Choosing a Paint

ffltstn

Promoted Users
Is there a good way to pick paint colors?
I am wanting to do my AMX similar to the one in this picture.
It's not a factory paint job and I want the shades a little different.
I know I can look thru book at chips but those make it hard to know how they will turn out.
I would like to use paint with a small metallic but what about the white?
How do I ensure the flakes all match?
I assume I can get the same colors from different manufactures?
I have been told to find cars with colors I like and good from there.
I plan on looking when I go to Daytona this month.

Ant other input would be appreicatied.
Ken In Orlando


FB_IMG_1507034406930.jpg
 
It is really why I prefer to mix my own. Get a base white, clear or black that you really are comfortable with and add your own flake in the reducer when you cut it. That way you buy the 002 candy flake you like and add what you want to get the look you want. Its just too hard to compare cars and get the same colors. If this AMX was painted 10 years ago, buying the same paint wont be the same. The paint suppliers around me dont even want to deal with books, just want a code and you get what the computer spits out and then blame the rest of the car fading when it is a shade off.
 
So basically mix my own metallic? Using the same ratio for each?
This is what it looks like so far.
 
I don't think mixing your own paint makes sense for a non professional that is not experienced but I will give you one good bit of advice.

Absolutely do not pick a color from a chip chart. You can not visualize what the final product will be by looking at a 1" square chip. Finding a car that has a color you like is a much better way to go.

Good luck with it.

John
 
So basically mix my own metallic? Using the same ratio for each?
This is what it looks like so far.

No offense intended to anotheridiot but please just ignore that advice. Start with the color chips. That's what I do, I look for colors that I like, that catch my eye. Look at them in the sun, in natural light. Find colors you like. Then try to find cars with those colors on the internet and in person. Work up an idea in your mind of what you like. The color scheme, layout etc. Keep in mind that a good color combination will still look just as good if the color is a shade or two in either direction. Once you have a pretty firm idea what you want, buy a small amount of each color (if you go to the jobber/distributor tell them you want the "minimum" amount. They will know what that means. )Then do a sprayout of the three colors on a hood or other panel so you can see how the colors work together. Look at it in the sun.
As for your other questions, various colors use various sizes of metallic. It just depends on the color. Bigger flakes tend to "pop" more. Small flakes are more subtle less pop. White is generally (never?)not a color with a mettallic content. The exception would be a pearl white, but that is not a mettallic either.
I am not exactly understanding what you mean by "ensure the flakes match". Please elaborate.
Every manufacturer can do most every color. There are a lot of high quality basecoats out there. Do a search on the forum and you'll find info.

Not endorsing House of Kolor but their color "chart" is useful for finding colors that you may like.
https://www.houseofkolor.com/kolors/
 
Yes, and house of Kolor paints dont have the reputation as the best paint anymore not to mention, that the color you choose sure seems to be way more dependent on what color primer or what additional basecoat you put down. In this case, you would think, lay down the white and the red will probably pop better, but does the same thing happen with the blue or will it end up being too bright? Yeah, I know, you use the universal clear and all your uv protection is there.

You can get gram jewelry scales to measure your flake. I guess I am just one who prefers a color that nobody else can have over what everyone else has. There is so much you can do if you are willing to be different, even though it might make you an idiot too.
 
No offense intended to anotheridiot but please just ignore that advice. Start with the color chips. That's what I do, I look for colors that I like, that catch my eye. Look at them in the sun, in natural light. Find colors you like. Then try to find cars with those colors on the internet and in person. Work up an idea in your mind of what you like. The color scheme, layout etc. Keep in mind that a good color combination will still look just as good if the color is a shade or two in either direction. Once you have a pretty firm idea what you want, buy a small amount of each color (if you go to the jobber/distributor tell them you want the "minimum" amount. They will know what that means. )Then do a sprayout of the three colors on a hood or other panel so you can see how the colors work together. Look at it in the sun.
As for your other questions, various colors use various sizes of metallic. It just depends on the color. Bigger flakes tend to "pop" more. Small flakes are more subtle less pop. White is generally (never?)not a color with a mettallic content. The exception would be a pearl white, but that is not a mettallic either.
I am not exactly understanding what you mean by "ensure the flakes match". Please elaborate.
Every manufacturer can do most every color. There are a lot of high quality basecoats out there. Do a search on the forum and you'll find info.

