Helmet, Wolf with Flames

I painted this helmet for a gentleman from Dubai, who contacted me through my website, milwaukeeairtbrush.com.  I always have fun painting wolves and flames on helmets and this project was no exception. I took pictures throughout the process to give you an idea as to how a paint job developes.
The first thing I do is clean the surface with grease and wax remover, then I mask the areas that are to be protected from paint. Next I sand the entire surface with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, using lots of water and making sure no spots are left un-scuffed. I then proceed to paint the wolf and flames with yellow base, adjusting the air pressure on my gun, and the volume of paint to attain a wide range of tones with a single color. I also at this time lay down the initials he requested. I do this in reverse, preserving the black base and painting around the letters, with the flames both behind and in front of them. I the use a darker paint mixture to add some details, and to bring the wolf to life. Then I highlight where necessary. Once I am satisfied with overall look of the wolf and composition of the flames I lay a coat of orange/red candy, followed by additional highlighting., and then a few more coats of candy paint - this time yellow.
The art work is then covered with four coats of urethane clear. Once the clear sets I will sand it down using 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and buff it to a high gloss, mirror-like finish. The purpose in buffing is to remove any imperfections int he finish, such as orange peel or dust that settles during the clear coat process. Plus, a polished piece is so much smoother than one simply cleared.