How to Airbrush Shirts
Airbrushing a t-shirt is a great place to start your airbrushing skills. When you learn the technique, you can try some more ambitious projects. For this first lesson, you need a t-shirt, some cardboard, a design and stencil, an airbrushing kit, air compressor, airbrush nozzles and some hose and canisters to hold high-quality, water-based fabric paint.
First: Preparing the shirt
Purchase or use a heavy cotton t-shirt that is completely dry and free of stains. Spread the shirt out, with a cardboard cutout inside to keep the paint from bleeding onto the back of the shirt. Make sure the cardboard is thick enough to keep the paint where it belongs. You can test this with a old t-shirt.
Second: Place the stencil on the shirt and begin painting
After the stencil is in place, select the darkest color you have, and start spraying from the edges of the stencil inward. For best results, use consistent bursts of spray as you move across the shirt. Let the paint dry before changing colors, and continue applying colors until you achieve the desired result. Do not feel disappointed if your first project is not perfect. With practice on various techniques, you can learn to do more sophisticated airbrushing. Experiment with different airbrushing nozzles and triggers.
Third: Finishing up
Let the shirt dry completely before removing the cardboard. Then, read the paint directions and the suggestions from the shirt's manufacturer for the best way to launder your airbrushed shirt.
Fourth: Finishing up
Make sure to clean your equipment before using it again, and close all containers of paint.