Effect pigments change the appearance of color no matter what is painted underneath and can bring out an unexpected impression that usual mineral or other pigments couldn’t achieve. 

In this article, I will introduce the [Mi] series, an effect pigment that creates dazzling shimmer sparkles that are perfect for the holiday season.

Here are some pictures for you to get an idea of what the Effect pigments look like. 

【Art Materials Used】

Colors: [Mi] Magic Gold, [Mi] Scenic Gold, [Mi] Scenic White, [Mi] Royal Twinkle 5401

Binder: Acrylic Emulsion

Substrate: Bamboo Washi for Watercolor Art Pad

Each color is painted on a black and white ground.

Although they seem like they’re painted with two different pigments at first glance, it is the underneath colors that change the appearance. 

Therefore, with these color samples, you now know how flexible the [Mi] series is by simply changing the ground color to create a different impression.

The reason behind this is that [Mi] pigments are made of borosilicate glass. 

It creates a luminosity and high transparency that cannot be produced with conventional pearl pigments and as a result of this characteristic, it allows the ground color to interact with the pigments and create interesting color changes.

In other words, you can bring out the full potential of the [Mi] series by creating an image with monotone black and white acrylic paints, then layer them over with effect pigments.

Next, let's create a simple framed artwork and some ornaments using these wooden figures.

These are the things you need before we start.

No special treatment is required for the unpainted wooden figures but if you want to apply the pigments to something glossy or smooth surface, such as plastic, you may want to cover it with a metal or glass primer beforehand.

This time, I used acrylic paints to paint the ground. 

I can’t wait to see how these monotone black-and-white surfaces will turn out to be!

Other than that, I also painted the front in black and finished the sides in white for the wooden frame.

Since most of the effect pigments have high surface tension, it is better to add a few drops of Pigment Dispersant while mixing them with a water-based binder.

Next, add some water and Acrylic Emulsion into the mixture and then apply it on top of the dried acrylic paints to create the following result.

I used [Mi] Scenic White for the butterfly figure. As you can see, it creates a snowy white finish when applied over the white background and an enchanting silver color when painted on the black background.

Next, we have [Mi] Magic Gold painted on the unicorn figure.

The glittery golden finish makes me want to look at it from various angles. Although the gold color is also softly visible on the white, it is more vibrant on the black background.

After that, I painted Scenic Gold on the heart figure. This pigment has finer particles and a more subdued texture than Magic Gold, with a slight green tint.

When I applied it to the white background, it created a soft gold impression.

Last, we have this frame painted in [Mi] Royal Twinkle 5401. As you can see in the photo, the finish is so vivid and makes us almost forget that the undercoat was actually just black and white.

The sparkling pink that appears on the black ground is fascinating and the subtle polarized reflection when I apply it to the white surface is mesmerizing too! 

It is so enjoyable that the colors of the effect pigments look so different depending on the light situation and the angle you look at it.

If you want to create a vivid red color like the one shown in the paint sample at the beginning of this article, you can paint it with several layers of paint.

Finally, I used Gel Medium Matte to glue the butterfly and heart shape to the frame and sprinkled some mica pigment over the top as a finishing touch.

When it is displayed in a place where there are several light sources, the brilliance of the effect pigment will stand out even more due to the light from multiple directions.

Without any doubt, the effect pigments are perfect for making handcrafts and home DIYs.

Hope you enjoy the transformation of the magical [Mi] series as much as I do!

Translated by Atsumi Okano and Nelson Hor Ee Herng

PIGMENT TOKYO Art Materials Experts