Airbrushes and Airbrushing

• An airbrush is equivalent to a miniature spray gun.
• Air blows over the paint nozzle, creating a suction that draws the paint up.
• The paint then flows out into the air stream, breaks into fine droplets, and flies in the direction the air/airbrush is pointed.

• Two basic variations: single-action and double-action.
• Single-action brush: The trigger button controls the air-flow through the airbrush. Paint flow is controlled by a nozzle, typically in-line with the paint line.
• Double-action brush: The trigger button controls both the airflow and the paint supply. Pushing the trigger button down increases the airflow, and pulling back the trigger allows for more paint flow.
• Big difference: The mixing of air and paint significantly differs between the two types. Typically in a single-action airbrushes the paint nozzle meets the the airflow at an angle. The air travels out of the brush and across the tip of the adjustable paint nozzle. On most double-action airbrushes the paint nozzle and air nozzle are parallel. The air flows around the end of the paint nozzle, where the paint needle controls the amount of paint released.

• Try to dilute your paint so it is the consistency of milk.
• Always add/pour the thinning agent into the paint, not the other way around.
• I've had good success using wind shield fluid (the blue window cleaner stuff) as a diluting agent for Gunze Aqueous Hobby Color paint.
• Remember, flat paint dries much more quickly the glossy paint, watch those fingerprints!