Suitable Airbrush

• When purchasing an airbrush, only get an airbrush for a single function. Later on, if you want to paint other things with the airbrush, then you can purchase additional equipment. Persistently research the different airbrush options so that you can get a sense of the airbrush that you'll need. If you're just starting out, then try to find an airbrushing specialist who can provide advice on the airbrush that will be most relevant to the task at hand.
  
  

Single-Action Airbrush

• Single-action airbrushes combine air with paint. They have fewer parts than other kinds of airbrushes, so this tool requires less maintenance.
  
  

Double-Action Airbrush

• Double-action airbrushes give you more control than the single-action airbrush, allowing you to create fine lines and specific paint strokes. These airbrushes help you control the rate at which the paint comes out of the airbrush tool, since you can control the paint quantity by pulling the trigger back.
  
  

Needles and Nozzles

• Airbrush tools come with needles that control how the paint comes out of the airbrush tool, thus allowing you to make very fine additions to your work of art. You can get different kinds of needles that let you create unique effects when painting.
  
  

Atomizing

• You can control the atomization of the paint spray by changing the thickness of the paint or adjusting the air pressure. Too little pressure leads to a stipple effect, while too much pressure can cause you to overspray, which creates a halo of color around the area that you wanted to paint.
  
  

Air Source

• You as an airbrushing artist have different sources of air to choose from. You can use compressed aerosol cans, which do not contain very much compressed air, but usually have enough to perform small tasks such as decorating a chair. However, if you're planning on spraying a large area or painting for a long time, then you'll want an air compressor or a CO2 tank.
  
  

Paint

• You can purchase specialized acrylic paint designed for airbrushing. This paint is very thick, so you'll need to thin out the paint using water. When spraying objects that are rigid and nonporous, the paint will tend to peel unless you use harder and less-pliable paint. Softer paints work well for textiles and canvases, but paint that gets too soft will stay tacky when dried. Beginning artists should start with paints that were originally designed for airbrushing before experimenting with other paints.