How to Paint Beads With Mica Pigments
Mica pigments contain a reflective quality like glitter, or an iridescent shimmer that is great for adding a sparkling quality to many different artistic projects including handmade jewelry. You can mix powdered mica with a clear binder, such as a clear acrylic paint, to create your own glittery, shimmery paints ideal for painting plain wood or clay beads. Gold metallic, silver and pearly micas are among your choices, as are other different metallic colors and glitter.
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Instructions
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Prep your work area by laying down newspaper over a table and the floor.
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Fill one cup with as much acrylic varnish as you think you will need. You can always make more later. The acrylic varnish will be used as the binder for this project.
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Pour the mica powder into the varnish slowly. Stir it with your paintbrush as you go. Stop when you have a nice creamy consistency.
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Create a drying rack for your beads out of a wire coat hanger. Take the coat hanger apart. With the help of a pair of pliers, unwind the top and cut the twisted end off with a pair of wire cutters or bolt cutters. Hang the hook of the coat hanger on a door knob or a nail. If the holes of your beads are smaller than the width of the wire coat hanger, use a thinner wire to form a rack with a hook.
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Slip your beads onto the coat hanger where you cut off the twisted end. Dip your paint brush into the paint mixture and begin painting your beads. If you see that the paint is too thin, add more powdered mica and mix it well.
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Leave the beads to dry for at least an hour. Then decide if you would like to add another coat.
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Wait for the beads to dry completely and spray a coat of acrylic gloss on the beads to protect them.
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Wait at least 24 hours for the acrylic gloss to dry. Then gently twist and slide your beads off of the wire hanger. You can now use your hand painted beads to make jewelry.
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References
- Photo Credit multi-coloured beads, background from beads image by 26kot from Fotolia.com
