Home › Forums › Explore Media › Airbrush › Using Airbrushes for Watercolor Paintings
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March 21, 2004 at 11:17 pm #984039
I was thumbing through a catalog the other day and I saw a tip about using an airbrush with watercolors and I can’t say I had every really thought about it or remember seeing it disscused. Does anyone here ever use one in their work? I am looking at an Iwata HP-C which seems to be a very versital, high quality airbrush. I’ve learned over the years (like buying student grade paints and papers arghhhhh) to always buy the best you can afford, specially on things that don’t wear out. Looking forward to hear what you guys have to say. Thanx
Norm Lanier
Tomball, TX
See all my Haunted Portraits at
www.hauntedportraits.comI'm an abstract realist, colorist cartoonist, socialist hatching painter with a touch of traditional and post modern concerns and an ambiguous palette. AmyH
March 22, 2004 at 1:31 am #1027237I was thumbing through a catalog the other day and I saw a tip about using an airbrush with watercolors Thanx
Colorfast Here:
Hi Laniers… So glad ya joined the WC. Jump right in, the water is fine.
That’s a very good observation on your part, but no I have not used watercolor paints in my airbrush. And, I have used an airbrush since the late 60’s. The reason being; I have never really seen a reason to try it. I have always used Acrylics or India Inks in my airbrush because acrylics & inks are more COLORFAST. They will withstand direct sunlight, water resistant and as a whole a lot more stable than watercolor paints. I never tried them, not because they may be less expensive or anything like that. It’s because if you create a masterpiece by accident or on purpose, it would be a shame to not use acrylics. The only advantage to the use of watercolor to me is you can correct, or wash off a mistake if you need to. But that’s just me talkin.As for the brand of airbrush, well my airbrush of choice would be a Paasche. Try a Paasche AB, Paasche V or Paasche VL if you want my vote. If you are just starting out, I would suggest a Paasche VL. They are easy to use and easy to clean up afterwards. The last time I checked, the Paasche VL was at about $60.00 approximately. But the best for me is the Paasche AB Turbine. It runs around $400.00 these days, I think. It will spray a paturn of about 1/4 inch in width down to a line the size of a felt tip pen. This little critter will give you the best airbrushing in no time at all. Like I have said before, I am on my 3rd one right now. No, they did no break, I just wore out the turbines after all the work. That is about 40 years of work with airbrushes.
Later, DaveArt is like a house plant, if ya' mess with it long enough you will hurt it or make it better. Colorfast[/B]
www.wegeeprints.comMarch 22, 2004 at 6:35 am #1027238Hi Laniers,
Now, I am no expert and I have certainly not been airbrushing since the 60s like colorfast but, funny you should mention watercolours in AB. You see, I first started airbrushing back in the early 80’s with watercolour for my architectural work. I then made the transition to acrylics and am now using Golden fluids, although I still have my share of problems with them. But, I have alway wanted to try a painting with watercolors so I started one the other day just as a test to see how and if I could achieve the same effects with watercolour.
I am painting on a peice of gessoed masonite with gouache and must say I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. The big plus is not having to remove tip dry from AB every few minutes. I can airbrush a fine layer of gouache with out blockage, just great. I am using erasers like I do with my acrylic work, that seems to work better with the gouache. When I get disturbed by the kids, I put the AB down and come back after 15 minutes and it will be fine. The next day, just re wet the colours in the pallete and you are away again, no wastage Sure, they are susceptible to water damage but most of the guys airbrushing on illustation board with acrylics need to put those behind glass anyways. The colours are certainly not as intense as acrylics but I have seen some water colour paintings with brilliant colours. In terms on longevity, just make sure you use A or AA permanency and you will be fine.
I dont sell my work as I only do it part time, but I find friends and family dont want a woping big canvas dominating their living room, it is not everyones cup of tea. Usually A3 or A2 size max is what I am aiming for. Using water colours and / or gouache freehand at this scale is great, I find I can get the tight detail.