Not endorsing House of Kolor but their color "chart" is useful for finding colors that you may like.
https://www.houseofkolor.com/kolors/



I was thinking that spaying a small amount to see how I like it may help, but might get costly if I can't make up my mind.
I had seen a picture but can't find it, of a car with this color scheme. That would let me look at the white better.
Flakes match= same size, color etc. So one color doesn't look a little reflective and the other look like a bass boat.

Also, I want to go fishing next time too.
 
Yes, and house of Kolor paints dont have the reputation as the best paint anymore not to mention, that the color you choose sure seems to be way more dependent on what color primer or what additional basecoat you put down. In this case, you would think, lay down the white and the red will probably pop better, but does the same thing happen with the blue or will it end up being too bright? Yeah, I know, you use the universal clear and all your uv protection is there.

You can get gram jewelry scales to measure your flake. I guess I am just one who prefers a color that nobody else can have over what everyone else has. There is so much you can do if you are willing to be different, even though it might make you an idiot too.


That brings up another question. I was going to spray the white in the middle , tape off and do the ends each later. will the overlap with the white cause issues if I put enough coats?
 
I have not done a candy apple red paint job, but it was my understanding that you have to do that over the white pearl to get it to look best. I am sure I will be corrected, but when you see the 57 chevy with the pearl white accent on the quarters, the whole car was like that and the white masked to spray the candy apple. That was all I meant and what sure seemed to me that House OF Kolor paints are maybe more transparent? Seems to be a bigger effect on base to get to the final color. That is why I would think the entire car getting a white basecoat would finish the white and base the red nicely. Not sure about the blue, I think Blues look better over black bases if you want it really deep. So if I did it, I would use black to base the blue and white for the white and red so for me the whole car from the blue point would start white.

There are plenty on painters here that do rally stripes on cars and dont get any noticeable separation marks. If you unmask the red and think it is too big, you can always mask the red and put more white, intercoat with pearl or clear. But to me the white would be finished and under the red.

If you go HOK, just spray over black, white or gray sealer before deciding which shade it will end up. Black will be deeper, white will be brighter.
 
I would like to use paint with a small metallic but what about the white?
How do I ensure the flakes all match?

the way im takin this is ya want a metallic and ya want it to be the same across all 3 colors?
if so, seems metallic in an intercoat clear after laying the basecoats would be the way to go.
i could be wrong,though.
 
the way im takin this is ya want a metallic and ya want it to be the same across all 3 colors?
if so, seems metallic in an intercoat clear after laying the basecoats would be the way to go.
i could be wrong,though.

These are all things out of your control when you have the paint mixed. I am sure this would make the metallic even over all three coats, but I am pretty sure they would still look different over the different color bases. If you were to add it to the base, the blue will take more metallic, the red less since its a brighter red and I am not sure about the white. We usually just add pearl to the white. This is why it takes a few chips to decide.

When we painted the inside of the fiberglass cap for the jeep, I figured the silver flake in the clear would make it look like a night sky full of stars and it really did, but its clear that the stars are on top of the black base and would not look right as a metallic paint. The flake is deeper in metallic paint.

I use Matt and Lyndi at Paint with Pearl. (all together website). We used the royal blue candy metallic with the smallest flake to paint the camaro in black base that turned into a great metallic in the sun, darker blue to black look at night. We used Midnite blue 008 flake for the metal flake paint on the jeep. That one we just mixed with clear because we wanted the bold flake. You can send them the picture of the car and tell them what you are trying to accomplish and they will probably send you a few bags to work with. We mostly started with them because we can add their flake to our clear powder to do loud metallic rims since its good to 400 degrees.

Of course, your protection from uv and fading should only be trusted with universal clear.
 
Back
Top