Pearlizing ponies

[Gingerbread]

Cool thankyou! Asda is our equivalent of Wal-Mart but for artsy stuff it's not that great. Will keep an eye out on eBay

[Naamah]

I've had good luck using just plain Pearl-Ex powder rubbed into the vinyl with a makeup sponge.  It doesn't cover up flaws, though, it just adds a pearly finish to whatever it's on top of.  But it's great for ears and brow ridges and so on, because you can just rub it on and it sticks best to the high points.  And it's easier to get a fade on it than it is with liquid paint.

Here's one I did this way, and you can see the effect is subtle.  I could have given it a heavier treatment, but I kept it subdued so she'd shimmer just a little.  It did even out and lighten the yellowed Majesty's coat quite a bit, but it didn't cover the few pink marker marks she had on her NDS.

MLP4me's advice on using pearlized acrylics is spot-on, if you want better coverage and a more durable finish.  Excellent breakdown of how to get it on evenly and smoothly.  (I have had no trouble with the powder coming off, it sticks to the vinyl like CRAZY, but I admit I don't seal it, I apply it on top of the sealer, so . . . can't be 100% sure it's as durable as pearl paint.  For a pony that won't be handled, I trust it.)

[CrimsonEtClover]

hi, I've been trying to pearlize a baby using a sponge and watered-down paint with many light layers, and the paint does go on smooth and pretty just as it should, however, I think that the colour i added to the pearl paint was old, because i have a few small clumps of paint - like dust flecks, very small, that stick up from the otherwise smooth surface.

My question is this: whats the best way to get rid of those little specks? Sanding? lightly dab acetone on the spot and then touch it up? I hope I don't have to start over! thanks for any advise<3

[Maniah]

sometimes i get those and I am able to gently pry them off or scrape them off with an xacto knife, without damaging the paint. If it does get damaged, the damage is usually so minimal, that touching it up is easy.

[lisey_baby]

Wow what great tips!! May have to try this

[Naamah]

For CrimsonEtClover, or anyone else with that problem:

You can find at hobby stores a kind of sandpaper that is superfine and made for metal.  It's usually black like graphite, and comes in packages of multiple sheets.  It's from 400-600 grit, usually.  (The higher the grit, the finer the sandpaper, for those who don't know/can't remember these things.  Like me.)

This stuff is sorta magical.  I use the 600 grit to sand down little paint bumps like that.  I use 400-500 to sand off the little bumps of vinyl that ponies sometimes come with, or glue drips, and then repaint over them.  If you are gentle, you should be able to get the bumps off.  I'd personally recommend sponging a little paint over the area, because the sandpaper may leave that spot sliiiiiightly duller than the surrounding area.  Not a concern if you are using a topcoat.

[Izrabeth]

Thanks for sharing! I would love to try this too! 
And by the way they are all so nice, love them! 

[Claramel]

I did this just yesterday! I had been airbrushing my custom in various colours and wanted a pearly look to finish it off. I mixed an iridescent medium with some water in my airbrush jar and then sprayed it on. It works really well and you get an even coating.

[MnDancer]

I have successfully used the Folk-art metallic Pearl White paint, significantly watered down, in an airbrush (testors aerosol type), the results were beautiful, but the bait had body damage and my repair didn't hold, so the paint is peeling away from the crack in her head. Otherwise, she's a beautiful pearlized Baby Sparkler!

[WaePonies]

Thats really smart love it
xoxo