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Air brush compressors and gun
Hey there, Its about time time I have a play with air brushing. But dont know which brand to get. They seem to vary so much in price from $60 to $350.. But been looking at Temptu. Any opinions or advise would be greatly appreciated Jan 01 16 10:32 pm Link kerrie jane bailey wrote: Welcome to the world of airbrush, it's a different ballgame. Jan 02 16 07:33 am Link So, full disclosure: not an MUA. Didn't even mean to enter the forum - just clicked on it by mistake instead of the photo thread. But I do have a little experience with airbrushes. Years ago, I had entertained the idea of making my own guitars. I also experimented with it for art, after reading that Tony DiTerlizzi had used one to get those really radiant highlights in his mixed media illustrations. First off, you don't necessarily need to buy everything at once. Many airbrushes can run off a can of propellant, which lets you space out your purchase a little if you need to. Don't use a can for anything important though - just for practice. The cans are a lot more likely to cause spatter than a compressor, as the internal pressure changes as you spray and the can cools down. But learning to start and stop a stroke cleanly, without getting drips on either side, takes a lot of practice. If you need to, using cans can at least get you up and running asap. They'd also be useful for stage makeup, since you wouldn't need to haul so much crap, and nobody will see the splatters from twenty feet away. That said, buy it all at once if you can. You're going to go through a lot of cans. Learning to airbrush is a way that doesn't look cheesy and airbrushed takes a lot of practice. One of the other differences I found in models was serviceability. Most of the nicer models not only resist clogging a bit better(meaning less spatter), but are also easier to take apart and clean. With a lot of the cheaper models, a bad clog might be impossible to fix. But that was my experience with paint. I couldn't run paint thinner through a cheaper airbrush, because a number of the internal parts were plastic, or cheaply plated metal - I'd just be replacing one clog with another one. Makeup is going to be a lot easier to get out than lacquer, so that might not be as much of a selling point for you. But the main thing to keep in mind is practice. It's not an easy tool to master, unless you're painting everything the same solid colour. So unless you buy a junker, your skill is going to matter a lot more than which model you end up with. Jan 02 16 03:51 pm Link you're smart to do some serious research. I teach airbrush and have done consulting for a couple of manufacturers including Grex - full disclosure. That being said, you do get what you pay for. *cheep* sets have some serious limitations. If you buy one with eyes wide open then you probably won't be disappointing. This class of equipment is VERY under powered. The air source is basically a fish aquarium pump and the airbrush has been disabled to always blow air so it doesn't fry the pump's motor. That being said, if all you're doing is foundation then you'll probably be ok. Just don't ask more of the equipment than that. Bigger compressors have more versatility, but more weight and cost. If you KNOW you're going to do studio work or lots of bridal parties or sfx/fantasy makeup, then a compressor that goes up to about 35 psi WORKING (around 70-100 psi max pressure) is what you should be looking at. You CANNOT tell by looking at an airbrush what size needle nozzle it has. For general makeup applications, you want a .35mm or there abouts. Smaller (micron) is NOT advisable. The foundations are too thick and the air pressures we use for makeup are too low for microns to be a good choice. As a general rule of thumb, be sure you an get replacement parts - needles and nozzles are "wear" items and WILL eventually need replaced (particularly while we are learning). If the equipment you're looking at doesn't offer replacements, then you're looking at what I call a *disposable* set up. When you're learning, buy foundation that is designed or an airbrush. Yeeeeesssss, you can thin down liquid foundation, but till you know what's up, you can compromise the foundation and have a real slip-n-slide mess on your hands - or a clogged airbrush. If you can get to a major makeup trade show - GO! Most of the major airbrush players will be there and generally have great deals. So, you can Touch and Play with the equipment AND the product. Just as there are different formulas of liquid foundations, so are there different formulas of airbrush foundation: silicone, water, alcohol, hybrid, etc. So knowing what KIND of formula you want is going to make a difference. Know that the airbrush doesn't care what brand of makeup you're using - it's chrome and stainless steel. Less reputable companies will claim the airbrush will *break* if you use a brand other than theirs. Finally, beware of "gimmick" equipment. For example, pod systems seem woowsy but mixing custom colors can be a pain and buying 1 of every color is generally a waste of money - especially when you figure the actual foundation cost per oz. Jan 02 16 06:46 pm Link wow. so much great advice. My studio just switched to Temptu pro. I don't do the makeup but my makeup