AirbrushStepbyStepEnglishEditionIssue63April2022

63ISSUE 02/22 | NO. 63 £ 6.99

FAN ART

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE JOKER

TERMINATOR – HARRY POTTER – ICE HOCKEY



EDITORIAL & CONTENT /////

Fan Art – The Art of enthusiasts NEWS

2022 will be THE year for mo- 04 Airbrushes
vies! After many movie produc- Air Cobra
tions were on hold in the last
two Covid years, the blockbus- 04 Paints
ters are now lining up. But the Createx’ new paints, Liquid Kicks Topcoats, Zero Paints,
lack of new productions did not AK Intense / Neon Colors
prevent movie lovers from en-
joying classic films from the past 06 Accessories:
decades on DVD or via strea- Dru Blair Biomechanical Sets
ming during the pandemic. And
so cinema heroes, movie posters 07 Community
and legendary scenes are al- Orbituary Terry Hill, Eddie Harris
ways among the popular de-
signs for airbrush artists. This is 08 Digital
certainly where some readers' Xencelabs pen tablet, Elegoo Jupiter
alarm bells are ringing - and
rightly so! After all, commercial STEP BY STEPS
copying of movie designs and
characters is one of the most dicey situations in terms of copyright. 12 Terminator T-800
Here the responsibility lies with each individual. However, in the spi- Cyborg portrait
rit of "fan art", in which a good portion of one's own creativity is
involved in the work and which should above all serve the private Spanish artist Angus Alcantara has photorealistically brought
pleasure of the creative film fan, cinema motifs are also quite accep- the metallic cyborg to canvas with detailed metal effects.
table.
19 Hogwarts
The artists in this issue have taken on the really big blockbusters: By- 3D model painting
ron Lawrence manages to fit nine characters and symbols from the
"Lord of the Rings" trilogy on one helmet. Midas Bayle Villanueva Spanish artist Alicia Rios Cueva painted a 3D-printed model of
takes on the ultimate villain, Batman's Joker, and Angus Alcantara the famous School of Witchcraft from the Harry Potter saga.
takes us back to the late 80s with his Terminator portrait. Movie he-
roes and other beauties can also be found in the art of Ivan Loperena 24 The Lord of the Rings
who excels in the field of black and white photorealism. Spanish ar- Helmet Design
tist Alicia Rios Cuerva, however, is not into movie characters, but into
one of the most popular movie sets: Hogwarts. She painted a 3D- Despite the small space and round shape, Californian artist By-
printed model amazingly realistic. ron Lawrence has depicted a total of 9 characters and symbols
from the famous movie trilogy on one helmet.
Of course, fans and enthusiasts do not only exist in the movie world,
but also in sports. In this respect, the ice hockey art of the Czech 36 The Joker
Tomáš Kolajta also fits the title theme. And also local carnival traditi- Portrait
ons join their followers every year, as it is the case with the Colombi-
an "Carnaval de Negros y Blancos". The artist William Florez paints Filipino artist Midas Bayle Villanueva has impressively captu-
the characteristic colorful sculptures and floats for this occasion. red the vicious character of Batman's antagonist.

We hope that you will also be enthusiastic about something – maybe INTERVIEW
movies, sports, art.... but definitely airbrushing!
42 Carnaval de Negros y Blancos
Have fun with the new issue! The quixotic art of William Florez

The ASBS Team Young airbrush artist William Florez creates the characteristic
colorful sculptures and floats of Colombia's famous Carnival.
Exclusive download center:
www.airbrush-magazine.net 54 Ice cold airbrush business
Passwort: Terminator Tomáš Kolajta's ice hockey masks

Czech Tomáš Kolajta paints ice hockey masks and helmets for
players in his hockey-loving home country.

46 Crusader of Realism
The art of Ivan Loperena (Ivanhoe)

Ivan Loperena from Mexico is an artist, graphic designer and
photographer. Unusual moments and perspectives distinguish
his black and white illustrations.

57 “Best products. Shipped fast.”
Talking to Artem Revunov from SprayGunner

SprayGunner airbrush supply business owner Artem Revunov
started a unique promotion tour through 43 US states.

MISCELLANEOUS

60 Readers‘ Gallery

66 Shopping Guide

67 Imprint / Preview

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 3

///// NEWS | Airbrushes / Paints

AirCobra: Spanish Model Construction Airbrush in Formula 1 Design

le guaranteeing a maximum performance without having to
go without a stylish and subtle look.“ Put simply, this is a dou-
ble-action airbrush with a flow system and 0.3 mm nozzle,
equipped with a 5 ml paint cup and solvent-resistant PTFE
Teflon ® sealing gaskets. The device features a round lever, a
lever adjustment for controlled working in a yellow-anodized
handle piece, and a widely opened, pleasant needle protecti-
on cap for simple handing and cleaning of the needle tip.
According to the manufacturer, the device can achieve fine
airbrushing lines between 0.4 mm and 4.5 cm. It’s manufactu-
red in the USA and made of 100% American-based materials.
It can be used with all sorts of paints, from acrylics to enamel
to varnishes, tints, and so much more.

Spanish model construction manufacturer AMMO by Mig Ji- The manufacturer presents the AirCobra in a lovely metal
menez claims to have taken the decisive demands of sophisti- case that comes in a yellow and silver Formula 1 design. In the
cated model constructionists into consideration while develo- online shop of AMMO by Mig Jimenez, the device costs
ping its AirCobra airbrush device, namely, ”A design that’ll 129.95 EUR.
last a lifetime, is durable and efficient, robust, and light, whi-
www.migjimenez.com

21 new color shades at Createx – including three from Berlin

The American airbrush color manufacturer Createx extends new shades with and for the Createx brand. According to
again its color assortment: Nine new Createx Wicked Colors Marcus himself, Bordeaux is used in 99% of his works. He cre-
have recently emerged, including a high gloss white and ated Fire Red for glowing fire effects and Frog Juice is the
black, e.g. as base coat for chrome and gold effects, as well as bright frog green he likes to use in his nature designs. With
a metallic Charcoal color shade. The expansion of the Wicked this, he has finally put an end to the miserable mixing of the-
Flair color range is even more comprehensive. Wicked Flair se hues. In addition, nine more shades have been added to
colors are iridescent colors in six new tones that, after clear- the Illustration Colors range, including more yellows, reds,
coating, alternate between two shades depending on the in- blues, greens and blacks, among others.
cidence of light. The transparent colors are suitable for interi-
or and exterior use. All Createx colors are available at your local airbrush supply
retailer.
Let’s go on with the Createx Illustration Colors. Three new co-
lor shades are particularly striking here: Berlin Airbrush Fire www.createxcolors.com / www.createx.de
Red, Bordeaux and Frog Juice. Yes, that's right, Berlin Air-
brush. Behind this name you can find the well-known German
airbrush artist Marcus Eisenhuth, who developed the three

4 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Paints | NEWS /////

Zero Paints: RC car paints just like the original

and has been pre-diluted for use with an airbrush. A 60 ml
bottle of this paint will cost you approximately 7-10 EUR. In
addition to the paints themselves, there’s a comprehensive as-
sortment of Candy paints and materials such as primers, fil-
lers, varnishes, thinners, metal finishes, and other accessories.

