Using Oils with Airbrush

Enzie Shahmiri · 09-24-2002, 01:44 AM

I love to incorporate airbrush in some of my works, but mixing oils with turpentine isn't quite giving me the desired effect. I am hoping that someone knows what the ratio of oil vs dilutant has to be, and can recommend a medium that allows for slow translucent build up of layers.

Margaret Port · 09-24-2002, 09:32 AM

Enzie,

Airbrushing with turps is a very dangerous practice. You should take all safety precautions like masks and super ventilation etc if you want to airbrush with oils. I had a whole classroom full of students sick after one of them did just that on the verandah outside.

Enzie Shahmiri · 09-24-2002, 01:50 PM

Hi, Margaret.

You brought up an excellent point about solvents in conjunction with airbrush, which I should have mentioned when I posted this thread. When I use the airbrush I have proper ventilation going and use a mask (this might also explain why I have no aphids growing on my rose bushes, which are adjacent to my studio!) This stuff is toxic!! But I still would love to find a way to dilute my oil paints to the consistency of milk. So if you have heard anything on what to use, let me know.

Jean Kelly · 09-29-2002, 02:11 AM

Enzie, The paint that I work with is an air brush ink. It thins with water for airbrushing to whatever consistency you want. It has an acrylic base so probably couldn't be combined with oil paints. If you used acrylic or water soluble oil paint it should work. I get it at Dharma Trading in California. Check out their website, it's a lot of fun. It's also not as toxic as what you're trying. Good luck!

Enzie Shahmiri · 09-29-2002, 10:53 AM

Thanks Jean, for the good advise. I checked out their website and saw Versatex inks. I assume those are the once you are talking about. I have been using Dr. Ph. Martin's but they are also waterbased. I am really on a quest now, ever since I read that there is another crazy person out there that combines oil painting with airbrushing for enhancements. So PLEASE, whoever knows the secret formula, pass it on!

Michael Fournier · 09-30-2002, 01:17 PM

Hmm... I am not sure why you would want to use an air brush with oil paints since any effect you can get with an air brush can be achieved using traditional painting techniques. But I do have some advice anyway.

First off, traditional oils as you get from the tube can only be thinned so much using a thinner of any kind alone. If you want to experiment I would add some type of a binding agent like dammar varnish and follow the rule of fat over lean. Since in thinning out this paint so much it is a basically a tinted varnish. You would not want to put this over a layer heavy in oil until it is fully dry. And I mean more than just dry to the touch.

Personally, I don't think it is worth the trouble since you can achieve the same thing using traditional glazing techniques that would not be as experimental.

I have other advice about what paints to use with an air brush besides acrylics and water-based inks.

A word of caution even in a well ventilated room when using the painting techniques and materials I am going to recommend: I would wear a respirator (not just a mask).

I was commissioned to paint a portrait on a motorcycle gas tank and for this I used lacquer paints and an airbrush. To thin the paint I used lacquer thinner. It evaporates very quickly and the paint dries very fast. Now, would this paint work over traditional oils? I don't know.

Do not paint using lacquer on any flexible surface (like canvas) or it will crack. But in the case of a commission to paint on an auto, van or motorcycle an airbrush and lacquer works well. You can use enamel paints also but if the top coats are going to be a hand rubbed lacquer clear coat then you can't.

You can paint enamel paint over lacquer but not lacquer over enamel. To remember that just think of an E will cover an L but an L can't cover an E.

Could you combine lacquer or enamel paint and traditional oils? I don't know. I would think you could as long as the oils were completely dry and you put a layer of varnish between the oils and any layer of other paint. But I can't say if it would be a good idea or not. And I would think it would have a tendency to crack. Could you spray them on a wet area? NO

Enzie Shahmiri · 09-30-2002, 04:38 PM

Wow, Michael!

That is wonderfully detailed advice. So far all I have been able to find is the application ratio of 60% oil paint to 40% solvent. I will try the Dammar and just pray that the nozzle won't clog.

I like to paint on clayboard and build up my images with layers of glazes. In my case this is a tedious, long process, but since I prefer this type of painting I am trying to figure out other ways to achieve the same look faster. I have never tried enamels and lacquer but now you have got me interested in some more experimentation!

Thank you again, I will pass along the results once I get started with another project.