PEARL POWDERS

Use a fixative, and use it very lightly. You will always lose some luster, but the fixative does a decent job of holding it. Of course you can add powder over powder. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, you may want to seal between applications.

 

I seal with dupli color gloss. The luster will come back after final gloss.

 

Cole mentions the fixative because its designed to hold down powders. It works great. The problem most beginners have with sealing down powders is going way too heavy with the sealer (whatever they're using) trying to get a good look at what the finished product is going to look like. If you are holding the fish at arms length and can feel some of the sealing agent hitting your arm, then it is doing a decent job at sealing down powders.

 

After you try it and melt away all your hard work you'll learn how lightly you need to spray real fast - lol! Not to scare you away, but I cannot emphasize how lightly you need to spray. Basically you're trying to get the fixitive/gloss/sealer to almost dry before it hits your fish. Fixitive is great but I use whatever is availble any lacquer sealer or gloss in a can. And simply keep the can a foot or so away from the fish and get the can (or air brush or whatever) MOVING before you lightly pull the trigger and let go. Do it again in another area maybe 2-3-4 passes on a bass sized fish until you think you've hit your whole fish (areas of powders). Stop. Let it dry for 5 minutes and repeat. Repeat after 5 minutes again maybe. Then, once you think it's dry enough to the touch, gently touch a few areas and make sure no powders on your hand. You can also hold your fish up at an angle in the light and see if it's dull all over the areas of your pearls. Especially if you had a shiny sealer coat down before you applied the pearls, it will be very dull. Once dry you can proceed painting or put a heavier sealer coat on it or gloss if you're done. ALWAYS flash coat(s) first though no matter what stage you're at...

 

Don't forget your blow dryer too. As was stated you have to dust the powders very lightly with your choice of spray. Hit the area with a blow dryer moving it all the time, then repeat. I can relate to what Marty says on watching all your hard work disappear because it can happen. You need to make sure your underlying seal coats are "cured" too. If you rush the drying time between coats, you'll make extra work for yourself. That's where the blow dryer comes in. If the underlying coats aren't cured or thoroughly dried, the final coat will open up pandora's box........lol.

 

I don't blow dry in-between coats Brian. I just go kill time on Taxi.net instead!

 

Along with the steps mentioned, give "Krylon Matte Finish" #1311 a try to lock things in and see what you think.

 

Yep, forgot about this stuff. Good point Steven. And the matte finish also "grabs" better (vs a glossier sealer) if you want to use pencils or some other methods on top.

 

If you're using Wildlife Colors, by chance, you can seal powders with the Transparent Base that they sell. It goes through an airbrush and you have control to just put it where you want it. Actually a tip from one of Clark Schriebies painting articles...

 

I have used the rust-o-lium lacquer Rattle can, with pearl-ex powders.