Do you need a white Ford Mustang GT4 or would you prefer The company even offers an individual mixing service, namely
a Securicor Omega blue Toyota Carina BRCC 1993? Say what? the Custom Paint Mixing Service, and promises to be able to
Yes, the company Zero Paints now offers airbrush paints for mix just about every vehicle color hue in its original. The back-
RC cars that are coordinated to match the original colors of ground to this capability is that Zero Paints is based on the
well-known racing vehicles and brand names. Regardless of automobile varnish products from Italian company Lechler
whether we’re talking about Honda, BMW, Renault, KTM, and thus, the company has access to all of Lechler’s mixing re-
Ducati, or Peugeot – there are over 200 unique paints in the cipes. The only thing required for an individual mixture is spe-
”Matched Colors“ assortment and even sets for the racing le- cification of the vehicle brand name and the manufacturer’s
gends of various eras. Every paint glass contains 30 or 60 ml color code. This can be used for not only model cars, but also
i.e. spot repair works. An individually mixed paint costs app.
15 EUR per 60 ml.

www.zero-paints.com

When you’re going for the BAM effect: AK Intense and Neon Colors Sets

paint sets for various topics and color systems. Among the
brightest and most universal colors is the Intense Colors and
the Neon Colors Set. Both sets contain up to 6 colors à 17 ml.
The Intense Set consists of the especially intense, deep paint
hues in rainbow colors from yellow to dark blue. The Neon
Set includes – as the name says – the respective luminous
paints in the same nuances. Thanks to their intensive color
hues, these paints are also very good for other design purpo-
ses such as painting small decorative objects or vehicle parts.
They can be sprayed in a diluted manner with the airbrush or
applied with a paintbrush straight out of the bottle.

The color series 3rd Generation Acrylics from Spanish specia- The packaging of the AK Color sets is very noticeable due to
list manufacturer for model construction and miniatures, AK their illustrative design which shows what possibilities there
Interactive, focuses primarily on painting models and minia- are with the paints based on some very lovely examples. The
tures. As such, there are currently around 18 different acrylic Intense and Neon Colors sets are – just like all of the other sets
of paint series – available for 15.60 EUR at the AK Interactive
online shop as well as at many specialty model construction
retail shops.

www.ak-interactive.com

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 5

///// NEWS | Accessories
Liquid Kicks Topcoats: Flexible finish for painting sneakers

Inspired by H.R. Giger: Dru Blair’s Biomechanical Sets

American photorealism pro Dru Blair has lately taken a step cases, they are even so flexible that the artist himself can
into the fantasy genre with the latest product in his range of change the curve as he/she sees fit.
Blair stencils: The two huge Biomechanical Sets. The two sets
include 10 and 16 stencils, respectively, with popular patterns The two Biomechanical Sets 1 and 2 each cost 150 USD. There
and elements of biomechanics. These are inspired, of course, is also a large size version of the Biomechanical Set 1 for 190
by the art of H.R. Giger. The textures are reminiscent of circuit USD. All Dru Blair stencils can be ordered at the website of his
boards and electronic connectors, but at the same time also School of Realism.
of vertebrae, bones and ribs. The advantage about these
stencils measuring between 2.5 and 12 inches (medium size) www.schoolofrealism.com
is that they have an organic, realistic curved path. In some

6 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Community | NEWS /////
The airbrush world lost two of its best: Terry Hill and Eddie Harris

A sad start to 2022 losing two great airbrush artists within a Renowned airbrush illustrator and custom painter Eddie Har-
few weeks: Terry Hill and Eddie Harris. American airbrush ar- ris passed away on February 14 at the age of 71. Eddie started
tist Terry Hill died in mid-December at the age of 60 from Co- his career as an illustrator at Hanna-Barbera Animation Studi-
vid 19 disease. Terry Hill was best known for his numerous in- os. Later he designed movie cars, hot rod cars, and airplanes.
structional videos and articles in the U.S. magazine „Airbrush He created works for famous US football teams, for US presi-
Action.“ He also taught for decades at major workshop dents, actors, musicians, and motorsport legends.
events such as the Airbrush Getaways and the Airbrush Art
Circus. Terry Hill was active as a T-shirt airbrush artist. In 1981, Both artists leave a big gap in the airbrush industry and will
he and Don Ashwood started their first airbrush T-shirt store remain unforgotten by their relatives, friends and artists
in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Most recently, Terry Hill worked whom they inspired and teached their amazing techniques.
at a Walmart airbrush store in Destin, Florida.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 7

///// NEWS | Accessories
Elegoo Jupiter: Huge 3D printer highly affordable at Kickstarter

8 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Accessories | NEWS /////

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 9

///// NEWS | Digital

Xencelabs pen tablet medium bundle: From designers for designers

Graphic tablets are more important for designers than ever riments and innovative thinking are high up on the list of pri-
before, from photo optimization to sketches to digital por- orities when it comes to creating amazing products. The curi-
traits to 3D modelling. Our editorial staff has tested a number osity felt by our editorial staff was naturally considerable!
of graphic tablets over the past 15 years. Smaller technical op-
timizations have continually sprung up every now and again. The experience already begins with the extraordinarily desig-
New manufacturers entered the fray while others left the ned packaging, making it a true joy to unpack the device and
playing field. One can say that the market currently has a to see what’s inside the packaging. Our test was conducted
pretty solid number of suppliers and that there’s something with the Xencelabs pen tablet medium bundle, which is luxu-
out there for every budget. We were surprised that there was riously equipped with the tablet, 2 pens, a pen box, a remote
now a new manufacturer, namely Xencelabs from the USA. control, a charging cable, an adapter, a remote dongle, a bag,
Xence (pronounced as “sense“) is, as the manufacturer claims, and a glove.
a reference to human senses that drive our creative instincts.
The term also refers to the artistic sense, which makes it pos- The medium tablet features an active work surface sized 26 x
sible to create beauty in places where it may not have been 15 cm. There are three functional buttons located in the up-
before. The section of the name, “Labs“, stands for the labo- per middle portion, all of which can be individually allocated,
ratory work involved with product development, when expe- but are already allocated with meaningful functions right out

