What Airbrush Should I Get?

The million dallor question it seems. In many respects asking such as question is like starting a thread about religion or polictics someone is bound to get up set and the thread quickly becomes pretty heated. Which is only human nature and in its place such decisions can help all those involved grow and learn I guess. More times than not the thread will sink into personal attacks with an overall very negative tone. Not why I built this web site, its hard to learn, grow where such things happen continually. Many artist are very passionate about which airbrush they use for whatever reason, a decision about which airbrush is best on a forum full of airbrush artist is like talking about religion or polictics sooner or later it will sink into places a majority of the members don't want to go.

Understanding this four years ago when I built this web site I added an Airbrush Product Review board to this web site where you can express your delight with the airbrush you use or short comings you found in the airbrush you use. In this manner anyone interested can read the opions of dozens of artist in one place quickly and easly.

When you're new to airbrushing its very easy to fall for all the marketing hype one airbrush company or another (or famous airbrush artist for that matter) puts forth. Please keep in mind that ANY and ALL airbrushes are only as good as the hand/mind that controls it. If rendering perfect dots, lines, dagger strokes are not second nature to you a $600.00 will do little good to improve that.

This web site was built from day one to be a place where anyone of any age can come and in a positive atmosphere learn about airbrushing. Please help us keep it that way.
Thanks

[fontgeek]

There is a formula that I teach all my students, it's really more of a way of thinking actually.
"Look ahead, and think in reverse."
By this I mean that you should look at the kind of work you want to do. While there are a bunch of manufacturers of airbrushes and spray guns, and tons of different models to choose from, if you choose something that isn't usable for what you want to do, then you have wasted your money and time. By looking at what you want to do, and seeing what kind of requirements that kind of work entails, you can make intellegent purchases from the start. For example, if you are going to work in doing giant murals, you want to see what kind of paint you would use, and what that kind of paint needs to be able to spray it. You would look for a setup that could go mobile because chances are pretty good that people aren't going to bring their walls to you, which means that you have to go to them. If your setup has to use big spray guns for base coats, finished artwork, or clear overcoats, then you need to have an air source that can move that kind of volume. If you plan on doing your work in malls, restaurants, casinos, etc., then noise becomes an issue too. So, you look at your list of requirements, The paint you will need to use requires the bigger guns, which require larger quantities of air to make them work, and your clientele will be restaurants and they don't want any noise, and don't have the power to run your big compressor, so you look for something that is A: quiet, B: mobile, C: doesn't need electricity or maintainance. You look for bigger airbrushes and spray guns to handle the thicker paints you need to use, and because of the area you need to cover, you get longer hoses to handle those guns and brushes from your air source.

The same kind of logic applies no matter what kind of painting you want to do.
Look at the end result, and work your way backwards through all the things you will need, work your way back to where you are now, and you will know the route you will need to take, the skills you will need to learn, and steps and materials you will need to use, along with the kinds of tools you will need to apply them.

Many students or their parents, wives, kids, etc., go and buy things without a clue as to whether the items they are buying are right for them and their intended work. They make expensive paperweights out of those items.