How to Paint a transition

[philwecksr]

So yeah... after a pseudo failure in painting last summer (yes, I'm only going to concede a pseudo failure) I'm going to give it another go.

I have a question for the experienced painters out there, how do I do a transition properly? If I want to fade one color into the other instead of a solid line boundary for instance?

I was thinking it might work to paint the base color and mask most of it off. Then lightly dust the layer on top over the base color, then mask some of this dust off. Dust over it again, mask again, dust again, mask again. It seems as this would slowly create a higher color density as you added more layers?

I'm really tired so I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense....

[pole kat]

The easiest way to do a transistion is to cut your color(basecoat) with colorblend or basemaker. If you just try to put it on lightly alot of times it will splotch on you(not sure if that's a real word). And alot of it depends how much difference in color you are talking. Black to white would be the most severe. Two colors that are closer together in the color spectrum would make it much easier. When I have done it, I would start with straight color, reduce it 50%, blend out, reduce that 50%, blend out further and so on until you get the desired effect. Make sense?

[philwecksr]

Gotcha. So for a transition between a deep blue and black for instance, paint both with a solid line transition, then slowly add reduced blue over the black to create a fade?

[steves]

My guess would be to talk to Breeze or teddy and see if they have any tips.

I have been told that you can't fade new paints as well as old paints.

[pole kat]

If I was going blue to black I would paint everything either the blue or the black, which ever is the majority color. I would not put a solid line in anything. Say your doing the side of a 4 door car. You want the back blue and the front black. You want your transition in the middle of the front door. Paint the whole thing black. Then from the back start with the unreduced blue. Paint the Whole quarter panel blue. Then go over that and move your unreduced color to the back 2/3's of the rear door. Reduce by 50% and put that on the quarter and move that coat into the front 1/3 of the rear door. Reduce the reduced color by 50%, and take that up to the back of the front door. Reduce the reduced reduced color by 50% and take that to the back 2/3 of the front door. You get the picture. By the time you put on your last coats, the amount of color you have will be very slight, but this allows you to put on a medium-wet coat that will keep it from getting blotchy and will not affect adhesion like it would if you were just dusting on a coat. Blue to black shouldn't be all that bad. Just remember if your putting the blue over the black, it's going to take a good bit of color to get the color vivid over that black base if you want vivid. If you wanted your blue to be bright, use a lighter sealer and put the black over the blue. Hope this helps

By the way, your not that far away. If you were going to do this and wanted a little help, I could probably come down to get you through this. Not real hard to do, but I have seen alot of bad fade jobs. And as expensive as all the materials are, I'm sure you like to get it right in one shot. It will cost you a beer, though.

[philwecksr]

You're still a good hour and a half out, I'm not sure when I'm gonna take care of this either. I think I understand what you're driving at though. Might just dump the fade transition for a silver pinstripe

[whitecl0ver]

It will cost you a beer, though.

I think that is a totally fair price.....lol...shoot add some lunch or dinner in too bud lol

Thats some serious cash your saving this guy, *granted you know what your doing* lol

[philwecksr]

pizza and beer is cheap, if it comes to it I have an abundance of both...

[smittyrock]

not easy to do and have it look like a lot of the special editon chevy and dodge trucks. my buddy had a dodge ram that got hit and it sat awhile before the insurance company could find someone to do the fade correctly. good luck. hope it turns out nice.

[pole kat]

Just let me know. And so you know, I have been painting about 15 years. You can check out www.putfile.com/vwfishboy to see some of my work. I usually check into the site at least a couple times a week.