Archive for September, 2008

Over the years I have acquired an arsenal of tried and true tools for applying acrylic paint. One of my most versatile and indispensable is the airbrush. It has helped me to bridge the gap between acrylic and oil, allowing me to create smooth gradations and soft edges without blending wet-in-wet.

Early in my career, I was confronted with condescending remarks regarding airbrush use. I got the impression some artists felt that using this tool somehow constituted cheating. Do you use airbrush? This question fell into the same category as “Did you trace that?” Since those early years I have effectively concealed my airbrush use, and now I often am asked how I achieve such realism, detail, and softness with acrylics.

My philosophy in painting is quite simple. “The end justifies the means.” In this day and age, we have many tools to aid in the creative process. Among these are cameras, computers, projectors, etc. All of these tools can be useful in facilitating the process, but what is most important is the end result – creating a great painting that is uniquely yours inspired from within.

Most of my painting is done with brushes. Approximately five percent utilizes the airbrush. Nature is comprised of many textures, most of which are best rendered with a brush. Where I find the airbrush most useful is for underpainting and glazing. I lay in all of my shapes and forms with a brush and ultimately refine them with the airbrush. I will blend brush strokes, darken shadows, glaze in color, etc. Once the form has the correct color and value I will render the detail on top, usually with a brush. After this stage I may make further adjustments by lightly glazing with the airbrush. This type of use is virtually impossible to detect and helps immensely to speed up the painting process.

I also use the airbrush to render smooth blends in skies, water, and snow. It is great for creating mist and breath coming from an animal’s mouth. I also use a brush when painting these elements. Dry brushing can create similar effects and is great to use in combination with the airbrush. It helps to keep your painting from having a too-soft, over-rendered airbrush look.

One of the aspects of airbrushing I like the least is making a mask. I try to avoid doing so but inevitably end up having to. On occasion I will use liquid watercolor mask. Its downfall is it can be used only once. My preference is a thin sheet of acetate with a light coat of spray adhesive on one side. I cut partially through the film, being careful not to cut into my painting. I then remove it and bend the area until the film separates. The advantage of this type of mask is it can be reused and you also end up with two masks – one for the area inside and one for the area outside of the mask.

For me the airbrush is just another tool for applying paint. The majority of acrylic and opaque watercolor painters I know use one. It is not a magic wand that will transform a bad painting into a good one. As with all painting tools, it is only as good as the talent behind it.

I always say being an artist is a journey with no ultimate destination except to improve. It is crucial to challenge yourself, take risks, and step outside the proverbial box. I hope you all have a pleasant journey.

You can see more of my work on my website – www.danielsmithwildlife.com.

Written by Daniel Smith and reprinted with permission of ARTtalk.com and Iwata-Medea Co.

Airbrushing? The very sound of that word throws many hobbyists into cardiac arrest. I have heard people say “I could never learn to use an airbrush” or “An airbrush is too expensive, so I just use spray cans.” Well, I am here to tell you that anyone can use an airbrush and it is not as expensive as one might think. Airbrushes are extremely useful tools and greatly enhance the finish of models.

As a model railroader and professional model builder, I have used airbrushes for about 25 years, in all kinds of situations. My first set-up was on my open patio. I had to paint in the spring/summertime and could not paint on windy days. I did custom painting for hire with this set-up for five years and obtained very good results. In my present situation, I have a professional paint booth. This is very convenient and allows year-round painting with the airbrushes hooked up at all times.

I have people asking me all the time “What type of airbrush should I buy for model painting?” There are many types and styles of airbrushes and you really want one that you will be comfortable using. There are generally four types of airbrushes as follows:

• External Mix-Single Action
• External Mix-Double Action
• Internal Mix-Single Action
• Internal Mix-Double Action

External Mix – paint and air mixture is performed outside the airbrush body.

Internal Mix – paint and air mixture is performed inside the airbrush body.

Single Action -The airbrush trigger controls only airflow.

Double Action -The airbrush trigger controls both airflow and paint flow.

I personally use both an external mix-single action and an internal mix-single action for the majority of my model painting. These airbrushes allow you to preset the paint flow and then just spray. You will find that if you paint a lot, as I do, the single action does not fatigue your trigger finger as readily as a double action. I also use an internal mix-double action for most of my weathering effects. Once learned, a double action airbrush will give you very fine control to do very realistic weathering effects. Internal mix airbrushes tend to atomize the paint more sufficiently, which I have found gives a little smoother finish. However, once learned, I think that you can get great results from any of the above-mentioned airbrushes. External mix is a little easier to clean than an internal mix.

I have used many different brands of airbrushes, and I am presently using the Iwata Eclipse series. I have a HP-SA Single Action and a HP-CS Gravity Feed-Double Action. The HP-SA I use for general painting and the HP-CS I use for weathering effects. I also like the Paasche H series airbrush for general painting. I have found these to be the most well balanced airbrushes with the paint cup/jar attached. The better balance an airbrush has, the better results you will get. You don’t want to be fighting your equipment. I also like the fact that these airbrushes are the easiest to clean. And cleaning your airbrush is extremely important to insure that it last for years.

The Iwata airbrushes have a unique feature, which I really like. The needle does not protrude from the front of the nozzle. So, if you bump the front of the brush or drop the brush as I too frequently do, the needle is protected from damage. It is very important that the needle remains straight and centered in the nozzle of the airbrush.

My intention with this series is to give information on what works for me and to, hopefully, help you avoid some of the pitfalls that I have experienced. I intend to discuss airbrush equipment, paints, mixing, cleaning, weathering and any other items that come to mind that pertain to airbrushing model railroad equipment. The techniques and equipment I use are not exclusive to model railroading, though. If you have specific questions or ideas for something you would like to see in this series, please feel free to drop me a note. I am always happy to discuss this hobby of ours. Until next time!

Written by Lee A. Yeager and reprinted with permission of ARTtalk.com and Iwata-Medea Co.