aluminum paint

hi,
is it true that to get the best results when painting with chrome silver, aluminums, and etc.(acrylic/lacquer) you must have a good black base coat?

thx
mike

It can be a useful technique, but 'best results' is highly subjective and instance specific.

If you basecoat with black obviously no other base color will show through, and it can help you see where you've applied sufficient paint and where is still thin.

appreciate it.

Mike,

For metallics when you want a "metal" look, painting with gloss and smooth black base coat will help a lot.
As an example, using the same silver paint (a lacquer one, for example) and painting it over a white base coat, a semigloss or flat balck coat and over a gloss smooth base coat the results will look like:
- over white coat, will look like a kind of dull silver
- over black semi gloss, will look like a nice silver
- over black smooth gloss, will look like an aluminum part

Hope this helps.

Francisco