10 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Digital | NEWS /////

of the factory. The device can be connected using the respec- grams). Both sit well in your hand and feature an eraser built
tive USB cable, which comes with the product. What’s even into the back side. The pen box also has space for a USB adap-
better is that the tablet can be operated in a wireless manner. ter and wireless dongle as well as replacement pen tips (both
It comes with a corresponding wireless dongle featuring a standard and felt) and pen tip extractors. The battery-free
USB connection. If you don’t have a USB-A port, a USB-C ad- pens with EMR technology dispose of over 8192 sensitive
apter is provided, which is very practical. The USB cable is na- pressure levels.
turally also used to charge the tablet so that it can be used in
a wireless manner. Once charged after roughly 2 hours, the What really makes this bundle special is the Xencelabs Quick
device can then be used in a wireless capacity for app. 16 Keys remote control, which comes with the product. Via the
hours. OLED display and the manual dial on the remote control, you
can set up to 40 shortcuts per application and with that,
The product comes with a stylistic pen box containing a 3-but- group together sets of related functions like sketching, pain-
ton pen (17 grams) and a thin pen with two buttons (12 ting, and editing. The remote control is also accessed via the
dongle and charged with an additional USB cable. It takes an
hour and a half to charge the device and, depending on just
how you’re using it, it can work 25-53 hours before you’ll
need to recharge it. The display, which is very helpful with a
whole bunch of functions, is set up extremely well and you
can tell that a lot of thought was put into its establishment.

There are drivers not only for Windows and Mac, but also for
Linux. And it´s the driver, in addition to the remote control,
and its innovation that must receive special attention here.
The driver menu is set up very well, is very lucid, and is simple
to operate. It’s adjusted to the needs of the designer. Every-
thing can be programmed, from the pen pressure to the but-
tons for the functions of the pens and the remote control
right on up to the colors of the four installed tablet marker
LEDS. The most current driver is uploaded right from the ma-
nufacturer’s website.

The Xencelabs tablet is just perfect from A to Z and has been
established to meet the needs of the designer. It is a high qua-
lity unit and voluptuously equipped. The driver is absolutely
exemplary and hasn’t been done at this level of quality by
anyone yet. You can currently purchase the Xencelabs Pen Ta-
blet Medium with two pens for 279.99 USD and the bundle
with the Quick Keys remote control for 359.99 USD. Both can
be ordered directly at the manufacturer’s website.

www.xencelabs.com

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 11

///// STEP BY STEP | Terminator T-800

TERMINATOR TÐ800

The Terminator movie series that started up in that oh so famous metallic cyborg with detailed
the 80s belongs to the absolute classics of science chromatic and metal effects – one that consists of
fiction cinema. Spanish artist Angus Alcantara shading, Candy glazing, and a whole lot of high-
has created a photorealistic canvas version of lights.

12 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Terminator T-800 | STEP BY STEP /////

EQUIPMENT – TERMINATOR T-800 Surface: Glossy printing paper

Airbrush: Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH and Iwata Custom Micron Further materials: Rubber eraser Staedtler Mars Rasor, cut-
CM-CP ter, 10/0 paintbrush 10/0, carbon paper, HB pencil and pa-
per A3, curve template ”True Fire“ by Mike Lavallee
Paints: Hugo MacArt TS Line

01 Preparing the surface
Whenever I’d like to do my airbrush work on
satanized printing paper, I begin by preparing a frame using
25 mm adhesive tape. To avoid that the surface is damaged
when removing adhesive tapes at the conclusion of the
project, I attach the adhesive tape on my clothing (sweatshirt
or pants) in advance so that the tape loses a bit of its
adhesiveness, since it’ll remain located on one spot for several
hours. This allows it to be more easily removed, yet it still
adheres just enough to leave behind a defined frame.

I then place my A3 reference picture on it, attach it with a
piece of adhesive tape so that it doesn’t slide away, and use
an HB pencil on carbon paper to trace the base lines between
the picture and surface. I concentrate predominantly on the
most distinctive lines such as the contours and the most
distinctive shading of the project. I try not to make too much
pressure so that the carbon paper doesn’t damage the surface
too much.

02 Background color
In the second step of the process, I concentrate on
the background of the illustration. For this, I cut out the sil-
houette of the illustration from the reference picture and use
magnets to place it on the surface in a manner such that the
masking matches the area that will be airbrushed. I then app-
ly the background color, in this case black.

Because I do not want to make an exact reproduction of the
reference picture and instead am looking to make use of arti-
stic liberties, I try not to homogenize the background, but rat-
her leave light and dark areas where they are so that the
background doesn’t end up being plain black and the illustra-
tion has another effect.

I generally apply several thin layers so as not to overload the
surface with paint, which allows the paint to dry quicker, and
I can continue working without having to wait very long. In
the winter, when the weather demands it, I use a dryer with
soft heat and at a bit of a distance because cold or dampness
can impair the drying procedure and have an adverse effect
on the product.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 13

///// STEP BY STEP | Terminator T-800

03 Giving the background texture
Once the priming has been applied and we’ve added
our personal note that I mentioned in Step 2, I make use of
the scalpel to get a worn out effect via the scraping techni-
que. Now, not all of the scraping strokes move in the same
direction or with the same intensity such that the background
does not become monotonous. After that, I also apply a thin
layer of paint to remove the intensity and to scrape once
again to achieve various shading. This procedure must take
place very cautiously and with the scalpel located as parallel
as possible to the surface so as not to damage it with the cut-
ting blade.

