I've been trying to watch youtube videos and all that, and I'm starting to get the hang of just painting and shadowing with the airbrush, but I still can't make clean thin lines? Are there different type nozzles or is it all the same and you have to hold it a certain way?

I also use different colors and don't wash it till after I'm through with the cake, is that bad?

I just know nothing and would love to be educated by those who do, thanks!

I find that is you turn the pressure down fairly low it is easier to make crisp thin lines as it doesn't blow a hole in the icing...You should clean out your airbrush every time you change colors so it doesn't mix into another color unless that is what you are intentional trying to do...The key to good airbrushing is practice...After 4 years I am still learning and make alot of mistakes but it only takes one time and you remember real quick what not to do next time...I also know my airbrush and what it can and can't do and the color mixing...what colors you get from what color mixing...all by trial and error.

Thanks a lot! And are airbrushes all the same? Some have those little plastic buckets on top for the paint and some don't. Is that just for larger paint jobs?

All airbrushes are not the same.Some have different features...Mine has a small single cup ontop but that is really all you need.Some have the screw on jars below which is for larger jobs...Those remind me of autobody shops...You will never really need that much for cakes.

It does depend on your airbrush and your pressure- and on the type of line you are trying to make. If you are trying to "draw" on a buttercream cake, you will need to use a lower pressure, and get really close- especially if you have a single action brush.

Practice on newsprint paper. It works better than anything, because it will splatter/puddle if your pressure is too high. It will be fuzzy if your pressure is too low. Just keep adjusting til you get the line you want. That way you can figure out what pressure works for your brush. Most top feed brushes can give a fine line at a lower pressure- anywhere from 12-15psi, a side feed (gravity feed) takes a little more psi to move the color out- 15-18 psi. But the higher the psi, the farther away from the cake surface you need to work.

If you are just wanting a line, like a background, lay a pieceof paper or papertowel on the cake below where you want the line. Airbrush at the edge- with one swoop. If you want the line thick, put a paper above it too and airbrush in it. (If you are working on fondant, use tape!)

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Mine is made by AmeriColor. I LOVE the 1oz jar attachment. I use it on almost every cake for adding either pearlized color (or other base color) to the entire cake or for airbrushing Vodka on the fondant to get rid of the PS.[/quote]

good idea!

if you want to do outlines and drawings with your airbrush it will take lots of practice and a confident arm. You will need to move quickly and probably go over the lines several times to get it dark enough therefore youwill need to go exactly over the previous line. Im not saying that it is impossible but takes loads of practice. also to get the thin clean lines you wil need to be close to the surface, thats all good on a fondant cake but not so much on a bc cake. You could make a line stencil of what your wanting and just airbrush through that if your only looking to get the outline in place. Carol Deacon shows this in her airbrush books.

Hey all hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I was wondering which is the best guide for introduction to airbrushing. I saw that there was a mention of Carol Deacons airbrush books. I just ordered my airbrush and was looking for an Airbrushing for Dummies type of book that covers all the basics.
Thanks

I haven't seen Carol Deacon's books as the PP mentioned. I'll have to check them out. Carole Faxon's "Joy of Airbrushing" and "More Joy of Airbrushing" books would be a good start, also. I have her first book and really learned a lot from it but I'm not sure if it's still in print. The second one can be purchased through Winbeckler Enterprises as well as a number of other suppliers.
http://www.winbeckler.com/books-airbrush.asp (it looks like they may still have Carole Faxon's first book as well). Of course Roland Winbeckler sells his own airbrushing books through this site as well. I have these also and really like the info in them.
Happy caking!

Yes, Carol Faxon, that is who i meant!! I have her books (dont know where i got Deacon from!!) They are very good.

Thank you all for this great info...love this site and the people on it are always so helpful and informative...bake on!