After time spent building and assembling your costumes, you’ll need to finish them. The most important part of this is painting everything. This is when the cosplay really starts to come together and layers of realism is added. From base coats to highlighting, we’re going to talk about how to paint with an airbrush so you can make your cosplays come to life.
How to Set Up an Airbrush
For a compressor-based airbrush, you need to properly connect and set it up before you begin to paint. Make sure to do the following to be ready to start painting:
- Power up the air brush – Your compressor needs to be plugged in and turned on to start using it.
- Connect the airbrush – Make sure to properly connect the airbrush and compressor by following the below guide.
- Prep your space – You need a well ventilated space to airbrush in. Make sure you’re set up outside or in a proper spray booth.
- Gather & prep supplies – Get your paints, thinners and extra airbrushes ready. You’ll also want paper towels handy and to premix your paints and thinners before you start painting.
How to Connect an Airbrush to Compressor
A hose connects your airbrush to the compressor. Here’s how to hook everything up:
- Step 1. Connect the compressor – Attach one end of the air hose to the compressor’s outlet. Make sure the connection is secure or air will leak and pressure will be lost.
- Step 2. Attach the airbrush – Connect the free end to the airbrush and ensure the connection is secure.
- Step 3. Power on the compressor – Plug in and turn on the compressor to start it.
- Step 4. Adjust the pressure – The PSI can be adjusted. Make sure to make modifications so paint flows properly without splatters or weak sprays.
- Step 5. Test sprays – Once you make adjustments, be sure to do a test spray before you begin painting.
How to Paint with an Airbrush
Once your compressor and airbrush are all set up, you’re ready to paint. This guide will focus on some general airbrush tips and ones specific to double-action trigger airbrushes.
- Properly hold your airbrush – For double-action airbrushes, you’ll grip them like a pen so it’s perpendicular to the surface of what you’re painting.
- How the double-action trigger works – Pressing down on the trigger releases air flow while pulling back releases paint. How hard you press down and pull back determines how much paint and air is released.
- Keep flow constant – When starting and stopping, you want to keep air flowing constantly. When you start to paint, press down and then pull back for paint. You can then move your hand to start painting to avoid splattering.
- Distance and speed – Your distance and speed determines your coverage. Closer and slower will get fine lines and is good for highlighting and detail work. Whereas farther and faster will give your broader coverage and is good for base coats.
- Coats – You want to apply multiple thin layers of paint with your airbrush to achieve the best results.
What Paint to Use with an Airbrush
There is an abundance of paints you can use in an airbrush. The key is making sure the paint’s consistency is “milk-like” so it flows properly. You’ll also want to keep in mind you use the right paint for the material your painting such as foam.
- Airbrush-ready paints – Brands like Createx and Vallejo make paints specifically for airbrushing. These are very beginner friendly and great for avoiding clogging and improper consistency.
- Inks and dyes – These are very thin and thus don’t require thinning, making them more beginner friendly. These are also good options for more transparent colors.
- Acrylics – While these paints are thick, they have potential for airbrushing as well.
Can You Use Acrylic Paint In an Airbrush
You can use acrylic paint in an airbrush. However, they’re very thick and will need to be properly thinned to avoid clogs. There is some acrylic paints though that are sold as airbrush-ready so you don’t have to thin them as much.
How to Make Airbrush Paint From Acrylic Paint
To make airbrush paint from regular acrylics, you can thin it to a milk like consistency by mixing in the following:
- Flow improver
- Airbrush thinner
- Distilled water
- Airbrush paint medium
- Airbrush reducer
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