Radiant Pearls Basics

“Radiant Pearls are transparent (like watercolors) pearlized paints, and emollients similar to oil paints. These properties allow for endless shading and blending techniques. Paint, stipple, apply directly to the rubber stamps and even make background paper. Non-toxic acid free best of all tested safe to emboss for a pearlized enamel effect or air-dried to a soft satin luminescent sheen. Radiant Pearls (RP) are a water-soluble shimmering translucent paint that has thick texture. RP dry by absorption and will not dry on any non-porous surface or in the air. You can let your RP work air-dry to a pearlescent sheen or you can emboss your work for glassy surface.” (Angelwings Enterprises)

The Radiant Pearls Line consists of:

• The Neutrals – Designed as blending agent as water is used in water coloring. The "Neutrals" are transparent base in shimmering interference color families
• Sheer Metallics – A transparent base with just a hint of gold, silver copper or brass.
• Vibrants – A luscious selection of saturated colors essential for coloration and enhanced shading.
• Frosts – Are in a shimmering white pearl base; like sugar with just a breath of color. Perfect for creating the "light" in your artwork.
• Satin Pearls – Are highly pearlized in a rich "Oyster Shell" mother of pearls base for the middle range colors.
• Deep Satins – Rich colors with black mixed with other colors creating deep shadow colors.
• Rich Metallics – Rich in color saturation with a brilliant mettallic sheen upon drying.
• Chroma~Tones – Color saturated semi opaque colors. Used as color mixers for your other colors to intensify your work. Should not be left open.
  

Websites:

• Radiant Pearls – http://www.radiantpearls.com
  The corporate site for RP. Gallery and color descriptions.
• ArtKat – http://www.artkat.com/
  Kat Runge’s web site. Gallery and tips & tricks.
• Julie Burns – http://www.burnsfamily.net/julie/
  My web site. Samples, tips & tricks and color charts
  

Paper:

• The paper you choose will affect the drying time of your RP. Usually the more smooth the paper is, the longer it takes to dry. Most applications take from 5 to 30 minutes to dry.
• You are not limited to standard cardstock. Any medium that can absorb the RP can be used. If you are in doubt, try it out. Don't forget about, wood, paper clay, etc.
• The color of your paper impacts the look of the RP. Since RP are translucent you will see the color of your paper through the RP. The darker the paper, the less color you will see.
• I have found that the following papers work well with RP.
• King James Cast Coat glossy
• Glamma Vellum
• Wassau Bright White Cardstock
• Wassau Exact Vellum Bristol Cardstock
• Hammermill Via Cardstock

Application:

• Work in thin coats. A little goes a long way. If you can see your brushstrokes you applied it too thick.
• You must use a waterproof ink or emboss your image. It is best to start with an embossed image. The embossed lines help to keep the paint confined to each area and repel the RP to maintain dark black lines.

Techniques:

• Detail Painting
  This technique works best with a line image with larger opening, to show off the shimmering appearance of the paint.
• Direct to Rubber
  This technique works best with a bold stamp. You can apply the paint with a stipple or flat brush. Take care not to apply too much paint.
• Embossed
  If you want to emboss an area of your image, but not the entire image, paint and emboss that area first. Then paint the rest of the image.
• Stippling
  Use any textured tool to stipple RP onto your image or your background paper.

Tips:

• Blot your image with a paper towel after 15 minutes or so to remove excess paint from your image and your embossed lines.
• Do not introduce other products into the RP jars such as water. Introducing water into the jars can cause contamination and evaporation
• To clean your brush between colors, wipe on a paper towel and use your next color to clean your brush or swipe the brush on a stamp scrubber that has been dampened with water.
• RPs mix beautifully. Experiment by mixing lighter or darker hues with a given color to change the hue of the color.
• If you want to lighten a color, mix it with a Neutral or Satin Pearl.
• If you want to emboss an image that has already dried, apply a thin coat of a neutral color over the dry area and then emboss.
• RPs can also be used for backgrounds. Brayer, stipple, paint. The possibilities are endless.
• Create a color chart on several colors of cardstock. You might be surprised at the results.
• You can also detail paint with a water brush. Fill the water brush with water and use the water brush to pick up the RPs and apply them.