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Just got my new airbrush!
So I just got my new airbrush and I'm having so much fun playing with it and learning how to use it. But I'm having a few problems that I'm hoping someone can help me with. Forgive me if these questions have been asked, I read through other threads and didn't see any answers. Cleaning the machine: I'm using occ foundations, the girl at occ told me just to run water through it to clean it, but sometimes theres still products at the bottom i cant get out, I used a qtip but still some left, im nervous to break it. Also does anything need to be taken apart to clean or just run water? psi: I've tried using a low psi as I have read you get a better application, but it seems to take FOREVER, 10 minutes later, barely any makeup, am I doing it wrong or does it just take a lot of patience? Mixing stuff: I've read some people watering down foundations and putting it through the machine. Is there a certain ratio to follow or just keep mixing till it seems right? Also occ says you can mix pigment with a mixing medium, but the pigment was still kinda clumpy, do you mix it in the cup or before its put in the cup? Same question applies for mixing liquids, I tried mixing a foundation with a shimmer, I put both in the cup, they didn't mix in the cup, and I wasn't 100% sure if it sprayed out evenly as I only put a little shimmer. Lastly, amount of foundation: occ says to use 6-8 drops, it didnt seem to be enough and I had to use more just to cover the face, am I just doing it wrong? Thanks! Aug 10 10 03:07 pm Link mila chic wrote: Take it apart and clean it thoroughly or you will have a hive of bacteria. I run airbrush cleansing fluid through without the needle, use tiny q-tips to get into the cracks and run IPA through mine periodically. You can get a neat little cleansing pot from Temptu - I don't have one yet but in principle it should massively simplify keeping it clean. mila chic wrote: Low psi is better, then you build it up only where you need it. When I first started I blasted at higher psi, but you run the risk of making it patchy or having the makeup splatter/trickle. With airbrush you are perfecting the skin, not coating on a mask. mila chic wrote: Mix foundations with the appropriate thinner till they are the consistency of milk. Beware of glitter content as this can clog really easily. Don't mix them in the cup - you can't mix thoroughly in there. You CAN mix to a degree by covering the end of the brush with a finger and allowing the air to blow back, but I mainly use this to blend new colours into the previous colour. DON'T try to mix s/b with w/b or a/b... obv! mila chic wrote: Just work with a few drops at a time. Most airbrush makeup companies claim 6-8 drops, but there will always be faces that require extra coverage, and if you are changing the colour of the face you will definitely need more! Aug 10 10 03:34 pm Link Speaking of Temptu, I was looking on their site for foundations and it seems they only come in pods? Can it be used in an Iwata machine? Will running alcohol through the machine disinfect it or do I need to take it apart? I'm a little nervous about taking it apart in case I break it, or dont put it back properly lol. Aug 10 10 04:00 pm Link You were on their consumer site....scroll down to the very botton and you will see "pros enter here" link. This will take you to their pro products. Also other artists say to be aware that when trying to run s/b and a/b thru one gun u may get a gunky gum like result that Can damage the gun. Make sure to clean between each product and NEVER mix s/b and a/b products! Aug 10 10 04:04 pm Link omgosh thank you! Aug 10 10 04:08 pm Link you are very welcome! Aug 10 10 04:10 pm Link Aug 10 10 04:19 pm Link Congrats on your purchase.... I'm gonna ramble off a few things in a jumble of an order cuz I'm distracted getting ready for another trade show. 1) PSI. Too low, and you don't get a nice pattern - more of a splatter. Too high, and as you've already seen, you can hurt the model and easily be too heavy handed while you're learning control. You'll quickly be able to tell by SOUND if you've got the right PSI for your product. 2) Try too dark a foundation.... Best way to SEE how your technique is progressing is to use a foundation that's like 5 shades off. This will give you a chance to evaluate technique and learn more about the process. 3) 5 drops vs. 15. Depends on the model, the look and the lighting. Just like regular foundation application, quantity required has a lot of variables. 