Candy Paint:

A transparent color sprayed over a metallic base color.  When in bright light, the metallic base glows through the transparent color with exceptional brilliance.

Color Shifting Paint or Chameleon:

The paint changes into a completely different color when viewed at different angles.  Each microscopic flake is layered with up to 7 different colors.  The colors are translucent so each one can be viewed in its fullness, depending on lighting and angle of perception.

Fades: or Color Blending:

The effect of a color to progressively get darker or lighter.  Doing so, the eye cannot tell when the colors are transitioning.

Chrome Paint:

This is new on the market where actual spray paint with clear coat mimics chrome.  It has 95-97% reflectivivity when applied properly.  The cost of the paint and techniques to apply it make it very expensive.  But the results are anything if not amazing.  A black base must be be polished to a mirror finish before dusting multiple coats of chrome paint.  My cost for an 8 oz. bottle of chrome paint is over $170.00, and it would take at least 1/2 gallon to finish an average car, plus clear coat, base coat, primers, sealers, hardners, sand paper, masking, color sanding, wet sanding, polishing and buffing.  It is very expensive, but it is the ultimate finish.  Applying candy colors over the chrome can produce gold, copper or blue steel.

Flakes:

The individual flake varies from small to large, to give a brilliant sparkle.  Bass boats use flakes to reflect sunlight into the water to attract bass.  Low riders use this effect along with candy paint for a very unique custom look.

Pearls:

The individual pearl flake is translucent and generally one color.  The pearl is sprayed in multiple coats over a light base color.  Most of the time, all you see is the base color.  But under bright lights the pearl  erupts into a brilliant flash of color.  When the viewing angle is changed, the color is gone again.  Many new cars have this, and we call it a tri-coat.  The base coat (generally white), then the pearl coat, then clear coat.  Many new colors have pearl mixed in to give it a better glow than regular metallics.

Woodgrain:

A 3-D look of stained or varnished wood.  There are several ways to acheive the wood grain effect, even knot holes and burnishing of the edges is possible.

Marbleizing:

To acheive the effect of marble.  Bowling balls have this appearance.  This goes well with a candy color top coat, giving great depth to the finish.

Flames:

Flames have been around since the early 50's.  This design is acheived using stencils and masking tape.  The pattern is layed out to resemble licks of fire.  Generally the colors start as a white blended to yellow, then to orange.  Red is sprayed on the tips or ends of the flames.

True Fire:

This is my favorite technique.  Using air brush and stencils to mimic real fire.  Starting with orange, I airbrush a base of flames, then top coat with red candy, then orange again; overlapping the first application.  Then I top coat with tangerine candy, switching to yellow overlapping the other colors, then top coating with gold candy.  I highlight hot spots with yellow again, then clear coat.  Truly amazing when viewed in bright light.  The multiple layers of color and candy paint appear to dance like real fire.

Granite:

The effect of an object to look like stone.  Along with the speckles of different colors, cracks and fissures, you can use highlights and stencils to carve designs into the granite.  Very 3-D.

Cob-Web:

This technique has been around since the late 50's. Using the spray gun pattern and thicker than normal paint, you can acheive the effect of 3-D cob webs.

Carbon fiber:

Using a cheese cloth and gold pearl misted over a black base coating, you can get an imitation carbon fiber look.

Metallics:

Metallics have been in use since the early 40's on production cars.  Small flakes of aluminum are added to a translucent base color and when light hits it, the flakes reflect through the color.  They range in size from small; which gives a soft glow, to large which gives a sparkle.  Pearl colors are replacing metallics as they give a better glow and they come in so many colors.  Metallic flakes are generally just aluminum and only reflect the color they are mixed in.  A pearl will reflect the color they are mixed in as well as reflect their own color.