Painting steel and other metallics by brush.

Yeah, I use them from the can when I can. 

Unfortunately, sometimes it comes down to places that are too small to be sprayed.  Appreciate everybody's help, though!

The spray can type paints metalizers or Tamilya synthetic lacquers are out there In metalic form.

I use a medium/dark gray primer in a spray can, then dry brush Testors aluminum (a flat aluminum) to give a weathered steel look.  There is a tremendous variety of appearances to steel, depending on alloy, and time of weathering.  Polished steel, especially stainless alloys, are next to impossible to brush properly, but weathered steel of many alloys can be done by various techniques, the above only being one.

I always found that I need to put a primer down first and then use a wide enough brush loaded with paint which should lay a nice covering coat on the first swipe.  To little paint on the brush will cause streaks.