Pro Custom Painters? New Trends?

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Originally Posted by m falconstien

Jim that is the reason I started to experiment with some of the less popular brands of paint and started to get the customer involved in things like prep, wet sanding, buffing. I have enjoyed painting so much over the years that I feel like it has and still is my obligation to educate anyone I can about painting. As far as trends in painting I've seen them all come and go like you all have, but the two tone will always remain the most poular followed by the basic flame.

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I've used most of the big name paint companies, and now, after 40 years, I use mostly R-M, X-otic, and House of Kolor. I've gotten great quality with these, which is important, since I give an "open ended" guarantee to the original customer, against any abnormal failure.

I don't let the customer work on the job, because I need to know each step is done right. That way I sleep well at night. :-)

I agree that those two paint styles have endured for good reason. I just hate to see them on EVERY custom that shows up! I've had some success with unusual styles IF:

they follow the body styling,
have good "flow",
are a fitting theme for the car,
have good color combos,
interesting detail,
are not such a weird theme, that some people just don't "get it".

Have you noticed that base colors seem to trend with the seasons? I did reds all fall and winter, now I've had 4 blacks in a row. Although a guy did talk to me yesterday about doing his Freightliner and using Chevy hugger orange as a base to a giant starburst (as in the whole cab progressionally rearward). If I do this one I'll be blinded for sure.

A LOT of cars we do in the shop are red as well. I can't stand red to tell you the truth. Every 55 and 57 Belair we do is red and white, every Vette we do is red, every SINGLE MUSTANG we do is RED!!! Man I hate it but oh well that's what the customer likes. They are still cool hot rods and cars (besides the same boring Mustangs) but the color. We have a 57 4 door that we painted this weird lightish kind of (reminds me of a old classic color) blue with some flake in it and a white top and the guy came and want's it red now and we aren't even done with it. It got painted, put under the car port on hold and all done being painted and now we gotta change it all.

Someday I'd like to have the $$$$ to just give a car to a artist/painter and tell him to call me when it's done!!! Let him pick the colors, graphics, or whatever. I can paint, but have a lousy eye for color and color combinations. Like my old pickup, it will just end up being the old standard red and white just like so many others. My artistic abilities are so poor I can't even draw stick people without a straight edge and a compass!!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Someday I'd like to have the $$$$ to just give a car to a artist/painter and tell him to call me when it's done!!! Let him pick the colors, graphics, or whatever. I can paint, but have a lousy eye for color and color combinations. Like my old pickup, it will just end up being the old standard red and white just like so many others. My artistic abilities are so poor I can't even draw stick people without a straight edge and a compass!!!!

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Most people have ar least one thing that is important. Whether or not they are "artsy", They know what they like! Just keep your eyes open, and if you see something that "grabs you", take pictures, or ask what color(s) were used, and write 'em down. When the time comes, at least you can be sure you will like it!