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As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular, so too is the interest in customising them with special effect car paint.
Vehicle customisation is a world where technical expertise meets artistic expression. At the heart of this discipline is the custom paint specialist, an expert capable of transforming ordinary bodywork into a unique creation. To achieve this, they master both special effect automotive paints and paints designed for airbrushing, using two principal tools: the spray gun and the airbrush.
The popularity of customised vehicles varies considerably across the world. The United States, Canada, Russia, Australia, several Asian countries, particularly the Philippines, as well as the Gulf States, all have a strong culture of original automotive finishes. In Europe, however, this practice remains much more discreet, with motorists generally preferring more understated paint finishes.
Custom-painted vehicles remain relatively rare on European roads, whether cars or motorcycles.
Bicycles, on the other hand, are increasingly finished with original coatings incorporating chameleon, Candy or holographic paints, producing particularly spectacular visual effects.
It is important to distinguish between two families of car paints that are commonly associated with vehicle customisation.
► On the one hand, special effect paints, developed specifically for the automotive and motorcycle industries, make it possible to achieve innovative and eye-catching finishes.
► On the other hand, airbrush paints are specially formulated for producing illustrations, decorative artwork and murals with exceptional precision.
Custom painters rarely use traditional tools such as brushes or rollers. Their work relies almost entirely on spray application in order to achieve a perfectly smooth and uniform finish.
The spray gun is the principal tool used in this profession. Entry-level models are available from only a few dozen pounds, while professional equipment can cost several hundred pounds.
Thanks to its atomisation system, the spray gun projects extremely fine paint particles that coat the surface evenly without direct contact with the substrate, ensuring an exceptionally high-quality finish on cars, motorcycles and bicycles alike.
This equipment is particularly suitable for applying special effect paints, whose performance depends on advanced high-tech pigments. Some finishes change appearance according to the viewing angle, some helps protecting the car, others create iridescent or multicoloured reflections, while certain formulations are even capable of glowing in the dark. Despite their remarkable aesthetic qualities, these products remain relatively uncommon because of their high cost, which limits their use on mass-produced vehicles.
The airbrush operates on the same atomisation principle as a spray gun, but on a much finer scale. Similar in shape to a pen, it is fitted with nozzles that typically range from 0.18 mm to 0.50 mm in diameter, enabling artists to achieve exceptional levels of precision. Experienced airbrush artists are capable of producing details so fine that they can be comparable to the thickness of a single human hair.
Paints specifically formulated for airbrushing have an exceptionally high level of fluidity to ensure smooth, consistent atomisation. They must also provide excellent resistance to ultraviolet radiation and be fully compatible with the paint systems used in the automotive and motorcycle industries.
Contrary to popular belief, airbrushing is not limited to vehicle decoration. This technology is also widely used in many other fields, including professional make-up, nail art, cake decorating and other artistic disciplines that require an extremely high degree of precision.
We also recommend reading the following article, which provides a more in-depth look at the different types of special effect car paints, including mirror chrome finishes, liquid metal and satin chrome coatings, colour-shifting pearls and flip effects, Candy reds, deep blues and tri-coat pearl finishes, pastel colours and paint-to-sample finishes, exposed and forged carbon fibre artwork, as well as full vehicle wraps and printed graphics : The Wildest Supercar Car Paint Jobs: From Chrome Wraps to Ceramic Coating
