Much of the artwork shown in the Sensual Arts Modern Art Galleries, the Illustrative & Fantasy Art Galleries and both the Classic and Modern Pin-Up Galleries were achieved using an airbrush such as that on the left. See the early work of George Petty and Alberto Vargas for some beautiful examples.

The Airbrush is attached to an airline. The the button on the top is pushed down for air and back to suck paint from the pot into the head and onto the work.

The diagram to the left is included to show the relative size of an airbrush. It also shows the intricacy of the instrument and a second type of the device - ie: a fixed pot mounted to the top rather than the side-fixed variable pot type shown above.

The illustration itself will also have been executed using an airbrush, and this kind of work is probably its most common purpose, by commercial volume. Photographers also use the airbrush to remove imperfections in images and to enhance them - adding definition and 'brushing out' facial wrinkles for example. You may also have seen some amazing airbrush work on motorcycles, helmets and trucks etc - and wondered how it was created!

Diaphragm Compressor
I suppose this would be called an 'entry level' compressor. The one shown is mine and it is the very one I used to create the 'Gypsy' image shown below, and the three images shown on the Student's Corner 'Don't Be Denied' page. They do the job but they pump air in very quick pulses, which means that colour is not transferred in an even flow, creating pulse points (if you look very closely!). They generate water that spits out of the airbrush nozzle occasionally which then thins your colour, and/or spoils your work. They are noisy and have no air pressure control. They also get very hot and need a break from time to time. (Bless 'em)

Firstly I stole a beautiful image from a mail order catalogue ...

I transferred the outline to a piece of 'Canson' airbrush card - It's very tough and smooth. I overlaid the pencil work with a piece of 'Frisk' low-tack film (specially made for this purpose). I then took a scalpel blade and carefully cut out the areas that would have skin tones, being sure not to score the card. I then lay the cut bits of Frisk carefully aside for later use. The cut out elements show darker on this photo.

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I then mixed my water colour paint to a suitable skin tone and began to spray on the skin tones. The 'hard' edges of the Frisk would give definition to the outer elements and the spray would create all the tonal effects - It's amazing to watch it happen - Very exciting!

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I then washed out the airbrush and its pot and changed the paint to a darker shade for greater depth. You can see the 'over-spray' building up in deposits on the Frisk. This doesn't matter at all as Frisk is waterproof and all such elements will eventually be peeled away. A little loose masking was used to 'hold back' the sunlight on the arms.

THEN I MADE A MISTAKE! So impatient am I to see those eyes starring back at me from the page, that I worked a little on the facial features - including creating a silly little mask for the mouth.

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That done I let the work dry. (Very quick as very little is used and the airbrush blowing helps it along too).I then reapplied the bits of Frisk over the work I had done, including that bit of masking tape to keep the silly mouth-mask in place (!) I then decided which elements I would do next and cut the Frisk accordingly. With water colour you work from the lightest elements to the darkest and so I chose the highlights of Gypsy's dress and headband.

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The Frisk protects the finished skin tones and the background - you just concentrate on those subtle tones! Another cover-up and the next deepest colours are applied and so on.

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The detail here shows how wonderful the airbrush is at glazing and translucency - The sleeve line under the arm is a perfect example. The neck detail was achieved with loose masking as are so many small details.

Just look at those eyes - They bring the whole image to life! Making all of the work that follows, so much more enjoyable.

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The whole of the central figure was then covered in a new sheet of Frisk. I then cut out around the outer edges of the whole figure leaving me free to concentrate on the foreground and the background. The final image is full of any number of faults, but then I'm a learner too, and there are a good number of elements that please me a lot - The highlights on the arms legs and toes work well. That translucent sleeve and bust line and particularly the foreground: Here, the surface was stippled with a rough brush to add depth and then, while still wet, I used a round-edged scalpel blade to scrape the textures that form the dead straw.

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Carlos Cartegina applies the finishing touches to these airbrush works.

To see the final work that Carlos is finishing on the right, click here ...

... then tell me he's not an artist!

To see more Carlos Cartagena airbrush art on this website - click here