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Excellent Air Brushing Tutorials


Dakhahn

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I looked around on these forums and didn't really find anything on airbrushing techniques. I did find this site that I thought might be useful to others. Hopefully I will be able to utilize some of these ideas on a future project.

http://airbrushtricks.com/start/

Come across various airbrushing websites/Forums like the one in this link, and right enough there is a lot of information to be learnt from them. Though I have to say, this particular one seems to be more commercially orientated than informative.

The best way to learn to airbrush is to actually get hold of one and play about with it. Make mistakes with it, experiment with it, try out different ideas out and see if they work, but ultimately there is no substitute for practice and personal experience. Once you've played about with your airbrush for a while, learnt the basics of how to control it and what it's limitations are (takes time), then the information given on these airbrushing forums will make more sense and can save you some time learning new techniques.

But like most things in life, the best way to learn something is to actually pitch in there and have a go, it's certainly not rocket science!

Jim :D

Edited by Foggy
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Best way I found to learn to airbrush is take a class like the Airbrush Action Getaways. Why not have people like Craig Fraser and Ryno tell you how to do it right from the start...

I went from wanting to kill my airbrush to being able to paint.

Checked your site out syxxstring? Be very interested to see some of your airbrush work :D

Nothing wrong with going on a course if you can afford it, but these courses don't tend to be cheap and if you're working on a tight budget you can often learn just as effectively by simply practicing and experimenting. Maybe takes a little longer, but experimenting as you go along doesn't always just result in time consuming mistakes, sometimes it helps to find new methods and techniques too.

Invariably airbrushing courses will also tend to be specific to the particular style of work that the particular tutor specialises in, often specific to the particular brand of paints that that tutor uses too - and is often more about the use of stencils and particular paint systems than developing basic airbrushing skills.

Everyone has their own views on the best ways of going about things, some methods suit some people better than others, but ultimately there is no substitute for practice as most airbrush tutors will tell you.

Whichever way you go about it, as long as you get where you want to be in the end that's all that matters.

Jim :D

Edited by Foggy
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If you can't afford to take the classes Craig's intro to airbrushing DVD is very good. And covers pretty much what the first day of intro does. Its like $25, you'll waste more than that on paint trying on your own. But I'll admit it I'm a fan of his work and teaching.

I'll post up pics of the panels we did in his class. Im no Fraser, LeValle, VanDemon or Rino at the moment. But my art doesn't suck either.

My sites down until I get some time... So after I repaint my car bumper, finish a guitar or two, some repair work, and my bands demo.

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If you can't afford to take the classes Craig's intro to airbrushing DVD is very good. And covers pretty much what the first day of intro does. Its like $25, you'll waste more than that on paint trying on your own. But I'll admit it I'm a fan of his work and teaching.

I'll post up pics of the panels we did in his class. Im no Fraser, LeValle, VanDemon or Rino at the moment. But my art doesn't suck either.

My sites down until I get some time... So after I repaint my car bumper, finish a guitar or two, some repair work, and my bands demo.

I wasn't implying that your artwork sucks syxxstring (I've never seen any of it), merely that I'd be interested to see some of it and there's nothing on your website :D I'm certainly not going to presume to judge anyone elses work when there are massive areas of my own that I'm not happy with - it's all learning curve, we all started somewhere and you never stop learning. I am interested however, in seeing what other airbrush artists (like you) do, especially when they've had the benefit of professional training courses. Neither incidentally, was I belittling anyone going on an airbrush course, if they're in a positition both financially and logistically to be able to go on one, that's great - personally I wasn't.

So I'll reitterate for you what I WAS saying -

1) That the particular airbrush forum that this thread was about, was, (in my opinion) more commercially motivated than instructional. There are incidentally, numerous very good and informative airbrushing forums where the online communities are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable............and which are far less commercially run, like the ones below -

http://www.airbrushtech.info/AIRBRUSH/forum/index.php

http://www.airbrushtechnique.com/forums/

2) The main point I was trying to make is that before you can use most of the more technical techniques usually described on airbrushing forums, airbrushing DVD's, and most airbrushing courses - you 'ideally' need to already be at one with your airbrush AND be able to do the basics with it. I'm talking basic control, dagger strokes, tapering lines, straight lines and even curves. Unless you are a complete Muppet, that really doesn't require a tutor standing over you, it doesn't require an instructional DVD and it doesn't require $25 dollars worth of paint either, but in the process of practicing those elements you'll learn a lot about your airbrush and how to use it. I might add, that by far the easiest medium to learn the 'basics' of airbrushing with is ink on paper - which unsurprisingly enough, is where most airbrushers start.

So before you start getting all beligerant with me syxxstring, try reading what's actually written. I couldn't care less what work you've got on, how good or otherwise your airbrushing is, how many guitars you've got to paint, or even how good your band is for that matter. But, I do care when people like yourself spout on about things that in truth they obviously know very little about and potentially lead genuine folk down a longer, more complicated and often far more expensive route than is really necessary.

