Frederick William Lawrence

Frederick William Lawrence (1892-1974) was a Canadian American airbrush painter, and probably the father of realistic spray painting.

Formerly an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), he served with the Canadian Army in World War I, where he was severely wounded. After months of hospitalization, he was shipped home to Canada. Once he fully recovered, he moved to Michigan, where he worked for Pontiac Motor Company, where he learned to finish cars and to operate a Duco spray gun.