Be an apprentice at an autobody shop and ask LOTS of questions. Then if you really like it after awhile of working in a shop doing the b1tch work (wet sanding, buffing, etc.) then maybe head into the profession...
But painting a car is something you want to do right the first time. It's a lot easier to spend the time and $ to do it right the first time. Because the second time is even worse!
its alot easier now all the paint is premixed prethined so you can pick it out and go if you want to learn the old way you have to go to someone who has been in it for 30yrs so they would be in there 40s-50s
Thomas E. Miller: no, paint isn't just "premixed". It is if you're repainting the entire car. But if there's just a fender or a door skin, you still have to match the color, and trust me, it requires a lot of skill. When they make the car, the colors aren't all the same. Original paint jobs really suck @ss...
they do have all your basic colors premixed my dad is in the auto body bis he says it too easy he likes the old way but if you have a coustom color you cant just pick it up you have to hand mix it
basics yes but if you want anything that looks "good" as in a color that really pops, you need to play with the paints and find what works. In my case I'm about to sit down with a HoK paint chip book, then find a basic color and play with it till I get the blue I want for my car. Then again, that paint is $97/quart.. so it depends what you want to spend for a good paint job, too.