Airbrushing a Bay - Part 1 Airbrushing Tutorial Series 

As long as it's watered down for the airbrush, yes. I've used a few different brands and none of them have caused any problems.

I prefer Siphon. I change colors a lot when I airbrush and the gravity feed was just too hard for me to use. I haven't had any issues with mine splattering.

Some paints will be like that, my black paint and white paint tend to come out shiny. Once you add a finish spray to them to seal in all of your paintwork, they will turn matte. I usually use dullcote and it comes out with a very flat matte finish.

I don't change tips for the detail. On tiny horses I prefer to do the detail by hand, and for the big ones I've found that this same tip does pretty much everything I need it to do. It just takes practice to be able to get the right paint consistency and the right technique to use it for the smaller details like dapples or shading around the eyes and nose.

It's more of a personal preference on whether you like Siphon feed or Gravity feed. I prefer the Siphon feed myself. I think it's much easier to change colors. Each paint color is just in a little bottle that you attach to it. Then you don't have to clean the entire cup out like you would on a gravity feed between colors. I also think that a Siphon feed easier to clean. But I do know other artists who prefer the gravity feed, and like how it works better.

Iwata eclipse Siphon feed. The containers aren't anything specific, just whatever I can get. Smaller ones are better since I never go through a lot of paint.

Start the same way as a normal bay - add more burnt umber when you do that color, and if the horse is especially dark, you can add a little bit of black on top of that.

Awesome! Thanks for the tip! c:

I just use water. The paints I use are water-based, so water works just fine to thin them out. 50/50 paint/Water ratio is pretty much what I use. I just guess when I mix them.

I didn't when I started out, but I do pretty much all the time now.

I just mix the liquitex with water. They are a water-based paint so they mix together just fine to thin it out for the airbrush. :)

Awesome thank you

I always take it apart after every use to clean it. It really helps to prevent any major clogs. There are lots of videos that can show you how, it's pretty simple. Most of the parts just unscrew. I store mine in the box it came in along with all of my airbrush bottles between uses. Right now with college I'm lucky to use it once a month, so I just make sure everything is well cleaned after I'm done, and it should be fine for the next use, whenever it may be. I use acrylics, so they dry very quickly and can easily clog things if left sitting out. I mix up new paints every time.

I really like my Iwata Eclipse. I've only had one other airbrush (a less expensive brand, I don't remember the name) and this one has really lasted a long time compared to the other one. Its fairly easy to take care of as well.

Wild Horse Studios thank you so much!!! I’m really excited to start trying this out and getting the hang of it!!!

I got it from Amazon. :)

Iwata Eclipse Siphon feed

Savannah A you can look on eBay - people sell them second hand on auction for a fraction of what they are worth brand new because they give up on learning or just don't use it or what ever reason. In in the uk and second hand here £50 so about $60 maybe?

+Morgan Winebold I usually work in the 30-40psi range.

dickblick art supplies

Water it down (mix water into it)

Brooke Wolfnight do you not need a special airbrush paint thinner??

you can get them online or in store at most art and craft places, even walmart has them! you dont need a super big compressor to paint model horses since traditionals arent big as cars (so you need just a small compressor) search up airbrush kits on google and that should help you find your airbrush!

sliver wind acres I use an Iwata Eclipse. I honestly don't remember where I got mine, but knowing how I typically shop it was probably on Amazon.

+shaylindotjpg thank you!!

They are all Liquitex.

Wild Horse Studios do you have to water them down? And if you do, what would you use and how would you do it? Thanks for all your help. By the way, you are a amazing artist!

Thank you! I do. It's about 50/50 water to paint ratio. I prefer mine a tiny bit on the thicker side that than, but that's pretty close.

Liquitex acrylics - mixed with water to thin them out for the airbrush