I know that this may sound like an idiot question,but how do you get two separate colours from the same jar of paint? Enamel,lacquer,and acrylic are all SOLVENT BASED paints,and all use metallic dyes,and colourants. Unless you're using a latex based paint - the colour should always be consistent from the same bottle! The only time you get a mismatch is when you don't shake the bottle to allow proper mixing,or when you use two different shades from two dye lots that are close,but not exact. Once dry,they should be identical. Mine always come out the same colour - even when I mix it myself.
I tape a coat hanger to the backside of all my hoods,and to the inside of my car bodies. This ensures proper coverage,even with an airbrush,or spray paint can. This will allow me to paint it,and not get paint on my hands or the area I'm working on. I just hold this in one hand,while I spray with the other hand. I let it dry for about a minute,then I re-spray it,and repeat this process until I get the coverage needed. This only takes about five minutes. Afterwards,I hang it on a hook inside the shed,or in the bedroom above the closet door where no one walks by to knock it down. I let it sit there until all the other parts are ready for clearcoat.
If this is a multi-stage process,then I wait for about a week before masking,and painting this with automotive paint. I spray an intercoat clear on this to eliminate uneveness caused by the first layer of paint being masked,and covered by the second coat of paint. This lets it come out smoother,so that I don't have to wetsand the clearcoat after it's all finished. I then let it dry until I have the rest of the parts painted,and ready to assemble to the body,and hood. By this time the paint is dry enough to be durable,and resist handling. I hope that this will be able to help someone else.