Thread: Next big paint trend???

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Being a career painter, I spend too much time thinking about what people are doing with paint! I have been doing this since the early seventies... so I have seen dozens of trends rise and then fall again.

About the only things that have stayed consistantly popular are pinstriping and flames... and even those rise and fall occasionally. Stikll, they always enjoy some popularity.

Lately I have watched the flat black trend peak... solid colors are rising in popularity... and gray metallics are gaining momentum. Vintage art has also been more popular, due to the recent "retro" movement".

Here is the big question... What will be the next tend to develop???


Here are some of my guesses:

The "flat paint" trend will expand even more, into other colors. Flat finishes also look good on strong metallics... so I see some possible rise in popularity. The down side to flat colors is becoming obvious, with a diffuculty in repairing minor flaws.


Some of the new car colors are getting extreme, and might catch the attention of car builders. I see a possible future for the really dark colors with extreme metallics included. They look black under low light... but explode when the sun comes out! They are macho... and also add a strong dose of glamour. There is a forest green color, and a bronze that has really "grabbed" my eye!

As far as art... I have always expected a surge in scallops... especially for vintage rods. In "hot rod history", they were popular before the flames caught on in the sixties. It has just never happened in large numbers.

I know two tones have enjoyed some popularity in the last few years... but am expecting something "clean", but a little less simple... or more sophisticated to show up.


What do you guys think might become popular in the next 5-10 years??? Any ideas that you have been thinking about for your own ride?

Do you think the flip/flop paints where a flop??.

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

What do you guys think might become popular in the next 5-10 years??? Any ideas that you have been thinking about for your own ride?

I'm seeing a trend right now of going back to the basics, reds, blues, yellows, greens, blacks, etc, all non metallic.


Bill S.

I wouldn't say a flop. They were expensive, which limited their use some... and they were colorful, in a time that the trends were starting to move to more conservative colors.

I did an overall job with a flip-flop about 3-4 years ago... at the customers request.

Originally Posted by mrmustang

I'm seeing a trend right now of going back to the basics, reds, blues, yellows, greens, blacks, etc, all non metallic. Bill S.

Bill, I would not be surprised if you are right. That would be the next phase, after the fifites look of primer and such. In the sixties, basic colors were common.

Today I saw a couple cars that were painted a solid color, no metalics or opalesence. A '65 GTO in Royal Blue, and a '32 Coupe in a Yellow I can't describe! IDK about paints, but they were very nice!
With water-borne becoming more used, would that have anything to do with the colors not having metalic // opalesence?

Wonder if the lace painting will come back or the old custom murals on vans, only on the new cube/box cars?

I am building an Astro van... Any thoughts on that?
I am leaning toward a sunset orange with stealth graphics under the topcoat. BUT, I would also like to keep it simple.
It is such a large canvas it lends itself to going kinda crazy...

I would agree on the roll back around to solid, basic colors, perhaps with a little twist in character afforded by bc/cc as opposed to a single stage.

The satin on more modern cars thing I take my feeling based on what I see at SEMA. It spiked there a couple years ago (Chrysler 300s, and any number of rice rockets) and has sort of floated at, or maybe sunk just a bit, a fixed level. Probably means it's close to have run it's course with that crowd too.

As Jay suggested, contemporary production cars have long been a strong influence on where the rod/custom/personal styled vehicles color trends. Without going into a thorough recounting of the history of rods and customs, in the decades following WWII that crowd worked at emulating the newest trends. Taking the latest engines and transmissions, changing from floor shift to column shift, upholstery patterns and materials, and later, cruise control, A/C, power steering, and so forth. Now, a big part of the hobby is doing "retro". For those who believe they are strictly adhering to "tradition" it would seem likely they will follow that old road map. I think I'm starting to see a little creep that way with some of the younger guys who a few years ago were the "if it ain't got a flathead it ain't real..." types, now are searching out early small block Chevs (265, 283, no side mount castings) as they progress through timeline imitation. It would seem they'll copy the color schemes as well.

Whatever happens, pure car guys will enjoy the show.

Around here we've seen quite a range of colors "flattened", and my hope is that the trend will continue to diminish. I simply cannot see the logic of all the time and money for prep work only to dull it down with satin/flat top coat. Kind of like cutting holes in a new pair of pants to me. Someone wrote the other day that they're seeing a trend to single stage acrylics for a period look as opposed to the "mile deep" clear coat. That seems "right" to me. When I finally get around to shooting color it will likely be single stage, or what my paint guy calls "sugar coat" with a couple of coats of single stage with a top coat of 50/50 color & clear.

Astroracer, you pose a great question - the panels on that van are indeed a very large canvas. I think you're on the right track with some type of "stealth" graphics - never seen it done, but wonder what would some large "stealth" pinstriping would look like?

Originally Posted by t-top havoc

Today I saw a couple cars that were painted a solid color, no metalics or opalesence. A '65 GTO in Royal Blue, and a '32 Coupe in a Yellow I can't describe! IDK about paints, but they were very nice!
With water-borne becoming more used, would that have anything to do with the colors not having metalic // opalesence?

Call this an "educated guess"...

I don't think the water-based paints have anything to do with color choice or metallics. Color choices are more of a personal preference, rather than being driven by chemical makeup of the paint.

To the best of my knowledge, most painters in the U.S. are avoiding water-base. It is slower to work with, and more sensitive to problems. I think it's primary use is in California, where they have severely limited the use of solvent based paints. The one place that water-base is somewhat popular is for airbrush artists who do things at home, or don't want to have to use the more involved safety equipment for solvent-base paints.

Another element that has certainly affected the choice of solid colors is cost. Paint materials go up at least 5% a year... and that is regardless of what the economy is doing. Even my paint store is complaining about the constant increase in cost!

Add that to the fact that painters need to occasionally increase their income to survive, and the average builder has a harder time affording more expensive multi-layered paints, and custom graphics.

Originally Posted by stovens

Wonder if the lace painting will come back or the old custom murals on vans, only on the new cube/box cars?

Here are a couple of my own opinions to add to the conversation...

I personaly think lace and seventies art will come back.... but it is ten years or more away. I still have a huge stockpile of lace I have been collecting for a looooong time, just waiting for that to happen! :-)

I don't expect that the 70s style to apply to the newer vehicles. They are typically younger enthusiasts, and seem to favor things like skulls and tattoo-style graphics.

Originally Posted by astroracer

I am building an Astro van... Any thoughts on that?
I am leaning toward a sunset orange with stealth graphics under the topcoat. BUT, I would also like to keep it simple.
It is such a large canvas it lends itself to going kinda crazy...

Sounds interesting! I assume you mean "ghosted" effects ...like the ghost flames are done?

Solid colors and two tones. Also starting to see more gold and silver metallic. IMO custom cars still deserve custom colors---I still like huge metalflake, candy colors. Seems the import kids are still into the "hey, look at me" neon colors. I have such a lousy eye for color combinations, I usually go with other's advice.

I do hope the artsy stuff from the seventies comes back, it was a real opportunity for the pro's like Jay to showcase their artistic talent!

I'm still into sedate and subtle on cruizers and wild and crazy on go fast stuff!!!!!!

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

Sounds interesting! I assume you mean "ghosted" effects ...like the ghost flames are done?

Yup. My truck has "Stealth" flames. Pearl blue powder sprayed in a clear carrier and then buried under the clearcoat. You really don't notice them until the sun or a brite light hits them and then they POP! Most people don't even know they are there.