04 Dark shady areas 05 The challenge of the hoses
With the same masking used to create the outline Possibly the most troublesome step of this work is
contour, I’ve cut out the darker, more strongly pronounced creating the hydraulic hoses that are protruding from the cra-
shadow areas of the main T-800 picture, i.e. the eyes, the cra- nium and run along the cyborg’s structure. This type of activi-
nium, and the cyborg’s body parts. This is how we place the ty becomes very repetitive and is all about simulating the
intensive black areas on their spots and then we can begin metallic refraction. In addition, there’s a bent surface that not
with the freehand work on the jaw, on the right eye, and the only contains various tonalities, but also endless luster effects
nostrils. in various levels of hardness (harder or softer). In my special
case, my eyes start to get tired, and I need to finish this bit of
I apply the various degrees of luster either with the cutter for work bit by bit to make sure I don’t stress my concentration
the defined areas or with the eraser pencil for the softer are- too much.
as. To create various black hues, I use a non-diluted paint for
the darker areas or thin the paint some 25% or 50% to reduce
the saturation of the paint in the various areas. If the paint is
diluted, it is important to apply it in fine strokes to avoid that
it is too saturated and "spider legs" develop. This also helps
us to control the intensity of the black color that we’re loo-
king for in a certain area.

14 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

/////

06 Chin and throat
Since I, as mentioned in the previous step, am making some good
progress with the right hose, I apply various nuances of black on the chin, on
the throat, and on the upper portion of the eye with various intensities, so
as not to have any interruptions in the work. For this, I use the diluted paint
mentioned in Step 4. I also begin to subtly add color to the teeth. For the
lights, I use a scalpel and pencil, depending on the hardness of the respective
highlights. I also add some black glaze to weaken the highlights in the thro-
at and upper jaw region.

07 Mouth region
In this step, I spend my time primarily on the teeth and darken the
shadows on the chin, throat, and jaw a bit to create more volume. To place
shadow on the teeth, I make a small color progression using the 50% diluted
paint, going from the lower portion of the tooth upwards while doing the
upper row of teeth and just the opposite with the lower row of teeth. I
remove the overspray, if necessary, with the eraser pencil and just a little bit
of pressure so as to make sure there aren’t any traces of eraser rubber.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 15

///// STEP BY STEP | Terminator T-800

08 Contours and definitions 09 Eyes and forehead
So as to define the teeth and the black lines of the I continue and darken up the cybernetic eye socket.
jaw completely, I use a very fine 10/0 artificial hair paintbrush. With the aid of the scalpels and the rubber erasers, I add
I also take this opportunity to work on the contour of the highlights to the eyeball mechanism. As in the previous steps,
eyes and some of the lines along the hollow portion of the I mark the darkest spots in the shading with the diluted paint.
jaw. I begin by outlining the left side of the jaw with a curve
template to mark the lines on which I’ll be darkening up the
area, thus clearly demarcating this portion of the work.

10 Throat 11 Left side of the face
I do the same thing on the throat. With the paint On the left side of the jaw, there’s more light than on
that is 50% diluted, I use very fine glazes to create a weake- the right side, and the contrast between the two is very
ned black as is shown to be necessary in the reference picture. strong. For the work on the jaw hinges, I make use of a
I continue adding in luster with the scalpel and the eraser straight masking established with a simple piece of paper to
pencil. Afterwards, I darken them up a bit with small airbrush get a well-defined straight line. I also use this masking for the
strokes and with that, create various textures and luster with straight shading on the left side pipe and the metallic collar-
various levels of intensity. bone of the cyborg. I finally conclude one of the hoses, but
it’s not without its difficulty. I do the rest of the shade on the
cheekbone per freehand by erasing away excessive paint, as I
have done at other junctures of the work and create very de-
fined glimmer. Using the scalpel, I continue along and place
some knicks and dents in the metal, some of which are shiny,
and others are covered with transparent paint.

16 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Terminator T-800 | STEP BY STEP /////

12 Torso using the paper masking to create the even shadows and
The torso is what I’ll be dealing with in this step and make use of the bent stencil for some portions of the torso.
according to the previous guidelines. I begin with non-diluted The scalpel and the eraser pencil are used to give the metal a
black and darken up the shadows. I then use 50% black for perfect shine.
the glazes and the shady hues that aren’t as dark. I go back to

13 Contrasts 14 The cranium
To ensure that the contrast isn’t too strong, I place For the blueish color hues, I’ve used a turquoise-colo-
the 50% diluted, transparent black on the left portions of the red Candy blue to apply the soft areas. I darkened it up later
torso. This is how I tone down the luster and avoid a high le- with a mixture consisting of a drop of black for every 5 drops
vel of contrast. I work on the left hose unit for unit by taking of Candy paint. In this way, I darken up the surface in very
an eraser pencil and scalpel and create the strong shade first, fine spray progressions from the middle of the blueish spots
then the soft shade, and finally the luster spots with pencil towards the edge. The lines on the cranium are painted with
and scalpel. I then concentrate in this step on the left portion a paintbrush with diluted paint and the highlights for these
of the cranium with hard and soft freehand shade. lines with diluted white. To make sure the lightness of the
cranium sticks out in the lighter areas, I apply very fine strokes
of 25% diluted white around the turquoise blue spot.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 17

///// STEP BY STEP | Terminator T-800

15 Eyes placing emphasis on the exterior portion while trying to have
To conclude, I concentrate on the eyes, where I then the interior region phase out as such.
apply a half-transparent red, which I apply in a circular moti-
on using the airbrush from the outside towards the interior,

16 Final detalis
I once again use the turquoise blue Candy paint for
the region below the left eye, the metallic collarbone, and
some areas along the torso. I also use the 25% reduced white
to enhance the lightness of the torso just like I did with the
cranium. Once the diluted white loses saturation, I make
some light strokes and wait until it dries to see whether the
respective spot need more color or not. The shiny spots on the
torso as well as in the eyes are created with an eraser pencil.

My work on the T-800 took approximately 8 hours, which re-
ally isn’t all that much time for such a detailed figure, so I’m
quite satisfied with the result.

ANGUS ALCANTARA VACAS

Automobile painter Angus Alcantara Vacas comes from
a town close to Madrid and began a career working with the airbrush in 2007. He flipped back and forth between his
artistic activity and his work as an automobile painter. This makes it possible for him to not only individually design
helmets or vehicles, but to also prepare and finish the work in the most optimal manner possible. In February of 2014,
he became a world championship of varnishing with the BASF brand Glasurit, which opened the door to working as
varnishing technicians in a multinational company. After that, he became a painting expert at the Motor Sport Institute
(MSI) for painting McLaren GT3 and Formula 3 single-seaters. He actively participates in national and international mo-
torcycle exhibitions and achieves great success at them. In 2017, he opened his own airbrush school in which he disposes
of 10, predominantly "automotive"-oriented work areas, from a preparation area to a spray booth for motorcycles. He
continues to switch between teaching airbrush techniques and his technical work and concentrates personally on the
search for excellence for his students and himself.

