Tricoats are candies. That is a basecoat, a tint coat, and the clear. I'm not suprised you like candies. They are my favorite too. Most of these use a colored basecoat similar to the tint color, so it is harder to get a stiped look.

AS far as risking the cost of materials, that is always a risk to a new painter, and shouldn't stop him. Worst case scenario, he blows $1000 in materials, and has to start over. The cost here in Tucson for a nice paint job is in the $5000-6000 range. That gives him more than a couple chances to make it "passable".