conectdot

Without drawing a grid, start by making small 1/16" dots. Try to maintain a straight line and space them 1" apart. Point the airbrush directly at surface. Try to maintain the same distance away from the surface for each dot and apply the paint/air mixture with the trigger at a gradual rate until the desired dot shape is achieved.

Once again we are going to continue with the "Dots" exercise. All of the exercises are designed to help you achieve total control over the airbrush. This "Connect-the Dots" will help give you control not only with the trigger and spacing from the surface but, will also give you confidence in moving in all directions.

Do one row at a time and airbrush 5 dots across. This will give you four columns. Repeat this process five times to make an equal amount rows across. Use the previous row as guidence to create the following rows and to help keep them uniform in distance and size. Here is what the grid should look like at this point.

Start by connecting the dots horizontally fist. Do one at a time. Don't try to do one continuous line across. That would defeat the purpose of this exercise. By connecting the dots one at a time this is going to teach the ability of several actions at once. Distance, Movement, Line of Sight and Trigger.

If lines become jagged, try going back over them in how ever many passes it takes to make them stright. By doing so this will start developing your layer skills.

Randomly, start doing the vertical lines. By doing them in a random order it will help develop good aim and trigger control. Try to do the vertical lines in different directions. First go up, then alter your direction by creating the vertical lines in a moving downward motion.

Here is what the "Grid" should look like at this point. Notice how each box looks uniform in size.

Now make the diaganal lines It helps to go up and down until you feel comfortable in both direction. Do not criss cross them yet, creating "X's". Maintain the same angle until all the boxes are completed. This will develope a steady pattern of motion.

Once you have completed the first set of diagonal lines change direction to create the diagonal lines in the opposite direction. Work on developing aim by foreseeing the center point at which the lines will cross. If the lines appear jagged, go back over them in the opposite direction. You might find that your hand moves more fluidly or precise in a certain direction.

This is what the final grid pattern should look like. With practice you will be able to create this without any pre-drawn guidelines. This exercise will help you develop control in many aspects of airbrushing.

We have designed a practice worksheet to help you get started. Try this a few times and then move onto doing it without the worksheet. This worksheet was designed to assist you in developing the skills needed to do this exercise. Start by filling in each dot. Do not move the airbrush in a circular motion to fill the redesigned dots. Fill them by practising distance and trigger use. Good Luck and always have fun.

Steven Craig is the owner and head painter of SKC CUSTOMZ in Lake Havasu City, AZ. In the past Steven has won the House of Kolor Prestigeous Painter Award and was a 1st Place winner of Dupont's Hot Hues Awards. He most recently was awarded the Matrix System's FX Grand Prize Award. Steve paints a wide range
of jobs from guitars to large off shore boats. Visit his web site at

Airbrush : Iwata HP-BH, Custom Micron B
Spray Guns: Iwata LPH400 and Iwata LPH300
Paint Media: PPG, Xotic Colours, Dupont and Matrix Systems
Surface Media: Everything I can get paint to stick to.
Masking : R-Tape and 3M Masking Tapes
Projector: Artograph
Lighting : Natural and Florescent. Spray-Line and Spray King Paint Booths