"Airbrush 411 with Randy Proby"
by Bonnie Kelso

Monday evening, July 13th, the guild was treated to a presentation and demonstration on airbrush painting with Randy Proby. A local Las Vegas artist and airbrush instructor, Randy charmed us with his easy-going friendly 411 on the basics of airbrush art. Obviously passionate about his medium of choice, Randy explained to us that years ago, when he first developed a curiosity about the medium he found it difficult to find information, or even people willing to share their expertise. Fortunately, he discovered the "Coast Airbrush Party," an annual event held since 1990 by the southern Californian store, "Coast Airbrush." At these events, owner Frank Monnig would schedule experts from the industry to demonstrate their skills and share other invaluable information with airbrush artists of all different backgrounds. Since then, the art has continued to evolve and knowledge has become much more accessible to enthusiasts of every level. Randy has been hooked on it ever since, though he does occasionally paint in other mediums such as watercolors and oils.

Randy studied art at UNLV while on an athletic scholarship for track, though he confessed his airbrush training came from other sources. He poignantly argued that no artist is really "self-taught" even though he hears that term all the time from people. He recalled all the artwork that he had studied over the years and the numerous artists he observed and traded information with, and that all of these experiences are what make us the artists we are. As he began to turn technical on us, he strongly cautioned that any artist who wants to experiment with airbrush should start with a class. He pointed out that the technology can be expensive and frustrating without a little bit of knowledge heading into it. He also advised, with elation, that once you know what you want to do with the skills, buy the best equipment you can afford!

As Randy reviewed the basic anatomy of the airbrush, I could see his excitement building. There's a lot of technology that comes with the art, and you can see how people who are into gadgets and gizmos really get into the gear associated with the craft. There's lots of precious metal and valves, nozzles, needles and special tubes, guns and tanks, with special holsters for them all. All of it requires special finesse and careful maintenance, like a sweet vintage automobile. Hmmm... Yes, it all makes sense now! It's true that airbrush art has traditionally been glamorized by the automotive industry, but Randy explained that it has truly branched into new directions over recent years. The reality is that airbrush art is not just a passing fad or pigeonholed art form as earlier accused. Many contemporary artists use airbrush techniques and equipment to produce fine art with stunning results. Sometimes they combine it with other more traditional techniques to push the work to new levels unreachable by any other means. Often the airbrush is employed for specific highlighting or smooth gradations over large mural-sized surfaces. Additionally, because of the supply and demand in the industry, the extraordinary variety of airbrush paints are seemingly endless. After listening to Randy's presentation, I could easily see how with a few skills and a few more dollars, an artist could feel like a kid in a candy store in the wonderful world of airbrush art.

Randy currently teaches classes through Desert Art Supply. If you are interested in signing up for one of his classes you can register through Desert Art Supply at (702) 451-8040. His Beginner class is a generous length of three hours and costs $50 + $40 for materials.