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Opalescent effects


Ardice
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I was wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to get an opalescent effect on a mini? I'm painting an angel, and it was suggested she'd look really cool with opalescent wings, but I cannot figure out any way to get that kind of effect. Any ideas? Actual known facts? Please? <begs prettily>

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Well if you are looking for opalescence using a NMM method then I cannot help you to much.

 

Now if you use metallic paints, then I can give you a bit of a lift. Go into your FLCS (Friendly Local craft store) and look for a bottle of pearlescent medium. Use this as either a thin glaze over your painted surface or mix a little with the different colors of your paint for a nice glittering sheen.

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What does opalescent mean?

 

It comes from two words in old Greek. Opal, meaning "pretty rock" and -escent, meaning "smelly." So in short, it means "smelly but pretty rock."

 

Hope that helps! ^_^

 

...

 

No, seriously... it's very close to the same meaning as iridescent. Think shiny with small flecks of multicolour. Oyster shell, for example, or mother-of-pearl.

 

Kep

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:wow:

I bought some irresdescent medium just to add to my arsenal - and it works pretty well - very subtle though - although it can be added to any colour to make them more multi-spectral.

 

On a similar note - does anyone know how to mimic the colours of gas/oil spilled on the ground - you know the blue/green/purple/red look...I have tried a few things over black primer - but still can't get it....

 

WR

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Just an idea, I haven't actually tried this. Mix some actual oil with some artificial water and try that. You should probably do this outside since I have absolutely no idea whether these two will interact with eachother in a harmfull way.

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Just an idea, I haven't actually tried this. Mix some actual oil with some artificial water and try that. You should probably do this outside since I have absolutely no idea whether these two will interact with eachother in a harmfull way.

:lol:

I had a similar idea - just haven't been brave enough to try it...Is it oil or gasoline that does it? Might have to give it a go although it only makes those patterns while wet - Not so sure it wouldn't just go away once dry - but hey somebody's gotta try it....

 

WR

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Are you wanting the dark oil/water effect or the light one? The two would use a very different set of paints, if I were doing it.

 

Get the interferences and use a few different colors to get the look (that pretty transition of color like on an expensive pearl), just remember that not all of the interference colors will play nice together. Some of the colors, if you try to mix or blend them, will negate the whole color thing and take the iridescent pigment to plain ol' white/clear, just depends on which colors.

 

Alright, here is a thread on CMON on that look, but I cannot find any of the pictures any longer, seems the thing was re-painted and the pics were pulled. Sorry, but at least the chatter is still there.

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The original request was for the light one I believe - to be used on an angel...

 

I am querying the dark one - as seen in gas station parking lots...

 

I will have to check into interference paints availability - as I have no credit card and New Zealand is a bit behind in hobby/craft terms...although it seems from Google it is also used in rubber stamping and scrapbooking - my other $$ absorbing hobby - so who knows...but from what I have seen it looks to be the same as my iridescent medium except it comes in premade colours and my medium can be added to any colour.

 

For those of you who don't know what they are - here are a few links:

Liquitex Interference Colours

Dracula Bust

Very cool skin techniques - and interference colour used on the red - most visible in the bottom pic - but a cool tutorial anyway

Model Boat Example - Shows it pretty well

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Hey WintersRainne, where about's in NZ are you? I'm in Auckland and I have been able to by both iridescent medium and interferance inks from artist shops. Gordan and Harris (or is it Harris and Gordan?) usually have a pretty good supply of that sort of thing in all different brand names. I mostly go there or to a small art supplies shop near where I live.

 

The inks can be used alone as a glaze over other colours (they work best over dark colours) or can be added to regular paint to jazz it up, you can also add these plus iridescent medium to regular paint to REALLY jazz it up or just to the iridescent medium to thicken and lighten them. I can't think of the brand name of the ones I have at home at the moment but I can have a look if you like (at work at the moment).

 

Not really sure how to pull off the look you're after though, sorry.

 

Cheers,

Julie

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I, too, am from NZ, and there was someone down here (in Dunedin) who painted up an Iron Warriors army using interference paints, though I think he used a spray rather than painting them on directly. On a more helpful note, I'm pretty sure I've seen interference media being sold in my local art store, but that was a while back.

 

fet

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