Airbrushing with AK Xtreme metal Paints

You can use pretty much what you want as a primer

This is AK stainless steel onto stylnrez matt grey primer.

You do not have to use black gloss base on every metal. It is always wise to get some plastic spoons and practice on them with various base colours as you can actually change the perception of the metal with the base and you are not limited to a gloss one. Try a matt white or gloss white and see what the difference is between the same metal colour on those backgrounds.

Also get some of this:

I love both AK xtreme metal and Vallejo Metal colour. they are my metals of choice and I do combine them on my aircraft engines for different colours on parts such as AK stainless steel for the cylinders of the rotary block (it has a slight bluish tinge) and on a matt grey primer looks the job and Vallejo Magnesium on the exhausts.

Both these dislike being masked and I usually put the Gauzy agent on to silver metals and a matt or semi gloss onto red or black metals as a protective coat. Once cured ( give it all a day) then masking will be no problems.

Once I have finished the Waffentrager in the Armour section then I will be doing ZM's Shinden in 1/32 you might want to follow that and see how I do the metalwork for the engine and airframe

Make sure the surface is smooth and if putty was used it needs to be sealed with a primer cause these metallic paints will show up everything.

I have used  AK, Alclad and MM Metalizers and like Alclad the best. Any high shine metallic paint will benefit from a black gloss base for a shiny metallic effect. The trick is not to completely cover the black but to let a hint peek thru for depth.

Non high shine colors will use a grey primer for a slight oxidized effect.