Airbrush Buyers Guide 2010

It’s essential that you have the most current, accurate information on the types of airbrushes available before you purchase one. The process of choosing the right equipment to meet your needs can be a complicated task, whether you’re upgrading to a better model or simply buying your first airbrush. To help narrow your choices, we’ve done some of the grunt work for you, gathering the facts and compiling them in our user-friendly Buyer’s Guide.

THE BASICS

There are two main types of airbrushes—single-action and doubleaction. Both refer to the function of the finger lever that controls the release of air and paint from the airbrush. With a single-action airbrush, the lever is limited to an up-and-down (hence, single action) performance. When you depress the finger lever, you release both air and paint simultaneously, and can only produce one spray pattern at a time as determined by the pre-set. Single-action airbrushes are most often used in the hobby field and encouraged for beginners because of their relative simplicity compared to doubleaction airbrushes. They are also less pricey. For greater versatility, however, we recommend the double-action variety. With doubleaction airbrushes, you depress the finger lever for air and then pull the lever/trigger back to release paint (hence, double-action). The farther back you pull the trigger back (this retracts the airbrush needle farther into the airbrush allowing for a wider opening at the fluid nozzle), the greater amount of paint is released.

Airbrushes are also classified by how the paint reaches the airbrush. Side- or top-mounted paint cup attachments use gravity to draw the paint down into the airbrush, while siphon-feed models use paint jars beneath the brush. Color bottles for siphon-feed models can be more cumbersome sometimes, and gravity-feed models are less “bulky” and, depending upon certain applications, easier to maneuver. For T-shirt artists, color bottles are a must for rapid color changing. It would be too time consuming to clean out a previous color for a new one as is required of gravity-feed brushes.

CARING FOR YOUR AIRBRUSH An airbrush is a delicate tool that requires thorough cleaning after every use. Leaving your airbrush overnight without cleaning it can result in clogging, paint spattering, and flow irregularities. When using water-based paints, spray distilled water through your airbrush until it sprays clear. For other acrylic and/or solvent-based paints, use a solvent such as turpentine or a specialized airbrush cleaner.

Good maintenance will ensure a long life and top-notch performance from your airbrush. Just as you would go to a reputable mechanic if you had car trouble, you should take your airbrush to a knowledgeable technician if you encounter problems with it.