Ah, airbrush equipment… It is a simple fact that if you want to airbrush, you are going to need some equipment. Getting the right stuff is the most confusing part of getting started and many beginners get tripped up at this stage of the game.

Why?

Three reasons:

Price – airbrush equipment isn’t exactly cheap

Availability – most art supply stores have a very limited inventory to choose from

Uncertainty – you’re new at this and don’t know what you need or why

Those are some pretty good reasons to be confused and anxious about your purchases. Nobody likes to buy blind.

So let me simplify it for you…. there are really only four things you need to get started:

    1) airbrush

    2) air compressor

    3) air hose

    4) paint

That’s it!

But, how do you know what airbrush to buy, or which compressor will work for you, or what paint will best suit your needs? Oh, right … I’ll tell you! That’s how!

Once you have the four essentials (airbrush, air compressor, air hose and paint) then we can talk about all those little accessories that aren’t essential to successful airbrushing but can make things go just a touch easier.

Airbrushes

I think it is fairly obvious that choosing the right airbrush is essential to your success as an airbrush artist – and, it is also the hardest item to buy because you don’t know what makes an airbrush good or bad.

The links below tell you everything you need to know! They are ordered by “depth of information” …. so the links near the top, they are high-level, basic information articles. Further down the list are more detailed articles.

Air Compressors

When it comes to air compressors, the truth is, any old air compressor will do. As long as you can get pressurized air to your airbrush, it will spray paint.

BUT WAIT!!!

Just because any old air compressor will do, doesn’t mean it will be convenient to work with or that it will work well with you and your airbrush equipment. Before you buy, there are a several things to consider.

The links below tell you everything…. what to consider, what to look for, and so on. Like in the airbrush section the links are ordered by “depth of information” – basics at the top of the list and detailed information near the bottom.

Air Hoses

Finally! An easy one! These hoses all work the same …. they simply connect the air supplied by the air compressor to the airbrush. Choosing one is not hard and what you choose is purely a matter of preference.

Don’t know your preference because you have never airbrushed? The following links will help you out!

Paint

Besides buying your actual airbrush, knowing what paint to buy for your artwork is the next most anxiety producing purchase. There are lots of options, lots of considerations and LOTS of questions.

Because this is such an important aspect of your airbrush experience, I have dedicated a whole section to it here

Accessories

Accessories are the little add-ons that make airbrushing easier… they can also empty your wallet pretty fast!

Accessories for airbrush equipment are not essential. You can get along just fine without them, however, once you get good at this art form you may want to add a few into the mix.

Because this is a broad topic I have created a whole section dedicated to accessories here.