As a kid, I used to play making soap bubbles. I was always intrigued by the swirl of colors on the surface of the bubbles, and how they always seemed to be distributed in the right proportions to each other. As the bubble weakened, and was about to burst, it gradually began to take on a more yellow/brownish cast, then it would pop. A film of oil floating on the surface of water also seems to have those same color swirls happening there as well. Like a Kalaidescope, they're ever changing, much to my fascination.
Can anyone explain how or why that happens? Have you ever tried to duplicate anything like it using paint?
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Sorta,
At Duck Soup, someone emptied a coupld paint cups into a pan of water (I think they thought it was thinner). Made really cool swirls. Some of us grabbed chunks of coro, dip it in for a second & pulled it out. Kinda wierd designs, but it was cool. Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
The closest thing is even seen are the Kamealean clors by House of Kolors I think there is also some vinyls that minic this look.
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
What Chris is speaking of is called "Marbling". It used to be common in bookbinding as a decorative page inside the cover. A friend uses this technique to create very cool greeting cards and stationary. I don't remember all that went into the process, but it was fairly straight forward and all the materials were available through Dick Blick.
I also saw a one shot technique demo'd at Dave Knoll's meet in Elkhart, Indiana...many years ago. Basically paint on a panel, sprayed with thinner and then the panel tipped and blown to make the colors move.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
The craft store will have several different marbling kits. Most likely for water based paint.
A method for enamels is to pour liquid "Borax" into a pan of water, then (a litle bit of) some thinned enamel colors. Swirl it around a bit with a stir stick, and dip and remove your object. the borax keeps the paint on top of the water. Experiment with quantities, materials and things to dip until you get a cool look.
Another method for enamels is to mix several colors w. turpentine, and pour them in rough stripes on a board. Then spray it w. a plant sprayer w. turps, pick it up and tilt it around so that the colors (slightly) mix. Experiment again for various looks. Different thinners will give diff results too.
These techniques are very messy. So wear rubber gloves and a smock. And have fun!
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
The reason you see rainbow colors in the water, and bubbles is light refraction. Its the same principle as a prisim. Light enters and is refracted to its basic colors. The bubbles change colors just before bursting because the walls of the bubble is becoming thinner. The refraction becomes tighter and tighter as the walls of the bubble become smaller; thus the changing rate of light being refracted.
If you suspend pearl in a clear vehicle, and apply it to a white background you'll get this desired effect. If you've ever gone fishing, and caught a fish; you'll see that the fish has these same properties. The light gets refracted between their scales which are translucent. Does a Rainbow trout ring a bell?
In the ole`days,(circa1850) sign artists used to chopped up abalone for making iridescent lettering on reverse glass pieces.
Today, Halographic Vinyl does the same thing. Laser etched vinyl also have this property.
-Rich
Posted by Dawn Ellis (Member # 3529) on :
Marbling is great fun and you can create many different effects. Need to mix caragheenan with water to float the paint colors on. Then add ox gall to the paint to make it float. Then use rakes and combs and your imagination to make all kinds of wonderful designs. Also need to prep the surface of what you're going to marble.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Richard,
I did a something at Mass Mayhem with the process you described (pearl powder and UV Clear slightly thinned, airbrushd on a white panel). The effect looked like the inside of a seashell and when you caught the light right, the colors shifted beautifully. I have always had a fascination with light and reflection and kept that panel for myself.
Hmmm...I wonder what crystal glass smalts would look like on a mirror with clearcoating to refract the light.
Man I just gotta try that one some day. Rapid
Posted by Chuck Churchill (Member # 68) on :
Its not natural and its not paint but the same physics are involved. Pull out any CD or DVD that you have laying around and look at the recorded side. Most of them appear silver until you start moving it around against the nearest light source. You will see all the colours of the rainbow swirl around.
I made use of the refraction in CDs and a 12" videodisk in my panel exchange project to give it quick eye appeal. My panel went to Dave Draper and was made to recognize his efforts to produce the Letterville CD. I found some coloured CD's and lettered them with each songwriters name. Used the videodisk to recreate a large version of the CD with the logo graphic in the middle. The panel keeps changing colours on you as you move or the light source changes.
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