Web: aerografiamadrid.wordpress.com
Facebook: Angus Alcantara (Airbrush Artist)

18 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Hogwarts | STEP BY STEP /////

The famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is Castle was also a model in the first Harry Potter
the main plot of the Harry Potter saga. Spanish film: a team of 86 production designers and fil-
artist Alicia Rios Cueva created a model of the im- ming staff had produced the first Hogwarts versi-
posing building using 3D printing and then pain- on. The total number of hours worked on the ori-
ted it amazingly realistically with airbrush and ginal model would add up to 74 years, according
paintbrushes. Incidentally, the "real" Hogwarts to the production company.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 19

///// STEP BY STEP | Hogwarts

EQUIPMENT – HOGWARTS

Airbrush: Iwata Eclipse Further materials: Soft flat brush, hard badger hair brush

Paints: Vallejo Surface Primer Black, Game Color Cold Grey, Surface: 3D Model
Shadow Grey; Hugo MacArt Paints: White, Black, Payne's
Grey, Brown and Darkgreen

01 The 3D model 02 The primer
Using the 3D printing process, I made this castle After printing the model, the first step is applying a
model. For painting, I mainly used airbrush, except for certain black base coat of Vallejo's Surface Primer acrylic paint. Since
areas that got their finishing touches with dry brush the castle is very twisty, two or three rich coats need to be
technique. For this I used a soft flat brush and a hard badger applied, with a day's rest between them to allow the paint to
hair brush. It took about 30 hours to complete this job. settle better.

20 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Hogwarts | STEP BY STEP /////

03 First color layer
Now I start with the first color layer. For this I used Cold Grey from
Game Color by Vallejo. Since the paint is thick, I reduce it with an acrylic thin-
ner. I apply the color flat on the primer. Since the paint is transparent, it does
not cover the black primer with the first coat.

04 Facade color
The black primer sets the dark tone of the castle. That's why I apply
the second coat of Cold Grey next. With the second and third coat, the castle
becomes lighter and lighter. In the area of the rocks and trees, I work out
different light and dark areas over the course of the layers, which provide the
basis for the later color scheme.

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///// STEP BY STEP | Hogwarts

05 The roofs
I now shade and color the roofs with Shadow Grey from Game Color. Remember that the facade layer must be
completely dry first.

06 Rocks and plants brown and dark green. I start adding highlights and dark
Once the castle has taken shape, I start with the rock spots to the trees and the cracks in the rocks.
and green part at the base of the castle. I use Hugo MacArt
paints in various shades, including white, black, Payne's Grey,

22 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Hogwarts | STEP BY STEP /////

07 Dry brush technique pearance of worn stone. For the dry brush technique, strip
I move on to the final dry brush technique: Here I use the brush of paint thoroughly beforehand so that there is
the same colors as described above and apply them with only a small amount of paint left on the brush.
brushes to the edges of the castle to give the facade the ap-

08 Finished Hogwarts model
Then my Hogwarts model is ready for a new school
year full of magic....

ALICIA RIOS CUEVA

Alicia Rios Cueva is a young airbrush artist from Asturias, Spain. Her specialties are t-shirt art, body and
bellypainting and painting 3D figures. She learned the artistic basics at a local art school and has taken
airbrush classes with Mexican artist Hugo Maciel. In 2019, she participated in the International Airbrush
Festival in Gijon and the courses there with different European and Latin American artists. Alicia's main
profession is industrial diver.

Instagram: @alive.drawing – Facebook: Alicia Rios Cueva

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 23

///// STEP BY STEP | The Lord of the Rings

LoTrHEdof the Rings
Californian artist Byron Lawrence has painted this placed on the helmet a total of 9 characters and
helmet to match a "Lord of the Rings" motorcycle, symbols from the film trilogy and elaborated with
which he has already designed a few years ago. many details.
Despite the small space and round shape, he has

24 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Lord of the Rings | STEP BY STEP /////

EQUIPMENT – THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Airbrush: Badger Sotar 20/20, Badger Xtreme Patriot and Further materials: Vinyl masking film, tape, pencil, plotter
Badger Renegade Krome Surface: Motorbike helmet

Paints: House of Kolor Urethan Candy paints, House of Ko-
lor base paints

01 Choosing characters 02 The Elvish script
The design was left up to me so I started by selecting The Elvish script is something I previously used on the
the character pictures I wanted to use and I printed them out bike so I wanted to repeat it here. I had traced the script on
to the sizes that worked and did a cut and paste for basic the computer and I had it cut on a plotter on spray mask vinyl.
placement. I then placed the vinyl lettering on the helmet – to be revisi-
ted in a later step.

03 Base Coat and transfer technique printed pic and rub pencil all over the back, tape it in place
Initially I carefully airbrush in a light white base coat and draw over the basic details to transfer the pencil lines to
over the helmet surface and fade out around the edges. For the helmet surface to serve as a structural guideline to paint
the first character Frodo I started by using what I'll call the over.
pencil rub & trace transfer technique. I take the cut out

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 25

///// STEP BY STEP | The Lord of the Rings

04 Frodo’s contours 05 Frodo’s hair and clothes
I also use the printed pics to cut up and use as Next I airbrush a purple/black mixture to start filling
"floating" stencils especially for hard edges and color out the hair and jacket. To do this, I am putting back the mas-
separations. I spray a light flesh colored base and spray a light king for the hand so that this area remains protected. I work
outline around the edges. out the hair structure in the direction of growth and orient
myself on the photo template - likewise with the pleat pat-
tern of the jacket.

06 Facial details time creating the gradient of the cheek. With loose stencils I
Here I start spraying the darker facial details, to also create the first shades of the ring. Then I bring in other
create a first drawing of the face and its proportions. I create colors for the eyes and mouth.
the border line of the face towards the hand by lightly
misting the hand masking before removing it and at the same

26 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Lord of the Rings | STEP BY STEP /////

07 Warm colors and highlights
Then I move onto more warm colors to deepen the
facial tones and start using white for highlighting areas.

