Airbrush paint comes in many different forms. There are almost endless mixes of pigments, mediums, and consistencies. This makes it so important to pick the right kind for your body painting needs. For example, you wouldn’t use toxic automotive paint on someone’s skin. But what kind of paint SHOULD you use? Let me tell you from my experience as a professional body painter for over seven years about the best airbrush paints for body painting.
What makes great airbrush body paint
As I mentioned in another article about the cheapest and easiest way to start body painting, there are three main things you should look for in great airbrush body paint:
- It has to be airbrush grade with fine pigments
- It has to stay on people’s skin long enough to take pictures and party for the night, but still come off easily in the shower
- It has to be non – toxic
Keep in mind that there is a type of airbrush paint that is used for temporary tattoos. These paints are meant to slightly stain the skin and last for about a week. Temporary tattoos create a cool effect in their own right, but they involve a slightly different application process than normal body painting. So for the purpose of this article, I will be focusing on the best airbrush paint for normal body painting rather than temporary tattoos.
Now, let’s get into the best airbrush paints for body painting!
1. Wicked Colors by Createx
The Wicked line of paint by Createx is my go-to choice for most body paint applications. In another article, I described why this paint is great for beginners and the best for almost all airbrush body painting projects. In short, this water-based, semi-transparent paint gives you the most bang for your buck. That is to say, it does almost everything other body paints will do except at a fraction of the price. Therefore, I recommend to body painters all the time to use Wicked Colors as their primary paint choice.
Pros
- Its lightweight and breathable
- It stays on the skin for about a day and a half even through sweating
- Blends well with skin and has a variety of finishes ( metallic, pearlized, or matte)
- It has a diverse selection of 39 different colors (marketed as “transparent” but some colors are more opaque than others)
- Its non-toxic and comes off easily in the shower
- Its relatively cheap especially at volume
- Easy to dilute with water
Cons
- It comes off easily with water and rubbing
- It starts to have a “caking” effect with excessive layering
2. Createx Airbrush Colors
This is another line of airbrush paint by Createx that is very similar to Wicked Colors except it includes a different selection of color tones. Other than that, I honestly can’t tell the difference between this paint line and Wicked Colors. They’re both water-based, made by the same manufacturer, and therefore mix together well for unique color blending options.
The Wicked Colors seem to flow out of the gun better than some of the Createx Airbrush Colors with thicker pigments. To solve this problem, you can simply reduce Createx Airbrush Colors with a few drops of water in the hopper.
Pros
- Same pros as Wicked Colors
- Diverse color selection including opaque, transparent, pearlized and fluorescent options
Cons
- Same cons as Wicked Colors
- Some colors with thick pigments need to be reduced with water
3. ProAiir
This alcohol-based paint is a tremendous body paint. Firstly, the alcohol base allows it to flow out of the airbrush like butter. Secondly, it fades and blends seamlessly giving it a soft matte finish. And thirdly, it stays on skin effectively for up to three days or until soap and water is applied.
Although I mainly use Createx and Wicked paints, ProAiir is my first choice as a premium product. ProAiir is cosmetic grade and made specifically to be used on the body. The soft matte finish makes it perfect for face painting as it gives the skin a smooth blemish free look. It stays on skin very well and seems to hold up to dancing and moving a little better than Wicked or Createx.
The designers made this paint for the purpose of body painting and they made a great product. The only reason I don’t use this paint for almost all body painting projects is because it is quite expensive at volume.
Pros
- Silky smooth application
- Stays on skin for up to three days
- Great shading properties
- Non-Toxic and comes off easily in the shower
- Blends with skin and produces a soft matte finish without caking
- Diverse color selection with many costume specific options including a “zombie” color series
Cons
- It is relatively expensive
- Water does not reduce this alcohol based paint well
- No pearlized or metallic finishes
4. VODA Water-Based Makeup
This brand has been around for a while (it used to be called VIBE), and it lives up to its reputation as one of the most vibrant airbrush paints for body painting. It is very similar to ProAiir in that it is made specifically for body painting and has many of the same properties. Ex. soft matte finish, smooth flowing application, sweat and rubbing resistance.
The main difference between this brand and ProAiir is that it is purely water based. This is a selling point for this brand as some people get all worried about applying alcohol based paint to their skin. I personally don’t think this is a problem as alcohol based paint is also non-toxic and safe to use on skin. So you should be fine with choosing either option.
Nonetheless, water based paints are also great for body painting and they are easy to reduce with water. This water based paint has no problem flowing straight out of the bottle with as little as 8 – 10 PSI. In short, VODA is a great option for vibrant and flashy face painting.
Pros
- Matte finish that blends very nicely with skin
- Strong pigment creates vibrant color tones
- Stays on skin for a day and a half
- Water base makes it easy to reduce with water
- Diverse color options
Cons
- Relatively Expensive
5. Graftobian F/X Aire
This is an alcohol and water hybrid product. Graftobian produces a full line of makeup products for foundation, costumes, and special effects. Therefore, it’s a great option if you’re into making special effects costumes and want an airbrush body paint that matches your makeup and accessories (latex, makeup foundation, modelling wax etc.)
The water based alcohol mix gives this paint a very smooth flow, a very light application and touch, and a soft matte finish. Over 60 colors are available which makes this airbrush body paint extremely versatile.
The light application and soft touch makes it great for layering and blending, but it also makes it challenging to cover large areas of skin. Overall, this airbrush body paint provides a high grade option that blends well with makeup and other cosmetics.
Pros
- Light to the touch
- Smooth application
- Diverse colors
- Low PSI delivery makes it great for fine detailed work and face painting
- Blends well with makeup and cosmetics
Cons
- So light that it takes more paint to cover large areas of skin
- Relatively Expensive
There are my top 5 picks for best airbrush paint for body painting. I recommend picking one paint line and sticking to it. This is because you will want to start collecting a diverse color set instead of having a couple colors across multiple brands. Of course you might want to buy a couple bottles of each to see which brand you like the most (that’s what I did anyway).
Let me know what airbrush paint works best for your body painting projects in the comment section below. I would love to hear about what paint you used to pull off your best art pieces.
Much love and keep painting!
