Tips and Tricks from Kat

Radiant Pearls^TM (RP), the original shimmering embossable paint that is thick, lustrous, and emollient. When embossed, you’ll see a twinkly shimmer just beneath the glassy embossed surface. When air-dried, RP has a velvety transparency (think of water colors) with a sparkly shimmer. You can inter-mixable any of the colors, producing ranges from transparent washes to sheer pastels to bright colors to translucent (not quite gouache) pearly pastels to bright pearls to deep, pearly tones. RP dries by absorption rather than evaporation. This means RP will not evaporate from your bottle, or on your non-porous palette or in brushes.

The Colors:   RP fall into four color groupings: Luminescent Silk (transparent and shimmery),  Satin (translucent, pearly and shimmery), Rich Metallic (color saturated, shimmery with a higher metallic sheen), and Chroma-Tone (semi-opaque with a hint of shimmer). There are five Neutral Luminescent Silks that are colorless with a hint of colored shimmer. Mix a Neutral with any colors for a sheer tint or you may paint over colored pencils or watercolors for spot shimmer without altering your original the color of your work. Oyster Shell, a creamy white pearl Satin, can be mixed with any of the colors for a more pearly pastel. Snow Queen, a whitish pearl Luminescent Silk, has a touch of iridescent glitter may be used as a Neutral, also.  New colors can be created by mixing two or more colors together on a palette or by layering one color over another directly on paper. Often times the layering of colors produces a richer effect. Layering one color over another creates an optical color blend with subtle undertones, overtones, lowlights and highlights, oft times richer than pre-mixing a specific color. Don’t over do it as too many layers mute and gray or darken the overall coloring. The sheer metallic colors in the Luminescent Silk family are surprising reflective when dried.          

Drying Time:   Apply RP thinly or sparingly. A little pearl of paint on your brush will go a long way. When applied in a thin film, RP will dry in five to 30 minutes depending on the paper used. RP dries by absorption into the paper rather than evaporation from the paper. Embossing RP puts an immediate protective coating over the paint. A thick application of RP will produce a slight dimension, which requires many hours of drying time, again depending on the paper used.

Paper:   The paper’s density and fiber content will affect the drying time of RP. Thicker, denser and heavier papers have a longer drying time because absorption takes longer. Translucent “vellums” fall into the slower drying time category because the paper is dense by virtue of the “pounding” it is given “to make it transparent”. However, RP on these sheer papers is breath taking and more often than not, well worth the wait. Clay coated papers, which range from matte or gloss to glassy, absorb RP quickly. On average, most papers take from five to 30 minutes to dry to a touchable state. If you have found your work has dried faster than you can emboss, you can apply a thin coat of a Neutral over your work without altering the colors, then emboss. If you are ready to finish your work, such as adhering it to another layer of paper, and you have wet spots of RP on your paper, you can blot the areas with a paper towel. RP can be applied to many types of paper; you are not limited to standard cardstock or cover stock. You can paint of newsprint and newspaper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, handmade papers, and rice paper. Paper Clay is paper, too!

Embossing:   RP was specifically designed for safe embossing. It’s the original embossable paint with a shimmer. It is non-toxic and acid free. RP dries by absorption on porous surfaces, thus non-porous surfaces, such as embossed areas, create a natural resist. RP is easily wiped away from embossed areas without affecting the underlying colors. Embossed RP combined with air-dried RP make a striking and effective contrast. Areas that you want embossed should be painted and embossed first. On some papers, areas that appear dry may be “just damp enough” to grip embossing powder, thus you may inadvertently emboss areas you don’t want embossed. You can colorize your paper with RP after you’ve embossed your images for a more dramatic and artful looking finished product. After you’ve colorized your paper to your liking, wipe or blot wet RP from the embossed areas.

 Kat’s Double-Dip Emboss Technique:   You can create a sculptural effect with your embossing powder by trying Kat Runge’s double dipping technique: after you have painted or stamped RP onto your paper apply a layer of a coarse grind clear embossing powder (shake off the excess) followed by a layer of a fine grind clear embossing powder then heat to melt the powders. The fine grind fills in around the coarse powder for a thick, glossy coat.

 Gilding:   You can guild areas of your work by lightly sprinkling a pinch of extra fine metallic embossing powder over the wet RP then coat with clear embossing powder and heat. The RP shimmer shows thru the delicate metallic shine.

Brushes & Paint Tools:   Firm bristled brushes work well with emollient RP. Good examples are oil painter’s brushes and fabric painter’s brushes. Also, synthetic watercolor brushes, such as nylon or Taklon bristle such as KatTrax dTail 3^TM, maintain their crispness and spring. Naturally, different brushes will give you different effects. You can create a spattered look with the KatTrax Kewl Tool^TM by applying paint to the coarse sponge and pouncing it on your paper. With a fan brush you can softly feather the edges of one color into another or create a soft furry effect at the edge of a color. You might use a tiny watercolor brush for small details and a stipple brush, such as the KatTrax Whiska Stippler^TM, for blocking in large areas of color or applying RP directly to your rubber stamp. Use a Waterbrush for soft washes of Radiant Pearl colors. You can finger paint, use your brayer, and make your own tools from items you find around your house: think of the look you can get by rolling a Hot Wheels across your palette then onto your paper!

