Iridescence without Grain (for Tyranids)? Help!
I'm getting back into models recently. I want to both make up a new batch of nid/nid-adjacent models and repaint my old ones (cause I first painted them when I was a literal child).
So I came up with the idea to paint the shells a dark iridescent colour like bugs. I found some holographic topcoat nail polish which I layered over some glossy black nail polish (white basecoat) to create the desired effect on a test model. And I'll use the nail polish on my own nails too so it was a worthwhile investment :)
While it almost does the job but it leaves a grainy-ness because ultimately the effect is achieved with fine glitter. Looking into it I have found people recommending colourshifting paint. Here are some narrowed down options:
Vallejo The Shifters Paints - (Singles all colours) 17ml Bottles Acrylic | eBay
GreenStuffWorld 1729 17ml Chameleon BOREALIS GREEN
GreenStuffWorld 1728 17ml Chameleon DARTH BLUE
I need to know -
- Do these paints still have the grainy-ness? (esp on smooth-ish surfaces)
- Which brand is superior in terms of smoothness?
- Does anyone here have experience using these shades?
- Could anyone recommend me a shade that is very dark with blues and greens like beetle shells?
I tried looking at stuff other people have posted with these paints but I can't quite tell from the images if the grainy-ness is still there. I'm okay to settle for speckled shells if there is no good alternative but its just not quite what I had in mind...
I know that nail polish isn't quite the same as acrylic paint and is a little too thick, but I find it works well enough for smooth surfaces. If anyone has any recommendations of nailpolish that will do a similar job - I am open to hearing those too :)
Thank you in advance to anyone willing to help :)