Now you can learn the art of airbrushing your teddy bear from master artist Judi Paul.

View Judi's website HERE.

This course  is designed for intermediate and advanced bear making students who already have a solid understanding of the mechanics of bear making. The Airbrushing Your Bear course is an instructor led course with specific start and end dates.

You will learn about:

• The tools needed to airbrush
• Alternate tools and supplies
• Airbrush techniques
• Paints
• And more

Students will  need:

Airbrush- A “single action” airbrush is recommended.  Single action means the air and paint are mixed with one action- pushing down on a  button on top of the airbrush tool.  Dual action means that you push down for air, while pulling back the button for paint.  Both types work very well but for beginners it is strongly suggested to start with a single action airbrush.  This course will be demonstrated with a Paasche “H” single action airbrush and the Copic Airbrush system. There are a variety of airbrushes available at most art supply stores. 

Air Line – An air line, or hose, will be needed to connect your airbrush to the air source.

Air Source-  You will need a source of  air, or CO2 to run an airbrush.  There are a few options available:

• CO2 Tank-  An airbrush runs beautifully on a CO2 tank.  CO2 is a non flammable gas in a liquid form contained in a metal cylinder.  This can be obtained from a welding supplier.  A 20 pound tank will provide many, many hours of airbrush time.  Smaller tanks also work (10 or 15 pounds) and may be a good way to start.  Many suppliers will allow you to trade up to a larger tank later.  Start up cost for a 20 pound tank is generally under $200 which includes a pressure gauge.  The pressure gauge will tell you how much CO2 is in the tank and allows you to adjust the PSI (pounds per square inch, which will be discussed in the course).  The benefits of a CO2 tank are :  It is quiet.  There is no moisture so no water trap is needed. There is virtually no maintenance needed.  No electricity required, and it is portable.  The drawback is that it does need to be refilled when the CO2 is used up. The cost of refilling a 20 pound tank is usually less than $20.  Prices will vary so shop around if you choose this route.  Also, the tank can be very heavy to move.

( EbearZ University Dean's Note*  You may also want to check to see if you can rent a tank from a rental supply company. Be sure to obtain, and understand the  instructions for safety and operation prior to using.*)

• Air Compressor-This method, of course works well and there are several different sizes of air compressors available for airbrushing.  The draw back is they are noisy and require a water trap as compressed air contains moisture.  The nice thing is you only have one expense, but they can be pricey and need a power source.  You may want to consider the other options until you are sure airbrushing is for you.

• Compressed Air Canisters- These are the size of an aerosol can and contain compressed air.  They last around 10 to 20 minutes and would be an expensive way to go if you decide to stay with airbrushing for the long haul.  However, these may be a nice way to try airbrushing.  One to two canisters would be enough to airbrush details on the  head of a bear.  You can always choose one of the other options later.

• The Copic Airbrush System will also be discussed.  This is an alternative to traditional airbrushing.  The system can be purchased from Edinburgh Imports.

Paint

• This course will be demonstrated with Createx Airbrush Colors which are water based acrylic paints. This paint works very well and holds its color.  The colors used will be Beige, Light Brown, Dark Brown, and Black.  Other water based acrylics may be used.

• If using he Copic Airbrush System you will need to buy these same four colors in the pens designed for this system.

Other Items Needed  

• Paper for practicing.  This should be a heavier weight art paper.  Plain grocery bags would also work.

• A small glass jar (jelly jars are great) to have water on hand for airbrush between color changes.

• Paint brush for stirring /mixing colors.

• Several old towels

• Cotton swabs

• Pipe cleaners for cleaning airbrush

• Mask to avoid inhaling paint

• An eye dropper for mixing small amounts of paint. 

• Finally you will need a subject to airbrush!  A bear’s head is what will be demonstrated.

Next Class Begins August 8th, 2010

Course Duration: 30 days
Course Fee: 60.00

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