Keeping your airbrush clean is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure you are painting with the highest quality. Since there are more affected parts than with other forms of art, proper maintenance needs to be performed after each use.
The first way to care for your airbrush is to use acrylic paints. Acrylics are easier to clean than other types of paint. To clean the acrylic paint out of the airbrush, simply run warm water through the airbrush. Then, spray the remaining water out in order to remove any remaining paint from the tip. If you do use lacquer based paints, make sure you clean the brush with paint thinner immediately after use.
Once you are finished with a particular color, you can pour the color back into its container, as it is reusable. Once you pour the paint out of the airbrush, spray an old sheet in order to remove any excess paint that may still be in the airbrush.
Careful attention needs to be paid to the tip of the airbrush. The tip is the most important part of the device. If it becomes clogged or restricted, your paintings will be poor in quality. You can use a simple needle to clean the inside of the tip. After you clean the tip with the needle, spray a cup of water through the tip to make sure all debris is removed.
Using these tips to take care of your airbrush will help you maintain a high level of quality and reduce the amount of materials you have to buy in the future.