The Airbrush is not a modern invention. It is as far as we know almost as old as man himself. Experts are convinced that the ancient negative pictures of hands found in caves are products of a similar technique.

The hand is put on the rock and some paint is sprayed over it using a hollow bone or just spitting the paint, leaving a mark of the hand. The first patent registered, for a device similar to the Airbrush we know today, is from 1893 by Charles Burdick.

Up to the 1920's the Airbrush was mainly used for photographic retouching. (colouring and modifying) As new machines and technology was developed a new era in advertising was born, and the Airbrush was ideal for making great pictures of chromeplated cars and similar machinery. Worth mentioning is the Walter Gropius Bauhaus group. This group formed in Germany in 1919 had an idea of uniting the fine-arts and design in visual communication. They welcomed the Airbrush with open arms.

Other persons that used the Airbrush successful in advertisment posters are: the American E. McKnight Kauffer employed at London Undergrounds publicity department, the Frenchman A. M. Cassandre, the Russian Alexey Brodovich and Joseph Binder living in Vienna.

In the 1930's advertisment agencies were necessary to handle the vast amount of new products on the market. The use of Airbrushing increased. Two artists, specialising in picturing women, were soon to be well known. George Petty and Alberto Vargas. Vargas pictures, first known from the Esquire, is forever to be associated as THE pin up girls. These were also drawn onto the American airplanes during the second world war. During the war several artists were used to make propaganda posters. One of the most productive was Abram Games from Great Britain.

The Walt Disney studios used the Airbrush extensively in their making of backgrounds for their animated movies, and when producing Pinocchio in 1940 they used the instrument to make lights and shadows more realistic . Since then the Airbrush has played a large part in making animated movies.

In the 1960's a new revolution for the Airbrush began. During the Flower Power period the Airbrush was an excellent tool for producing surreal and fantastic pictures for the music industy. For every decade, the use of the Airbrush has increased in all types of picture making. From fantasy, science-fiction, postcards to commercial posters, advertising and medical illustration.