Apologies for being so blunt, but unfortunately try as I might to play the role of calm arty farty type, quietly painting away on guitars with my trusty cheapo airbrush. Sometimes my not so calm, less than peaceful and far from 'arty farty' Royal Marines background still gets to the surface!

Jim

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Hey Jim,

Syxxstring wasn't being beligerent. Must be local language use. His saying "But my art doesn't suck either" was just a nice way of saying, "I'm pretty good, but I think those guys are better."

It wasn't an implication you were saying his work sucked, so . . . um . . . you were actually the first one to get ornery on this thread. Must be because you're from Orkney. :D

Anyway, having spent a couple of hours playing with my airbrush yesterday, I sort of agree with both of you. I think you can learn the basics from some internet tutorials and practice, (although I prefer to have a book next to me). But those CD's are a bargain if you want to learn the more advanced stuff and can't affort the time or money for a class.

So, are there any CD's on using an HVLP gun and spraying Uros? Practicing with that stuff will be pricey!

Thanks,

Todd

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Not sure where I got beligeriant. If I came off that way it wasn't meant too.

But it wasn't my point.

Different people learn different ways. I'm totally a hands on person. Fraser's intro DVD is all about practice techniques and the basics of dagger strokes, dot's/dot boxes, fades etc...

I know personally I wasted a ton of time and effort and what seemed like a lot of paint trying to figure stuff out. Then I took the classes and watched the disc as a reminder and it worked for me. I started trying to do RC car bodies and that stuff adds up quickly, luckily ugly or pretty rc car bodies don't last long.

Todd,

I'm not sure whats out there for basic painting stuff. Kosmoski's book is pretty good but leaned a lot towards HOK, seeing he put the K in it.

I think Kustom Shop has a series, I've met the guy that did them and he was pretty cool. I haven't watched them though.

Airbrush Action may have something. I hate sounding like a commercial but Coast Airbrush will know if its out there.

I'm trying to convince a friend of mine to film some specifically on guitar painting, he was a HOK tech guy and sold paint to Ernie Ball and trained them in the past.

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Not sure where I got beligeriant. If I came off that way it wasn't meant too.

But it wasn't my point.

Different people learn different ways. I'm totally a hands on person. Fraser's intro DVD is all about practice techniques and the basics of dagger strokes, dot's/dot boxes, fades etc...

I know personally I wasted a ton of time and effort and what seemed like a lot of paint trying to figure stuff out. Then I took the classes and watched the disc as a reminder and it worked for me. I started trying to do RC car bodies and that stuff adds up quickly, luckily ugly or pretty rc car bodies don't last long.

Fair enough syxxstring, in that case I stand corrected and apologise accordingly for being an stroppy bugga :D

I too regularly find myself refering to airbrush forums and the immense knowledge of many of the guys on there (particularly on the two forums I linked to), so I'm certainly not discounting the benefits of being able to call on the expertise of the real pro's, whether it be through a forum, a DVD tutorial, or in a lesson. I genuinely wasn't saying anything against that, and like I said, different people in different situations can and do go about things from different directions.

Same can probably be said for most things.

Upshot is, if you ultimately get where you want to be it doesn't really matter how you get there. With the airbrushing though, I did find it an almost constant buzz just playing about with the thing, I couldn't put the damned thing down. I think having thought about it now, probably whichever way you get there, the most important thing is enjoying the trip..................and I suppose if I'm totally honest, if I had of been in a situation whereby back then if I could have afforded to, or gotten to, an airbrushing course, I may well have gone. Suppose it all depends on individual circumstances at the time. But anyway.........

Right, on that note I'm off to rub down a jetski ready for some paint...................take a bit of a Zen moment, burn some energy and suck on a chill pill!

Jim :D

Edited by Foggy
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Right now the biggest thing my airbrushing needs is me to put down the gun and the flake.

And pick up a pencil, if you cant draw it you cant airbrush it.

Oh and not loosing tons of time this month to crazy tax laws would be nice too.

My fav site for airbrush info is the Kustom Kulture Lounge.

Here's my next personal build. A warmoth body I picked up of Craigslist for $40. Stripped to the sealer and readyish to go.

Before someone asks. Black autoair, block sanded, black autoair.(sealer dark) Transparent base with flake for boats. 3oz of clear, level sand (block again), 1oz(1 flowing coat of clear). A little bit of polishing for a few dust nibs etc..

DSCF0727.jpg

DSCF0726.jpg

Edited by syxxstring
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I'll look for Kosmoski's book on amazon. Just got "How to paint your car" by parks and Jacobs at barnes and noble this weekend. Seems to have a lot of the basics including safety. If Kosmoski favors HOK, then the same can be said about these guys and PPG since there are pics of PPG stuff everywhere. But they seem unbiased about what you should use. . . pick a brand and learn it . . .

TCP global has some of those videos. Found the list searching for Kustom Shop Videos. Will probably check out YouTube also LOL.

Thanks,

Todd

PS) Just got my new compressor yesterday, and a refrigerated dryer for $40 last week :D

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