To obtain metallic coating films which have flip-flop characteristics, i.e., various intensities in bright feel in highlight parts and shaded parts by coating the coating surface of a dark color coating material of a specific Munsell color chart with a metallic coating material so as to make the coating surface seeable-through, then coating the surface with a clear coating material.

The coating surface of the dark color coating material A of 0 to 5, more preferably 2 to 3 in the Munsell color chart N, is coated with the metallic coating material B in such a manner that the coating surface of the metallic coating material B is made seeable-through and further, the coating surface is coated with the clear coating material C, by which the metallic coating films having the remarkable flip-flop characteristics is obtd. At this time, the liquid coating material consisting essentially of a resin compsn., dark color pigments and org. solvent is used for the dark color coating material A. The resin compsn. is preferably an ordinary thermosetting resin compsn. The liquid coating material which forms the metallic coating films to allow the visual recognition of the dark color coating material A of the ground surface through the coating film and consists essentially of the resin compsn., metallic pigment and org. solvent is used for the metallic coating material B.