How to Achieve Pinstriping and Automotive Airbrushing Effects

When custom auto modification first became popular, so did the need to add finishing touches and imagery to one’s vehicle. This was all done by hand by skilled artists who could add fine attention to detail to any car with their expert hand.

Now you can also transform your car into something unique with a wide range of automotive airbrushing equipment.  With the correct paints, stencils and tools you will be able to create custom painting graphics of your choice, giving your car, truck, motorcycle or helmet the ultimate finish.

Createx Auto-Air Colors

Auto Airbrush Paints

Createx Auto-Air Colors are the latest breakthrough in water-based, non-toxic automotive coatings technology. They are highly durable and come in a selection of bright colours to achieve the ultimate car art imagery.

Auto Stencils

Airbrush stencils also have a wide range of uses and are perfect for nail and body art, illustrations, cartooning, airbrush tattoos and auto graphics. The stencils are available from various top industry brands including Medea, Artool Flame O Rama and Craig Fraser.

The majority are made from solvent proof polymer material and can be easily cleaned with solvents and bent around irregular surfaces without being damaged. Various visuals are available to choose from including skulls, flames, tribal, shapes and pin up girls.

Auto DVDs

Pinstriping can be described as the application of a thin line of paint used for decoration. This is usually combined with airbrushing to create automotive art and imagery. Custom Auto DVDs can be used to demonstrate and teach various pinstriping and airbrushing techniques as well as offer other helpful advice such as the best paints to use and how to create the perfect line.

Pinstriping

If this is going to be your attempt at car airbrushing, remember to practice your techniques before airbrushing on a real car. This will give you a chance to familiarise yourself with your brush and the other equipment you will be using. Like any canvas, make sure the surface is clean before you start. Then once you start your airbrushing, try to spray as carefully and slowly as you can.

GraphicAir offers an extensive range of airbrush paints and stencils ideal for modelling and hobby use for all experience levels. For all your art, graphic, design and auto airbrushing requirements visit our website today for a wide choice of top quality equipment including Createx Auto-Air Colors and airbrush stencils.

 

 

Choosing your Airbrush

Buying an airbrush can appear quite daunting if you have never owned one before. Here are a few things to consider before you buy your first airbrush or upgrade your old one.

These are some of the major factors you will need to consider when choosing your airbrush:

• What type of paint or fluid do you wish to spray?
• What detail or areas require spraying?
• What degree of instant control would you like?
• What may be your future needs?
• What is your price range or budget?

Our list of technical terms may help you to decide which airbrush to choose for your particular application. If you are unable to decide, ask someone with the appropriate knowledge or contact us.

When choosing your airbrush, you will want it to meet your current requirements and probably go beyond those as you progress and you’ll want something that is going to last for a long time. So we’re happy to offer as much assistance as we can until you’re completely satisfied that you’re making the right purchase.

Nozzle and Needle Sizes

Airbrush

The nozzle (or tip) and needle size determines the amount of air/paint mixture that can be sprayed through any given airbrush. These sizes typically vary from 0.10mm to 0.5mm on airbrushes and 0.6-1.5mm on small spray guns. Most airbrushes come with one nozzle and needle fitted and the option to change to a larger or smaller if required. This would be as an optional extra. Airbrush sets often come with other size nozzles and needles. (Fine-0.2mm, medium-0.35mm or heavy-0.5mm). The smaller the size, the finer the work will be achieved. Most airbrush users will own several different sized airbrushes, as one size will not provide the versatility they require.

Having said that, a medium sized set up (for example a 0.3mm nozzle) will give a fine line to around 0.3mm at its finest up to 50mm at the wider end. When changing sizes both the needle and nozzle need to be changed. In most cases the nozzle and needle cap will also need changing.

It is also important to bear in mind the type of paint you will be using as well. All media that are to be sprayed through an airbrush needs to be of a “single cream” like consistency. If it is not already pre-thinned, then it needs to be thinned to this level. The thicker the paint, the larger the nozzle will be needed. Emulsions and Metallic’s for example will typically need a nozzle size of at least 0.6mm.

