I paint canopies for several people...I use the same primer as base coat as clear coat (PPG)! I have the equipment and this is the simplist for me! The primer is to give a "grip" to the paint...you do the same thing by making the surface rough with a Scotchbrite pad and you save the weight of the primer! As long as the paint is not affected by the clear you can use anything you want as a color coat, you might want to test it first on a scrap of something...Testors R/C car paint works well..just let it dry for at least 24 hours (it's called Outgassing) B4 clearing! Hope this helps... Chris