<p>It's likely because it makes it <strong>easier to see the consistency</strong> of the paint and <strong>how much is left</strong>, and makes working with the airbrush a little quicker: not only because <strong>you don't have to fiddle with the lid</strong>, and <strong>you also won't have to clean it</strong>.<br />
In some cases or situations <strong>it can improve the flow</strong> of the paint when the hole in the lid has insufficient airflow (or is simply clogged) and temporary vacuums occur.<br />
I doubt it is because it looks more interesting in videos, although allowing the viewer to see the colour under different lighting conditions could definitely play a role.</p>
<p>Reasons to keep the lid on include preventing spills and maybe keeping your paint clean when working in a dusty environment.<br />
I have also read about users keeping them on so they can tilt their brushes every now and then to improve the flow of the paint.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-14T12:28:26.247Z
2022-01-14T12:28:26.247Z
Joachim
<p>The instruction videos from most airbrush manufacturers always show the dual-action gravity-fed airbrush being used with the tops firmly attached to their paint reservoirs, but many artists choose to run their airbrush with the reservoir open.</p>
<p>Is there an artistic or a practical reason for this (for example, being able to see the paint levels), or is it simply because it looks more interesting on the videos?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF_4tgCR1Ng&amp;t=209s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Example</a></p>

<airbrush>
Why do some artists leave the top off of their airbrush reservoir when painting?
Aaargh Zombies
# Why do some artists leave the top off of their airbrush reservoir when painting?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-13)

The instruction videos from most airbrush manufacturers always show the dual-action gravity-fed airbrush being used with the tops firmly attached to their paint reservoirs, but many artists choose to run their airbrush with the reservoir open.

Is there an artistic or a practical reason for this (for example, being able to see the paint levels), or is it simply because it looks more interesting on the videos?

[Example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF_4tgCR1Ng&t=209s)

**Tags:** airbrush


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-14. Score: 8

It's likely because it makes it **easier to see the consistency** of the paint and **how much is left**, and makes working with the airbrush a little quicker: not only because **you don't have to fiddle with the lid**, and **you also won't have to clean it**.  
In some cases or situations **it can improve the flow** of the paint when the hole in the lid has insufficient airflow (or is simply clogged) and temporary vacuums occur.  
I doubt it is because it looks more interesting in videos, although allowing the viewer to see the colour under different lighting conditions could definitely play a role.

Reasons to keep the lid on include preventing spills and maybe keeping your paint clean when working in a dusty environment.  
I have also read about users keeping them on so they can tilt their brushes every now and then to improve the flow of the paint.


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