artist asked for the change. She said she is happy with the brand and their products. Did I mention I paid for it? Ouch it was expensive to switch. Maybe it's like photography items. You gotta pay for the good stuff. Anyway my brides seem happy because it's a well known brand. We started with a cheaper brand but I think with experience we outgrew it. Whatever you get it takes a lot of practice. Even after a month I wasn't always happy with their applications so I would have to send the brides back for more touch ups. Jan 02 16 07:39 pm Link Wow even more to think about Thank you so much, Was concerned about the temptu pod systems as I always mix my foundations.. so thats now scratched of the list Jan 02 16 10:48 pm Link First, you cannot go wrong listening to Lisa B. Second, POD type systems are nothing but a manufacturers way of locking you into their product. To me they should be competing on quality or price...NOT doing like inject print companies who give you a cheap printer but then charge a fortune for refills. Third, I usually avoid airbrush equipment that has a name on it unless that name is an airbrush manufacturer. Cosmetic companies do not MAKE airbrush gear.... they order it from places that make 2nd rate gear and put whatever name you like on it. If you are going to buy airbrush gear...I would suggest that you go straight to airbrush companies like Grex, Iwata, Paasche, and even Badger (I am not a huge fan of the Badger airbrushes I had years ago, but they are better than many of the knock offs I have seen). Jan 02 16 11:40 pm Link i stumbled in here n saw this thread n wondered if my old air brushes (1970s vintage) are any good for makeup. i used them for art and toutchup editing work. i have several badgers and a couple paashe ab turbos. all are double action guns with various tip n nozzle sizes. my compressor is a pancake i also use for construction but it does have a wonderfuly accurate regulator. i think something not mentioned here is the fact a compressor that has a storage holding tank will give you more even steady air streams that those car tire inflaors that send pulsed air to the brush. btw once the holding tank is up to preasure, the compressor shuts off via preasure stat. can i use this equipment for makeup? any recomendations for further reading on how to use makeup in an airbrush? recomended products n thinners? thanks Jan 03 16 06:29 am Link The F-Stop wrote: Compressor - yes (you might consider using a long hose and "next room" [placement strictly for noise control and using a second regulator & water seperator close at hand) (An airbrush runs at much lower pressure than a nail gun.) Jan 03 16 10:48 am Link kerrie jane bailey wrote: Iwata makes quality air brush tools with good parts support. Jan 03 16 11:10 am Link Yes.... as said above, you don't have to have the same brand airbrush as the compressor. Just be certain the compressor has enough *air power* (psi) for the airbrush. More is ok. Not enough is bad as the airbrush won't be able to properly atomoze and spray the foundation. If the airbrush is a top feed with a .35 needle it will work on a compressor that goes down to 15 psi working pressure. I'm a *more power* kinda gal. Better to have more than I need and not need it.... but again the trade off is in compressor size and weight. As with airbrushes, cheep compressors do come with *a price*. A harbor freight compressor will be half the cost but will be loud, vibrate like crazy and get hot rather quickly. Any compressor will get hot because they have a motor - that's why you want to be SURE to get a compressor that has an auto-shut off solenoid so it doesn't run unless you're using it. The smaller air pump style will run constantly so you'll be turning them on and shutting them off more frequently. Jan 03 16 11:59 am Link Wow thank again.. for all your advise you given me alot to think about Cheers Jan 05 16 03:08 am Link thanks for the makeup sources. im going to try thr obes available at macys. i had no idea how expensive this stuff is although i always paid mua tf jobs for materials thinking they were over tge top. but i never questioned it because i have a deep respect for their talents. thanks again. Jan 07 16 05:44 am Link The F-Stop wrote: Realize that airbrush makeup through retailers has INCREDIBLE markup. If you are serious about this pursuit I would suggest a professional supply house... Jan 07 16 09:08 am Link BodyPainter Rich wrote: Agree with Rich on this... where you buy can make a huge difference in price... for the exact same item. Jan 08 16 12:28 pm Link It is my little pet peeve... Artists use brushes not guns. Our tools are called airbrushes. As for markup it is worth a note that the more experienced an airbrush artist the less makeup you will use. And some retailers are always cheaper than the manufacturers (noting Rich refers to some manufactures directly) Our site shows the current MSRP on ProAiir but it is on special coupon at 16% off. Normally it is listed below MSRP http://www.extrememakeupfx.com/ProAiir- … o-prop.htm Shop with distributors to get good deals. Jan 30 16 11:48 am Link Yep. And the best deals I've seen have been at trade shows. Most manufacturers have deep discounts on kits because they know most users will tend to stay with the brand that came with their kit. Jan 30 16 05:29 pm Link |
