If you wish to give a complete makeover to your old car or add an element of excitement to a new one, two tone car painting can be your best bet. Here are some ideas for you…
The paint of a vehicle is primarily responsible for giving a vehicle its identity. Paint is also a measurement of newness of a car. Hence, many owners consider giving a fresh paint to their old cars to give them an instant makeover. Incidentally, a paint color also speaks volume about the nature of the car owner. For instance, a red car often indicates a sports loving, adventurous owner, whereas a blue car owner is more of a peaceful creature, while a black car indicates that the owner is someone not to be messed with! In that context, a custom colored car, with bold graphics represents the fun loving nature of the owner. On the other hand, a two tone colored car often captures your attention for its ability to stand out without making an overwhelming style statement. So, in case you wish to up the glamor quotient of your car, then you might benefit from the ideas given in this article.
Two Tone Car Paint Ideas
In simple words, two tone car painting is a technique of painting your car in two distinct colors. The choice of colors is mostly influenced by an owner’s personal taste. Yet, there are a few guidelines on how to two tone a car. The general design involves painting the top two-thirds of the car in one color and the remainder in a solid neutral color. Some car owners may reverse the design and paint the bottom two-thirds in solid color and the top in neutral. Depending upon where and how the colors meet, two tone car painting can be categorized into following techniques.
Hard Line Technique
This is the most basic design, in which a hard line divides the two paint colors. Vehicles with a distinct body line can make use of this design, as it is possible to paint different colors on either side of the body line. There are numerous ideas for painting your car with two colors on each side of the body line. You can combine a solid color such as red, electric blue, forest green, etc., with another subdued color such as silver, tan, black, white, etc. On the other hand, you can also use the different tones of a same color for a less dramatic effect. For painting a car using this technique, it is preferable to leave a space of at least 4-5 inches on either side of the body line. The space where the two colors meet can be pin striped or painted in an altogether different color.
Subdued Look
This is similar to hard line, only that there is no distinct portion where the two colors meet. You can create a body line and paint the car in two different colors on either side of the body line. The colors are then blended with each other such that there is no distinct meeting place for the two colors. Thus, you cannot tell where one color ends and where the other begins. This is a nice way to give a more natural and subdued look to a car. If both the colors are different tones of the same color or are dull, then you can use a third, brighter color to create a fuzzy patch between the two colors.
Pearl Effect
This technique is different from the two mentioned above and often creates brilliant results. In this technique, you give a special pearl paint coat on the existing base coat of the car. The result is, you see a brilliant sheen of a different color on the existing color, when viewed in light. For instance, if your car’s body color is silver, you can spray a coat of purple pearl color on it to produce a magnificent purple sheen on the silver surface. This way, you can use any combination of colors that you want. However, to make your work really stand out, use an uncommon color for the base coat.
How to do a Two Tone Paint Job on a Car
You can get a two tone paint job done at any custom auto shop. The cost of two toning a car is far less than other custom car painting jobs such as graphics, etc. However, if you insist upon doing it on your own, then be assured that you are in for some serious stuff. Although, this is not a laborious job, it requires a certain amount of skill and knowledge. The area around the body line, where the two colors meet can be especially tedious to paint. You will need to use a special tape (such as 3M Fine Line blue or green) to cover this area while you are airbrushing the two colors. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet, so that there are no elevated edges. It is recommended that you paint the lighter tone first and then proceed to the deeper one.
Thus, two tone car painting is indeed a great idea to revamp the look of your car. If you decide to do it yourself, and you know the tricks of trade, then this can turn out to be a piece of art, something you can be proud of!
