Painting Basics
Prepping the Airbrush
Step 1
Turn on the spray booth fan + light using the switch on the top.
Step 2
Turn on the air compressor using the switch on the back.
Step 3
Ensure the paint well is clear and clean.
Step 4
Add your desired colour of paint to the paint well.
Step 5
Test on a paper towel to ensure the paint is coming out properly. To spray the paint, simply push down on the trigger with your index finger and pull back slowly. You should see paint release. A more detailed explanation of how to use our duel-action airbrush is below.
HOW TO AIRBRUSH
The airbrush uses an air compressor to blow high pressure air through a small space. When this air is combined with paint, it blows the paint out from the nozzle in a widespread and soft stream of paint molecules, creating the soft "airbrush" look that the machine is known for.
There are two types of airbrushes: single action and dual action.
Here at the DCI Lab, we have a dual action airbrush. This means that we can control the amount of paint that is released into the airstream and the air flow at the same time, by pushing down for air and pulling back for paint.
How far away you hold the airbrush matters, too. The closer you are to your material, the smaller your "brush" will be. The further away you are, the more widespread your paint will spray. See the below diagram for a visual aid.
USING THE AIRBRUSH
Step 1
Once you're happy with how the paint is coming out of the airbrush and have made sure that there are no clogs or other obstructions, paint your object. Remember that the simple instructions for how to use the airbrush are as follows:
To increase/decrease size: hold the airbrush away from or closer to your object
To spray more paint: pull back further on the nozzle. Do the reverse for less paint flow.
Step 2 (optional)
If you're using more than one colour, feel free to pour your new colour directly into the paint well after your other colour has run out. No need to clean the airbrush in between!
Just spray your new paint on a paper towel again until you are happy with the colour that is being released, then paint your object.
CLEANING THE AIRBRUSH
Step 1
Turn off the air compressor and remove the hose from the airbrush.
Step 2
Run the airbrush under water in the sink, making sure the water flows through the paint well and nozzle by pulling the trigger while the water flows.
Step 3
Reattach the air compressor hose to the airbrush and turn on the air compressor. Use the airbrush cleaner in the drawer to fill up the paint well about halfway.
Step 4
Spray the airbrush cleaner onto a paper towel until you see clear liquid coming through the nozzle.
Step 5
Hold the paper towel up against the airbrush nozzle briefly while pulling fully on the airbrush trigger. This should create some bubbling in the paint well due to the air being pushed back up through the nozzle while you block the front. Pull the paper towel back and spray again; you may see more colour appear even if you were previously spraying clear liquid. Do this a few times to ensure there is no paint left in the airbrush.
Step 6
Once you are confident that the airbrush has been cleaned, make sure to use all the remaining material in the paint well by spraying it into the jar.
Step 7
Turn off the air compressor and paint booth.
Step 8
Detach the air hose from the airbrush to let the rest of the air out.
Step 9
You're finished! Make sure to let your paint dry before taking your object out of the booth.