The KatTrax Kewl Tool^TM:   Tap your Kewl Tool into a puddle of RP you’ve put on your palette. The RP will cling to the nooks and crannies of the Kewl Tool. Tap or pounce the Kewl Tool onto paper. The results are spatters and speckles. The more paint on the Kewl Tool the larger and coarser the spatters. You may let the spatters air-dry or you may emboss them. If you emboss them you may leave them raised and dimensional or you can squash them flat for shiny dots with shimmery, air-dried edges. Lay a paper towel over the embossed spatters then firmly roll a brayer over the top. This will burst the embossed spatters. Another textured or decorative look can be achieved by giving the tool a twist for roundels. You can drag the tool across the paper for streaks and cross-hatch. Drag the tool from your stamped and painted image outward for a “spin art” effect, especially if you use colors from the main image. For example, use the same colors you used to stamp and emboss a large leaf. You can create patterns and textures on broad surface stamps that you have painted with RP (see Direct t'Rubba section). Use the Kewl Tool when you mono-print. The Kewl Tool IS a sponge that holds a surprising amount of liquid. Thus, never stick your Kewl Tool into a pot of RP: it’ll pull out almost all of your paint and there is no getting it out of the sponge!

The KatTrax Whiska Stippler^TM:   You can fill and block in color quickly. Pick up a few pearls of paint with the longer whiskers. Tap or pounce your brush on your palette, working the paint into the brush. Now, tap or pounce your brush onto your paper. The paint applied across your paper quickly in this manner, leaving nice open areas for other color layering. Where the colors overlap, new colors are created for a transparent fusion of colors. You can create rainbows and ombre effects by working from one color to another and slightly overlapping the colors. You can also apply RP directly to your rubber stamps using the same stipple technique.

Cleaning Brushes While Painting:   You can clean excess RP from your brush by first brushing, wiping, painting, or stippling the excess paint from your brush on a scrap piece of paper. This paper scrap can be used as background paper later. Then, sweep your brush across a pad of water dampened papers towels or a water dampened KatTrax^TM Sweep Kleen brush cleaning pad. Squeeze out any excess water in the brush bristles with a towel.

 Paint Palette:   It’s recommended that a non-porous surface be used as a paint palette: RP will not dry up on non-porous surfaces such as plastic, glass, metal or rubber. Kat Runge began the “old, used CD’s as RP palettes” because they are “small and concise, the silver finish reflects light up through the RP on the palette, specially blended colors can remain and be saved on the palette indefinitely and be workable at a later date, and the palettes are free from internet service providers who regularly send upgraded palettes in the mail!”  By the way, those paint loaded CDs can be stored in CD jewel cases. Here’s another idea: why not purchase a beautiful, old china plate from the thrift store? Or, recycle a foam meat tray!

Clean Up:   RP will clean up easily and quickly with water. The paint may stain your brushes, but don’t let that worry or fool you. When the water runs clear you’ll know your brushes are clean. You may use a mild soap if you so desire, or a brush soap, which contains conditioners. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll preserve and extend the life of your brushes if you use cool water rather than hot water. Gently squeeze the excess water from the bristles with a towel, reshape the bristles with your finger and lay the brush flat until dry. Store your brushes flat or with bristles pointing up. Never store or rest your brush downward on it’s bristles. This can cause permanent bristle malformation or broken & bent bristles.

RP with Colored Pencils, Watercolors, Markers, etc.:   You can paint RP right over color pencil, watercolor and marker colored projects. If you use a Neutral you’ll add shimmer without altering the original color. You can enhance your colors by working with mixed media. You can enhance your pencils and watercolors by painting over them with RP. Or, you can enrich or deepen the RP color by coloring in an area first with color pencils or watercolors. Want a more intense red? Color first with pencils or watercolor, then paint with one of the red RP. Because RP is transparent, it will optically appear lighter on paper. RP in the bottle is like a thick piece of colored glass. RP on paper is like the sheerest of cellophanes. However, apply red RP on top of red paper or paper colored red and it will look redder. If you want more intense color and still have it transparent, try using Emboss pens.  

Kat's Wet Mask Technique:  You can use Radiant Pearls as a soft and temporary masking fluid. It does not create a hard edged mask or provide 100% protection. Rather, it allows the overlaying colors to softly highlight the masked areas, which later become reflected light or colors from the surrounding area. Apply a thick and generous coat of Radiant Pearls to the area you wish masked. Oyster Shell is an excellent color choice because it will not leave color from the mask itself behind and it is thick and heavy with pearl powder, providing you with the best coverage. If you would like a little tone left behind, then you may want one of the Frosts, such as Petal Pink, as your wet masking fluid. After you've generously coated the area you want mask, paint and stipple the surrounding area. Once the surrounding area is complete, remove the wet mask by wiping away. The KatTrax Swiper^TM is an excellent tool for this job. Wipe from the center of the mask outward, removing the picked up mask from the rubber blade after each swipe.

