Right now, there are a very large number of artists from all walks for life that use airbrushing as their main medium for their art. Across all of these artists in just about every country in the world, there are a lot of different techniques that were adapted by these artists as they learn and grow into their artistry. The many artists that are new to the art of airbrushing can take a lot of good information away from the more experienced artists who have been doing this art for years, especially things like how to maintain their equipment. Maintenance of your airbrush equipment is extremely important unless you want to be continually replacing your gear.



One of the main things that an artist need to remember is that a clean tool is very important to how they are able to create. Depending on the type of paint used determines how it should be cleaned. For example, if you are using an oil based paint the best cleaner for this would be a lacquer paint thinner. It's just a matter of soaking the equipment in the thinner.

Care for the tip of your airbrush equipment is important as well. The common method is to pour any unused paint back in the paint container and then spray out any excess paint an on an old rag. Then, wipe down the rest of the airbrush equipment with an old rag. After this is done, you can load the airbrush with paint thinner and spray it out to clean all the insides out.

Maintenance is a little different, and easier, when an acrylic based paint is used. Like oil based, paint thinner is a good choice for cleaning but you can also use warm water. Just follow the same directions for cleaning oil based paint and you should be good to go for the next time you want to paint. The running water has no problem washing away all the acrylic paint.

Once you get yourself in the habit of keeping all of your airbrush tools clean and well maintained, they will last many years and you shouldn't have to replace them any time soon. As you can see, the only thing to remember is that when different types of paint are used, there are different methods to cleaning your airbrush. Treat your airbrush gear with respect and keep it clean, it will affet your art if you do not.