One of the greatest challenges for an airbrush artist is to come up with new and unique ways to present his or her work in order to attract a wider range of interested customers who might purchase one of their artistic creations.

The idea of airbrushing onto T-shirts, license plates, and even wristbands, all so popular today, were once no more than a capitalistic brainstorm in some artist's head. Add to the list another hot seller, especially on the beach - airbrushed sand dollars. Tourists love to bring home bright souvenirs of their summer vacation at the beach to give to friends or just keep for themselves. Sand dollars are perfect for this because they are small and lightweight (making them easy to pack), affordable, and when painted with beach scenes, sunsets, and palm trees, will evoke happy memories of a sun-filled summer by the sea.

A big advantage for you, the artist, is that the amount of time it takes to airbrush a sand dollar is minimal. You already know that time is money and so it naturally makes sense that your profit margin will be relatively high for the small investment of time it takes to paint a sand dollar.

You can do several ahead of time and create a colourful display in front of your shop to attract passing souvenir hunters. Then it's just a matter of customizing them with a quick one-stroke name design (at an additional charge, of course) if the customer wants to add a personal touch to their gift giving.

You can order blank sand dollars from Florida Postcard, P.O. Box 3209, Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32547 (904) 862-8083.

	Step 1 Since the surface of a sand dollar is very porous and absorbent, no scuffing or sanding is required to make the paint adhere to its surface. Be careful not to spray too much paint though, because the sand dollar can only absorb so much. Support the sand dollar from behind and keep the air pressure between 40 and 60 psi to avoid blowing it to pieces. Begin by lightly fading Createx Caribbean blue and fluorescent pink together toward the top of the sand dollar. Then apply fluorescent orange on the bottom and blend it into the pink.
Step 2 Using a straight edge, spray in the horizon with black, but only do one half at a time. Work from the outside toward the centre. If you try to paint it all at once, the horizon will appear warped and distorted. Try to keep the horizon low. With black still in hand, spray in the foreground. Hold the airbrush close to the sand dollar to make the lines sharp and distinct. Keep in mind, it's unusual to use black as a horizon line on a beach scene, so don't over do it. A little goes a long way.
	Step 3 Again, stay in close and add the waves with fluorescent pink. Paint the clouds using a push pull motion which creates a distinct yet soft and pillowy appearance. Lightly fade pink under the horizon.
Step 4 White clouds may be added with the help of a handheld stencil.
	Step 5 Clean the needle of the airbrush with a wet, hollow tube Q-Tip and add the silhouetted palm trees. The needle must be clear of any obstruction which may cause the paint to flow irregularly. Any overspray will damage the scene. There is no need to apply a clear coat to the sand dollar. The paint is absorbed and cannot be rubbed off.