Just Starting Out

[Kamaka]

Worked on my lines and dots today for a couple hours until my trigger finger got tired. Played around with different reduction ratios at 35 psi. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I'm really getting any tip dry. I'm assuming that I should see it on the end of my needle? In the videos I've watched, I've seen people pick at the end of their airbrush. Are they able to see what they are picking off, or is it more a compulsive too small to see thing? I run the two caps that cover the needle through my ultra sonic cleaner each night. Would it be ok to dip the tip of the airbrush into the distilled water while the cycle runs, or do I have to take it apart to clean the needle tip of any impurities that I can't see?

Here's the work top that I fashioned and the results of my playing with color...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[basepaint]

As long as your getting good paint flow the way your cleaning keep cleaning that way, If you start to have prob. with the paint flow (spitting paint,paint stopping and starting ect.) then take the brush apart and put it in the sonic cleaner and go thru a cycle and make sure everythings clean as you put it back together

 

[Nada]

Worked on my lines and dots today for a couple hours until my trigger finger got tired. Played around with different reduction ratios at 35 psi. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I'm really getting any tip dry. I'm assuming that I should see it on the end of my needle? In the videos I've watched, I've seen people pick at the end of their airbrush. Are they able to see what they are picking off, or is it more a compulsive too small to see thing? I run the two caps that cover the needle through my ultra sonic cleaner each night. Would it be ok to dip the tip of the airbrush into the distilled water while the cycle runs, or do I have to take it apart to clean the needle tip of any impurities that I can't see?

Here's the work top that I fashioned and the results of my playing with color...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

It's close to too small to see.. and it becomes compulsive.
With efx and constant flow you probably are not experiencing much.
When you get down to fine lines you will get some.
But efx does flow exceptionally well.

 

[RichardH]

I like your setup. If I had to sit on the ball, I would be laying on the floor most of the time.

 

[Kamaka]

I don't like sitting on the ball but I'm working on my posture. I just wish I had a bigger ball since I'm 6' 1" and I sink down more than I would like. Just strained my back at work hand loading a pallet of 80 lb concrete bags into a customer truck. My regular chair was giving me problems after that. I plan to get a tall chair so that I can keep the easel at standing height and switch between sitting and standing. It's all about doing whatever I can to remove excuses why I don't get into the office to practice. I'm really struggling with looking ahead of my airbrush to stop my line in the right place as I practice which makes my practice not very fun since I don't really see much improvement. I'm right handed and do fine when moving right to left, but left to right is giving me issues. I'd like to blame it on the paint cup of my airbrush, but that feels like a cop out. I'm just on lunch right now, so I'll get more practice in after work this afternoon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mr.Micron]

It all will take practice but I will be the first to say dots and daggers are boring as hell... But they are needed to build muscle memory . So now go paint a skull or a butterfly your choice
You will find that doing a page of dots and daggers then doing a painting it makes it seem easier to make a painting.
Kind of like stretching prior to lifting 80lb bags of concrete would have maybe not wrecked your back LOL .. Warm up do help

 

[Nada]

When I was starting out, to get my line work down I started doing brick wall paintings.. heck I may be able to pull up the thread from here.. I'll be back

 

[Nada]

http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/fun-with-lines-today.9409/

There it is.. probably one of my first ever posts on the forum. After an introduction of course.

Keep at it.. it does get easier and better.

 

[Jurien72]

http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/fun-with-lines-today.9409/

There it is.. probably one of my first ever posts on the forum. After an introduction of course.

Keep at it.. it does get easier and better.

haha thats awesome! I'll have to try that out!

 

[Kamaka]

Thanks Nada! I like the idea of working on something that isn't trying to be anything special. A brick wall is probably right up my alley soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Nada]

Thanks Nada! I like the idea of working on something that isn't trying to be anything special. A brick wall is probably right up my alley soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

And that's the key, to know your limits, find a way to paint. I've had periods of ups and downs even a few months of not painting after an injury.

I found that just warming up with a few minutes of practice and then trying something was helpful in my building stages.

Do I still "practice" no rarely I would be lying if I said I do. But the airbrush hits my hand almost every day. And I spend a lot of time studying how I would paint something.
For instance if I'm commissioned a dog portrait. Before I ever attempt the painting I have studied it and identified areas that might give me trouble. When I pick up the airbrush I know exactly what in plan to do in that case.

I still paint stuff that I let it develop as I go and those are fun. But I always have a roadmap in my head.