Airbrush is a technique that utilizes a compressed air tool that sprays dye, ink or paint onto a surface. airbrush is very commonly used in the commercial world for purposes as diverse as the car industry, photograph touch ups, fingernail art for manicures and customized clothing. airbrush can be performed in two ways--either by using a stencil or doing it entirely freehand. Freehand airbrush is far more popular.

History
Nowadays, when people think of "airbrush" as a general term, they think of photography touch-ups. airbrush in photography is far from a new concept. The first well known incident of airbrush in photography was in 1860 when a composite of Abraham Lincoln's head and John Calhoun's (Southern politician) body was created. This happened merely a few decades after the introduction of the first photograph, in 1814.

Considerations
airbrush for photo touch ups is often considered to be a rather controversial issue. After all, when using airbrush on celebrity photographs, the artist usually makes the celebrity thinner and with a more flawless complexion, therefore making them appear less "human." Many people blame self-esteem problems and anorexia in young females on the airbrushed, unrealistic images of women they see in the media.

Theories/Speculation
If you are interested in airbrush yourself, whether it's for making your own clothing or painting a surface, there are a lot of good places to buy your supplies online. All of these retailers have web presences and ship nationally (sometimes internationally). Dixie Art and Airbrush Supplies, Dick Blick Art Materials, Airbrush Depot, Paasche Airbrush, Coast Airbrush and Hobby Linc are all wonderful places to stock up on all of the essential tools.

Benefits
Even though airbrush in photography is a controversial issue, many magazine publishers and artists argue that the use of airbrush in photography helps to create a sense of fantasy and dreams. They claim that they are not necessarily trying to portray reality, but rather an idealized fantasy of how things really are. airbrush in photography is also good because if you were to get a professional photograph done of yourself and you had a big, bright zit on your nose, you'd definitely like to have it removed by the magic of the airbrush.

Potential
If you would like to learn more about airbrush and how to do it, there are also a lot of instructional airbrush classics that teach techniques such as airbrush using stencils, freehand airbrush, airbrush for cars, surface airbrush and many other topics. BearAir offers airbrush courses instructed by some of the most popular airbrush artists on earth.

Function
How exactly do airbrushes work? They work by transmitting fast moving, compressed air through venturis which produce a reduction in suction. This process enables paint to be pushed up at a regular atmosphere pressure. The air's high velocity churns the paint out in the form of tiny droplets. The paint is then carried out over the surface or photograph.