Today's dumb paint question: Can you mix regular paint with candy paint before airbrushing it?

[Monty]

The idea is to mix regular enamel paint with a candy enamel paint in, say, a 2:1 ratio.  I've sprayed candy over regular paint to achieve a color change, so why not mix it in?  Could I create a better teal by mixing candy blue with a medium green enamel?  

I'd really like to hear from others who have tried this.  What were your results?   

[High octane]

While I haven't tried what you're proposing, I would say no. Candy colors are clear paint with a little color added. It is then sprayed over a base (color) coat, and the base color coat can be seen underneath the candy color. If you use too many coats of candy color, you will lose the effect of the "candy." I've seen guys spray too many coats of candy red over a base coat, and before long the paint comes out to be maroon instead of candy red. Light coats of candy colors are recommended until you get your desired effect, then STOP painting, other than clear coats. I hope this helps.

[Snake45]

The idea is to mix regular enamel paint with a candy enamel paint in, say, a 2:1 ratio.  I've sprayed candy over regular paint to achieve a color change, so why not mix it in?  Could I create a better teal by mixing candy blue with a medium green enamel?

I'd really like to hear from others who have tried this.  What were your results?  

What you want to do MIGHT be possible, but not in a 2:1 ratio. If you want to turn candy blue into candy teal, I'd think ONE DROP of green or so MIGHT WORK.

And then again, it might not. If you have access to airbrushable candy blue, why not get some candy green and mix up your teal?

Another idea if you want teal would be to spray your candy blue over a bright metallic green, such as Testor Mythic Emerald or whatever it's called? Now THAT could look interesting.

[High octane]

Here's a Big John Willys I had painted several years ago using Candy Red over a Gold basecoat.

[Draggon]

I say give it a try. I did this many years ago and found that by the time I got enough candy mixed in for a color change, it muddied up the solid color. I think Snake's idea of candy over the solid would be much better. 

[TarheelRick]

This is a candy scarlet over a base metallic red.

[Longbox55]

It will work, but definitely not in the ratios you're thinking. Just like Richard said, one drop at a time. Candy paint is really nothing more than toner in a clear carrier with no solids in it like regular paint colors. You will not get a candy effect doing this, though, only a change in the shade of the color. Go slow, mix up a test batch to check if the color is what you're after, possibly even do a spray test on a spoon to make sure it's really what you're after. I don't have any pics of it, but I have done this myself to make a pale green pearl by adding green candy to a pearl white. It worked just fine.

[peteski]

You should be able to mix candy with opaque paint (either solid or metallic) with the results mentioned in the above posts, as long as both paints are the same chemistry (same brand/type/manufacturer). If not, you might get some unexpected changes in the paint.