If you are planning to expand your painting tools and are thinking about getting into airbrushing, this is the article to read.  This article will provide basic information about the uses of airbrushes in different mediums. As amural artist I did this research for myself, but in doing so realized that other artists might want to forego all the work of researching to make their decision. The decision you make as to which gun to buy begins by determining it's purpose.

Illustration Artists:
If you are an illustrator, your work will consist of painting using thin paint, inks or dies painted on illustration board. This type of work requires the ability to produce fine lines and great detail. Airbrush guns that can give you the detail you need will use smaller needles using low air pressures.

Acrylic Artists:
It is necessary to purchase a gun that can work with more heavy bodied paints like acrylics without clogging. Although, if you do use acrylic paints you will need to thin the paint a bit to use in your airbrush. In this case, larger size tip or needle combinations will be necessary to be able to handle the heavier paint. It is also recommended to purchase a gun with a top feeder for the paint. This type of gun is what is called a gravity-feed gun and you can get better paint flow. Bottom-feed guns work well when painting backgrounds where more paint is required and a larger volume of paint may be needed.

Watercolor artists:
If you love water colors you will find that the airbrush is a natural medium to work with because of its transparent nature.

Tshirt or Textile artists:
For artists that paint on tshirts or textiles, the paint used is much like acrylics in that it is a heavier bodied paint and also requires larger needle and tip combinations. More powerful air compressors are needed and you must be careful to purchase one that can withstand long hours of use without burning out due to the high air pressure needed.

Auto and Motorcycle Artists:
New side feed guns are gaining popularity since they allow the artists to see what they are working on more easily than the top feed style and still have the advantage of the use of gravity for better paint flow.
Other uses for airbrushes include mural art, nail art, make up, body art, and cake decorating, stenciling, and believe it or not, even taxidermy.

Check out this great video on the basics of Airbrushing equipment and accessories called Airbrush Concepts.