Spraying lays down tiny dots of paint that create a texture ranging from solid color to a faint mist. Spurts of spray can create soft edged groups of dots; the artist can spray gesturally to create a sense of movement and leave a record of action, or stencils can be used to mask off parts of the painting that will not be sprayed. If a stencil is elevated away from the surface, a soft edge can be created with the spray.

Very fine airbrush spraying can almost hide the action of spraying, because the dots of paint can be microscopic. Therefore, airbrush can be used to create very smooth transitions from light to dark when rendering form. Smooth gradients that gradually shift from one color to another can be achieved. Less controlled spray paint can leave clear evidence of the technique, and can be used to reflect an affiliation with, or at least a nod to graffiti culture.

Featured: Bird Wandering Off by Paul Klee.