Any one have any tips for airbrushing??? I just purchase an airbrush after wanting one forever, thinking "this will make it easier". I tried it out the other night, and it turns out i am not so good at it. Tips?

Use a light touch when first starting out. Also layering your colors will make them seem more realistic. Lastly, remember once you put it on you cant wipe it off!

I hope you get lots of answers...I got one for Christmas and I have played with it, but I really have no idea what I'm doing!

Practice, practice, practice! Don't hold it too close to the cake and start and stop off the edge of the cake (in other words start spraying before you get to the cake and don't quit until you are off the cake). HTH

I got one for Christmas too and I haven't used it yet.I just ordered my airbrush color last night. My husband bought me a dual one and I'm kinda scared of it...lol When my color comes in he's going to show me how to use it... But I'm all ears for tips and tricks too!!!

LOL! can't wipe it off! I totally learned that on the cake I was practicing on the other night. Started with light blue and just kept adding darker colors to try to make it look better....at the end i wished i'd left it blue. Yeah, I think i need LOTS of practice before I use my airbrush on a cake that I'm selling!

You can totally wipe it off it you are using it on fondant. The mini mouse head in my photos was airbrushed.. When My sister saw it she wanted to know if the cake was for a latin mini mouse. ha hah. I wiped it off, and re-did it. You may not end up with a pure white base again, but a little water will do the trick.

My big tip is cover your board, work area, etc, because it will go everywhere. I thought I had some green all cleaned up, and then again, cleaned up...next day...there was some green on my ds shirt because he sat on a chair that was in the room I painted in.

I have one hubby bought it for me a couple a years ago I love it I started using it on paper towel and water so I could just to get the fill of holding it and how hard the water(color) flows from the gun, then I put color in my gun and still pract, on paper towels until I felt comfortable. it does get everywhere even if you think you've cleaned it up many of my cakes are air brushed just have fun with it, It take cardonation and getting to know how you air brush works

Molly

Ditto 2508s42!! I did a RED t-rex about 6 mos ago and I'm STILL finding red on furniture in another room and the vents! What a mess!! I sure learned my lesson on that one!

For sure on the, "It goes everywhere", even up your nose ...lol.

A ditto on the layering. If you are airbrushing a background...for grass airbrush it yellow first, then shade the green in. For the sky, don't make it a solid blue...leave some white. Watch Disney movies and look at the background coloring...it really helps. Even trees are never a solid color.

If you are using it for shading...darken the areas which are further back and leave The forward parts the original color.

To get a real deep red on a rose you can make a white rose then airbrush it red while it is still on the stick. You can even make it darker deep in the rose and lighter as you get to the outer edges. If you want a two color rose, like a Peace Rose, you can make a white one...airbrush the inner part yellow and add the pink to the petal tips. I like airbrushing the center of the daisy petals a darker color, before adding the yellow center too. You need to wear gloves if you do this though as the airbrush will color your fingers.

Hope this gives you some things to work on.

Have any of you tried making some kind of a three sided barrier? Don't know if this would work or not. I want to get an airbrush, but just got a new kitchen and don't want the color on my cabinets, etc. Debbie

Debbie, after I saw what it did to my house I made a 4 sided barrier (top, sides and back) out of a large moving box. Still gets in the kitchen though! I have a shop now so hopefully someone else has some great ideas on this so my shop doesn't get too colorful!

I use flour sack towels all around where I'm using the airbrush. I cover appliances and the counter.

For practice, use butcher paper or manilla paper. Then you can just throw it away. I tend to practice on paper before I do the actual cake so I can see if what I'm wanting is what is going down. Then if it isn't I can redo until I get the result I want, and the technique is fresh in my mind.

I use mine in the garage

I messed up on a buttercream cake and ended up taking off the bc and re-doing the whole thing...whatta pain...so yes, you can re-do it....

Practice with a coloring book.
I took a Bronwen class and this was her tip.
Get a coloring book and just practice staying in the lines, hold the nozzle close and far away, get a feel for how you can make the lines thin and thick, etc....
Dont worry about wasting color(she said