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No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 27

///// STEP BY STEP | The Lord of the Rings

08 Finishing Frodo 09 Gandalf’s sword
Next I punch up the coloring on the hand and ring, In this step I first mask the area where I want Gandalf
then spray white highlights while intentionally keeping it to appear and expose the area of the sword. This I paint
somewhat blurry as in the original photo reference. I bring completely with all the shading and highlights. To get the 3D
more color into the hair and jacket and start tinting the pic shape, loose stencils help me. The textures I design freehand.
with a more yellow/orange tone. Then I sharpen the white I also start with the hand, which gets a first layer of paint.
highlights.

10 Transferring Gandalf’s
portrait

Then I back mask the sword and the
hand with transfer right adhesive paper
so I can paint the rest of Gandalf wi-
thout overspray contaminating the
sword. I then use the picture cutout and
the pencil rub transfer technique to
transfer Gandalf's head structure to the
surface.

11 Flesh tone
In this step I add flesh tone to
the face and add basic white highlights.

28 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Lord of the Rings | STEP BY STEP /////

12 Shades
Then I add darker flesh tones for depth, then spray
in darker color to round out the facial details.

13 Gandalf’s hair and beard 14 Finishing Gandalf
Next I add a layer of sharp white highlights, then Then I use my x-acto knife blade to scratch in sharp
spray in dark color for hair and beard structure. hairs for the beard and hair. Then I peel and detail the hand
more. Later on, I will spray some white to soften areas of the
hair so it's not completely sharp lines.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 29

///// STEP BY STEP | The Lord of the Rings

15 Legolas hands with flesh tone, then use darker colors to detail those
This step for Legolas is similar to the others, so I will areas and the rest of the body and "colorize" the rest of the
keep it brief. I trace and cut out the shape of the character to body before white highlighting and tinting/blending.
keep it contained, sharp and clean. I spray the head and

16 Shape of Gollum
For this step Legolas is covered up with the original
transfer rite cut out and I cut out the shape of Gollum to cle-
anly paint him.

17 Finishing Gollum
In a much abbreviated form, I
paint his structure with a purple/black
paint mixture, then add color, white
highlights and tint and blend.

30 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Lord of the Rings | STEP BY STEP /////

18 The Ringwraith then cover him up with the transfer rite paper so I can cleanly
In this step, I trace and cut out the shape of the paint the smoky blue background.
ringwraith. I follow the regular steps to paint the ringwraith,

19 Portrait of Aragorn
This step is also repetitious, but I trace and cut out the shape of Aragorn, lay down some flesh tone, detail it with
some brown tones and add white highlights.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 31

///// STEP BY STEP | The Lord of the Rings

20 Highlights
The same happens on the
hands. White highlights follow again at
the end, especially on the light-facing
parts of the face, on the beard and hair,
and on the hands.

21 Finishing Aragorn
In this step I build up the rest of
Aragorn's upper body, add white high-
lights and blend a little more color.

22 Blending areas
I then peel up the covered Gan-
dalf and soften the edges of his hair
with white and gray and blend the area
surrounding Aragorn and blend out his
hair also.

32 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Lord of the Rings | STEP BY STEP /////

23 Saruman
For this step with Saruman, I follow the same basic steps of cutting out, flesh tones, dark blue for hair structure, color
to enrich and tint, darker color for details, then white highlighting.

24 Barad-dûr
Here I cover up Saruman and paint the dark tower with the burning eye of Sauron. Then I use white to paint the
smoky background and tint it with some blue.

25 Finishing the Elvish script around the glowing edge. I then peel off the vinyl letters to
Here I return to the Elvish script. I spray a light blue reveal the dark blue base underneath.
glow around the vinyl letters, then blend in some darker blue

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 33

///// STEP BY STEP | The Lord of the Rings

26 Finishing the helmet
Once all the elements are painted, I look over everything and do minor touch ups, soften some edges and sharpen
others and then it's ready for clear coat.

BYRON LAWRENCE

Along with his painter partner Byron Lawrence makes up ByronicArt Custom Paint. He primarily works
in the custom automotive airbrush field in Orange County, California. He specializes in airbrushing art
on motorcycles, helmets, automobiles and hockey goalie masks. He also enjoys painting fine art on
metal, illustration board, canvas, etc. His partner and he do full on paint jobs for customers and he also
does work as an artist for hire for other custom shops. He has worked in the industry for over 25 years
but has only worked under his own name apart from other shops for about the past 6 years. He always
focuses on improving his quality and techniques while giving his customers the best quality work he
can provide whether small or large budget.

Website: www.byronicart.com - Facebook: ByronicArt - Instagram: byronicart12
34 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Lord of the Rings | STEP BY STEP /////

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 35

///// STEP BY STEP | The Joker

36 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Joker | STEP BY STEP /////

The preferred motifs of Filipino artist Midas Bayle foe, the Joker. Midas has used large formats, tight
Villanueva couldn’t be more different. His artistic image details, and rough contours to create his
love revolves around religious motifs and the bad very own impressive style, which functions with
guys we see in the world of cinema. In this case, both good and evil characters.
he decided to create Batman‘s arguably biggest

EQUIPMENT – THE JOKER Surface: Canvas

Airbrush: Iwata HP-B plus
Paints: Car paint: black, white, red, gray, phthalo blue,
neon green, orange

01 The sketch 02 Contour and hair
I’ve begun by making a sketch that establishes the Then I take the airbrush and black to draw the shape
correct proportions using white chalk and pencil, making use of the face, beginning to establish the shading in the area of
of grid method. I do this while keeping an eye on my picture the throat as well as the structure of the hair.
template for orientation.

03 Mouth and nose
Once I’ve completed creating the structure of the
hair on the left and right of the head, I work on the chin,
mouth, and region of the nose. I also create the shady areas
in this step and define the facial characteristics. Indeed, when
beginning your artwork, it is vital to establish all of the im-
portant details. It should consist of at least 80% of black and
gray hues. Always remember not to exaggerate the saturati-
on of the paint being applied.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 37

///// STEP BY STEP | The Joker

04 Face in gray hues 05 Grayish blue shading
In this phase, I emphasize the light and the shadow Next, I add in a blueish gray hue to give the picture
to provide the picture with more depth, but I do make sure a good transition from light to shadow and to provide it with
that I do not darken things up too much. In the eye region, a soft structure. This transaction is known as “neutralizing“,
the shady area is more extensive and darker because the sha- when the picture is neutralized by adding a complimentary
ding already takes effect via painting the Joker’s face. The na- color.
tural facial characteristics, wrinkles, eyelashes, and shady
areas overflow into the darker areas of the make-up.

