In the present work, atomization characteristics of shear-thinning liquid slurry discharging from fan spray nozzles were studied experimentally for spray painting applications. The effects of solid particle size and concentration on the properties (especially on the viscosity) of suspensions and mean drop size were examined by using model fluids. In the range of low particle concentration (below 3 wt%), the fluid viscosity was primarily determined by the particle size. On the other hand, in the range of high particle concentration (higher than 10 wt%), the agglomeration phenomenon and the oil absorption capability of solid particles played major roles in determining the fluid viscosity. In the high concentration region, which most of the paints belong to, the fluid became more viscous and the shear thinning behavior appeared more prominent as the particle concentration was increased. In this region, mean drop size(SMD) decreased more rapidly with the increase of the injection pressure. Also, SMD became larger with the higher particle concentration and the larger particle size.