Airbrush

Quick Tips

The Table-Top Cleaning Station – Cleaning the airbrush without sending overspray into the environment has been a challenge confronted by the airbrush artist for years. This has been solved in a multitude of ways, both simplistic and amazingly complex.  Now the development of the new Iwata Table-Top Cleaning Station has provided a simple and effective solution to the problem. The Cleaning Station consists of a 24 oz. (700cc) glass container with a screw-on top that has both an airbrush hanger and a filter.  Just spray into the easy-to-clean container and overspray is eliminated. The airbrush hanger attaches to the cap to hold your airbrush in place while cleaning or when not being used.  Included with the station are two extra filters as well as a metal handle that attaches to the cap for easy portability.  The cleaning station weighs less than two pounds and takes up only inches of space.  It comes in a plastic container with a screw-on top that can be handy for storing airbrush parts. See your retailer and visit www.iwata-medea.com.

Handheld Templates – The term “handheld templates” usually refers to those designed to be moved around the work surface in the development of an image.  Rather than being an exact image of an exact size, they are more a component that can be sprayed along to develop a specific shape.  When using a template of an exact image, artists are restricted to a particular size; but with a handheld template they can work in any scale desired. 

Artool has developed an array of handheld templates that provide artists with a large selection from which to choose.  Since these are not adhered to the work surface, they can be moved around in conjunction with spraying to develop interesting shapes; and they can be held either tight to the surface for hard edges or off the surface for more muted, softer edges.  As you can see, handheld templates are not the entire picture but instead provide a variety of shapes that can be incorporated into developing a picture.  See your retailer and visit www.artoolproducts.com.

Shooting from the Hip – The person who works with a spray gun is experienced in the method of triggering it like a pistol — holding onto the handle and pulling on the trigger located below the spray gun.  This is a totally different feel from the traditional method of triggering an airbrush from the top.  With the recent development of Iwata’s pistol grip airbrushes—triggered identically to a spray gun—the painter can now easily make a transition from spray gun to airbrush for fine Kustom automotive spray.  Check out the new Iwata Kustom Series line, which includes both bottom feed and gravity feed brushes, at your local retail store or online at www.iwata-medea.com.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 17 No. 7 — May 2007