The present invention provides a method of making a foil component of a foil bearing, where the foil component has an inner surface, an inner portion, and an outer portion. In one embodiment, and by way of example only, the method includes thermally spraying a first material onto an outer surface of a sacrificial substrate to form the foil component inner portion, where the first material includes a solid film lubricant, and the outer surface has a shape that is complementary to the inner surface of the foil component. A second material is then thermally sprayed over the inner portion to form the outer portion, and the second material includes a metal. The sacrificial substrate is then removed to expose the foil component.