Automobile Painting

Question:

I hope you can advise or give some direction as to where I could go to get the type of training to become a successful automobile painter. I live in Tucson, AZ and have literally traveled the Internet and local shops here for information. Unfortunately, in Tucson we haven’t any paint schools for auto painting. I am a recent graduate with a degree in CAD design. I had the opportunity to work with a paint shop over the summer in Colorado and really liked the business. Thanks for help. R.G.

Answer:

This might sound oversimplified, but if you can learn to spray paint anything, you can learn to paint automobiles. I asked a friend who has a body shop where he learned to paint. He told me he learned by trial and error, from experience and by practicing. However, it wouldn’t be fair not to mention that his father was in the business and probably taught him.
You have to learn to handle a spray gun. It may be difficult to find a course of instruction specifically designed to teach how to paint automobiles. You may find courses of instruction in spray painting. Have you checked with local trade schools and community colleges to see if they teach spray painting? Correspondence schools may also teach spray painting techniques.

Industrial painting equipment suppliers and large painting equipment distributors often have classes to train painters in the use of their products. If those sources are not available and you really want to learn, you may have to apply for an apprenticeship in a body shop or for a job as a painter in a factory that spray paints their products. These jobs may not pay well, but they will give you experience in handling a spray gun.