Internal Mix

The fluid is mixed with the air right at the tip of the head assembly inside the cap, and because the air passes all around the tip the fluid is thoroughly atomised to micro dot size.

External Mix

The paint and air are mixed outside the airbrush as the air passes over the fluid tip. An external mix airbrush will produce a less atomised spray with a larger dot pattern, and is less capable of fine line work.

Single Action

Airbrushes which when the trigger or button is depressed the air flow is turned on and a pre-set amount of fluid will be sprayed. The amount of fluid is controlled by turning, with the other hand, either a fluid tip or cone on external mix airbrushes, or a needle at the back of a handle on an internal mix airbrush.

Double or Dual Action

Airbrushes on which the button or trigger controls both the air and the fluid. The trigger is pressed down for air and pulled back for fluid, the further you pull back on the trigger the more fluid is introduced. This type of action allows the user to change the width of line as well as the volume of paint and its coverage, all with one continuous finger movement.

Gravity feed

Airbrushes which have cups or cut outs in the top of the body. Less air pressure is required as the fluid is dawn to the tip partly by gravity, and is particularly useful for finer and slower detail work.

Siphon or Side feed

Airbrushes which can have either cups or bottles plugged into the side which can rotate allowing the user to work at most angles. Allows fine detail work without the eye been obstructed by a cup on the top. Useful where many colour changes are required as colour can be kept in a bank of cups or bottles, or where a differing amount of quantities are used, from a few drops to large areas, by using different size containers.

Suction or Bottom feed

Airbrushes which have either cups or bottles that plug into the bottom of the airbrush. Particularly useful where large quantities of paint are required, as large bottles can normally be plugged into this type of airbrush, or again where quick colour changes are required.

How to Choose the Best Spray Booth for Your Needs

The Key Things to Consider When Buying a Spray Booth

Whether you are using spray booth in your profession or just at home when airbrushing your models or artwork it is essential that you protect your health and environment from potentially harmful chemicals and particulates.

The TechFlo T930H-C Spray Booth

You do not have to spend a large amount of money either.  What you do have to do is ensure that the spray booth you get is right for your needs.

First and foremost – the airflow into the spray booth must be adequate enough to overcome the other forces such as draughts in the room and turbulence caused by the action of spraying or movement caused by your body in front of the machine.  To conform to current regulations this airflow should be around 0.6m/s at the filter face.

Secondly, you must decide whether you need a spray booth unit that vents the dirty air to the outside (ducted) or just back into the room after passing through filters (recirculatory).  A ducted unit is often the best way as you ensure that any harmful particles and gases are removed from the breathing zone and, after filtering to avoid large particles damaging the fan motor, are vented to the outside atmosphere.  The pipe work usually is in the form of a flexible duct similar to that on a domestic washer dryer.  It can be fitted to a wall or window or, can just be placed through a partially open window or door.

If ducting to the outside is not possible then a recirculatory spray booth unit is the only option.

It is now that you need to be really careful in your choice of spray booth. Most spray booth units will have a particulate filter which will filter particles most will only have a simple pad filter. You ideally need a multistage glass fibre which contains particles to around 5 microns (this is smaller than most general dust and pollen particles).  If you’re just spraying a product that is a nuisance from an overspray point of view, a simple a multistage glass fibre particulate filter is enough.  If however, your product gives off an odour or gas, then you will need a charcoal or better still a carbon filter in it as well.  These adsorb a varying degree of organic chemicals or gases which may be given off.  Their efficiency varies greatly.  A thin (15-20mm) one will only be suitable for low use, in a well ventilated room for use with products such as low odour airbrush paints and spray adhesives.  These are therefore usually the most cost conscious options, but they are limited in their effectiveness.  If you spray solvent based aerosol paints or 2-pack, then deeper, heavier activated carbon filters what is needed.  They consist of  densely packed granules of carbon which allow the gas and odour molecules passing through to adhere to them, thus arresting their progress, and in the process cleaning the air that is then returned into the room.  Costs for these spray booths vary greatly from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds, but are invaluable when it comes to operator protection from these potentially harmful substances.

