Candy Colors: Looking for advice or how to tips

[69NovaYenko]

Contemplating my first venture into  "candy" paints. Is there a source of airbrush ready candy colors. The sources I`ve stumbled across sell in larger quantities (quarts/gallons) for 1:1 cars; is there a source that sells candy colors in smaller quantities like ounces. Also, any advice or how to tips concerning working with candy colors is welcome.

Edited June 12, 2016 by 69NovaYenko

[Longbox55]

There's actually several sources for small quantities of candy pants, in many cases, you can even get it pre-reduced ready to spray. Most of them sell the same brand of paint, House of Kolor, though there are other brands as well. Black Gold http://www.blackgoldweb.com/ , TPC Global http://www.tcpglobal.com/Custom-Paint/House-of-Kolor/, and Coast Airbrush http://www.coastairbrush.com/categories.asp?cat=11 are some of the sources for it, These are the same paints as used on 1:1 cars.

Other sources for a candy type paint would be to use any transparent color, such as the colors from Tamiya, plus Testors does have a line of transparent colors in there spray line (those can be tricky to work with, though). One can also use the Testors metallic paints (bottle) and simply just let the metallic particles settle out of it. I have done that myself, and it does work well.

As far as tips for spraying it, the best tips would be to spray all the parts that are the same color the same time, spray them with the same pattern, and apply the same number of coats.

[High octane]

Bob's Paint carries LOTS of candy colors. When using candy colors be sure not to use too many coats, or you will lose the "candy" effect. I've seen someone use too many coats of candy red, and the car had a maroon color when he was done. You need to have the base color, usually gold or silver seen beneath the candy color coats. Candy colors can be done by air-brushing, or by using "rattle cans."

[maltsr]

Alclad also do a wide range of ready thinned candy colours.

[Xingu]

I did my first candy color paint job this weekend. It was also only the second time using the airbrush. I used House of Kolor paints. I actually got mine from a friend who premixed it for me. I had him mix it 2:1 just like the airbrush ready paints you get from TCP Global. I found it surprisingly easy to get a good result. I shot Kandy Red over Silver.

[Longbox55]

Bob's Paint carries LOTS of candy colors. When using candy colors be sure not to use too many coats, or you will lose the "candy" effect. I've seen someone use too many coats of candy red, and the car had a maroon color when he was done. You need to have the base color, usually gold or silver seen beneath the candy color coats. Candy colors can be done by air-brushing, or by using "rattle cans."

Agreed.

On the base coats, while gold and silver are generally considered the "traditional" base colors for a candy (gold warms the final color, silver cools it), you are not limited to those choices. Pearls, especially pearl white, works excellent as a candy base. I've seen other colors used as well, including a stunning candy red build that use a lime green pearl of all things as the base. Had it not been for the builder posting pics of it in progress, one would never believe it was actually green under the red.

[Mike Chernecki]

http://www.hobbyworld-usa.com/Store/ Sells Zero paints Candy colors.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hasn't been mentioned yet, so I'll chime in...as these are both critical to get right.

It WAS mentioned that you need to shoot all the parts "at the same time", but you NEED to go a step further. ALL the parts that are on the body, especially opening panels and front / rear fascia, NEED TO BE ASSEMBLED when the thing is painted...if you care about getting a perfectly even color.

Candies build up color with each successive coat, and it's just flat impossible to match parts that are painted separately...even if they're painted "at the same time". Look around and you'll see panel-to-panel mismatches on most candy-painted cars...real or model.

It's also CRITICAL to have a gun or airbrush that does a good job of finely atomizing the color, and can be adjusted to provide a very even pattern...not heavy or blown out in the center.

Your technique as far as consistent overlap of each pass and painting well past the edges of the panels needs to be practiced and perfected too.

Why all the bother? Because if you do these things, you largely eliminate the streaked and sometimes "candy striped" paint jobs a lot of people get with this stuff.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[High octane]

Hasn't been mentioned yet, so I'll chime in...as these are both critical to get right.

It WAS mentioned that you need to shoot all the parts "at the same time", but you NEED to go a step further. ALL the parts that are on the body, especially opening panels and front / rear fascia, NEED TO BE ASSEMBLED when the thing is painted...if you care about getting a perfectly even color.

Candies build up color with each successive coat, and it's just flat impossible to match parts that are painted separately...even if they're painted "at the same time". Look around and you'll see panel-to-panel mismatches on most candy-painted cars...real or model.

It's also CRITICAL to have a gun or airbrush that does a good job of finely atomizing the color, and can be adjusted to provide a very even pattern...not heavy or blown out in the center.

Your technique as far as consistent overlap of each pass and painting well past the edges of the panels needs to be practiced and perfected too.

Why all the bother? Because if you do these things, you largely eliminate the streaked and sometimes "candy striped" paint jobs a lot of people get with this stuff.

Good point there Ace as I usually tape the hood of the car 'bout 1/4" above the body when spraying my final color coats to get an even color coat. This would also have to be done with separate doors and trunk lid as well.

[crazyjim]

Coast Airbrush has excellent prices on HOK kandy paints.

[ZTony8]

If you're considering doing a candy red car use copper,not gold or silver, for a base color.It intensifies the red(see the real Mazmanian Willys gasser).

[High octane]

If you're considering doing a candy red car use copper,not gold or silver, for a base color.It intensifies the red(see the real Mazmanian Willys gasser).

A per a conversation with Big John himself in 2002 I had asked him what base coat was used on his Willys, and he replied that the paint was candy red over gold.

[Yenkocamaro]

Just a few more points I'd like to add, make sure your body work is perfect, as Candy paints are unforgiving, and will show every defect in the body. You should be able to determine if you need a bit more work, with the base coat. I would also consider a tack rag used by Automotive painters. Just lightly touch the whole body with it to make sure there is no dust on it. I have also used a quick shot of canned air on the body just before paint. I usually do this in another room, and not the room I'm painting in. Also, something I've seen here, is buy some plastic spoons, and practice on these, so you can see how light or dark you would like the car to be, how many coats it took to achieve the look you like and how it would look on the model.

 

Cheers,

Lance

Edited June 13, 2016 by Yenkocamaro

[69NovaYenko]

All this advice is outstanding...I had no idea that shooting candy colors was so challenging. If there are others with additional insight or knowledge please feel free to share, please.