Billy Al Bengston
Billy Al Bengston was an American painter associated with postwar Los Angeles who adapted automotive lacquer, enamel, aluminum, and high-gloss finishing methods to fine-art painting.
Painting Surface
Chrome
Chrome plating creates a very smooth, hard metal surface with little natural tooth, making coating adhesion more dependent on surface preparation and bonding primers.
Paint compatibility with chrome
Chrome can be painted only with careful cleaning, adhesion preparation, and a compatible primer or coating system designed for its very smooth plated surface.
| Paint | Compatibility | Preparation | Primer or ground | Finish | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray paint | Good only with a chrome-compatible adhesion system | Remove grease, wax, polish, dirt, and residue thoroughly; abrade the plating only when the selected system specifically directs it. | Use a bonding primer or adhesion promoter explicitly suitable for chrome or difficult metal surfaces. | Apply controlled coats and allow the complete system to cure before handling or exposure. | — |
| Enamel paint | Good with suitable adhesion preparation and primer | Clean and degrease completely, remove loose coating if present, and follow the enamel system's surface-preparation instructions. | Use a compatible high-adhesion or metal primer before the enamel unless the complete system approves direct application. | Allow the enamel and primer system to reach full cure before regular handling or cleaning. | — |
Sources: Sherwin-Williams Bulldog Adhesion Promoter, Sherwin-Williams Bonding Primer, and Rust-Oleum Universal Bonding Primer.
Painters who used chrome
Browse PaintZeal painter profiles featuring artists who worked on chrome, with examples of reflective metal, plated surfaces, specialty finishes, and mixed media.
Mary Corse
Mary Corse is an American painter known for luminous white paintings that combine acrylic paint with reflective glass microspheres so the surface changes with light and the viewer's position.
