Automotive Airbrushes & Paint for car airbrushing

Automotive paints are widely available across the world, but not all of these paints are suitable for airbrush use.

That's because of viscosity and pigment size. Paints for cars designed to be sprayed with full size spray gun, 1.3 or 1.4mm nozzle size. Now, when we talk about airbrushes, most common nozzle size is .3mm, 4-5 times smaller than spray gun. And that's not the most precise airbrush.

In this article, we offer you a selection of paints suitable for automotive airbrushing and equipment to spray them.

Depending on the particular project, car painters deal either with a primed surface or an old paint finish. Either of these would work fine for a custom airbrush paint job. If the type and age of primer are unknown, it's better to spray it with an adhesion promoter first to make sure our paints stick nicely. The surface must be prepared for painting using sandpaper or pads. A P600 grid is recommended. 

If you're dealing with a bare metal or plastic surface, make sure to start with a proper primer. Etch primer for metals, suitable flex primer for plastic. Check selection from Custom Creative or Createx on our website. 

Once that step is done, the surface needs to be cleaned before paint is laid over it. The rule here is to use a degreaser of a different nature from the paint type used. If you airbrush with automotive water-based paint like Createx Wicked, solvent-based degreaser like Custom Creative 700 recommended for surface cleaning. Water-borne degreaser for solvent paints, as you may have guessed already. 

Let the surface dry completely and get the automotive airbrush ready!

Don't forget that the whole preparation process can vary depending on the project you're dealing with. Feel free to contact SprayGunner with additional questions. If the design is simple, there's no need to use a priming layer (unless you have exposed metal/palstic) as it will require a lot more work and $$ on your end (you will have to color match the body color, prime the whole car body part and THEN begin your design). If you are looking to add in a design to your car and keep the same color scheme, then you don't need to go through all the extra work.

If you have to spray a base paint color on a larger surface, you will need a spray gun. Depending on the surface size, it can be a mini-jet like NO-NAME Minigun or Iwaa LPH-80. For large surface use full-size paint spray gun like Sagola 4600 or Z-Gun by NO-NAME. 

Airbrush for car painting

Choosing an airbrush for automotive painting will largely depend on personal preferences and the type of artwork/graphics you're working on.

There are a few things to keep in mind when making your decision that can save you some hassle and make the process easier. As a golden rule, make sure it is an airbrush that you can see yourself wielding for extended periods of time and one that will be comfortable for you.

The essential detail to consider is the protective 'O-rings,' or seals that keep the airbrush channels insulated. Often times with automotive paint, solvent-based paints are used and these paints are harsher by material make-up on regular, rubber protective seals. You want to make sure that all seals and O-rings that are in contact with material in your airbrush are using PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) seals, which are made to endure the most corrosive solvents.

For reference, Harder & Steenbeck features PTFE seals on every model in their range, the same as Japanese airbrushes Iwata. The GSI Creos airbrush is another good choice for automotive paint; it is also ready to become a workhorse! Many cheap brands still use rubber packing seals in their airbrushes, so make sure to check!

Another great idea is to look for special kits, like Iwata HP-CR + Takumi, or 2-in-1 from Harder and Steenbeck, which will give you versatility in your work, having access to a wider needle size for coverage and a finer needle for detail work.

GSI Creos PS-290 comes with 2 air caps for round and fan spray pattern, which helps with custom designs, or NO-NAME Minigun 2in1 are well designed for automotive paint projects.

Paints for airbrushing on cars

This is a difficult topic to summarize or recommend as there are many different types of paints, for many different uses, and results on the car body.

Automotive paint projects can get very creative, with a wide range of possibilities, including pearlescent, metallic, color-changing, and the famous candy colors. With each of these types of projects, a different methodology is required.

Generally speaking, there are 2 camps of airbrush-ready automotive paints. Water-based paints, led by USA manufacturer Createx Colors, and solvent paints, with much more options to choose from. We have a few of these to select from, like Custom Creative. Solvent paints are preferred by many old-school painters, especially those who have access to a professional paint booth (because they produce much more smell and flammable vapor). The benefit of these paints is a bit faster overall work and ease of use.

Water-based paints are newer to the automotive market and still making their way to the hands of professionals (successfully, we should admit). These paints are more popular among hobby and DIY painters for their characteristics. Almost odorless and cleanable with water, those paints can be shipped and stored with fewer restrictions. The palette selection of water-based colors is growing every year, making them more and more competitive with solvents. In the Createx series for automotive use, we recommend looking at AutoBorne sealers, candy2o colors, and a wide selection of Wicked Colors. We also carry ChromaAir paints, which are automotive grade acrylic-urethane durable paints, as well as some other brands in the water-based section. 

Without diving too deep, however, once you have prepared the surface of the auto body part you are working on, you can begin applying your paint layers and coats until you have completed your design. The final step will be applying a clear coat as the final layer to protect the design and even out the layering of paint across the auto body part. 2K clear can be used over any type of paint. It creates the best hard shell for the project and can deliver the most shine of the finish when desired. Satin and matt look also available. Check out our selection here. 

Compressor for automotive airbrush

If you have a big shop compressor available, that's perfectly good; no additional compressor is needed. Just make sure that it has a decent pressure regulator and air filter. An additional moisture trap is recommended on the airbrush. For additional pressure adjustment right on the airbrush, check out G-Mac—a very useful add-on.

Do you need to get a new compressor for automotive airbrush use? The main thing to keep in mind when choosing a compressor is that it has a tank. When working on sensitive projects where mistakes could be costly, both in financial terms and in time, using a compressor with a tank will reduce any chance of pulsation and ensure a higher-quality stroke without interruption.

Using an airbrush is limited to a certain interval of usable PSI, so after a certain point, the motor size or strength really shouldn't be too impactful on your decision. Typically, (for any type of airbrushing) the range of usable pressure when using an airbrush is anywhere between 15-50 PSI. Based on our experience, we operate between 15-40 PSI when working on any kind of automotive paint jobs, so as long as your compressor meets this range, you should be fine.

Another option is if you plan on using multiple airbrushes, you would want to get a compressor with a larger tank capacity so that you can comfortably attach multiple brushes and still experience a consistent pressure without pulsation. Our recommendations for compressors that meet this profile and will also save you a few bucks are from the NO-NAME line, the Cool Tooty being the more cost-friendly one (and delivering full usability for any project in mind) and if you wanted to get something nice you can take a look at the Silent Storm which offers silent operation, airbrush holders and a slightly larger motor and tank capacity. These would both be considered medium-to-high capacity airbrush compressors.

Automotive clear coat. 

Remember this important step! Once your airbrush artwork on a car is done, you must protect it. Clear intercoat can be sprayed as a first layer to secure the paint in place and prepare for the final coat. Createx UVLS clear is one of the widely used products for an intercoat layer. Make sure it's completely cured (48 hours recommended, no heat drying). Once you're ready for the top coat - determine what finish you'd like your project to have. Thick, hard and glossy - you want UHS 2K automotive clear coat like American Icon 800 series. For semi-gloss or matt finish, there are options in both, solvent-based and water-based realms. 

 

Feel free to reach out with any questions!