WHO created air brush?

So, I'm at an ice skating party today with my kids and there were two girls using airbrush to face paint. Me, being my curious self was asking one of them if it was an easy technique to catch onto. She says, I thought rather snobishly, "My boss created this technique and he does not share it with just anyone." I was a little shocked at that remark. Then she went on to say that she was an "artist" so it comes easy to her. This was said after I said that I was a facepainter.
My question is, are there different forms of airbrushing techniques? She was merely cutting zig zag peices of sticky paper, putting them on the face and spraying. I know that you have to have a skill to airbrush and I respect that but to me, she came off very arrogant and not wanting to share. What was up with that?

The zig zag sticky paper technique has been around for a while. This video is FP, not airbrush, but claiming that "fame" sounds silly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsmkIUiA30I
Plus, you see spray paint artist buskers using paper blocking techniques in every city:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lVgwoK6cMY

Her grumpiness (while never appropriate nor professional) kind of sounds like a turning of the tables. How many posts have we seen on here complaining about when you're FPing at a gig and mothers come up and tell you what you're doing looks easy and they'd like to learn how because they painted once at a church party....maybe she was up to her ears in similar requests?

hmmm - wonder if you ran into some of Peanut Butter's crew.
He does the sticky on the face spray thing..... and he thinks he came up wth it. Airbrushing is a very old art - started on the trucks I think, cars have been airbrushed for years and years.
This girl sounds like she's pretty uneducated..... sad.
If you want to Airbrush by these hands it's not hard at all.... but the airbrush never gives clean lines so you have to use cut outs or stencils to get the right look.

He thinks he invented it?? Seriously? Airbrushing your 'shaggin waggin' was big in even the 70's and 80's! AND as for body painting....I played with one of those at one of the Las vegas henna conferences where I did a buddy of mine before the gang all headed to the bar painted up like they were auditioning for Cirque de Sole!! I think that was Las Vegas 2004...and here is the picture of us playing around....used lace with the airbrush too...looked pretty good when all was said and done for someone who had never picked up an airbrush before! This 'sky' design done with the ripped paper trick with addtional butterflies finished down her back, chest and arms. Unfortunately, I don't have a shot of that.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/5252709420_e8a21461c4.jpg
But I also have to agree with Gilded Cat. I get this with henna often times too. I don't mind chatting and sharing what I do, but I am annoyed by these "clients" (of which I am sure you are not one of these people as you are obviously gifted at what you do and were just curious..but she has likely had alot of 'tire kickers ' since sitting down. If you are in body art of any kind...we know these people:
*give me all your hard learned research while I sit in the client chair, ensuring no actual paying clients can have anything done while I pick your brain and can't take a hint that the chair is not a lounge area but a seat for paying customers'
*I don't want to get a henna DONE or PAY for it or your time or take a class...I just want you to talk to me and teach me for free while I make sure you can't earn any money cause I am not thinking of you at all...it is...after all...all about me.
*While you are attempting to bond and work on your client, I will interupt your paying customer so I may talk at you while they who HAVE paid have to sit through it'
*I will act hurt and think you rude and secretive if you do not hand me over your whole portfolio and treat me like I am your artistic equal although it is obvious I am looking for 'easy money' gig and everything I see looks easy till I try it as I am brilliant...can't you tell???

Well...that was my rant for the day!!!

Star Shields has been doing airbrush face art since 1979, and before that he was airbrushing cars. On his website (http://starman.server101.com/index.php), he does say that he is the inventor of Airbrush Face and Body Art. And frankly, if he's been doing it since '79, I personally would let him make that claim.

Maybe Star Shields is their boss.....?

On the other hand, I get what the others are saying too. Also, maybe their boss fed them a line about how unique and original his "technique" was, and told them to be protective about it. You never know.

May be like TheGildedCat said she was having a bad day with the attitude, but I was a cake decorator many lives ago, lol it seems back in the mid 70'S we air brushed everything cookies, cakes, cup cakes. One Saint Pat’s I remember painting green loafs of bread after they were baked. Air brushing is like anything if you want to do it Practice, practice, practice I used to paint pictures on sheet cakes. I think the most important thing is the air compressor and using the right air pressure. Personally I don’t like the idea of spraying kids’ faces, adults maybe yes for background colors or for body painting but, the sharpness of linework nothing will beat a brush.

It's never okay to be rude and snobby to people while working (or not working for that matter). I get asked questions like that ALL the time, and I always smile and tell them it takes a lot of practice but can be learned. Such defensiveness would make me suspicious.

I guess I'm being a bit oversensitive. Whenever I see a fellow face artist, I expect to have bit of a connection. I love painting on kids and I expect others that do the same to be jovial all the time. Well, at least while working. I know, bad assumption on my part. I did wait until she was finished with her last kid before I started talking to her. I just was not mrreally expecting her response. I have people asking me questions all the time while working but I manage.to put on a smile and entertain their questions. I wasn't even asking her to share her secret techniques. I just wanted to find out how comparable air brush art was to face painting. I'm definitely learning more with each experience that I have on this journey called face painting......

I think that she was having a bad day but she should not have been so rude. I always enjoy 'talking shop' with the exception of the ones I was mentioning earlier but I'm never rude to them either...just ensure that once I have given them some attention and some smiles I may transfer my 'attention' elsewhere and hope they get the hint. Tho I do have to say....it seems wierd that she would just be that abrupt especially if she was no longer occupied. I really wouldn't let it deter you tho! I'm betting more often than not, other artists would love your sunny conversation!!

If someone came up to me after I was done painting and wanted to exchange business cards and talk about jam, I'd *love* that! I can't imagine being as rude as you suggest this person was. I'm sorry you had such a poor experience with her.

I would love to get ahold of an airbrush...I used to air brush cakes years and years ago... in the 70's and 80's....I have a copy cat projector I also used ...put a picture in it and it would project onto the cake and you air brushed it...NOW.it is just put into your computer and it is printed out onto ricepaper...so cool...I don't have one...but my aunt does...she makes cakes and candies creation for the stars mainly in New York...but it would be fun to airbrush with paints...the ones that do it...are just so good at it!....love everyones ideas and creations on here...thanks for sharing!....

omg, that Peanut Butter in the Martha Stewart video is something else... (Gilded Cat's link)

I can't believe he suggested using Elmer's glue and latex... hopefully not the latex we use to gloss things... and then the way he stuck that paper on her face, pulling her skin... doesn't look comfy at all... :S

I tried airbrush when I first started, even got the FP'ers compressor, so it would be the right amount of air, etc and it scared the kids to death. I quickly got rid of it and went back to my brushes. I might look into AB tattoos next year so I can still use it, but doubt I will use it on faces any time soon.