Things You'll Need
Airbrush hose
Air compressor
Paint
Newspaper
An airbrush is a handy tool because of its versatility. Airbrushes are used to paint several different types of surfaces and are useful because they control the amount of paint that is applied. In other words, setting up your airbrush to its optimal settings will result in the right amount of paint applied to whatever you're painting. Straight lines are also relatively easy with an airbrush, and a smooth finish is guaranteed because there are no brush strokes. There are several kinds of airbrushes on the market, but the steps to setting up each are generally the same.
Step 1
Attach the airbrush hose to an air compressor. Typically, the end of the hose with the small fitting attaches to the airbrush itself, while the end with the large fitting secures to the air compressor. Some airbrushes have hoses that are permanently attached to the airbrush itself. If this is the case, simply attach the end of the hose to the air compressor.
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Step 2
Turn on the air compressor and listen to determine that no air is leaking from either end of the hose, or the hose itself. Press the airbrush trigger to make sure a steady stream of air is coming out the airbrush nozzle. Turn off the air compressor.
Step 3
Fill the airbrush reservoir bottle with the paint you wish to use. Certain airbrushes are geared toward certain kinds of paint. Before adding the paint, ensure that your airbrush is indeed compatible with the kind of paint you wish to use. This information can be determined by consulting the airbrush owner's manual.
Step 4
Turn on the air compressor and spray some paint on a sheet of newspaper by pressing the airbrush trigger. The stream of paint that appears on the newspaper will tell you whether or not you'll need to adjust the airbrush tip to change the thickness of the spray. Some airbrushes have adjustable tips while others have removable tips and come with an assortment of tip sizes.
Step 5
Practice using the airbrush on newspaper until you are comfortable using it on the project of your choosing.
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