Hair Painting, Need Advice

So there's a design that I really need to work out. I'm going to be painting a steampunk robot. So basically a metallic copper base and then details and whatnot, however, I also want to complete the look by painting the hair copper. This is for a performance, so the look must be complete. The hair will be up in pigtails that will be curls. I looked for a hair paint spray, but I can't seem to find any that look promising, or that are in copper. I've been considering getting an airbrush machine, would that be my best option for painting the hair, curls and all? Please help!

Mehron makes metallic powder in copper, silver, and gold. They also make a mixing liquid. The Face Paint Forum Shop has them. I'd try mixing some powder up and just painting it on the hair, unless your model has bleached hair.

There are also some metallic chalks out there. You could also make cyberlocks pigtails instead of the curls.

So with the liquid it would go in an airbrusher? I've never used one, so I know nothing about it! Please excuse my ignorance.

I don't know anything about air brushes. I would try mixing up the powder to a paint consistency and apply with a brush. I don't know how much time you have to practice, but the powder and liquid should be $20-30 tops.

Here's an article about it:

http://www.facepaintingtips.com/blog/2011/08/18/how-to-paint-metallic-live-statues/

You could also go with a wig paint it with latex & then paint it ...

I love my cyberlox and they were easy to make, they can look very steampunk/robot. Here is a set...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75342922/steampunk-cyberlox-in-metallic-copper
http://www.etsy.com/listing/94840924/metallic-steampunk-cyberlox-crin-hair?

I believe that Kryolan make a copper hair colour spray, but I might be mistaken.

If you don't already own an aribrush, you could also try the mehron powder in a spray bottle with mixing liquid, which is much cheaper, and may work on the hair. If you do have an airbrush, give it a try, you may have to open the flow wide, because I think that the mixing liquid and powder would be thicker than most airbrush ink. The powder is a dream to work with, that and a large kabuki will go on so nicely, it is like liquid gold (or copper, in your case) A little goes a long, long way and looks awesome, better than any paint or spray. I think that some of the airbrush companies have hybrid airbrush paints in cooper, I know that they have silver and gold, but I have not loved the metailic airbrush paints (though, I have only used a couple, so there could be others that are great) If time is short, I would go straight for mehron powder, mixing liquid and a kabuki. You might also consider mixing the powder with either kryolan or tag copper paint, they mix well and look awesome and that would mean that you did not need the mixing liquid, except for the hair, but you still might be able to paint it too. Test patches...