
is as simple as that!
The
number one advantage of using an airbrush is that
it does not leave any brush marks. A perfectly even
color can be placed with no streaks, darks or lights
or any signs of brush strokes. This is why it is the
chosen tool for fine porcelain artists and furniture
touch-up artists. The wonderful part of using an airbrush
is all the different techniques that can be used to
create special effects.
I
will tell you some basic things to know before purchasing
an airbrush. No matter what airbrush you choose, there
will be basic features that are the same on all of
them. They all have a reservoir or a paint loading
area. Some have a cup, bottle or a place at the top
where the paint is placed. Then it is with the force
of air that blows the paint out on to the surface.
There are two different types of airbrushes, one is
single action and the other is double action. The
single action limits the capabilities of many techniques.
It is a straight motion of paint coming forward with
no control of the heaviness or size of the spray pattern.
When the trigger is pressed, a pre-set amount of fluid
is sprayed. Some have a separate adjustment for the
air and this adjustment controls the amount of air
that comes through.
I
find these to be clumsy for the use of blending in
areas and color matching. These sell for a lower price
and it limits the results. The double action allows
the artist to adjust the spray size and the amount
of paint as it comes out of the brush. Once the skill
is mastered, a line as thin as a pencil line can be
drawn, or a space can be filled in with a two to three
inch spray that will cover a large background. This
can be shaded to camouflage an area. The first motion
is to push the trigger straight down (this controls
the amount of air); the second motion is to pull back
(this allows an amount of paint to come through. Both
motions control the amount on air and paint.
A
general guide for air pressure is to set the regulator
on the air tank or compressor at 35 psi. (Pounds of
air pressure per square inch) This may fluctuate either
way depending on the size of the airbrush, the length
of the hose, and the technique you wish to choose.
For straight painting this is the pressure that I
use.
Generally
speaking, too much pressure will create an over spray
of paint, too little pressure may result in the paint
going on too heavy and not flowing out and not covering
the way you expect. It also may not have enough pressure
to carry some of the heavier body paints such as the
lacquers that are so widely used by touch-up, restorative
artists. The best is to experience the different situations,
and then you can choose what will work best for you.
In
order to be successful at using an airbrush, it is
imperative to know the anatomy. With every airbrush
comes a diagram of its components. Do not be afraid
to take it apart. An airbrush is a tool and like all
tools it needs to be cleaned. The nature of this process
is to be cleaning the airbrush constantly. Do not
think that just spraying a cleaner through it after
its use is going to have it thoroughly cleaned.
Approximately
every 5 minutes I stop and clean my brush; with every
paint change, I clean my brush; if a paint mixture
is too heavy, I clean my brush; after it spits or
does not flow evenly, I clean my brush; when I am
finished, I thoroughly clean by taking it semi-apart
and clean in and around all the facets of were any
paint may have lodged. Sometimes paint travels into
other parts so the entire airbrush needs to be disassembled.
The latest airbrush that I have purchased is the Aztec.
It
can be found in all hobby shops (retails for approximately
$129.00) or you can order one through Jerry’s
Artarama at 800 827-8478 for approximately $69.00).
I find myself doing less cleaning with this airbrush
than with any of the others I have (Iwata, Badger,
Pache, Thayer Chandler), and cleaning is easier to
do. They have designed this airbrush with fewer parts
and the parts are made of plastic, so the paint naturally
does not stick to it as paint does to the metal ones.
When thoroughly cleaning it, it releases any entrapped
parts easier. Another great feature of this airbrush
is that it has little tops that come with the different
cups. When painting at an angle, no more worry of
your paint spilling out onto you piece. (The name
“Fisher Price” should be on it.)
I
find the other double action airbrushes will perform
better for the detailed or critical techniques of
painting. I have both, but use my Aztec for approximately
90% of my work. It is also the least expensive and
comes with a video. Just understand that part of the
process of painting with an airbrush is cleaning.
