We don't claim to have all the answers! As evident with most articles ending with an open question to all the readers of TPC to add their knowledge and expertise in a given area via the comments. I know my airbrushing techniques will become more and more involved as time wears on, but today I took some time to work out a few videos showing a few small things that might help a few of you along as you get started.
To start out, I made a test video showing assembly of an airbrush. The video shows me putting together my
Paasche Model VL
and it might not seem like much, but I remember calling LBursley to make sure I didn't screw anything up in disassembling and assembling this thing when I first got it!Next up in the video shorts series created today was a small video on mixing your acrylics. In the video I use Windex, I have had no troubles with colors changing on me from the blue tint of the cleaner, and the fast dry time that some bemoan, I actually like. There are actual airbrush thinners (Liquitex Airbrush Medium
) on the market though for those looking to do something more and they likely do work better than a stop gap like Windex! But for a starter, you'd be hard pressed to get as much thinning medium for as cheap. In the final video short, I show my mid-use cleaning method. I spray a few cups worth of Windex through the airbrush until no more pigment is showing in the spray. I find it a good way to clean the brush between colors in a single session of painting, or when I need to take a short break but don't have the time for a full out break down and cleaning.
As I get more comfortable and upgrade my set up for video, I hope to create far more of these video shorts and even full length tutorials in the future. There are just some things that work out better with video.
So, what do you do for thinning your paints for airbrushing? Have a favorite medium you've been using lately? Have any thoughts on ratios/mixes that work best for different things? What about quick cleanings? Let's hear what you have to say about the subjects!