I have an old stock pile of Winsor and Newton and Schminke gouache that I use. The schminke is I would hazard to say the best on the market and a tube will last a long time. Some of my tubes of W&N gouache I have had since the early 80’s.
As far AB’s go, I have heard everyone rave about the AB turbo and colourfast will have the edge here since he has been using them since the 60’s. I use the Iwata HP-SB and that has sufficient detail for me. I have just started using WOLD airbrushes which are now manufactured here in NZ. I have an A2 manufactured in 1944 which has a nozzle so fine, must be about 0.15mm, and the detail I can achieve with that I would say would be on a par with an Iwata Micron although I have never used a micron. For a vintage airbrush these things are extremely well engineered, even better than the Iwata HP range.
So, after all that, I say, break out those watercolours and have some fun rather than get frustrated with acrylics. Most of the problems people have on these forums relates to acrylics and how to get them to flow properly through the AB. A watercolour painting on acid free paper behind glass will last just as long as any other painting, perhaps longerStan
March 22, 2004 at 8:53 am #1027235There’s some pretty big named artists out there that AB with watercolors. I just started playing around with it. The upside is no tip dry, the down side I found is it doesn’t atomize the same.
Dave/Colorfast,
I thought only acrylic inks were colorfast or is this something from brand to brand? Or am I mistaken all together (probably)?“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson "No one said it had to be real, but it's got to be something you can reach out and feel" MeatloafMarch 22, 2004 at 12:34 pm #1027233I have an old stock pile of Winsor and Newton and Schminke gouache that I use. The schminke is I would hazard to say the best on the market and a tube will last a long time. Some of my tubes of W&N gouache I have had since the early 80’s.
StanI went and looked up water colors and gouache on W&N site and was curious of course there are Cadmium colors and other strong mixes. Which would make some of those colors possibly toxic for spraying. Does the tubes say anything about atomizing or using for spray on those colors or you might want to use a good mask if your not already.
** Note I looked up the safty data on one of the cadmium yellow safety sheets and it says
WARNING: DO NOT SPRAY APPLY. This product contains cadmium, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer by means of inhalation. **But on another note using the tube watercolors would be nice to try..
Life is good, have fun otherwise whats the point...
My Art | My GalleryMarch 22, 2004 at 1:31 pm #1027230Hi as a watercolor artist manily I use the air brush for watercolors…well I am trying to find the time to learn I got the Paasche Double Action airbrush and I got a whole set of Dr Ph Martin’s Hydrus paints to go with it….one of these days I will have something to show you I hope lol.
AlanMy Web Site[/url]
Our wedding photo'sMarch 22, 2004 at 2:25 pm #1027236There is no such thing as safe atomization of paint. Once you atomize it you should wear a resperator. If you wear a good resperator, it doesn’t matter what you spray. It’s always good to read the labels of all art supplies, but you should also treat each one as if it is toxic regardless. Even a non-toxic paint will cause lung irratation when sprayed. This isn’t something just for airbrushers though. Prolonged exposure to anything has similiar recourse, whether it be glues, dusts, vapors of any kind even if they are not atomized.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson "No one said it had to be real, but it's got to be something you can reach out and feel" MeatloafMarch 23, 2004 at 6:51 am #1027239Hey Milo,
I avoid like the plague anything with cadmium or cobalt or the like in it. If I need a colour like a cadmium, I always go for the hues.
Stan
March 23, 2004 at 6:37 pm #1027234Hey Milo,
I avoid like the plague anything with cadmium or cobalt or the like in it. If I need a colour like a cadmium, I always go for the hues.
Stan
Yeah Stan I am sorry I didn’t think you would be, but should have said for those that go out and just grab some tubes.. thanks for pointing that about the hues.
Milo
Life is good, have fun otherwise whats the point...
My Art | My GalleryMarch 23, 2004 at 9:07 pm #1027231I didn’t really think about the over spray but bought about 15 different Dr. Ph Martins hydrus watercolor paints and there all non toxic so I am happy they have some very nice bright colors also.
AlanMy Web Site[/url]
Our wedding photo'sMarch 23, 2004 at 9:08 pm #1027232 -
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