How to Apply an Airbrush Tattoo
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Ok, I'm no Henna artist, nor am I an expert in applying tattoo transfers. About the only temporary tattoo I know how to apply is an airbrushed one, besides scribbling on my hand in biro from time to time. So I won't try to show off and attempt to give you a tutorial on applying henna tattoos or tattoo transfers.
What I will do, however, is give you an in depth look at how to apply an Airbrushed Tattoo. From this tutorial, even if you've never used an airbrush before, you'll know every aspect of applying the airbrushed tattoos that you hear about. Plus a few tricks I've picked up along the way.
Okay, make sure you've got all of your equipment
You'll need :
An airbrush with a medium head assembly ('large needle' for novices), to allow the steady flow of thicker paint, of which airbrush tattoo paint tends to be.
Medi-swabs, (just like the doctor wipes you down with before giving you an injection, this just cleans excess grease from the skin).
A stencil, (usually made from a thick vinyl with one sticky side).
Some talcum powder ( to dry and dust the tattoo down once youre finished).
And an air source (usually a compressor or air tank) to supply your airbrush with the much needed air.
Preparation
All good things need preparation. Airbrushed tattoos are no exception. Just make sure your airbrush is primed and ready to go, filled with airbrush tattoo paint, and spraying nicely.
Have your Medi-Swabs handy and your Stencil handy.
Step 1
Wipe down the area you want the tattoo, with a Medi-Swab. What this does is remove any grease, foreign materials, suntan lotion, dirt, grit and whatever else is on your skin that could possibly effect the adhesion of the paint. Make sure you do this in a wiping motion. Rubbing the area will just push whatever is there into the skin further.
Now allow the area to dry thouroughly. For quickness, you may want to even blow on the area with the air from your airbrush, just to quicken the drying process a little.
Step 2
Now place your tattoo stencil over the part of the body you want the tattoo, press down firmly so that all the bits are flush with the skin. This avoids the spray going under the stencil and causing a huge mess.
Step 3
Depending on if you are doing a multi colour tattoo or a black one, load up your airbrush with the lightest colour first.
A lighter colour wont show over a darker colour, but the darker colours will show over lighter colours, if you catch my drift. You'll see later on anyway. Start spraying. You may need to give the lighter colours a thicker coat so they stand out a bit more.
Ok finished now add the rest of your colours going from light to dark as you go. Make sure to do light coats as airbrush tattoo paint will run if applied too thickly in one shot.
Step 4
Now, you can excentuate the tattoo by going over the important bits with a bit of black, just to aid in the general evenness of the tattoo.
Do it lightly with a bit of style if you can. Blending, blending, blending, that's the secret.
Step 5
Alright!, you're done! Peel your stencil off slowly and massage some talcum powder into it to help it dry, and protect it. You've just applied an airbrushed tattoo. See! I told you it was easy!