Art and Craft Supplies: Pearl-Ex Mica Powders by Jacquard Products

Pearl Ex powdered Pigments have a variety of possible uses and applications. Their primary use is adding metallic shine to art or craft projects. Pearl-Ex powdered pigments are color fast and archival-quality. They can be used in heirloom quality scrapbook pages, paintings, or other archival projects. They are appropriate for use in fine art, metal work, sculpture, pottery, glass painting, scrapbooking, rubber stamping, home decor projects, card making, and paper crafts

Pearl Ex pigments can be used on any of the following surfaces:

Paper
Acrylic
Chipboard
Clay
Polymer Clay
Shrink Plastic (No medium is necessary with shrink plastic if you apply it before shrinking the project.)
Fabric
Wood
Metal
Glass

There are plenty of other surfaces you can apply them to as well.

How To Use Pearl-Ex Powdered Pigments:

For best results, Pearl-Ex powdered pigments should be mixed into another art medium and then applied to the appropriate surface. Appropriate media include oil paints, acrylic paints, gouache paints, varnish, clay, and melted wax. You then apply the mixture in the same way that you ordinarily would; for example, if you've added Pearl-Ex to paint, you can paint with the mixture in the same way that you would paint with plain paint.

Pearl-Ex can also be mixed with liquid adhesives such as Mod Podge. Click here to see a chipboard and acrylic mini album that was made using Mod Podge, Pearl-Ex, and Lumiere Metallic Paints (among other things.)

I have also had success mixing Pearl-Ex with Zip Dry paper glue, and applying the mixture to clear acrylic albums using paintbrushes and stipple brushes. If you'd like to try this technique, I recommend that you work quickly; like the name suggests, Zip Dry dries quickly. This Pearl-Ex technique is demonstrated in a clear Mexico-themed acrylic scrapbook album.

Pearl Ex Powders and Embossing:

Some people make the mistake of thinking that Pearl-Ex is an embossing powder. Pearl-Ex is not an embossing powder, but it can be mixed with clear embossing powder and used for rubber stamp embossing.

More Project Ideas For Using Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments:

Artists can use Pearl-Ex powders to spice up still life paintings. If you paint metallic objects like dishes or jewelry, Pearl-Ex is a great choice for representing the shiny areas.

Pearl-Ex powdered pigments would be particularly lovely when used in seascapes and landscapes, especially landscapes featuring representations of the setting sun.

Pearl-Ex is an outstanding addition to abstract contemporary art.

Use Pearl-Ex powders when painting unfinished wood or chipboard pieces.

I am sure you can think of plenty more creative ideas too! Feel free to comment and share suggestions if you know of other interesting ways to use Pearl Ex.

Available Colors of Pearl-Ex:

Pearl-Ex is currently available in 40 colors. 16 of the colors are what they refer to as "Traditionals". 16 of the colors are Pearlescent. 5 of the colors are "Interference" colors; the interference colors are particularly cool. They look amazing when paired with darker surfaces. There are also 3 "Duo-colors". Pearl-Ex colors can be mixed together to form an unlimited palette of colors. I often mix Pearl-Ex colors together to get the exact color that I need for a project.

Conclusion:

Pearl-Ex powders are versatile, easy to use, and high-quality. They are an excellent addition to any art or craft supply stash. I am delighted to recommend Pearl-Ex pigment powders to other artists and crafters.

For more information about Pearl-Ex, you can visit the Jacquard Products web site.