Rick Munoz started his airbrush career at a young age. The environment that he grew up in was what helped him master his craft. With so many airbrush artists in the world, Rick was one of the first airbrush artists to travel to South America and achieve celebrity status. Rick is now back in the United States airbrushing his way to the top by giving back to his community and local Los Angeles schools. We sat down with Rick and asked him a few questions about his trial and tribulations and his reasons for giving back to the community.
Were did you grow up?
I grew up in El Paso, Texas, and was raised in the eastside of Los Angeles. I was about 5 years old when we moved to Los Angeles. My mom and brother moved to a neighborhood that was heavy in gang activity. Growing up in that type of environment, you tend to get used to the violence that's around you so you don't think much about it. I spent most of my time at home drawing. I was fortunate enough not to get caught up in a gang.
How did living in East Los Angeles influence you in your art?
Living in East L.A. was a good experience. When I was younger, my schoolteachers would give me art materials to encourage me to keep drawing. I also used to watch artists paint wall murals and observe the custom lowrider cars drive up and down Whittier Boulevard.
What mediums were you using at the beginning?
At the beginning I started with pencils and color markers. Then I eventually tried oil painting, which I struggled with so I left it alone. I remember my first wall mural. I was 10 years old and it took me a while to convince my mom to let me draw on the wall-drawing on the wall was a big thing. I remember her telling me we can get kicked out according to the rent agreement if I drew on the wall. My mom got tired of me asking for permission so she finally said, "Yes, but no color." When I took a picture of the wall where I drew, nothing showed up on the picture because of the lack of color. All you can see is a big white wall. It was a big disappointment so I left the mural scene.
Where did you get your influence in building model cars?
My cousin Manny showed me some of the models he used to build from hot-rods to lowrider cars with beautiful paintjobs-I was impressed. Before you know it, I was trying to build and paint them too.
How did you get into airbrushing?
I got into airbrushing when I was 13 years old. Jose, another cousin of mine, gave me an airbrush and I didn't have the slightest clue what it was. He tried to explain to me how it worked but he didn't know how to use it himself. We ended up referring to the instruction pamphlet on how to use it which came with the airbrush.
Who influenced you?
My cousins Manny and Jose influenced me the most. I remember years before airbrushing, Jose used to paint T-shirts with a brush and used enamels on the shirts.
What type of materials were you using?
I used anything I could get my hands on-from brushes to airbrushes and from paper to pieces of metal. It really didn't matter as long as I had paint.