Second Thursday Tutorial: Shimmering acrylics

 

 Many, if not most of you have seen my tutorial on handmade shimmering mists.  I got to thinking that I could apply the same concept to dying acrylic paint.  If you have done any painting at all, and used those craft acrylics, you probably have some that are nearly dried beyond use.  

Since this month is all about recycling and reuse, let's revive some craft acrylics and give them new life.

Here's what you need to get started:

Dried or nearly dried craft acrylics

Distilled water *(see note below)

A good PVA full strength glue **(I used Elmer's)

 

*  You must use distilled water.  Tap or even filtered water will soon mold. 

**Be sure your PVA glue is not labeled "school" glue.

You will be able to tell that your glue is dying by inspecting the paint in the container and by checking the cap.  Squeezing the jar will show that your paint is nearly or mostly dried and won't perform for you.

Unlike with my handmade shimmering mists, you do not want to fill the jar with water, but simply give it enough water to try to revitalize it.

 

Place the cap on the paint and shake like crazy.  I shook about 10 - 15 seconds.  Then squeeze the bottle.  By now, you have hopefully revived the old paint.

  

Now that your paint has been revived, grab a Luminart or other brand of mica powder in your choice of color.  Be sure it is the type that DOES NOT have a binder.  That's what the glue is for.  I decided to use the same color mica powder as my acrylic paint.  You may want to experiment and make different colors instead.

I hope you hit the hole better than I did.  I scattered mica powder all over my table, the lid, and the top of my paint bottle.  I used two spoons full, but I lost a bit, too.

Now it's time to add the binder.

Just as I did with my mists, I squeezed and counted to five.

I checked the glue and mica powder before I once again shook everything.

Now it was time to test the acrylic paint.  I did so on one of these gifted Rolodex cards no one seems to want.  After all, this is still a recycling post.

One squeeze was all I needed.

I used my old scruffy brush to paint the Rolodex card.  I didn't think the shimmer would show, 

so I took about two dozen photos,

not realizing the shimmer was abundantly clear.  Even the camera could see it.  Now I'm ready to find some other old dying paints and breath shimmering life into them, too.

Thanks for joining me today.  I took old nearly dried acrylic paint I revitalized using mica powders I already owned, glue, and distilled water.  It may not seem like I recycled much, but I am happy with what I was able to accomplish.  Now I can make more shimmer acrylics that remind me of metallics.  As soon as this post goes live, you will be able to access it forever on my Tutorials page.