There are different ways to differentiate your car from other cars of similar models. One of the popular options for external tuning is the use of airbrushing. Original drawings or exotic patterns are applied to body elements, which allows you to add individuality.
The picture is selected independently and can be applied either in a specialized salon or in your own garage if you have the tools and materials. The duration of the process depends on the complexity of the selected image.
What is modern airbrushing?
Cars can be decorated with both permanent and temporary images. The second option is usually in demand for certain events and allows you to painlessly delete the picture. Temporary airbrushing can be applied to a passenger car in one of the following ways:
- use of tattoo ink;
- use of self-adhesive transparent film as a basis for full-color printing;
- applying the ornament with water-soluble or acrylic paints.
In specialized salons, the cost of such a service can be quite high. Because of this, craftsmen with artistic taste strive to decorate the appearance of their four-wheeled friend on their own.
The application of a temporary or permanent pattern is carried out using a non-contact painting complex. Its basic element is an airbrush that sprays paint. Finished drawings can be either conventional two-dimensional formats or complex three-dimensional images with several layers that add volume and realism to the finished artistic product.
Important! When working with airbrushing, a brush is not used, but only a contour pencil can be used.
Which colors to choose
The choice of paint depends on the effect you want to achieve.
- Transparent paints: watercolors in tubes, various other liquid pigments. This will make your drawing translucent, light and airy.
- Opaque paints: gouache, tempera. They give a dense color, which will avoid mixing shades during application and creating unplanned colors. For example, when painting a yellow sun on a blue sky, the density of the coating will prevent the sun circle from turning green.
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Required work tools
A picture is made using tools and materials that you can either buy at an auto store or make yourself. Complex drawings will require expensive professional equipment. If airbrushing is intended as a hobby, then an amateur or semi-professional set is sufficient.
In the process of work you will need the following kit:
- a compressor that allows air to be pumped to create pressure;
- an airbrush, which is an adjustable spray gun for delivering a stream of paint;
- hose from the compressor for transmitting pneumatic pressure;
- dyes that can be dissolved with solvents 647 or 646;
- a bottle of solvent for cleaning paint and diluting it;
- a degreaser that helps to properly prepare the surface;
- sticky wet wipes;
- protective varnish for finishing the finished surface;
- varnish fixer;
- a set of sandpapers with different grain sizes;
- angle grinder for surface preparation;
- prepared stencils;
- sketch;
- breathing protection and uniform.
The main elements of most art sprayers are:
- paint cavity with sealed lid;
- air inlets and paint supply;
- axial springs;
- bushings;
- hose;
- cap with nozzle;
- needle.
Modern airbrushes are classified according to the type of device used for mixing paint and air flow. Available in single and double versions.
For single designs, trigger control is carried out exclusively using air flow power. Manufacturers offer devices with external or internal mixing type. The design with external mixing is simpler, so it is used for independent painting work in garage conditions.
The internal type of paint mixing is structurally more complex. However, with its help it is possible to adjust the force of paint supply when it exits externally. An additional advantage is the ability to adjust the consumption of the dye.
Units with a dual operating principle are classified as professional equipment, so such airbrushes are found only in car showrooms. The operating principle of such systems is to mix the ink flow coming from one valve (needle) and the second - an aero valve (air).
Such professional equipment is differentiated according to the method of flow regulation. Dependent and independent analogues are used. In fact, the greater the air flow, the more intense the paint consumption and application to the body surface.
Important! Thanks to professional airbrushes that use a dual operating principle, art tuning specialists are able to achieve maximum realism in images.
What do you need for work?
To apply a graphic design to a motorcycle or car, you need to purchase the necessary equipment for the job:
- The design is applied to the surface using an airbrush. In some situations, a special pencil may be used.
- You will also need “consumables”: a nitro-based coloring composition, nitro varnish and a solvent substance.
- You need to start work wearing a reliable respirator. You may also need pieces of clean fabric material, cotton swabs and ordinary masking tape.
The results obtained, as a rule, are directly dependent on the tools and equipment used. Devices of high quality and wide functionality allow you to make a more impressive drawing than a device that is unstable.
Air compressor
Buying a compressor is the most expensive item when creating an airbrush. Compressors differ in a number of criteria, which include:
- Noise level generated;
- Volume;
- Performance indicators;
- Absence/presence of a receiver.
At first, high power levels are not very necessary for novice artists. Therefore, any device will do to get started. To create relatively small images, you can use a special membrane design. Its cost is in an affordable range , but in terms of controllability and functionality it is suitable for any novice airbrush artist. It should also be noted that the working capacity is enough for about thirty to forty minutes of use.
If you have the desire and financial opportunity, it would be better to acquire an oil-type compressor.
This device is characterized by a higher output power and continuous operation time, which makes it possible to achieve a finer and more accurate spray of the coloring composition. Oil-piston compressors are characterized by low noise. They can also be equipped with a special receiver that helps accumulate air masses.
It’s also useful to read: Car tuning using airbrushing on the hood
It should be remembered that when applying a layer of paint material, you do not need to turn off the air compressor. All work must be carried out without any interruptions.
For this reason, when purchasing a compressor with a short operating time, it is unlikely that large surfaces will be varnished well.
Aerobrushes
Airbrushes are similar in appearance to an ordinary spray gun, only with wider functionality. The cost of an airbrush directly depends on its capabilities. Inexpensive domestically produced brushes will cost little - from three hundred rubles. The price of foreign analogues can reach three hundred US dollars.
The most popular option is an airbrush, in which the paint tank is located on top.
In the selection process, you should pay attention to the convenience of the location and functionality of the control button, because it is this that distinguishes the airbrush from a conventional spray gun.
