An airbrush is the smallest type of air operated paint sprayer available. Airbrushes are commonly used for painting very small components, or, in the hands of a highly skilled user, they can be used to create highly detailed works of art on a vehicle's bodywork.

An airbrush works by passing a stream of compressed air through a venturi, which creates a suction force that allows paint to be pulled up from a connected reservoir. The high speed of the air atomizes the paint into very tiny droplets as it blows past a very fine paint-metering component. The paint is then propelled onto the surface which is being painted.