Anyone know if there’s any pearlescent paint out there?

[Axineton]

Just had an idea and wondered if there’s any pearlescent paint out there or if anyone knows how to make pearlescent paint?

[Arkhanist]

There are airbrush pearlescent paints - createx or testors both do them - but all the ones I've come across are aimed at cars or RC cars at best I believe, so the mica flake size (that gives it the effect) is too large for my taste when done on a 40k scale model - they're clearly visible and bigger than some details.

 

For a similar 'glow' effect to a pearl coat - as opposed to the harsher reflection of a normal coloured metallic paint - I personally think the best looking method is a good quality metallic such as vallejo "metal color" airbrushed, or rub n buff metallic wax brushed on, then a couple of thin layers of transparent 'candy' coat. Tamiya clears thinned and brushed on are very commonly used for this approach, and it's the way that Forgeworld used to do their 1K sons with tamiya clear red (until they released their own transparent paints, that they then recently EOL'd!) 

 

 

Blue tends to work best over a silver or chrome, while red over gold. The candy colours diffuses the aluminium flakes in the metallic which are ground much finer for model work, and you can add a final wash of the appropriate colour to add some shading and depth back.

 

This approach is very common in the gunpla modelling world, so they're a good source of tips if you had a specific colour in mind.

 

You can't do a white pearl using this approach though, unsurprisingly, so for that you'd have to get a direct pearl effect paint.

 

 

[apologist]

You can buy painting medium (additives) that will give your paints this effect. Look for a medium called pearlescent, iridescent or shimmer, as the terms are used largely interchangeably, and vary between manufacturers. For example, Liquitex produce 'iridescent medium' that can be painted over a white surface for a mother-of-pearl effect.

[Axineton]

I want a sort of purple green effect I think so how would I go about getting that effect?

[Arkhanist]

Ah, you're after colour change paint, that one's easier!

 

Greenstuffworld have fairly recently added some nice colourshift effect paints, the chameleon range that have particle size much more suitable for 40k modelling.

 

Toxic Purple or Martian Green sound like they may be what you're after depending on which colour you want as the dominant. You spray them over a black (ideally gloss black) base coat in several thin coats; they can also be brushed on in multiple thin layers, though airbrushing will look better.

 

They were originally sold in two sets, they're now available individually. I have some red goblin, and it's funky stuff.

 

[Axineton]

That sounds like what I'm after! Nice one mate

[Magos Takatus]

I can vouch for the Chameleon paints myself. They are pretty awesome. My biggest problem is that I keep looking for excuses to use it now.

 

Here's a w.i.p. of my Knight. I've since repainted it with "Evil Forest" which is available separately but in this pic it's in "Red Goblin", like Arkhanist owns.

 

 

I don't know how to get the second colour to show well but it works nicely on the top carapace and pauldrons of a knight since they are large curved surfaces.

 

The paints are recommended to be applied to a gloss black undercoat but a white undercoat could make a more pearl appearance.

[Axineton]

Just brought the toxic purple one. I have the Vallejo black primer and that is a gloss I think so hopefully it’ll work great. I have two drukhari razorwings that i swapped for some primaris stuff I didn’t want. So I’m thinking of giving them this two tone colour treatment to see how they look. I thought the correct term was pearlescent but maybe I was wrong with that description?

[Magos Takatus]

That purple on Drukhari vehicle models should look ace. I don't have any myself to test on but the curved shape of Dark Eldar aircraft is ideal. These paints do work better through an airbrush but if you're using brushes it should work if you are patient. Let us know how you get on. :)

[Axineton]

That purple on Drukhari vehicle models should look ace. I don't have any myself to test on but the curved shape of Dark Eldar aircraft is ideal. These paints do work better through an airbrush but if you're using brushes it should work if you are patient. Let us know how you get on. :)

I’ll be using an airbrush mate. I’m thinking of doing the top with that purple and doing black on the underside of the razorwing. Also I’ll start a plog for it too

[Arkhanist]

Just brought the toxic purple one. I have the Vallejo black primer and that is a gloss I think so hopefully it’ll work great. I have two drukhari razorwings that i swapped for some primaris stuff I didn’t want. So I’m thinking of giving them this two tone colour treatment to see how they look. I thought the correct term was pearlescent but maybe I was wrong with that description?

 

Sounds good, looking forward to see how they come out!

 

Pearlescent/pearl effect covers a a wide range, and there's a few different types of mineral crystal added to the paint to do it, which have the general name mica. It also depends if you do it as a two-stage or three stage, and how much of which mica you add. The subtle ones add a lustre and a very small amount of chromatic change on the angles, right up to the very in-your face chromatic variation - those tend to be called chameleon or colourshift pearls to distinguish them from the subtle ones.

 

Anything from this:

 

 

http://www.fourtitude.com/blog/garnet1.jpg

 

To this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

is a pearlescent or pearl effect. It's... inexact.

[Aothaine]

This thread is full of WIN! Thank you everyone!

[Axineton]

Right so I’ve done my first basecoat with toxic purple and gonna get the next basecoat done tomorrow. Can anyone suggest a colour for the edge highlights cos I’m stuck in my head with what colour for the edges.

 

Fantastic paint by the way!

[Magos Takatus]

I don't actually know. Highlighting the paints would detract from the effect I think, since the colour shift appears where the light falls anyway. I suppose you could try an edge highlight in silver maybe? 

[Rik Lightstar]

If you edge highlight with white or silver BEFORE the next basecoat and if you're doing it with an airbrush then it should show through.

 

Rik

[Axineton]

If you edge highlight with white or silver BEFORE the next basecoat and if you're doing it with an airbrush then it should show through.

 

Rik

but won’t my second basecoat cover that all up?

[Arkhanist]

One advantage of the airbrush is the layers are so thin you can see shading (and highlights) from the layers underneath, they visually blend into the coat above so you can be relatively sloppy and still have a smooth transition. There's whole airbrush styles (pre-shading and some uses of zenithal highlighting) that rely on that entirely to do smooth highlight transitions - they do all the shading in monochrome first, then tint it with the final desired colour. As the layers build up the effect is lessened of course (and goes entirely after about 3-4) but it does lead to quite a different way of thinking about paint than when doing layers with a hairy stick - still a novice myself in that aspect of airbrushing!

 

The other approach would be to add a small amount of bright silver to the toxic purple and do a hairy stick edge highlight with that mix after the base layers, which should give nice and sharp highlights (with a steady hand).

[Axineton]

Wow that is some great knowledge man! Thanks! I’ll give it a go

[Chaeron]

Glad you've started using the Colorshift paints Fr33dDom - I really like them too, and they'll be heavily involved in my next Heresy project. In terms of highlights or whatever, it was suggested elsewhere to use inks/washes, but I suppose you could do that on places to darken the main part, leaving the edges still brighter? I've not done much myself after the initial application, only because they worked so well I felt it didn't need it!

[Axineton]

Yeah man that paint is great from what I’ve used. I did one basecoat and it didn’t even need thinning! I’m thinking of getting the whole set now.

 

I’m thinking of going black in the recesses but I’m not 100% sure yet. But yeah the edge highlights are the sticking point at the minute so got a lot to think on lol