How to Spot a Fake Airbrush Guru: 7 Red Flags to Watch For
There’s a big problem in the online art world right now. It’s not just AI bots. It’s people—so-called ‘gurus’— influencers who are selling advice they’re not qualified to give. They’re taking advantage of your passion, and I’m not okay with that. So today, we’re going to learn how to protect ourselves.
In our last post, we talked about the rise of AI-generated “slop” content. But there’s another, more insidious problem facing aspiring artists: the human guru who knows just enough to be dangerous for a niche like airbrushing. These individuals see a gap in the market for quality information and rush to fill it with half-baked tutorials, overpriced courses that don’t deliver, and *really bad advice.
These influencers filled a void, preying on the enthusiasm of beginners, selling you a dream they can’t deliver on because they’ve never actually done the work themselves. As someone who has dedicated my life to this craft, it makes my blood boil. I put in the reps. I made the investments and took the risks to make my art better. That is gold when it comes to the value of information through learned, lived experience.
Your time, your money, and your creative energy are precious. You deserve to learn from a real expert. Here are seven red flags to watch for to help you distinguish a true mentor from a fake guru.
Red Flag #1: They Have No Professional Portfolio
What a Fake Guru Does: Their website and social media are filled with stock photos, generic art, or maybe one or two decent-looking pieces that they repeat endlessly. You can’t find any evidence of them working for actual clients, exhibiting in galleries, or having a history in the industry.
What a Real Pro Has: A deep and varied portfolio of professional work. They can show you projects they’ve completed for clients (like my work with Tat Bar Las Vegas), personal projects that demonstrate their style, and even old, embarrassing work from when they were starting out. Their portfolio shows a journey of growth and real-world application. My portfolio is older than social media and digital cameras. I look forward to sharing it with you!
The Litmus Test: Ask yourself, “Is there evidence this person has ever made money from their art, outside of teaching?” If the answer is no, you’re likely looking at a hobbyist masquerading as a professional. It’s up to you who to invest your hard-earned money and time in.
Red Flag #2: Their Advice is Vague and Lacks Specifics
What a Fake Guru Does: They use the same generic advice you see in AI articles. “Thin your paint to the consistency of milk.” “Hold your airbrush however way works for you. “Use good lighting.” They never provide the crucial “how” or “why.”
What a Real Pro Has: Specific, actionable, and contextual advice. A teacher will tell you why they won’t use an Iwata airbrush and why it is the worst for beginners. They’ll not only give you a starting paint-to-reducer ratio for Createx Illustration Colors, but they will also give you their recipe for a DIY option. They’ll recommend a specific PSI for base coating versus detail work. Experienced teachers provide details because they’ve learned them through thousands of hours of practice. These people will tell you which airbrush companies to trust and which to avoid. I can go on about all these things for hours, and I do in the AWG Entry Portal.
The Litmus Test: Does the “art guru” advice include brand names, model numbers, and specific settings? If not, they’re likely just repeating information they read somewhere else.
Red Flag #3: They Focus on Gear Over Skills
What a Fake Guru Does: They promote the idea that the “secret” to great art is buying the latest, most expensive piece of equipment. Their content is a constant stream of affiliate links to fancy gear that a beginner absolutely does not need. They also tend to “test” all the latest products instead of using them and showing them in actual art practice.
What a Real Pro Has: A philosophy that emphasizes skill development over gear acquisition. Real teachers will tell you that a master can create beautiful art with a basic setup, while a beginner will still struggle with a $500 Iwata airbrush. They recommend a solid, reliable starter kit and then focus 90% of their teaching on technique, practice, and mindset.
The Litmus Test: Is their primary message “Buy this to get better” or “Practice this to get better”? The answer reveals their true priority.
Red Flag #4: They Don’t Talk About Their Failures
What a Fake Guru Does: Shows the AI inspiration in their video thumbnail, which looks different than the final product. Every project is perfect, every line is crisp. They never show their mistakes, their struggles, or the ugly phases of a project. They show skills, but they don’t show exactly how to practice to achieve these results.
What a Real Pro Has: The confidence to be vulnerable. Real educators show you the messy challenge of the underpainting. They’ll talk about the time they dropped their airbrush and bent the needle right before a deadline. They’ll share a project that went completely wrong and what they learned from it. They know that failure is the greatest teacher, and they’re not afraid to admit they’re still learning, too. They know that painting mistakes don’t happen if you practice and plan ahead.
The Litmus Test: Does their content feel relatable and human, or intimidatingly perfect? Authenticity lies in imperfection.
Red Flag #5: They Can’t Troubleshoot in Real Time
What a Fake Guru Does: In a live Q&A or a workshop, they get flustered by unexpected problems. If their airbrush clogs, they don’t know why. If a student has a specific issue, they give a generic, unhelpful answer. I’ve seen it happen, and it’s shocking to me as a professional.
What a Real Pro Has: A deep well of diagnostic knowledge. They can hear the sound of a clog and know what’s causing it. They can look at a student’s work and immediately identify the issue (e.g., “You’re getting spider-webbing because your paint is too thin for that low PSI.”). This ability only comes from encountering and solving thousands of problems over a long career.
The Litmus Test: Watch their live or unedited content. How do they handle mistakes and unexpected issues? That’s where their true expertise (or lack thereof) is revealed.
Red Flag #6: They Lack a Unique Philosophy
What a Fake Guru Does: They just teach technique. Their content is a dry, soulless recitation of steps. There’s no deeper meaning, no personal connection to the art form.
What a Real Pro Has: A point of view. A philosophy. For me, it’s “The Zen of Airbrushing™ and Airbrush Alchemy™ -the idea that art is a mindful practice that can heal and center us. A real mentor doesn’t just teach you how to do something; they teach you why it’s worth doing.
The Litmus Test: Does their teaching inspire you and connect with you on an emotional level, or does it just feel like a technical manual?
Red Flag #7: Their Community is a Ghost Town (or Non-Existent)
What a Fake Guru Does: They promise “community access,” but it‘s a toxic Facebook group that is dead inside, or the forum is filled with spam.
What a Real Pro Has: An active, engaged, and supportive community on a platform where students share their work, ask questions, and help each other. The pro is present in the private community, offering feedback, encouragement, and bonus insights. They are invested in their students’ success. The community steps away from social media and offers an alternative to toxic death scrolls and bad vibes on Reddit.
The Litmus Test: Before you buy a course, see if there’s a real community. Is it a vibrant hub of activity, or a digital ghost town on Facebook?
You Deserve a Real Mentor
Your creative journey is too important to be entrusted to a charlatan. You deserve to learn from someone who has walked the path, done the work, put in the reps, and is genuinely invested in your growth because the future of airbrushing rides on us all.
If you’re ready to stop wading through the noise and start learning from a 40-year veteran of the craft, I invite you to join my Free Entry Portal. It’s where I share my foundational knowledge—the right way—with no hype and no fluff. You’ll get specific, actionable advice you can trust, from a real artist who has been working with an airbrush at the highest levels longer than many “gurus” have been alive.
Don’t let a fake guru derail your passion. Find a real mentor and start your journey with confidence. Start Airbrushing with Grace!
#GracexYou
