Pearl Ex Veterans

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td

td

Banned
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
275
Location
Dallas, TX, USA.
I've been having WAY to much fun with Pearl Ex pigments. The thing is, I usually use the pigments with some opaque dye. (I prefer the Mixol pastes, then the Casting Craft dyes.) Enter a customer who wants opaque bold college colors of Blue and Gold without the "shimmer". When I cast the Casting Craft PR with no pigment, only dyes, the colors didn't "swirl" they mixed to make a blue-green mush. Has anybody worked with the Interference colors that Pearl Ex makes? There are two shades in the Series 1 pack.

Otherwise, any tips on bold opaque non-bleeding color casts?
 
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I've done ribbons but in a third color. So maybe do ribbons in the same colors? Couldn't hurt. Anything would be an improvement.
 
Thanks for your reply Charles. I appreciate the links but can you give me your insights on how the interference works differently, if at all, from the micas and other Pearl Ex pigments? Perhaps in reference to using just 2 colors and trying to keep them separated (non-blended). Regular pigments tend to do that but they add pearlescence. I'm trying for flat opaque.
 
TD:
The ribbon idea sounds like a winner to me.

But if you want more of a swirl:

1) When you cast the 2 colors done w/ dyes, did you wait until they were almost gelled?
BTDT when I didn't and got what sounds like your results. Last swirl I did the last bit
of color didn't come out of the cup- it gelled right as I poured and was perfect.

2) Have you tried other powdered pigments? Assuming it's roughly Navy colors (or cub scout)
Recpies #35 and #37 in my Color library are probably close to what you're after. Although #42 would work nice (but it's got shimmer).
 
Jason,

I will try to exercise more patience and let the mix get closer to the gel stage with the next pour.

The colors you suggested in your library are close to the colors I'm trying to get. It's for Texas A & M Commerce in Commerce TX and they are VERY specific about their colors. Most colleges are. Their color choices are Pantone 281 and 124. In their requirements page they list the CMYK equivalent percentages. After spending 4 hours researching Pantone, CMYK as a subtractive color model and the like, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to help me. I was going to just have to experiment and use my best "eye".

Truth is there is not much out there to help us learn to mix colors for what we do. Your color library could help many new casters out there. Thanks for starting it. I've not used ArtStuff before but I may in the future. Even so I will probably be referring to your library again. Thank You.
 
Always glad to hear it's useful.

Do consider that the process of scanning and monitor variations will make things
vary in appearance. The white dots on the blue recipe are pigment that settled/didn't
get mixed in, I haven't turned the block to test the inside. But the idea is to provide a
starting place and comparative colors for discussions.

If I get time to play some more, I was considering trying to work out recipes for
college and pro team colors. I also need to work out a better way to rate opacity.

And as always, the library is open for contributions.
 
td said:
Thanks for your reply Charles. I appreciate the links but can you give me your insights on how the interference works differently, if at all, from the micas and other Pearl Ex pigments? Perhaps in reference to using just 2 colors and trying to keep them separated (non-blended). Regular pigments tend to do that but they add pearlescence. I'm trying for flat opaque.
Click to expand...

td,
Sorry I missed your query. Pearl-Ex are Micas, which have a metallic sheen. Pearls, which are pearlescent. Interference, which have no color when rotated one direction but take on color when rotated the other direction. Duo-colors, are pigment platelets that have one color on one side and a different color on the other and when tilted or rotated in the light one direction you will have one color but when tilted or rotated the other direction you will see the other color.

If you have pigmented your resin with blue liquid/paste dye as a base, then added Turqoise metallic, to get a brilliant blue, then used just a touch of the duo blue-green and some duo blue-red is some additional resin and added it just as it was getting to gel, then gave it a shake, shimmy or twist, when adding it to the original color and pouring it all into the mold, you would have your brilliant blue metallic, with pockets of abstract color that would shift from blue, teal, purple and green and red..., depending on how the cured resin was shifted in the light. (YMMV as to outcome based on percentages of materials used and experience with waiting for gel time)

If you are looking for just a solid "flat" opaque color with no shimmer or sheen, metallic, pearl, or interference, then the only pigment in the Pearl-Ex line is Carbon Black. If you want powdered pigments that are just pure colors, then you probably want to get pure pigments and oxides from Coastal Scents.

http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=34

I think Mr. Art? or some such has a huge line of powdered pigments as well, but their webpages have no examples of their pigments.
 
Glass Scratcher said:
td,
Sorry I missed your query. Pearl-Ex are Micas, which have a metallic sheen. Pearls, which are pearlescent. Interference, which have no color when rotated one direction but take on color when rotated the other direction. Duo-colors, are pigment platelets that have one color on one side and a different color on the other and when tilted or rotated in the light one direction you will have one color but when tilted or rotated the other direction you will see the other color.



If you are looking for just a solid "flat" opaque color with no shimmer or sheen, metallic, pearl, or interference, then the only pigment in the Pearl-Ex line is Carbon Black. If you want powdered pigments that are just pure colors, then you probably want to get pure pigments and oxides from Coastal Scents.
Click to expand...

Charles, thanks for finally helping me understand just what interference and dou colors are. I've been using Pearl EX a long time and never quite got it!

BTW Pearl Ex also has a Pumpkin Orange that's not pearlescent :biggrin:
 
I have been experimenting with the Swirl for a month or so..(see the swrilz z blue thread) and what I have found with the pearlex, is that I dont mix it. I just pour in the first color and in the time it takes to blend the next one just pour that in, and in the case of 3 colors repeat the process. Alumilite has a 6 min open time and the colors seem to swirl on their own.
 

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