As we are dealing with people’s health, both short and long-term, it is worth studying the options and not just jumping into buying the cheapest spray booth as this may not be suitable for your needs.

The correct spray booth will serve you well for many years and will remove the need for face masks this making spraying a more comfortable and relaxing experience so that you can concentrate fully on your models or art.

GraphicAir has a full range of Small Spray Booths for home and professional use, starting from simple units for a few hundred pounds going up to heavy duty filtration cabinets  suitable for dental/medical labs, pharmaceutical labs, design, technology and education.

5 Things to consider when choosing an airbrush compressor

5 Things to consider when choosing an airbrush compressor

 

There are a wide range of airbrush compressors to choose from on the market these days, including those with top brand names such as airbrush experts Iwata, Bambi and Jun-Air. However, if this is your first time purchasing an airbrush compressor, the wide range of choice can be more daunting than helpful.

To make the decision process a bit easier for you, here are 5 things to keep in mind when choosing an airbrush compressor, in order to make sure you get the best value for your money:

• Think about what size compressor you will need. Most airbrushes do not need to be accompanied by a large compressor so often a smaller unit will be sufficient, particularly for at home use. If on the other hand you require it to work in a large open area, a bigger compressor may be the better option. Portable compressors are also available if you need a unit that can easily be moved around.

• If you are dedicated to using a specific brand of airbrush products, get a compressor to match. This way you will be more likely to get the best results from your equipment.
• Some air compressors make more noise than others so if you will be using your compressor in a confined space, be sure to select one that is quiet.
• Choose a compressor to suit the type of projects you do, whether it may be body painting, sign making or hobby model painting.
• Always make sure that the airbrush compressor you choose has good air pressure and a controllable air flow as this will make it easier for you to handle.

 

To buy an airbrush compressor online, visit the Graphic Air website today. They have a wide range of high quality compressors and other airbrush equipment available, all handpicked by their team of experts. They can also offer helpful advice on which type of equipment will best suit your requirements and budget.

Know More about Airbrush Equipment and Accessories

The type of airbrush equipment that you will need will very much depend on what you need to do with it. Whether you work in a beauty salon or a graphic design studio, there’s an airbrush to suit your individual requirements.

When it comes to airbrush accessories, there are plenty of stencils available for body artists, illustrators and cartoonists to use. Other types of accessories available include cleaners, valves, custom grip handles and more varying from brand to brand. Although all this choice may sound daunting, it actually makes it easier to buy airbrush accessories as you can get ones that are considered standard to use for the type of project you are doing.

If you are looking for Iwata airbrush spares, they have a wide variety of products available from nozzles and air caps to fluid needles and air valve plungers. One of the unique things about Iwata airbrush spares specifically is that they are easy to distinguish from as each sub brand specialises in a different type of spraying technique.

For example, Paasche airbrushes are well known for their high quality. Therefore Paasche airbrush spares are made to match the extensive range of high performance single and double action brushes that Paasche is so popular for. Badger airbrush spares are a better option if you have a Badger airbrush and are targeted at beginners.

When looking for airbrush equipment it can be a good idea to stick to name brands because not only do they all have extensive product ranges, but they are also more reliable quality wise. If you are a beginner, opt for an airbrush kit as it saves from worrying about having to buy airbrush equipment separately and will help ensure that you get everything that you need in one go.

If however you do buy all your accessories separately, you will need to purchase some airbrush paints to put the finishing touches on your project. There are a wide number of paint brands on the market, all of which specialise in various types of paint.

To buy airbrush accessories online, visit the Graphic Air website today. They have a wide range of high quality airbrush equipment available to suite all your creative needs. Their products are also handpicked by top art and graphic experts.