06 Make-up for the eyes 07 Mouth and nose make-up
I add transparent phthalo blue to paint over the I then add in some red just like I did with my blue,
make-up areas around the eyes, but also to lightly work on with a layer-by-layer, transparent paint application. With
some shady areas, without removing the details in the pro- that, I’m establishing the make-up areas on the nose and
cess. I do this going from the lightest hues to the darkest, around the mouth, without covering the previously created
layer for layer. I also add in the blue seen on the collar of the texture. I’ve also darkened the blue with a whiff of red and
shirt on the throat. the visible parts of the clothing.

38 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Joker | STEP BY STEP /////

08 Skin color 09 Shading on the throat
After that, it’s time place some skin tones in the pic- I begin to apply white shading on the throat to
ture. Normally, I mix the skin tones for my works of art. This achieve a 3-dimensional look and to prepare the next color,
is my favorite part of the process because I’m enhancing my which should be filled up. It’s so much fun to play with the
field of knowledge with every mixture I make, helping me to color white, but I don’t use it enough because it can intersect
create exactly the colors that I need, usually by lightening or with the details of the picture. If necessary, I work with the
darkening them up. Here there are only small regions of dark color again to emphasize the shape of the larynx and the
“real“ skin color on the ears and throat, since the rest of the wrinkles on the throat.
face is covered in make-up.

10 Outlining the eyes 11 Enhanced facial structures
I use the color white to work on the edges of eyes I now go back to a grayish blue hue and enhance the
and outline them. I also lighten up the eyelids. This will make shadowy areas throughout the face and the hair.
them jump out more impressively. Around the eyebrows, I
draw in the first few strains of hair per freehand.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 39

///// STEP BY STEP | The Joker

12 Eyebrows 13 Green hair
With a piece of fibrous material, I add extra texture Right here, I add in some neon green. I use transpa-
to the eyebrows. rent or glowing green on the hair and apply it slowly layer by
layer. I enjoy every stroke that leads to a transition or segue
lighting up.

14 Final highlights 15 Finished picture
I’ve now further intensified the hair color a little bit The last step in every single one of my works of art is
and move along to my favorite part of the work, namely the application of varnish, where I make use of an acrylic
putting in highlights. I enhance my piece of work by using coat. This gives everything a lovely, radiant finish.
white. To ensure that it stands out a bit, I concentrate on the
eyes. Every work of art has its unique character, mostly de-
pending on the artistic style. When it comes to the final step,
I can only say that my artwork is finished when I’m happy
with how the eyes have turned out. They ultimately speak
louder than words.

40 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

The Joker | STEP BY STEP /////

I had so much fun with the Joker motif - I painted a second one right away
- of course I wanted to show you that one too :)

MIDAS BAYLE VILLANUEVA II
ALIAS „JUDAS IKALAWA“

Midas Bayle Villanueva II lives in the Philippines and discovered airbrush
artwork approximately 20 years ago. He was taught how to paint and
work with an airbrush by his mentor Rommel ”Kiss“ Toledo. He now de-
signs his own works of art and takes on commissionable work, which has
become his occupation. He most enjoys painting religious motifs or pictu-
res with dark figures on canvas.

Facebook: Judas Ikalawa

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 41

///// INTERVIEW | Carnaval de Negros y Blancos

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos

The quixotic artwork of William Florez

The “Carnaval de Negros y Blancos“ (in English, very busy working for the carnival in Pasto every
“Black and White’s Carnival“) in the southern Co- year and designs the characteristically bright sculp-
lombian city of Pasto is the second largest carnival tures and parade floats. In the following interview,
in Colombia and is well-known throughout Latin he fills us in on just what his work for this traditi-
America. It takes place every year on January 5th on-filled event looks like, one that has been adap-
(”Day of the Blacks“) and 6th (”Day of the ted by UNESCO in its “Representative List of the In-
Whites“). Young airbrush artist William Florez is tangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

William, can you tell us where you come from and what you William Florez: I come from Colombia, where I was born in
do for a living? the capital of Bogota. I am now a resident of the city of Pasto,
where I work as an artist for the “Carnaval de Negros y Blan-
cos de Pasto”. Above and beyond that, I am a professional air-
brush artist and student at the Faculty for Architecture at
CESMAG University.

How did you discover your passion for airbrushing and how
did you learn how to do it?

William Florez: Since I was a child, my love for drawing and
colors led me to eventually discover the artwork an airbrush
is capable of bringing to life. Via learning by doing, I was able
to somewhat master the device right in an advertising work-
shop. That was my first job and that’s where I developed my
love for airbrushing.

You paint carnival figures and floats. Please tell us a bit about
how carnival is celebrated where you live and what these
figures and floats are all about? What exactly are you pre-
senting?

42 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos | INTERVIEW /////

William Florez: The Black and White’s Carnival in Pasto is a What materials are your sculptures made of?
tradition that takes place at the beginning of January, where
artisans from the Departamento de Narino (the local county) William Florez: I’m currently using Styrofoam for the sculp-
display the culture of the region through their works (floats). tures because this material keeps the figures nice and light
Each of nature, music, and religion and/or beliefs in the su- and enhances their quality. Now, I would like to mention that
pernatural play a considerable role in these works of art. the traditional material used to make such sculptures was fic-
tile clay. This material is still around these days, so we’re not
Do you only paint the floats? Or are you perhaps even in- completely losing this tradition and its characteristics..
volved in planning and building them?
Which airbrushes and paints do you use?
William Florez: I’m also involved with realizing the whole
project. I help develop a concept for the colors that are going William Florez: I most enjoy using Iwata products because
to be made use of. A thorough inspection of the process is they are very well-made and versatile. When it comes to
required beginning right in the planning phase. paints, I primarily use fluorescent colors that provide a con-
trast to the primary colors and bring balance to pastel colors.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 43

///// INTERVIEW | Carnaval de Negros y Blancos

Do you get to decide what you want the design to be or are holder – in this case, the general public – needs to be able to
there directions or prerequisites? Who are your contractors? embrace the essence of the work via the paints.

