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I'm trying some new things, since it is the new year. Well, new to me that is.
I watched some Youtube on doing different things with Pearl Ex. From painting to making mists out of them. I decided to try it all cause they have been sitting there for years.
I painted with them, and really like the effect. But I can't get the mica to stay on the project. On videos, it said that water sets the mica. I'm painting with water and it is isn't setting. I'm spraying a mica and water spritz, which looks great but if I rub my finger across it, it's all over my finger.
I tried using alcohol spritzers - added Pearl Ex to the mini-mister. Looks great, but if I touch the paper the Pearl Ex comes off with my finger.
What am I doing wrong? Do I need to mix some Elmer's glue in to set it?
OK. I remember Frugal Crafter using gum arabic, but saw so many videos that said just add mica powder to your mister bottle and start spraying.
Now that I have done a number of items without gum arabic, any ideas of sealants? I sprayed 2 projects with cheap hairspray. I swear that stuff could keep my hair straight in a tornado. So far, it seems to work well with the paper and pearl ex. No reactions. And it works - no mica on my fingers after it dries.
I made my own Pearl Ex resist (another Frugal Crafter recipe) and sprayed that around. It works. The Elmer's glue keeps the mica in place, drys clear, and is a resist (looks interesting when I rub distress inks on it afterwards). But it tends to spray out heavy, not in a mist. I think that's the glue in there.
I hate to go purchase gum arabic if Elmer's glue will work, or if glycerin will work. I would be surprised if I don't have something in this craft room that would do the same thing - because I own almost everything Micheal's sells except gum arabic!
I have painted with Pearl Ex using a technique I learned years ago. You need a small bottle of acrylic varnish, sold at the craft stores in the aisle with acrylic paints, for about $1.
On a piece of waxed paper, pour out a small puddle of varnish. Pour some Pearl Ex into the lid of it's jar (easier clean up). Using a fairly small watercolor brush, dip first into the varnish then the Pearl Ex then paint your image. Clean brush well between colors. The finished work will be bright and will stay that way.
Mary Beth
Are you sure it was Pearl-Ex that mentioned only water being necessary to fix it?? I know this is true of Perfect Pearls, which are all I have. I've always heard that Gum Arabic was necessary to add to Pearl-Ex as a fixative/binder. I'm pretty sure glycerin won't work. I know from when I worked in fine-art supplies that Gum Arabic was used as a binder by people mixing their own colours from powdered pigments.
You've gotten lots of good tips here! You should be able to mix them with any other paint - anything that already contains a binder should work, even watercolors. The hairspray should work as a fixative but isn't necessarily 'archival' and might yellow - I use a Krylon aerosol product called Workable Fixatif which is intended for art (you can spray to protect layers and keep working over it) - it's great for pastels and pencil and should hold the mica work too.
Yep, like Dini I use the Workable Fixative too. I know you want to try and use something you already have BUT I can't recommend enough to go get some Gum Arabic. It is easier to mess with than any other workaround and if you like the new things you are trying and want to do them over and over the Gum Arabic won't be a waste!
Well if you are wanting to paint with it then yes. Anytime you mix it with water it will need gum Arabic. If you mix it with another medium then you don't need the gun Arabic, like with gel medium for example, the gel medium already has a binder to bind the mica to your project.
Well if you are wanting to paint with it then yes. Anytime you mix it with water it will need gum Arabic. If you mix it with another medium then you don't need the gun Arabic, like with gel medium for example, the gel medium already has a binder to bind the mica to your project.
Thank you for mentioning the gel medium. It prompted me to search and I found a bottle of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish. This should work. It drys clear, non-yellowing, and has high gloss. I'll experiment with it.
You've gotten lots of good tips here! You should be able to mix them with any other paint - anything that already contains a binder should work, even watercolors. The hairspray should work as a fixative but isn't necessarily 'archival' and might yellow - I use a Krylon aerosol product called Workable Fixatif which is intended for art (you can spray to protect layers and keep working over it) - it's great for pastels and pencil and should hold the mica work too.
I didn't know watercolor paints had a binder. Mixing the mica with watercolor paints would also be a nice affect.
I will pick up some spray fixative next time I'm shopping. I should stop using hair spray - but dang it works well and it's dirt cheap. :rolleyes:
Thanks for all the great info. I appreciate you coming to my rescue and mentioning so many different alternatives to fix this. It's great that so many of you are serious artists and have such a wealth of knowledge regarding products for any/all applications.
Oh yes that will work perfectly - I use that one all the time with my Primary Elements powders (similar to Pearl Ex.)
Originally Posted by Janet1000
Thank you for mentioning the gel medium. It prompted me to search and I found a bottle of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish. This should work. It drys clear, non-yellowing, and has high gloss. I'll experiment with it.
as others said, without something to bind it, it's going to have some rub off if rubbed against.
Another neat trick is to use it like has been done with chalks and versamark. You stamp your image with versamark (or write/draw with a versamarker) and gently rub (or dab) pearl-ex over the image. You'll need a fixative spray if you're worried about it getting rubbed off by I've used it on a card and didn't concern myself with it that much.
I have seen videos when they made the sprays the 2 oz bottle that they used they added a tsp of glue and shook it really well. I have tried this myself and it has worked, but you will need to add something to it to get it to adhere. Not much just a little bit.
I think what I used was the clear scotch glue that has the 2 ended tube. I used about a tsp in 1 oz of water to mix it up first then I added the mica and the extra water.
Most of the tutorials that I watched suggested that you cut the tubing about 1/8 from the bottom. It apparently helps with clogging.
I've also used acrylic paint with mica in it. Metalic paints that you can get in the craft paint selection. I added a bit of that, like a tsp or tbsp (honestly can't remember on this one). It worked great!! One of the grand kids thought it was cool opened it up to use a paint brush to paint on a poster board. Unfortunately they left it open and I didn't catch it until it was too late....lol It does work though to make a sparkly pretty mist/spray.
golly, we used to use Future floor wax (liquid) with pearl ex - just use a water color paintbrush, dip it in floor wax, then dip into the pearl ex powder, and paint with it on your stamped image - no need to seal. not sure how it holds up over time,
golly, we used to use Future floor wax (liquid) with pearl ex - just use a water color paintbrush, dip it in floor wax, then dip into the pearl ex powder, and paint with it on your stamped image - no need to seal. not sure how it holds up over time,
This is what I was going to suggest. Years ago I bought a bottle of Future Floor Wax to give this a try and never did get around to it. I remember reading that you could use an aqua painter brush and just fill the barrel with the floor wax instead of water. Of course, you would only use the brush for the floor wax so you could mark your brush somehow.
Pearl Ex paintings