You are doing nothing wrong when your airbrush gets
clogged! Most beginners, at first become frustrated,
thinking it is they that are creating the problem.
It is not. When I paint I just go through the motion
of cleaning, unconscious of the process; for me it
has all become part of the procedure. Clean, clean,
clean!
To
summarize:
Purchase
a double action airbrush
Adjust
the pressure to approx. 35 PSI
Clean,
clean and clean
The
first thing to do after purchasing an airbrush is
to read all the information that comes with it. Look
over the layout of all its parts. Realize that you
will need to get familiar with them. Make sure that
the air hose attachments are secured with Teflon tape.
(Teflon tape can be purchase at any plumbers supply
section of a hardware store) This will prevent any
air leakage. Always apply the tape to the very end
of the metal tip, you would not want any of it to
dislodge and get caught in the airbrush. Make sure
there is no air leakage from the hose itself.
I
once burnt out an air compressor because I did not
realize that my hose had become brittle from age and
developed air leaks through out the length. I was
not aware of these air leaks. I checked all my fittings
with soapy water, to see if any bubble were created
from the solution. It took me a while to figure out
what was happening, because I could hear no noise
of air coming out. I had just switched to a silent
compressor, and thought it was the nature of the new
machine to keep running. Experience; it’s how
we learn!
Any
compressor will work, as long as it has a storage
tank. Inexpensive ones can be purchased at Home Depots,
they sell for $200.00. The important thing is that
it has a storage tank. If you bleed off of a direct
feed compressor, it will be difficult to get an even
spray. This is critical in partial/spot restoration.
Also a direct feed builds up condensation in the air
hose. If you are using anything other than water base
paints it will mix moisture with the paint and will
cause the paint to lift and peel. It also will make
funny little spray paint designs when it is blown
on to the surface. As extra precaution attach a water
extractor in-between the air source and the hose.
If you are using lacquers, this is necessary part
of the equipment. They run approximately $20.00
Developing
the skills of using an airbrush will take time. It
is in the process of using the airbrush that you will
learn the techniques. I use white grease resistant
paper plates, to place my paints on and to work from.
They are disposable, so I do not need to take the
time to clean a pallet. Time is money in this business!
The cost of each one is 2 cents apiece, which makes
it profitable to just toss and reach for another one.
To start, you will need to add the paint that you
have chosen into the reservoir. (paint cup or bottle)
After
you have chosen the color, then it will need to be
adjusted with the thinner (water for water base, lacquer
thinner for lacquer and mineral spirits for oils),
so it will properly flow through the airbrush. This
will take some time to achieve the correct thickness
of the paint. Experience will be your teacher at this
point.
Too
thin, and it will run, or it will take too long to
build up with paint. Too thick and it will clog the
flow of paint. You know what you will have to do at
this point; remember it is part of the process. (Clean,
clean, and clean) From here, you need to practice.
It will come from the doing, just remember to push
straight down to start and then pull back. I emphasize
this point because if you create the habit of pulling
back first you will lodge paint in the airbrush and
when you allow the air to come in it will push the
paint out and without your control it will splatter
over the surface. Remember to push down first and
then pull back.
Okay
you are ready to have some fun! I suggest to purchase
a child’s coloring book. First start with containing
the spray to within the lines, just like coloring;
then practice following the outlines while keeping
your spray patterns the same size as the lines. Practice
shading sections in, going from light to dark. Practice
layering of the colors. Use just the primaries to
achieve all the colors of the rainbow. After doing
about 5 to 10 pages, you will be ready to paint on
an object piece. This exercise will teach you the
control of the airbrush. All airbrushes come with
information on how to create special effects. Practice
these techniques and do the suggested exercises. You
will be on your way in no time! These skills apply
to both, the fine porcelain restorer and the wood
touch-up artist. Once an under-base color is achieved
then detail can be added with water base paints.
By
Andrea Daley
