How To: Candy Finish (Part 2: Variations)

Candy colors are commonly used in Gunpla builds. In this tutorial, we’ll compare the effects of different base coats and chrome coats, so you can decide exactly what you need for your next candy build.

To recap, the three basic steps to achieving a candy finish are:
1. Apply a glossy coat
2. Apply a chrome coat
3. Apply a clear coat
Need a refresher? Check out Part 1 of this tutorial here.

Variation 1: Base coat color

In Part 1 of this tutorial, we used XL-05 Gloss Black as the base coat. What happens if you use another color base instead?

Left: XL-05 Gloss Black > S-09 Shine Chrome > CL-01 Clear Red
Right: XL-04 Gloss White > S-09 Shine Chrome > CL-01 Clear Red

Here, both the chrome and clear coats are the same; only the base color is different. A gloss black base (left) gives a darker hue to the candy finish, while a gloss white base (right) gives a lighter hue.

Can’t quite tell the difference? Let’s try again, this time with CL-09 Clear Orange:

Left: XL-05 Gloss Black > S-09 Shine Chrome > CL-09 Clear Orange
Right: XL-04 Gloss White > S-09 Shine Chrome > CL-09 Clear Orange

While either colored base may be used depending on your preference, some candy colors may benefit from using one instead of the other, e.g. gloss white for candy yellow.

Variation 2: Chrome coat quality

In Part 1 of this tutorial, we used S-09 Shine Chrome, the highest grade in our Chrome series. What happens if you use other Chrome or Metallic paints instead?

Top to bottom:
XL-05 Gloss Black > S-09 Shine Chrome
XL-05 Gloss Black > S-06 Chrome Silver
XL-05 Gloss Black > S-01 Silver Plating
XL-05 Gloss Black > M-02 Bright Silver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we can see the decreasing reflectiveness of the different paints, from S-09 Shine Chrome (top) having the most mirror-like finish thanks to its finely milled particles, to M-02 Bright Silver (bottom) having a more “grainy” metallic finish. So now you can determine exactly what finish you’d like, and how to achieve it.

 

Happy building!

 

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