A PLACE TO PRACTICE
A home training area arranged to closely match the setup of a real shop is a great asset. It allows you to experiment, make changes and get used to where everything is. All of this ultimately increases your efficiency and helps maximize your earning potential when you actually take your new business to the public.

I recommend a set-up similar to the one spotlighted here. It includes a small, multiple-shirt easel capable of holding two or three shirts at once, so you can paint assembly line style. The pictured easel features a cleanable surface of high gloss Formica, although you also could use a less expensive treatment. Any type of smooth, high gloss interior bathroom panelling will do. The easel also has a shelf to hold bottles and T-shirt boards, and under that, a full length trough to collect excess paint or water when you clean your airbrush. The entire set-up, constructed mainly of plywood, is fairly lightweight and can be transported easily by truck or trailer to your first shows. The counter opposite the easel holds your supplies and stencils, and also can be taken with you when you work a fair or flea market.

An overhead ventilation system is a must, especially if your training area is in your home. The system will filter out quite a lot of the airborne paint in your work area. The pictured hood, made of plywood and masonite, houses a 12" attic ventilation fan in the top stack. The fan pulls the dirty air through two heating and air conditioning filters on the bottom. The filtered air is directed back into the room out the top. Since the filtered air is not 100% clean, your best bet is to direct the flow out into the room rather than straight up, where it might soil the ceiling. Keeping clean filters in a vent hood like this one significantly improves its performance.

This set-up also includes overhead paper towel dispensers. You can practice your skills on the towels by cutting a shirt board the same width as the towel, pulling the towel over the board, and holding it in place with clothes pins while you paint. This is great for basic practice— and costs less than using T-shirts.

FAIR OR FLEA MARKET STANDS
The above photograph accompanying this column shows a basic airbrush stand housed under a 20' by 20' canopy. Sharp and clean, it's a real eye-catcher. It should do lots of business, IF it's in a high traffic area. Location, Location, Location can make the difference between success and failure. So, be sure to arrive early on the day you're due to set up your stand, and if necessary, pay a little extra for a prime spot. It will pay off in the end.

When preparing to set up a booth for the first time, figure out in advance how much power you'll need to run your equipment. Add up the amperage ratings listed on each piece of equipment you'll be bringing. Then find out if the power that will be supplied to your stand will be adequate. If not, you'll have to make some changes. You can add some power to your booth by renting or buying an auxiliary generator. Or you can alter the amount or kind of equipment you bring. But don't scimp on the lighting if you will be operating at night. Two 500-watt lamps light a booth the size of the one pictured. You can buy fairly inexpensive fixtures at building supply stores.

Now, what about stock? Low end ($3-$ 15), high volume designs, including names, boyfriend/girifriend, cartoon and sports designs, sell best in this type of stand. They should make up 50 to 75% of your overall display. Custom airbrushed car designs also sell well as do low end custom designs of any subject matter. In most cases, customers at weekend events buy on impulse and are looking for subject matter they can relate to at a reasonable price. For portfolios featuring designs that fit this description, contact West Coast Airbrush 800-500-4599.

The T-shirts you're selling should be high quality. White always sells best. Your stock should reflect this. Up to 60% of it should be white. The remainder should be made up of the following colors in order of popularity: ash (20%), light pink (10%), light blue (5%), and yellow (5%).

As for sizes, 80% of your sales to adults will be targe and extra large shirts. Fill out your supply with small, XX-large, and XXX-large in equal amounts and a slightly larger number of mediums. Don't forget to stock kids' shirts too. They come in x-small, small, medium and large, with medium and large making up the majority of sales. You'll want to buy your T-shirt stock in quantity. Check several wholesalers' prices for comparable items before deciding to buy from any one in particular. T-shirt City, 800-543-7230 and Bear Air, 800-232-7247 are two places to start.

Other airbrushable items to have in your booth include hand towels, which make great golf or bowling towels for dads, and pillow cases, good for boyfriend girifriend designs. Both can be ordered from Marshal Domestics 800-556-7440. Baseball caps are another item worth having on hand. Order white-faced mesh ones with popular accent colors such as black, red, or blue. They're available at T-shirt City. So are canvas tote bags. Airbrushable insulated can wraps in various colors are supplied by Z-products 800-336-3905.

With the information you've found in this column, you can go ahead and get yourself started. Customers are out there. All that remains is for you to "just do it!" WCA