The aztec pattern masking. This guy is a master. Fast forward to the end to see the end result.
I forgot to mention. After the pearl is all shot, the entire model is sprayed with Future floor "wax". It's not wax. It's a polyurethane acrylic. It can be sprayed as is through an air brush, self levels (you could brush it if you wanted) and dries very smooth and shiny.
Then the decals are applied (there are about a million of them) using Microset to "bake" them in so they look painted. Decals look best over a very smooth surface. The Future seals the paint and gives the surface.
Now you have another problem - the model is too shiny. So the last coat is a clear matte coat over the decals and pearl. It tone's everything down so it looks more to scale.
Shiny looks like a toy. This thing is three feet long.