The airbrush presents endless opportunities for budding artists and it’s up to the individual to find his or her niche. But where do we begin? How can we generate an income from using a simple instrument such as an airbrush? Well it’s not as hard as you think, all you require are some simple skills and imagination. We’ve been doing this for a quarter of a century, sometimes it’s been challenging, and other times it’s been a blast. What we as airbrush artists have is the freedom to steer our own course and find a market that we can thrive in. The internet is full of useful and not so useful info and it can be difficult wading through contradicting information. So in order to clarify the processes for budding and experienced airbrushers, we thought we would open the door and give an insight into how we do it.

It’s the end result that counts
   The first thing you will learn about airbrushing is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. It’s about adapting a technique that works for you.
In our experience we suggest that you learn as many techniques and styles as possible. That way you can mix it up and you will have access to resolve any problems you will come across, this will help build confidence and make the journey more enjoyable.

Workshops and courses
   One of the best ways to gain experience and accelerate your skill level is by attending various workshops. There’s nothing better than learning in a friendly environment with like minded people. However, there are very good workshops and very bad workshops, so you have to sift through all the smoke to find a quality workshop which works for you. Nowadays with social media on the up, the cream rises to the top and we can get a good idea of the teaching standards in workshops due to feedback from students who were in attendance. A few things to look out for when trying to find a suitable workshop are:

• What is the quality of the teacher’s work? It’s pointless attending a work shop if the teacher has a limited or very basic skill level. With that in mind, it doesn’t necessarily mean that an experienced airbrusher can teach. Try to get an overview of the course and any feedback from attendees.
•  How flexible is the workshop? Some workshops have set projects, which means that the teacher has planned the project in advance and created a comfort zone for themselves. So if you want to divert from the project, it won’t be possible. Other workshops allow you to select your own projects or bring your projects to class and the teacher guides you through the process. This is good when there are multiple students because you get the chance to learn from watching other students.
•  How big is the class? A smaller class means more time for each of the students. A bigger class means less attention from the instructors which should in turn be reflected in the price.
• Is the Instructor open to questions? Some instructors reveal very little outside the syllabus they are teaching. Whereas others are open to any questions asked by students.

There’s nothing worse than spending your hard earned money on a workshop and at the end of the day you’ve learnt nothing in the process,  it’s important to chose carefully. Here are a couple of pointers to help you once you find a suitable workshop:

•  Create a list of questions you want to ask the instructor. Remember, no question is a dumb question
•  Take as many photos on the day, this includes step by steps of the process, if you’re anything like me, you will have forgotten how         you did it as soon as you walk out the door. Also take pictures of the airbrush setup, paints used, materials used etc.
• Get a receipt for the workshop payment, this is tax deductible.
•  Make mistakes and lots of mistakes. This is probably the most important point regarding workshops. You are in a learning process and   the best thing you can do is screw up and learn how to rectify the problem then and there while the instructor is present, as opposed   to when you are home, in your studio with no one to guide you.

Don’t give up the day job.
  It’s not hard to make money from airbrushing. It really can be a good way to supplement your income. However there could be a point in your life when you have an opportunity to go full time and give up the day job. There are a number of reasons why you may make this decision i.e. you hate your job so much that it would be a relief to do something you really love and enjoy, you have so much airbrush work that it could lead to bigger and better airbrush opportunities etc. People have asked me if they should give up their day job to pursue a career as an airbrush artist and it’s not a simple yes or no answer. If you already have a job that provides you with long term security then i would say stick with it and airbrush on projects in your free time. If you happen to work on a self employed basis and have periods between jobs, then it’s a good income boost to your purse. It may be a very exciting opportunity to leave your job for a career in airbrushing but it’s a very big decision and may not be sustainable. Think where you would be in a year’s time if you were to make that decision.

Practice makes perfect
  Don’t worry if you have bad airbrush control to begin with, many people struggle to get to grips with it at the start. Those who work at it are the ones who succeed and part of the fun is that endless journey to perfection. You should use every opportunity to practice and perfect your technique so that it feels very natural and comfortable. Don’t be scared of it, it’s only a tool. We will provide simple practice projects that will help focus on improving your technique and are fun at the same time.

Let’s start with the basics
  What equipment do we need to enter this industry? Well quite a lot really, but the main and most expensive components are, an airbrush, a compressor and paints. The quality of each of these will determine the journey you will have in order to attain a high standard and it will also be a gauge for any problems you will face, cheap equipment will become a head ache and create endless problems in your work.
The first question we are asked is what’s the best airbrush to buy? It’s a purely subjective question like whats the best car to buy? It’s down to personal choice. We’ve seen excellent results from artists using cheap airbrushes and bad work done using expensive airbrushes. Our blog titled ‘What Airbrush’ will give you our perspective.