Blending Using An Airbrush

[shooter55]

I am looking for information concerning techniques blending colors going from light to dark using an airbrush. I have seen demos where the user fully dyes a holster and then applies a darker shade along the edges and certain areas. My questions are:

1. Are the materials used to do this both dyes, just different colors?

2. Is it difficult to get a smooth effect when doing this? (knowing that practice will make it better)

3. Do you use a different psi doing this?

Does anyone have any links or videos explaining this? Looking to start airbrushing soon, and need as much info as I can fit in this this little brain.

Thanks, for the help.

Tim

[Destrier]

Also would like to know these things!

[David8386]

I have found Air brushing to be pretty much the same on any materials, leather or metal just different paints or dyes depending what they are being sprayed on. Air sick has some good online tutorials on basic airbrushing, from basic operation to doing skulls and such. Doing things like basic color fading or darkening on leather would be done with dyes. You just thin them to get the desired color. How easy it is to do would depend on the air brush. Smaller needles would allow finer detail work but they will also clog easier. I have a harbor freight special that I use for general dying and finish work it and it works fine for me. You just have to play with it to figure out what pressures work best for different things. There are some much more talented people here that do very fine detail work that can give better answers on this than me. Hope this helps some.

David

[Cyberthrasher]

Just play with it

Recommended air brushes will be double-action, so you can control both the air flow and dye with a single pull of the trigger.

The fades are done with a combination of letting off the air and dye, as well as varying your distance from the work. There's no need to thin the dye any further to get different fades within the same color. Most dyes will be between 25 and 35 PSI - usually toward the lower end, but it varies depending on how thick your mix is.

Here's a good starting spot for tutorials, but there are TONS of resources out there. If you buy a Paasche, it comes with a book of lessons as well.

http://www.airbrusht...ush-lesson-one/

BTW - For practice, a little food coloring and water is cheap and effective.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Cyberthrasher

[shooter55]

"Here's a good starting spot for tutorials, but there are TONS of resources out there. If you buy a Paasche, it comes with a book of lessons as well."

Cyberthrasher. Can you recommend which Paasche would be a decent unit to start with?

Appreciate the help.

[Cyberthrasher]

Cyberthrasher. Can you recommend which Paasche would be a decent unit to start with?

Appreciate the help.

The Paasche VL series is one of the most popular kits, and the parts are readily available, even at a lot of leather supply houses. It averages at about $50 for a starting kit with 3 different tips, a hose, a metal cup, and 2 paint bottles. You also can't go wrong with a Badger in the same price range (I think it's a 155 model), but I can't recall if they come with different tips, and parts aren't as common (but still out there). Up until now I've actually been using a Harbor Freight deluxe, which has worked well, but it has room for improvement.

For a compressor, you just need something that spits out air in the 25 - 35 PSI range. If noise is an issue, get a compressor designed for airbrushes. Many people like the Iwata compressors, and Paasche has some available as well, but I can't comment on any of them. I use a Harbor Freight 3 gallon shop compressor and it works fine for me, but it can be loud as well. I also have a basement work space and a family who's used to me being the loudest person in the house. TCP Global is a good place for various supplies, but I usually look at Coast Airbrush for things first since they offer excellent support and educational resources. They're devoted to airbrushing/pinstriping and other Kustom Kulture stuff, so I just kind of prefer to support them if the price is right.

Also would like to know these things!

You already bought stuff, just quit stressing and practice when it gets there!!!!

[Art]

When you are fading, you use the overspray from holding the airbrush 4 to 8 inches or more from the surface and using passes along the edge going from the dark part into the fade. You can exaggerate this somewhat by putting some angle on the brush, but you can do perfectly well holding the brush perpendicular to the work. If you need to hold the brush closer for a smaller fade, then you might have to tilt the brush. Take a piece of paper (buy a pad of newspaper from the art store) and start the fade at the bottom, and work your way up the paper one overlapping pass at a time. You will be putting multiple coats on the bottom fading to lighter at the top. It may seem that you are holding the brush too far from the paper, but the multiple passes will build up the color fading out toward the top. If you want sharp edge fades, you use a stencil to give the sharp edge. The more distance to the paper, the larger the area and the lighter the coverage. You have to practice some to get the feel of how the brush lays down the color. Three or four hours of playtime are very valuable, more is better.

Art

[shooter55]

Thanks everyone for their input and instruction. Now that I have a little knowledge, the next thing to do is get started and practice, practice, practice......Thanks again.

Tim

[Rayban]

Just play with it

Recommended air brushes will be double-action, so you can control both the air flow and dye with a single pull of the trigger.

The fades are done with a combination of letting off the air and dye, as well as varying your distance from the work. There's no need to thin the dye any further to get different fades within the same color. Most dyes will be between 25 and 35 PSI - usually toward the lower end, but it varies depending on how thick your mix is.

Here's a good starting spot for tutorials, but there are TONS of resources out there. If you buy a Paasche, it comes with a book of lessons as well.

http://www.airbrusht...ush-lesson-one/

BTW - For practice, a little food coloring and water is cheap and effective.

Does this look like an adequate set-up to get started with? Don't know how "into it" I will get but I would like to explore airbrushing leather.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-5-hp-58-psi-compressor-and-airbrush-kit-95630.html

[Art]

It will work till you get something better. The compressor might pulse a little bit because there is no tank and it will run all the time, hard to tell how loud it will be, depends on what you can tolerate, they are usually not loud. The airbrush is cheap, but some of the cheap ones are quite suprising. I like the Veda cheap airbrushes. You can always get another brush or compressor and for under $100, what's to lose? I also like my Iwata equipment but it ain't cheap.

Art

[Cyberthrasher]

yeah, it will work. I opted for one of their 3 gallon compressors that can hold air and be used for other stuff, but you'd have to build up the fittings and filters inline too, so it's not as much of an "out of the box" setup.

[grittyroots]

i am using an iwata neo mostly they run about 65$. i'm also running a portercable pancake compressor that i used for a nailgun. this combo works great for what i do. get a good water seperator. good luck. airbrushes are addicting