William Florez: The design is based on a team suggestion and What happens to the sculptures when the carnival is over?
the opinion of everyone on the team is taken into considera-
tion. In this case, the team consists of the sculptor, the painter, William Florez: After the parade, the works of art are tradi-
and the people responsible for the structures. tionally featured in an art exhibition. After that, each work
team disassembles the figures and stores them in a ware-
What are some of the biggest challenges when painting car- house. They are then later used as cultural items at city events
nival objects? or various, nationwide festivals.

William Florez: The challenge of each and every piece of work What else do you like to do with the airbrush aside from your
is achieving an effect that corresponds to the topic, whereas carnival figures?
the dominating colors always need to be fluorescent. The be-

44 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos | INTERVIEW /////

William Florez: I also make use of my airbrush to work on lux- Facebook: William Florez R
ury cars and motorcycles and make wall murals and portraits. Instagram: arqwflorez07
More about the carnival event: www.carnavaldepasto.org
Do you have any favorite projects or commissions?

William Florez: I’m currently taking part in a project about
the myths and legends of Colombia in the US state of New
Jersey. And one of my favorite hobbies is digital painting.

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 45

///// INTERVIEW | Crusader of Realism

Crusader of Realism

The art of Ivan Loperena (Ivanhoe)

It is quite obvious in his artworks, that Ivan Lope- white illustrations. Since his childhood, art has
rena from Mexico is an artist, graphic designer determined his strict daily schedule, which he
and photographer at the same time. Unusual mo- couldn't imagine doing any other way. In the in-
ments and perspectives as well as perfect image terview he tells how much he lives and loves his
balance distinguish his predominantly black and art.

How did you get to airbrushing? asked the price, which was not within my reach, since my bud-
get was that of an average 15-year-old. That would not stop
Ivan Loperena: Definitely because of an incessant restlessness me and I set out to get that precious machine / artifact of
and need to express myself. My arts education teacher asked artistic magic, I saved what I could most and with the support
me to put the books and magazines in the classroom in order. of my family I acquired my first single action Badger 200 Se-
Among so many papers I found a brochure of Paasche prod- ries airbrush. With trials and too many tests I understood how
ucts, obviously I asked my teacher about what those art tools it works and how to apply the paint on the surface. I was fas-
were. He answered me with a haughty posture: “They are cinated by the results obtained, so much so that over time,
called “airbrushes” and they are used to paint cars and T- airbrushing became my passion.
shirts.” I visited an art supply store, and seeing an airbrush
like the one in the brochure on the sideboard, I immediately Have you passed any artistic training or studies?

46 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63

Crusader of Realism | INTERVIEW /////

Ivan Loperena: I started my art studies at the age of 6, then graphic design, that I love photography, but I really love
play and the unconscious need to express myself alternated. painting. I divide my day into three schedules: how many
When I was older, I chose to study a degree in Visual Arts and hours editorial design / brand design; four hours of product /
later a Degree in Graphic Design at the Maximum House of documentary photography and finally four hours for Fine
Studies, the National Autonomous University of Mexico Arts. I play considerably with the designated hours. Some-
(UNAM). Since then I have been in constant learning and times there are no photography commissions and I double
working tirelessly, sometimes by trade and sometimes by the the time in eight hours to paint.
need to seek an individual form of expression.
How would you describe your work? Most of what I've seen
You are an artistic multi-talent. Which art forms are you per- of you are high-precision black and white portraits, often hy-
forming? per-realistic.

Ivan Loperena: I am so fortunate to practice 3 professions Ivan Loperena: My work is attached to photorealism, an artis-
that are interconnected and have a wide field of possibilities tic genre that, due to its intrinsic characteristics, allows me to
to be a multidisciplinary creative: Artistic Painter, Graphic De- inhabit a more conscious world and reflect it through a de-
signer and Photographer. I have constantly said that I like manding and unique expression technique. Airbrushing is

No. 63 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP 47





///// INTERVIEW | Crusader of Realism

artistic teaching and literally verify that art is good for peo- part of the process that I implement when representing the
ple. I think I had an epiphany while teaching a group of low- tissue of the epidermis: Conjugating the synthesis and con-
income young people, they seemed to need art more than I struction of each element, such as pores and wrinkles, which
did, there I could see that art is necessary in our day. I still are extremely important components for your portrait to
don't know how it is important, but that changed my mind. I project unique character and personality. The next thing is to
have the privilege of giving seminars and workshops in Latin capture a fundamental composition such as the distribution
America and in Spanish-speaking countries in Europe. I teach of lights and shadows, plus the sum of these two (light and
art classes (expression techniques, oil, watercolor, pastel, dark). No. 3 is opening and preserving blanks. There are many
charcoal and airbrushing obviously) in my beautiful and methods to open blanks and preserve them. I achieve it
beloved Mexico. through freehand painting with a meticulous reproduction of
all the elements (pores) that form groups (wrinkles or expres-
The way you build color and textures in portraits with the sion lines) and in turn, these groups create a unit (eyelids,
airbrush, I've never seen before. Can you describe your ap- cheekbones, etc.) until reaching a entire (face).
proach to our readers?
Part of my methodology when painting the flesh is to per-
Ivan Loperena: The principle of the process of a hyper-realistic form the action that I designate as “Guards of Light”. It con-
portrait consists of taking all its graphic components to the sists of taking care of the lights and highlights of the graphic
extreme; the definition and sharpness of the lines are charac- when painting. Obviously it will not be enough to achieve a
teristics that denote this language and give a certain realistic pure white, due to the contamination produced by the air-
sense to my work. To represent the texture of human skin is brush spray, but it will be enough to create soft and organic
to implicitly have to develop a thought free from any strict areas of light that attribute an aesthetic function of hyperral-
logic. By this I mean that we will always seek to manifest a ism (amount of pictorial information).
natural and extremely organic pictorial vision. Of course
there are concepts that help me in this development of tex- To start with the formation of these small elements we must
tures, such as tonal value, hue, contrast, direction and rhythm train our eyesight and be able to simultaneously discern a rel-
to name a few. atively high tonal range. When reproducing these tonalities
of the objects or of the graphic reference that we observe, it
Although there are no formulas in Fine Arts, I will mention is necessary to start by painting the shadow of these micro

50 AIRBRUSH STEP BY STEP No. 63