I just got an idea… Hopefully someone can confirm if it will work or not.

[BarnFabRC]

I have another body on the shelf that i want to paint and I want it to be a super sparkly metal flake candy green. Like you’d see on a 70’s motorcycle helmet.

Here’s my idea to get there.

1st layer, Tamiya PS44 Translucent green

2nd layer, Tamiya PS-53 Gold Lamé

3rd Layer, PS-13 Gold

Then back it with White

Anyone think this’ll work? Or have a better idea how to achieve what I’m after?

 

[bill_delong]

I would recommend Spazstix Candy Apple Green, and here's the effects with various backer colors where you can experiment with a 2L coke bottle until you get the desired color match, you can back it with Chrome, silver white or black to get various effects:

 

[BarnFabRC]

would recommend Spazstix Candy Apple Green, and here's the effects with various backer colors where you can experiment with a 2L coke bottle until you get the desired color match, you can back it with Chrome, silver white or black to get various effects:

Man that candy apple green is almost exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks!

 

[Chubaka]

Shoot the green lightly then back with traxxas metallic silver. I and doing candy red the same way and will post my results later.

 

[Panther6834]

The Tamiya PS44 is a great start, especially considering the shade is fairly accurate to matching the helmet. But, the PS53 & PS13 are completely wrong for what you're trying to achieve. Instead I would HIGHLY recommend silver for the 'backing' color (not gold)...and, for the metal flake, go with Traxxas ProGraphix transparent metal flake (#5049), which has larger "flakes" than the Tamiya paint. Also, instead of spraying the green, then the flake, and then the backing (again, go with silver, NOT gold), I'd like to toss another option into the ring - start by spraying a light layer of the flake, then two light layers of the green, then another light layer of the flake, followed by two more light layers of green, followed by 1-2 more light layers of flake, and, lastly, 2-3 light layers of green. This would give the same effect you see on those 70s cars & helmets (meaning, the flakes on those are always throughout the layers of paint, not just in a single layer as you were planning on doing). then, once that's dried, then spray 2-3 light layers of the silver, followed by your (final layer) white backing.

Another piece of advice - whenever trying a new painting 'technique', always test it on some spare material first. This is even more important when doing a multi-layer paint just, such as what I just described, above. Best of luck.

 

[BarnFabRC]

The Tamiya PS44 is a great start, especially considering the shade is fairly accurate to matching the helmet. But, the PS53 & PS13 are completely wrong for what you're trying to achieve. Instead I would HIGHLY recommend silver for the 'backing' color (not gold)...and, for the metal flake, go with Traxxas ProGraphix transparent metal flake (#5049), which has larger "flakes" than the Tamiya paint. Also, instead of spraying the green, then the flake, and then the backing (again, go with silver, NOT gold), I'd like to toss another option into the ring - start by spraying a light layer of the flake, then two light layers of the green, then another light layer of the flake, followed by two more light layers of green, followed by 1-2 more light layers of flake, and, lastly, 2-3 light layers of green. This would give the same effect you see on those 70s cars & helmets (meaning, the flakes on those are always throughout the layers of paint, not just in a single layer as you were planning on doing). then, once that's dried, then spray 2-3 light layers of the silver, followed by your (final layer) white backing.

Another piece of advice - whenever trying a new painting 'technique', always test it on some spare material first. This is even more important when doing a multi-layer paint just, such as what I just described, above. Best of luck.

Awesome thanks! I appreciate the detailed response. Next time I’m at my LHS I’m gonna grab some paint!

 

[WickedFog]

Automotive metal flake is typically applied by spraying a silver backer, metal flake sprinkled or sprayed on, covered by candy, then a boatload of clear. For a lexan body, you just do this in reverse order. Fortunately, the poly body takes care of the clear coats. So spray your body with a candy, dust with some really fine metal flake and spray a silver backing, or skip the metal flake and simply spray with a really good metallic silver. Createx makes the best candies in my opinion. They are a dye based paint instead of a pigment based.

 

[Panther6834]

Automotive metal flake is typically applied by spraying a silver backer, metal flake sprinkled or sprayed on, covered by candy, then a boatload of clear. For a lexan body, you just do this in reverse order. Fortunately, the poly body takes care of the clear coats. So spray your body with a candy, dust with some really fine metal flake and spray a silver backing, or skip the metal flake and simply spray with a really good metallic silver. Createx makes the best candies in my opinion. They are a dye based paint instead of a pigment based.

Created paints are awesome. Probably the best you can get for airbrushing.

 

[WickedFog]

The only thing with the Createx candies is you have watch spraying too many layers. Each subsequent layer will darken the candy, til you eventually end up with an almost black candy (depending on the color)

 

[Chubaka]

Any luck? This is my candy apple red flake. Back the translucent green with Traxxas' metallic silver and it should look similar

 

[BarnFabRC]

Any luck? This is my candy apple red flake. Back the translucent green with Traxxas' metallic silver and it should look similar

View attachment 169038

View attachment 169039

Damn… That looks sharp. I haven’t done mine yet. But I’ll be sure to post pics when I do!