You should also choose the appropriate nozzle size. For example, a brush with a half-millimeter nozzle will be convenient for treating large areas and blurred contours. However, finer work will require a smaller nozzle.
There is no need to skimp on solvent to clean your airbrush. Also, do not forget that the tool should be cleaned immediately after use, otherwise the paint may dry out in the nozzle.
Hose connector
Here it is important to adhere to the only recommendation - you need to select the softest hose possible. Often, when using rigid adapters, defects appear in the drawing. There will be no problems with soft material.
Coloring compounds
You need to use the paint in a special respirator. The coloring composition must be suitable for the solvent used. Before work, you can test their compatibility on your own on some “unnecessary” surface. If you have any doubts, it is recommended to use universal products or acetone.
It is extremely difficult to find the right shade in the store. Therefore, you need to take several separate containers in advance in which different paints will be mixed. As a result, you will have the opportunity to choose the desired shade. to test the resulting compositions on the surfaces of metal alloys, because plastic or wood behave completely differently.
First, as a rule, they try to depict horizontal stripes. If you succeeded, then you can safely move on to circles and all kinds of curved lines.
The next stage is creating simple images. Interesting stories for this can be found on the Internet. In this case, the use of stencils is acceptable.
Tool selection
When choosing tools, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of the sprayer. One of the criteria for understanding the performance of equipment is the possible area of painting, which is determined by the thickness of the jet.
For background surfaces, select a nozzle with an outlet diameter of 0.35 mm. With its help, you can quickly fill large areas and apply thick lines. Also, such devices are easy to operate.
Use of equipment with a nozzle diameter of less than 0.2 mm. will be relevant for drawing thin, even lines. The cost of such attachments is higher than their wide counterparts. Working with them is more difficult.
Before you do airbrush yourself on your own car, you need to buy a tool with a certain type of paint supply. There are such models for airbrushing:
- the gravity type is equipped with a container on top, while the paint flows to the nozzle under the influence of gravity, so the design is relevant for systems with low power;
- in siphon devices, the container can be located on either side, which expands the operator’s potential when working with replaceable paint containers, but the disadvantage is the need to connect a powerful compressor;
- devices without tanks allow you to supply paint directly to the nozzle, this allows you to frequently change shades and draw fine lines.
Both air and specially prepared gas can be supplied through the compressor. The supply process can be closed (for special gas) or flow-through (for air).
Airbrush application process
The car owner must carefully select the image he wants to put on the body of his car. It is also necessary to take into account that subsequently it will be more problematic to sell such a car, especially if the drawing is quite specific in meaning.
A sketch is first created in a small format or selected from the network in high resolution so that small details are clearly drawn. We recommend performing all operations in a graphic editor.
At first, stencils help most beginning designers. With their help, it is possible to do the work better and more accurately. The speed of application of some elements also increases. The following types of stencils are used:
- disposable;
- reusable;
- patterns.
The first couple of types are relevant for a specific image or part of it. Patterns are in demand as universal tools and are used for applying repeating patterns or lines. You can fix the stencil using tape or other devices. We recommend practicing on other surfaces before final application.
Important! It is necessary to make a gradation from light tones to dark colors.
The drawing begins by drawing the contours with a stencil or by hand. Next, fill in the background when it exists. The next stage is drawing the main plot. If necessary, outline is performed, completing all operations by drawing out small details.
Cost of airbrush designs for a car
Anyone who wants to paint a car needs to remember that such pleasure is not cheap. There is no need to skimp on this hobby. But with poor-quality and unprofessional paint application, there is a chance of ruining the design of the car. And then you will have to completely repaint your favorite four-wheeled horse.
It is not easy to immediately calculate the price of such restyling, since much will depend on the amount of work and the number of small parts in the drawing. The average cost of painting the hood of a “car” of an average car will be 150-350 dollars, and for the whole car you need to save up from a thousand to three thousand dollars. If you turn to a serious master, then, of course, his work will be appreciated very highly, and the work will be completed for several months. But this stress will be worth the money, time and effort. There are. Of course, those car owners who are, as they say, “strangled by a toad” and are not going to spend extra money and therefore make attempts to create airbrushing on their own and without outside help. It happens that they achieve very tangible and literally visible success and then begin to paint not only their car, but also the “cars” of friends and acquaintances. The hobby is gradually turning into a second profession, bringing very considerable profits in the form of fees for labor.
Tips for caring for your airbrush and airbrush
A prerequisite is to fix the image with a special varnish. This will increase the durability of the hand-made picture.
After you have airbrushed your car, be careful when driving and chemically treating the car. Light scratches from bush branches can damage the image. Do not use aggressive chemical liquids, including oils and abrasive mixtures that can damage the airbrush. Do not wipe the painting with a dry cloth.
Preparing the surface for the image
In order for the final result to look perfect and last a long period, it is necessary to prepare the surface for future work.
Accordingly, it is necessary to eliminate all irregularities and defects (chips, blistering paint, corroded areas, etc.). Also, after cleaning and restoring the body, you will need to clean it from dirt and dust.
Thus, in some cases, the preparatory period may be delayed. The main thing is not to neglect it, but to follow all the recommendations, then do-it-yourself airbrushing on your car will please you for a very long time.
Is it worth taking on the job yourself?
It is necessary to start independent work after certain training. It is advisable to start with simple plots that include a small number of shades and consist of simple figures.
It is not recommended to include special vehicles in stories, so as not to conflict with the traffic police. Otherwise, airbrushing is legal according to traffic regulations. Its presence is worth mentioning in the PTS.
