How To Choose The Right Airbrush!

CarlyHardy · #1 01-19-2004, 05:43 PM

Sam Houchin (Caterwallin') has supplied everyone with some much needed advice in how to select the "right airbrush" for your needs. I'm sure everyone will find it very helpful!

How To Choose The Right Airbrush!

Thanks Sam for doing such a great job with your tips....really helpful article!
carly

**Alan Cross** · #2 01-20-2004, 09:06 PM

Thanks Carly that is a great read....I had an air brush on my xmas list but I also had a minor torch for glasswork and I got that so I can't complain the air brush is next on my list to get.....
Alan

Leaflin · #3 01-21-2004, 04:54 PM

Thank You Sam for giving us our very first Airbrush article!
Very helpful and informative!

Leaflin · #4 01-27-2004, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by argon

Great primer article, Sam. I used to work at an art supply store and became the "airbrush expert" by default....we didn't sell many and no one else cared anything about them (this was in the late seventies).
At that time the brands that we sold were Badger (mostly an amateur or hobbyist's brand at the time), Pasche and Thayer Chandler. I used my employee discount to pick up a T&C A airbrush and a small Pasche compressor. I was primarily interested in photo retouching at the time and it seemed like the best available choice. I later picked up a Pasche H to do painting in acrylics (I was in total fear that acrylics would gum up the T&C and got the single action Pasche H since I thought it would be easier to maintain).
We had one Pasche AB in the store and it might as well have been a museum piece. At that time the price was $129 and no one wanted to shell out that much money (the seventies...look at the price now) for that exotic little goody. Most artist (both professional and amateur) just couldn't get over the financial hurdle to get into airbrushing even thought they all seemed keenly interested and drooled over the case containing the gear all the time. I spent a lot of time getting my chops together with the T&C A and finding retouching projects to hone my skills on.
One day, I attended a demonstration given by Pasche and one of the other art suppliers in town...the airbrush guy from one of the local papers came and brought his Pasche AB and proceeded to blow our minds with it. That guy made the AB do everything but dance on the drawing board. Just shows what years of experience can get you when you work with an airbrush.
Could never understand the reluctance of artists to spend the money...I was doing photography at the time and had to put out to buy cameras and lenses.

argon

**pampe** · #5 01-29-2004, 09:47 PM

wonderful article..thanks for the heads up, Carly

Rage of Reason · #6 10-16-2004, 06:45 PM

Probably a matter worth considering for both beginners and advanced artists is to visit a fair where manufacturers allow to test their airbrushes before deciding which brand and type to buy. Since many will be present, testing will give you a chance to compare the sprayguns. And quite often prices during shows are reduced as well. It gets even better when demonstrations are given by artists; if you get friendly with them and ask smart questions they might even reveal to you which airbrush they use at home or in their studio

Take care,

Rage

Penny220 · #7 10-16-2004, 09:05 PM

Welcome Rage. Show's like that are hard to find in the US, usually the best you can do it go to a store where they sell multiple brands but they too are hard to find.

rico123 · #8 02-04-2005, 04:37 PM

Iwould like to know what kind of gauges you would use on a co2 tank.the ones that I have seen so far are two stage with two gages onthem one shows tank volum andtank flow and are low volum. The ones the use for the bevergae industry have a safty valve on them set to realese between55 and 60 psi. is that enough psi for t-shirts.

Penny220 · #9 02-04-2005, 08:47 PM

Even compressors have 2 guages. One is a regulator the other is tank pressure. You have the option to buy or rent guages for tanks like this and you can get them for different max pressures. You probably want to deal with a welding shop for gases. As a rule welding shops are the ones that supply the gas to all other commercial business such as the beverage industry, medical industry etc. They have access to all of the guages and anything else you may need.

cal_aussie · #10 09-20-2005, 07:25 AM

It was great to read all about the different airbrushes, I have chosen a gravity fed airbrush and am eagerly awaiting its arrival, it is all new to me, and need all the information that I can get hold of, I normally paint with acrylic and oils, so this is a new challenge.

Penny220 · #11 09-22-2005, 11:08 PM

congrads cal! Most of us AB with acyrlics and I have ab'd with oils in the past. The hardest part to get use to is not touching your canvas with each stroke. In the beginning it will not just be different it will be weird. There are allot of great threads here to any and all questions. The best place to start is with the stickies. If you happen to find a thread to be of great assistance to you and it's not in the stickies please bring it to my attention so I can add it for the next person. When you do get your airbrush and start using it post your work even if it's just doodles. There is allot that we can advise you on just by looking at practice dagger strokes and dots. Do not be shy in posting your beginnings as we all started the same way.

Deby K · #12 10-16-2007, 01:25 AM

I am probably a strange beast as I use my airbrush to paint on glass it is then fired in my little kiln and i get great results.

I was unsure of which type to buy so I went and did an airbrush class just to see what was available. I tired several different types over the weekend class and ended up with a Badger, it is fabulous to say the least. I have total control over the flow of paint as it is external mix and I can just about paint anything with it. Go do a course if you want to get the best.

Regards,

Deby K.

ArtyHelen · #13 09-27-2011, 01:19 PM

Very helpful article!

Shame it appears to be aimed at men only, though, from that "your wife" comment near the end...

Rivki · #14 04-23-2012, 09:37 PM

Thanks for a VERY informative article on airbrushing!!!...
Hmmm, I seem to be a tad outnumbered here, but I'm gonna try anyway...
I am looking to buy an airbrush system for home cake/cookie decorating. Does anyone have any tips/ideas/brands on what airbrush system would be best?
Don't want to spend a fortune, but don't mind spending a decent amount for a decent productive product. Any ideas out there would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks

Salute to our Partners