Airbrush Terms and Definations

AIRBRUSH RELATED WORDS AND THEIR MEANING:

*Acrylic - Synthetic resin used in water based paints.

*Air tank capacity - Air tank capacity represents the volume of air stored in the tank and available for immediate use. The larger the tank, the longer the air tool usage in situations where the air tool requires more SCFM than the compressor can deliver.

*Adhesion - The ability of dry paint to attach to and remain fixed on the surface without blistering, flaking, cracking or being removed by tape. Types of Adhesion related to paint:

*Mechanical Adhesion - An interlocking of two materials because of shape, texture, etc. causing the two materials to remain affixed to one another. Commonly called tooth, you scuff a helmet to create tooth for the paint to bit into.

*Chemical Adhesion - A chemical reaction of two materials that bonds the two together.

*Adhesion promoter - user over a insoluble finish to increase the adhesion of topcoat being applied.

*Air Cap - Refersto part of your airbrush that fits over your tip to protect it during none use, refer to AIRBRUSH page for more details

*Atomize - Breaking up of paint into fine particles.

*Basecoat - highly pigmented color used as a base color. Single stage does not require clear coating. Acrylic and Euro's do require clear coating.

*Complementary colors - colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

*Cool Colors - Colors that are predominately blue in tone. Cool colors are those which trick the eye into receding an object in a painting and of course they are opposite of warm colors.

*Color Cup - That part of your airbrush where you put paint, please refer to AIRBRUSH page for more info.

*Dual Action - Type of airbrush please refer to AIRBRUSHS page for more info.

*Enamel - glass like opaque or semitransparent coating on metallic or other hard surfaces for ornament or as a preservative lining, smooth hardcoating

*Extender - added to paint to increase to alter the paint by making it cover more, become more transparent.

*Fluid Nozzle - That part of your airbrush in the front where paint pass's thru, the size of your Fluid Nozzle will determine the type of paint you can spray easily and the coverage you will get, see AIRBRUSHS page for more details

*Gravity Feed - type of airbrush, please refer to AIRBRUSHS page for more info on this subject.

*Lacquer - paint that dries by solvent evaporation, now very common in the US any more

*Latex - milky fluid of mixed composition found in various plants and trees used for commercial purposes.

*Masking - process of cover an area where you do not want paint, masking tape and paper, liquid masking, transfer paper, Glad Press N Seal, frisket, are just a few products used to mask areas.


*Metallic Color - paint containing small particles of aluminum flake.


*Needle - Tappered metal pin that is inserted into your airbrush, please refer to AIRBRUSHS page for a picture.

*Opaque - the opposite of transparent. Light can not be seen thru it and will not allow what's under it to show thru.

*Orange Peel - If your paint after it's applied looks like a orange peel you'll understand this terms, happens to us all once in awhile cause by improper application or reduction of the paint.

*Over Spray - Your hard earned money going up in smoke as over spray is material that dos not stick to the area you are applying paint, you know that fine dust that settles around your shop or studio. Cure LOW PSI , always take the time to find the correct pressure setting when you are spraying paint, airbrushing. To high and you are wasting material, putting your health at risk and making a mess of your shop.

*PSI - Pounds per square inch refrs to air pressure setting on your compressor regulator.

*Pigment - coloring matter used as paint or dye as an insoluble suspension, color with or as if with pigment.

*Primer - coating applied to a substrate to give corrosion resistance to add adhesion properties and to protect from chemicals. On substrates such as canvas it is applied to give you a smoother surface which to paint on.

*Primer-Sealer - Foundation used to improve adhesion and to seal your painting surface.

*Receding colors - Colors which trick the eye into pushing objects to the back or foreground, cool colors do just that, your blue tones

*Reducer - Product which lowers the viscosity of paints like enamel, urethane and auto air

*Respirator - If you own an airbrush, spray gun you should own and WEAR one of these. A mask worn over the nose and mouth to prevent you taking in toxic ( and yes water base paints are included in this) pigment particles while you're creatively spray your paint. There are many different kinds of respirators please make sure you are using the correct type for the material you arespraying.

*Retarder - Added to paint to slow the drying time.

*Run - Weather your painting a house, car or fine art on canvas apply to much paint to a given spot the result will be a run.

*Sag - a big run as defined above

*Sealer - Applied to seal the surface you intend to paint from absorbing paint

*Side Feed - Type of airbrush please refer to AIRBRUSH page for more info.

*Single Action - Type of airbrush please refer to AIRBRUSHS page for more info.

*Siphon Feed - Type of airbrush please refer to AIRBRUSH page for more info

*Solvent - Liquid that dissolves a resin, usually that part of a paint that evaporates as the paint dries.

* Surface Prep - preparing the surface to be painted to accept the paint you are about to apply.

*Toner - ground pigment used to produce colors

*Tint - used to change another color or to add color to a clear base

*Tip Please refer to AIRBRUSHS post for more info.

*Transparent - Opposite of opaque, allows light to pass thru objuects underneath can be seen thru it.

*Trigger - That part of your airbrush where you place your finger to control air flow and the amount of paint you are appling, please see AIRBRUSHS page for more details.

* Umber - What a great sounding word meaning brown pigment, its actually hydrated iron manganese ore from color shades of olive to the dark rich browns which are called burnt umber. Now aren't you gad you know that.

*Undertone - Subdued color of limited intensity that leans character to the dominant color; or in common terms a less intense color.
*Viscosity - refers to how thick a paint is. Physics of a fluid and the resistance to flow

*Warm Colors - tones of red-orange, opposite of cool colors, colors that trick the eye into drawing an object in a painting forward.

*Water Based Paint - Paint which is generally made with acrylic or latex thinned with H2O (water) these paints the pigment is suspended in water, the water evaporates the paint dries.

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