Hi Squishy - i just saw the cherubs, arrows and skulls - that's really impressive - do you do that freehand or do you make a stencil to start with (and if so, do you make your own stencils) are stencils good to get started with - and if so, is frisket a good thing for me to buy?
Thanks numbers. :cupcake:
I generally use a mixture of freehand, (I use saral paper to make an outline to follow), hand held masks, and cutting my own stencilsif I need to. I actually used pin stripe tape for the arrow shafts.
Frisket can be good. If your using it for automotive, with curves etc, can be tricky to get it to lay flat. There is a stretch version by artool, which conforms to curves easier, but not very cheap. Also transfer tape can also be useful, you can get some quite wide (I got some 24 inches), and is good as you can draw directly onto it and cut with a blade, (being careful not to cut into the paint below).
If you haven't seen them already check out the airbrush tutors (Mitch) vids, and start learning the different AB strokes and fades, when you've got those licked, you'll be able to do anything! He shows you what you'll need to know to paint the eye which is what a lot of people start with. Stencils can be good, but try and add some differrent strokes and textures, rather than just filling them in to make them more original.
".........To start with i need to buy some paint and not sure whether to start with one of those expensive starter packs with a heap of colours in little bottles - i'm guessing that they are going to run out very quickly and i'm thinking its probably better to buy a few half litre bottles rather than a heap of tiny ones - i'd seriously appreciate some advice on that as i have no idea how much or how many different colours you use on a job............"
I think you'll be surprised at how little paint you can use, a lot of people measure it out in drops which may give you some idea, and it will usually need reducing (you can use water depending on the type of paint, but I prefer the proper brand specific reducer, as it also helps with drying) so will go even further. I generally use 3 times as much reducer as paint, so goes 3 times as far. To get yourself started once you've chosen the paint you want to use (make sure it's lightfast for tanks, fenders etc, or it could fade in sunlight) I would get an opaque white and black, then the primary colours (I prefer transparent colours as I think the colours pop more), and some reducer, with that paint combo you can pretty much mix up any colour you like, and will definately get you going. If you mix up a colour you lie then spray some on a bit of paper and write down the recipe, e.g 1 yellow, 2 red, 1 blue, so that you can make it again. You'll soon have a colour chart.
IMO 2K clear is one of the best clears to use. It's great for auto use as the hardener makes it really tough, has a glassy finish, and when properly cured can cope with small gas spills, which is good for bikes.
Good luck, hope to see some of your experiments posted soon!