5 Tips for Mixing Mica Powder With Acrylic Paint

Mica powder is a versatile craft supply that can contribute color, depth, and shine to almost any project. If you’re working with acrylic paint and want to bring these benefits to your project, consider mixing your paint with mica powder. Before doing so, though, you should consider the following five tips. They can help take your project to the next level.

Translucent Acrylics Are Best

Most mica powders are already colored. They have a light natural color that many manufacturers add to help them shine. A sparkling characteristic is also a natural part of mica powder. If you want the color of the mica powder and its natural sparkle to best come through your paint, consider using a translucent acrylic medium instead of pre-colored acrylic paint.

Pre-Colored Acrylics Can Change Mica Tint

If you’ve already started using pre-colored acrylic paint in your current project, that’s okay. You can still mix mica powder into that paint. However, it’s important to know that pre-colored acrylic paint can change your mica powder’s tint. This means the mica powder may look more pastel when mixed in with your pre-colored paint. While it can still add depth and sparkle, this lighter tint hidden within the paint color is less noticeable than most artists prefer.

You Can DIY Acrylic Paint

Instead of choosing between a translucent acrylic medium or a pre-colored acrylic paint, some people prefer to make their own acrylic paint. This lets them create the exact medium they want with the exact color they want. There are various ways to DIY acrylic paint, but they follow similar formulas. You need your chosen mica powder; a binder, such as glazing liquid; and a vehicle for the mica powder, such as water. The vehicle can help prevent your mica powder from clumping, but some people prefer to work with only the powder and their chosen binder. The choice is up to you.

Mix With a Mini Frother

When mixing your mica powder into the translucent medium, pre-colored paint, or homemade paint, you should use a mini frother. A mini frother acts like a miniature electric whisk and helps fully combine the powder with the liquid better than hand mixing. Just remember to scrape the sides of your mixing container to ensure all the powder and liquid are together.

Let Color Swatches Dry

You’ve made your mica powder acrylic paint. Now you need to swatch it and let it dry. A color swatch allows you to see how the color looks on paper or whatever surface you’re working on. Allowing the color to dry gives you an idea of how transparent the paint is. If the paint is too transparent, you may need to add more powder.

These five tips can help you mix mica powder with acrylic paint for maximum success. If you need red mica or any other color for your next project, Eye Candy Pigments can help. We offer an entire spectrum of red shades so that you can always find the color you’re looking for.