Patent ID: 8496996

Claim:
A method for forming a brilliant multi-layered coating film, which comprises the steps of (1) applying an effect pigment-containing water-borne base coating composition (A1) onto a substrate to form a first base coating film, (2) applying an effect pigment-containing water-borne base coating composition (A2) onto the uncured first base coating film to form a second base coating film, and (3) heat-curing the two coating films, wherein (i) the effect pigment-containing, water-borne base coating composition (A1) has a viscosity (V A1 ), as measured under the conditions of shear rate of 0.1 sec −1 and 23° C. in temperature, at one minute after its application, within a range of 10-500 Pa·sec; (ii) the effect pigment-containing water-borne base coating composition (A2) has a viscosity (V A2 ), as measured under the conditions of shear rate of 0.1 sec −1 and 23° C. in temperature, at one minute after its application, within a range of 5-200 Pa·sec; (iii) the ratio between the viscosities, (V A1 )/(V A2 ), lies within a range of 1.3/1-22.5/1; and (iv) the effect pigment-containing water-borne base coating composition (A2) is applied while the viscosity (V A3 ) of the first base coating film, as measured under the conditions of shear rate of 0.1 sec −1 and 23° C. in temperature, is within a range of 10-500 Pa·sec; and (v) the viscosity (V A1 ) of effect pigment-containing, water-borne base coating composition (A1) is optionally controlled by blending a rheology-controlling agent with the composition (A1), and the viscosity (V A2 ) of effect pigment-containing, water-borne base coating composition (A2) is controlled by blending a rheology-controlling agent with the composition (A2), wherein the rheology-controlling agent in composition (A1) may be the same or different from the rheology-controlling agent in composition (A2).