The history and operation of the airbrush

The history:

The airbrush technique is actually very old.

Prehistoric men in the caves of Lascaux in France already used the technique.

With a straw, the pigment was blown on the rock walls.

With the introduction of the photograph technique, photographers used the airbrush to retouch their photos and to colour them.

In the thirties and forties of the previous century we see the use of the airbrush rising for manufacturing or commercial art, such as posters.

Which man does not remember the pin-ups of Vargas!

Around 1960 the airbrush technique had a real boom.

Especially the ad agencies use airbrush in their illustrations to add a slick look into it.

Nowadays that function has been entirely taken over by the computer.

The airbrush technique has many applications nowadays.

It is not only used by artists but also in the car world and the world of modelconstruction.

Make-up artists and the film industry also work with airbrush.

Even cake makers use the airbrush for decorating their cakes!

Operation:

The airbrushpen itself is no bigger than a fountain pen.

The pen is by means of a hose connected to a compressor, which ensures a constant and reliable air supply.

On top of the pen is a small reservoir for paint or ink.

There is also a trigger/button to make it possible to vary your air-supply.

The input air ensures the spraying of paint or ink.

A needle that runs through the airbrush can arrange the flow of the ink/paint. The same trigger/button is used to manipulate.

It requires a lot of exercise to spout an even area and a straight line.

Tresoor usually starts with a sketch. That is very thinly drawn on a carrier, usually special airbrush paper. Canvas is also used. Even metal, (think of pimping cars and motorcycles).

You can then hand out free syringes, but you can also use templates, and even special acetate film layers.

In principle applies: the further the mold stays away from the cloth, the more blurred the line becomes.

Therefore: if you use film that is glued to the carrier you get very tight lines.

After completion of the drawing, the artist removes all molds and templates and starts finishing.

Finishing means painting of fine details or illuminating certain parties of the drawing by using an eraser or a scalpel.

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