Guide: Metallics and Pearls
Metallic and pearl colours depend on how the flakes settle. An even technique gives the deep, smooth shine of a real car; an uneven one shows as stripes or clouds.
You will need
- Your Koloi Aqua metallic or pearl colour
- Koloi Aqua Primer to suit the colour: Neutral Grey under silvers and light metallics, Deep Black under dark metallics and pearls
- Koloi Aqua Clear Gloss
- An airbrush with a 0.2–0.4 mm nozzle
Step by step
- Prepare a smooth base in the right tone: grey for silvers and light metallics, black for dark metallics and pearls. Any texture in the base shows through.
- Shake the bottle for at least 60 seconds: the flakes settle at the bottom.
- Airbrush straight from the bottle at around 20 PSI (1.4 bar), in 2–3 light, even coats from 15–20 cm, keeping the same distance and speed on every pass. A slightly drier coat lets the flakes lie flat and even.
- Let it dry at least 2 hours before masking or clear-coating.
- Seal with Koloi Aqua Clear Gloss. The clear brings out the depth of the flakes. See the clear coat guide.
- Clean the airbrush with water before the paint dries.
What usually goes wrong
Stripes or clouds in the metallic
Uneven distance or speed between passes, or coats that are too wet. Correct it with a final light, dry coat from a little further away, without wetting the surface.
The effect looks flat
The base was matt or textured. Metallics and pearls need a smooth, glossy base.
Do not sand the colour coat
Sanding a metallic or pearl coat scratches the flakes. Make any correction in the clear coat.