My First Airbrush Test: Can Tempera Paint Compete with Pro Glass Engraving Sprays
There is something oddly satisfying about watching a laser engrave glass. The crisp lines, the frosted texture, the way light catches the design. When it works, it feels like magic. When it does not, you are left with dull, patchy results and a lot of frustration.
I have been on a mission to make glass engraving more consistent and affordable for hobbyists like me who use diode lasers. In my case, that is the xTool S1 40W.
Over time, I have tested just about every coating trick the internet has to offer: moly spray, markers, chalk paint, acrylic, and a few experiments that looked more like grade school art projects than serious materials. Out of all of them, one stood out: tempera paint.
Why Tempera Paint
Tempera is easy to find, non toxic, and surprisingly effective for engraving glass. I loved the results the first time I used it, but I had one big issue: the application.
Using a foam brush left streaks and uneven spots, and when you are engraving glass, even small inconsistencies can show up in the final result. I started to wonder if the problem was not the material itself, but the way I was applying it.
That is when I decided to try something new… airbrushing tempera paint onto glass.
The Setup
For this test, I used a Fengda BD 183K airbrush, which includes three needles. I chose the 0.5 mm needle since it handles thicker paints like tempera very well. It is an affordable, low to mid range airbrush that performs great for beginners and hobbyists.
For air, I used my Stanley 1.5 HP, 6 liter compressor. It is not quiet (97 dB) but it gets the job done. If you are looking for a compressor for airbrushing, make sure it has:
Automatic shutoff
A moisture trap to remove condensation
Oil free motor for indoor use
PSI range between 30 and 60
Mine is loud, but since I work in the garage and always wear ear protection, the noise was not a deal breaker.
Mixing and Spraying Tempera
Tempera is a forgiving paint. I mixed a bit of water directly in the airbrush cup until it was thin and smooth, close to the consistency of milk.
Before spraying the glass, I did a few test passes on paper to adjust the trigger and flow. The key is to keep your coats thin and even. I applied two light coats on a square glass sample, letting each one dry fully.
A quick pass with a heat gun helped speed things up, but glass heats quickly, so let it cool before handling. (Trust me on that.)
The Engraving Test
Once the coating was smooth and dry, I ran a standard material test grid on the xTool S1 40W:
Power: 50 to 90
Speed: 100 to 300
These are the same settings I used in previous tests with both professional marking sprays and brushed tempera, so the comparison was fair.
The engraving looked the same while running, but the real difference appeared when I washed the paint off.
Easy Cleanup and a Pleasant Surprise
Tempera comes off easily with warm water. If there is any residue, a bit of dish soap clears it right up. No need for solvents or scrubbing.
When the glass was clean, I could see it clearly as the engraving was sharper and more consistent than the one coated by hand.
No streaks. No patches. Just a clean, even frost.
Airbrush vs Professional Spray
Does airbrushed tempera beat a professional spray? Not quite, but it came close. The pro spray still had slightly more contrast and crispness, but the airbrushed tempera held its own.
Considering that tempera costs far less, is safe to handle, and easy to find almost anywhere, that is a big win.
The best part? I used only a small amount of paint. A single 12 ounce bottle of tempera could coat a lot of glasses.
Lessons Learned
Here are the main takeaways from this test:
✔ Thin coats give better engraving results
✔ Steady air pressure is more important than brand name gear
✔ Tempera is cheap, safe, and easy to clean
✔ Airbrushing uses less paint
✔ If you already have a compressor, it is worth trying
If you do not have one, it might not be worth the upfront cost unless you plan to use it often — but it sure is fun to test.
Final Thoughts
Half the fun of laser engraving is the experimenting. Sometimes, the answer is not buying more expensive tools but changing the approach.
The airbrush gave tempera paint a second life in my workshop. It turned a simple, low cost coating into something that performs closer to a professional finish.
Next up, I will be testing if the airbrush can replace spray cans for prepping canvases with acrylic paint. Stay tuned for that one.
Until then, Keep building. Keep experimenting.
Your Severna Builds
