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Dazzling Twinkling H2Os
By M. Elizabeth Lee

Twinkling H2Os are watercolors in a solid cake form available in individual round mini pots with a screw cap lid.  These colors are loaded with iridescent elements of rich Mica pigments blended with pure watercolor pigment to give them sparkling luster.  They are suitable for a variety of surfaces such as cardstock, vellum, watercolor papers, canvas, wood, unglazed tiles, baked clay, shrink plastic, and dominos.  Shrink plastic should be heat shrunk first before applying the Twinkling H2Os to the stamped design.  Some of these surfaces such as wood, unglazed tiles, shrink plastic, clay, and dominos should be sealed after the application of Twinkling H2Os.  A high-quality spray sealer is Krylon Crystal Clear or Glossy.  A matte finish tends to dull the shimmering luster somewhat.  Future Floor Finish makes a superior sealer for tile, domino, clay, and shrink plastic projects colored with Twinkling H2Os.  Put the Future in a handy small pump spray bottle found at craft stores or beauty supply houses.  Add 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of Pearl Ex to a 2oz. pump spray bottle of Future for added luster in the final finish.  Future has an extensive shelf life so share with friends or give as gifts to friends who share similar art interests.

Although LuminArte produces both Twinkling H2Os and Radiant Pearls, these two products should not be combined.  They are entirely different types of paint with unrelated properties.  Radiant Pearls is an emollient based paint much like oil paint while Twinkling H2Os is pure watercolor pigment paint.  All Twinkling H2O colors can be intermingled with each other to create additional colors and effects.  Being highly concentrated cakes of color, Twinkling H2Os have a long-lasting quality.  The colors are quite opaque from the beginning of the brush stroke to the end.  Thinning with water will dilute them for shading purposes, which may reduce the sparkle.  However, sheer iridescent colors are designed to lighten opaque colors without compromising any loss of shimmer. 

There are various techniques that can be accomplished with this medium.  A standard procedure is the traditional color block method of filling in design areas with a variety of colors.  Other processes include painting on black surfaces; palette painting directly onto a rubber stamp; and rendering color to bleached out designs.  Also, fabulous watercolor backgrounds can be achieved to use as back drops for other stamped design work.