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does anyone have any techniques or advice on mimicking the brilliant metallic iridescent color of a dung beetle's carapce?
-Mark

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/219797.page#400885

Another idea, though I haven't tried it myself, would be to get some cheap iridescent mineral eyeshadow. I've got a bunch from www.SweetLibertine.com (they're $5 a jar, and last forever, especially if you're only using them for painting ), I bet if you did a basecoat, then a layer of minerals, then a gloss coat, it would look awesome.

Man, I might have to try this, like right now. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Edit: Okay, just went and tried it. I did a small spot of black paint, and a strong application of wet pigment over it - it just looked the color of the eyeshadow, no basecoat seen at all.

Some of the powder fell on another part of the model, which I had primed gray, and I went in with a wet brush and made a thin wash of pigment over that area. You could definitely see the basecoat, both straight on and when held to the side, and at different angles it iridesced differently. I'd recommend sealing the basecoat before putting the pigment on, but it looks like it did the trick!

I now have a shiny purple ork butt.

Man! I'd forgot about that! Thanks for dredging it up from the depths of Dakka. Now I've decided, It's Tyranids, not Space Wolves. I'm off to find a new avatar. Hissssssssssssssssss!!!

One type of paint which does this is pearlescent (not sure of the spelling), and is used on cars. Not sure you can get it in aerosol form though, but probably.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearlescent_coatings

I've definitely seen pearlescent paint in craft/art stores - not intended for model painting, but it's just a specialised acrylic paint so should work fine.

Water based pearlecent fabric paint. Any craft store. Comes in colors. can have glitter. I have used it for reaper dancer figures. Thin it down. YMMV