Airbrush Tanning Types

Principle of Operation

All airbrushes work on the same principle; air and fluid meet at an exact point in space. At that point in space there is a tapered "needle" that projects the combined air and fluid forward. Fine line spraying requires very delicate needles tapered to a delicate point. The finest detail airbrushes have a nozzle size of .18mm. Large commercial spray guns, such as those used for automotive painting, have blunt needles that do not have much of a taper. The nozzle is the part of the airbrush head assembly in which the needle rests. It is tapered exactly the same as the needle it holds. On a single-action airbrush, when the screw is twisted, it widens the space between the needle and nozzle by moving the nozzle. In a double-action airbrush, when the trigger is pulled back, it moves the needle back as well. The farther back the needle moves, the larger the space between the needle and nozzle.

Atomization refers to how finely the particles being sprayed are broken apart

Single-Action vs. Dual-Action Airbrushes

"Single-action" and "dual-action" refer to the way the air and fluid flow of the airbrush is controlled.

Single Action means that it sprays much like an aerosol can: just push down the trigger to get it to spray. The trigger controls only the air flow. When the trigger is depressed, a pre-set amount of fluid is sprayed. The amount of fluid is regulated by turning the needle adjustment screw at the back of the handle, or in case of an external mix air brush by turning the fluid cap at the front of the air brush.

Dual Action refers to air brushes on which the trigger controls both air and colour (down for air, back for colour). The farther the trigger is pulled back, the more fluid comes out. This simple manoeuvre allows the artist to change the width of the line, the range of value and the opacity of fluid without stopping their hand motion. A double-action airbrush offers much greater control and is essential when producing fine lines and thick-thin strokes (the classic "dagger stroke").

Internal Mix indicates that air and fluid mix inside the air brush. Air and fluid come together inside the head assembly to produce a thoroughly atomized fine dot spray pattern.

External Mix indicates that air and fluid mix outside the air brush. Air and fluid come together outside the head, or fluid assembly. External mix air brushes produce a larger dot spray pattern than internal mix air brushes. The amount of fluid that comes out is controlled by twisting a knob or screw located near the tip. This type of airbrush is also referred to as an "external-mix," because the air and fluid actually mix in front of the needle. There are fewer moving parts that need cleaning, therefore it is an easy airbrush to maintain.

Siphon-Feed Vs. Gravity-Feed Airbrushes

These terms refer to how fluid is supplied to an airbrush. Although this feature does not directly influence how an airbrush performs, it does indicate the fluid capacity allowed before refilling. Siphon-feed means that the colour-cup attaches from underneath or to the side of the body of the airbrush. Air suction pulls the fluid from the cup to the nozzle area, where it comes in contact with the air.

Bottom Feed refers to air brushes on which fluid enters through a siphon tube or colour cup attached to the bottom of the air brush. Removable jars or various size colour cups can be connected to and utilized with bottom feed air brushes. This configuration is generally more versatile and enables the user to change colours quickly.

Side Feed refers to air brushes on which a small colour cup fits into the side of the air brush. The side feed color cup rotates enabling the user to work on either a horizontal or vertical surface. The side feed configuration also permits the user to achieve fine detail without the possible sight obstruction of a top mounted colour cup

Gravity Feed refers to air brushes with top-mounted colour cups in which gravity draws fluid into the air brush. Less air pressure is required enabling slower hand movement which creates excellent control for fine detail applications. Because the fluid is in an open colour-cup, some models offer a separate cap to keep fluid from drying out in the colour-cup. They have a tiny hole in the centre of the cap to prevent a vacuum from developing. It is essential that this hole be open to maintain proper fluid flow.

Please note that due to import some packing may be different than the images used on this website.