by Thomas Adams
www.rebelkustoms.com

Fabric airbrushing is one of the most plentiful markets for today's airbrush artist. Freehand airbrushing on T-shirts, shoes, hats and jackets has created a signature style in art and fashion. Now with the advancement of modern technology, it has become possible to combine traditional freehand styles with sharp computer cut designs and lettering.

The first step to our process is to choose a design. It is useful to choose designs and lettering that have a lot of fill area. This way you can use fades and free handing inside your design to achieve some high impact effects.

Next, set up your design and cut it out. We do this by using a plotter, a computerized device that cuts designs out of rolls of vinyl film. Plotters and vinyl film are available from sign supply retailers, and in recent years they have become moderately affordable. This tool is a must for any serious airbrush artist. If you don't have a plotter, don't worry. I used this same process years ago, substituting the vinyl with hand cut material. Try using a stencil mask product to trace and cut your design. (I prefer Artool's Friskfilm.) Once it is cut, the inside of the design and lettering must be removed to create a stencil; this is called "weeding" your design. For your first attempts at this you may want to choose a simple design or maybe just some plain lettering until you get used to the weeding process.

Once the weeding is done you should have a complete stencil of your design. Before you can apply the design to a shirt you must tape it. Taping is the process of laying a sheet of mask tape over the entire design to hold it together while it is being applied. Usually you can purchase this tape anywhere vinyl films are sold. When your design is ready, spread it out and tape it down. Roll out a piece of mask tape larger than your design and cut it off. Carefully lay the tape from one end to the other, making sure the tape doesn't bind or wrinkle. Then use a brayer or credit card to smooth it down tightly to the design.

Now the design is ready for the shirt. Use a fabric pen to mark the midpoint of the shirt and the design and then line them up. Next, put a piece of masking tape in the center at the top and bottom of the design. Carefully peel the right half of the design off the backing. Cut that half of the backing paper and remove it. Lay your design carefully on the shirt ensuring that it stays straight and wrinkle-free. Repeat this step on the other half of the design and smooth it out. Finally remove the mask tape, being cautious not to lift the design off the shirt. You should be left with a perfect stencil of the design you want to airbrush.

Once you mask the rest of the shirt, lightly go over the stencil with a heat gun and use a brayer to press down the design. Heat shrinks vinyl and causes it to pull tight to the shirt. Next use your imagination and come up with a funky fade or cool fill for your design. Experiment with freehand stencils and household items like lace and screens, or pick up one of Artool's many freehand stencil sets. They come in all kinds ranging from mild to wild. Since I started doing this I have tried many different fills, such as flames, skulls, chrome, wood grain, and outer space. Use your fill in such a way that it will complement your design. For example, I made the area around the tiger's eyes and teeth red to accentuate these features. Your main goal in this step should be to have fun.

To airbrush my design I am using an Iwata HP-C. The HP-C is a great brush for both beginners and professionals. With it, you are able to achieve very fine lines without giving up the ability to do larger fills. This makes it a well-rounded tool for jobs such as this.

When your shirt is finished, go over it thoroughly with a heat gun. This does two things: 1. It ensures the paint on the shirt and the vinyl is dry. 2. The heat causes the vinyl to become stretchy and in turn eases its removal from the shirt. Now to remove the vinyl, peel from one edge to the other while it is still warm from the heat gun. Make sure to get all the inside pieces of your design and lettering. TIP: If you did happen to get some overspray under the stencil, dab it lightly with Murphy's Oil Soap; then heat set and wash. At the end you should be left with a crisp design that has an eye catching fill.

Finish by heat setting your shirt according to the directions on your paint.

Reprinted with permission of ARTtalk.com