4) Cleaning the Airbrush. You do NOT have to take the airbrush completely apart every time you use it. a) Spray water through the airbrush till the water is clear. b) Back bubble by placing a paper-towel covered finger over the front of the airbrush. The water in the cup will be bubbled back because the airflow is blocked. This creates turbulence and loosens up any remaining foundation. Dump. Repeat. Dump. Spray clean again. c) You can back the needle out A LITTLE BIT. This makes the fluid path as wide open as possible. Repeat the spray, backbubble. Do NOT pull the needle all the way out or back past the rear seal. If you do, all that junky water is going to flood down the inside of your airbrush and clog the air valve. d) When you're satisfied there is NO color coming out the airbrush, remove the needle, wipe it off, replace and you're done. 5) Foundation made for airbrush does NOT need to be thinned. Thinning a product makes a thin product - this will affect HOW the product applies and survives on the face. Save the experimenting for after you've got the hang of the basics. 6) CLEANER: You'll need more than water. Nurturing Force is a good option for you. Great rule of thumb: Clean you airbrush ONLY with soap you'd be willing to use on your face. So if you hear recommendations for stronger detergents - take the info with a grain of salt. Yes, sometimes it is absolutely necessary to do a deep clean with something "strong" - but again, this shouldn't be part of your "normal daily" routine. 7) Don't Mix n Match across product types. Know your formulations. Water, alcohol and silicone based products don't play well with each other. Water based foundations, for example, do not like a heavy silicone primer. But, an alcohol based sealer will lay over a water based foundation just fine. Just DO NOT mix products in your airbrush - unless you like making cottage cheese looking goo that will be a PITA to clean up. I'll Edit if I come up with more. 8) Clean at a higher PSI. You'll get done much faster. Take advantage of the power your compressor has, after all. Aug 10 10 06:59 pm Link A water spray bottle set to "stream" can be VERY useful when trying to get stuff out of your color cup. Running 90% alcohol through the brush can help keep things extra clean. 70% alcohol can do in a pinch but is not quite as effective. Aug 10 10 07:07 pm Link this was super helpful. Thanks! Aug 10 10 07:34 pm Link BodyPainter Rich wrote: +1 Aug 10 10 10:40 pm Link So far I've just been practicing on myself with the airbrush. I've got my first client booked this weekend, excited and a little nervous. Any tips for working on clients? Also any tips about working with bronzers would be great. I haven't used one yet, I'm nervous it will end up looking dirty lol Aug 12 10 06:47 am Link mila chic wrote: The best tip I can give you about airbrushing a client is don't come straight at their face with the gun, especially if they've never been airbrushed before. Let them feel the air blowing so they get comfortable and make sure they don't squint. Aug 12 10 11:31 pm Link make-up by lizzie wrote: And don't spend too long around the nostrils - very hard for clients to breathe while you do this so make sure to do the tip of the nose in bursts and warn them first. Aug 13 10 06:45 am Link BodyPainter Rich wrote: THANK YOU for this advice... I've been fiddling around with pointed cotton tip for ages and this 'streaming' is working wonders. Sep 23 10 10:19 pm Link Raeoni mua wrote: Are your cleaning solution and the Temptu S/B the same viscosity? Sep 23 10 10:22 pm Link Lisa Berczel wrote: ah makes sense. the cleaning solution is a bit thinner. So i should work really play with working out a higher PSI with the foundation to stop the splatter. Thank you! I didn't know if it could've been a hundred things i was doing wrong. I'll have another play. Sep 23 10 10:59 pm Link Raeoni mua wrote: The lower your psi, sometimes the more noticeable these things are - and the more of an impact they have on the performance of the product being atomized. Sep 23 10 11:08 pm Link I was told not to clean my airbrush with q tips as the fibres can clog the gun. Mine came with a little brush to clean the base of the cup aswell x Sep 24 10 09:39 am Link Lisa Berczel wrote: +1 FOR SURE!!! Sep 24 10 09:43 am Link I use those teeny brushes used for cleaning in between teeth. I just pull the needle back a teeny bit and use the brush to loosen anything and then stream and dump the cup a few times. It always gets everything out for me. Sep 24 10 11:57 am Link |