Decorative Background Papers:   Let your imagination run wild!  You’ll create background papers as you paint when you keep a piece of scrap paper by your side. Each time you change colors, clean the excess paint off your brush by wiping it onto the scrap paper. You can also wipe your palette onto the scrap paper. Or roll your brayer over the palette then roll the brayer over the paper for a soft muted look of colors. For more drama, apply dollops of RP onto your paper, and then drag a paper marbling comb or a tile setters comb/trowel through the puddles. Or, stipple a heavy coat of RP onto the paper covering it completely, then drag a comb or rubber blade, such as the Swiper. Drag the comb straight across or in loops or in zigzags. Create patterns with your rubber stamps. These papers have a heavier coat of RP, so they’ll take longer to dry, but it’s worth the wait. You’ll be delightfully rewarded. You’ll also notice that the paper becomes supple, almost leather like in texture and feel.

 Direct  t’Rubba:   Apply RP directly to your rubber stamp then stamp it on your paper, hence the name Direct t'Rubba. You can apply the paint with a stipple brush, such as the Whiska Stippler, your finger, a Tsukineko Fantastix, or a watercolor brush, such as the KatTrax d’Tail^TM 3. Each of these tools will produce a different look. Stipple RP looks softly fused with color while paint applied with your finger looks bold and swashed with color. The Fantastix creates a cross-hatched look. Add speckles with the Kewl Tool. Your broad surface stamps are mini mono printing plates, for example, after you have applied RP to your stamp, you can remove some of the paint from the stamp, creating patterns and textures. By twisting the Kewl Tool on the painted stamp you create wispy roundel patterns. You can press a texture stamp onto a painted broad surface stamp, giving the texture stamp a slight twist onto the broad surface stamp, which will remove paint and leave the texture image behind. Paint up your texture stamp first with a contrasting color and you leave a hint of color behind. When applying RP to background stamps, such as words and textures, lightly whisk the Whiska Stippler brush back and forth over the stamp.

Mono Printing:   Apply a thin film of RP onto a flat, non-porous surface, such as acrylic or glass, with a brayer. This becomes your mono printing plate. Press a stamp into the film, give it a slight twist or slide, and when you lift up the stamp you'll see RP has been removed. You can apply RP onto the stamp before pressing onto the plate, which will leave some of the paint behind on the plate. You can draw designs with the Kewl Tool or a rubber blade, such as the KatTrax Swiper^TM. After you've created your designs on your mono-print plate, lay a piece of paper on top applying good even pressure. A brayer rolled back and forth over the top works well. Pull off the paper for the first print. Put on a second sheet for a softer, paler print.

Joseph’s Coat the RP Way:   Emboss your brightly RP painted image or your Direct t’Rubba, using any of the embossing techniques you desire (gilding, super embossing, etc). With your ColorBox^TM pigment ink pad (black for the most drama) coat the embossed image and paper heavily and thoroughly. Coat with clear embossing powder and heat the entire surface. The Embossed RP image magically reappears in tones slightly altered by the now transparent ColorBox ink. The entire surface is shiny and glossy. Other brand pigment inks may or may not achieve like results.

Roller Stamps:   Create a "stamp pad" for your roller stamps by brayering a thin film of RP onto a palette, then rolling your Roller Stamp across the RP film. Let it air dry for a soft shimmer. Or emboss it, and then apply more RP to the paper creating a contrast of velvety background and shiny embossed images. Try embossing the images with white embossing powder on white paper, then coloring the paper. The white image magically comes to life as you color the paper. The thin RP film is perfect for the ColorBox^tm Stylus Tool, too. Tap the tool into the thin film and apply it to your paper. Air-dry or emboss.

Bleaching:   Using a synthetic bristle brush, paint common household bleach onto colored paper and color will be removed. The bleached area does not become white, but rather muted or bleached colors of the original paper. Bleach weakens with exposure to light and air, thus lessening the bleaching effect. Also, it weakens as it activates with fibers. You can use this knowledge to your painting advantage. For strong bleached areas, use fresh bleach. For less bleached areas, saturate a paper towel pad with bleach. As the bleach activates on the paper towel it becomes weaker. Dab your brush into this weakened bleach and paint. Or, dip your brush into a small pot of bleach, but hold off putting to paper, letting the bleach sit in your brush for a minute. After the bleach has dried on your paper, you may paint your card with RP.

Acetate & Tissue Paper:   Wrinkle, crumple and wad up a piece of tissue paper and slightly smooth out. Set it aside. On a piece of acetate spread a layer of Crystal Lacquer^TM or Diamond Glaze^TM. Into this layer drizzle or droplet RP and slightly mix, swirl or marbleize the mixture. Press the scrunched tissue onto this mixture and set aside to dry, tissue side up. Remember, Crystal Lacquer and Diamond Glaze take time to dry. After it has dried, possibly not until the next day, turn the acetate/RP/tissue sheet over and stamp an image onto the acetate with permanent ink. Trim away any tissue sticking out beyond the edges of the acetate. Voila!