(Question) The best iridescent paints?

[Tolgarr]

What are the best iridescent fabric paints? I haven't been able to find any that really suits my taste in the iridescent department.
And are there any clear-ish iridescent paints that I can use as a finish over other paints?

[BriannaPixieDee]

Lumiere Paints are good. You can get a set of 6 for $35. They are heat set though! There's tutorials on youtube about them for mermaid tails :3

[courtneymermaid]

I LOVE Lumiere!!! Those paints are like painting with magic haha! I've use them on three of my fabric tails so far. So much love. They come in so many different colours and consistencies from super opaque to translucent. I love them! They are great to touch too up when you have to do tail repairs and I don't find that they fade super quick (based on my personal experience using them). They do need to be heat set, but that's the same with most fabric paints. LOVE!

Edit: I forgot to add that I do only use them for the scales and accents, not as my base paint.

[Mermaid Alea]

How do you heat set the paint? I painted one side of my tail with the lumiere paint and I thought I read somewhere that you could put it in the dryer to heat set it, but would ironing be better? I don't want to mess it up although I have already made some mistakes. :$

[courtneymermaid]

I use a cotton sheet and lay that over top of the dry paint (let it completely air dry before you go to heat set it) and then I iron it in sections. I usually heat set it twice, once after I've done the base colour and then again after adding the Lumiere. I can say though that the Permaset Aqua paint takes longer to heat set than the Lumiere and it also depends on the fabric. I usually do a test on a scrap of the material I'm using before I do the whole thing.

[Mermaid Alea]

Thanks! :)
I love the lumiere paint so far. I would say though that before you get the paint, think about how much of each color you will be using. I found out I didn't have enough paint to do scales on both sides of my tail, so I need to order more. Also on their site the color examples they show are a little bit off. I got a dark green and a medium green and they both ended up looking the same. The colors are much prettier in person.

[Ilyena]

I used 8-10 tubs of lumiere paint for my neoprene tail (still have a little left though) but that was cause they sent me the wrong colour neoprene and it was harder to cover up and get the colour I wanted :P

[Coradion]

How do you heat set the paint? I painted one side of my tail with the lumiere paint and I thought I read somewhere that you could put it in the dryer to heat set it, but would ironing be better? I don't want to mess it up although I have already made some mistakes. :$

Heat gun or high powered hair dryer or even a dry iron. Don't put neoprene in the dryer if it's a neoprene tail. Neoprene does not like too much heat.

[courtneymermaid]

Oh yes! I forgot to add (this is in reference to Coradion's comment) all my tails are neoprin, hence being able to use the iron. Ironing neoprene can be a bit disastrous, so make sure you know your materials and the best way to heat set them before attempting anything new. I'm so glad you said something Coradion! ^_^

[Ilyena]

Neoprene can be ironed...just remember the cotton fabric between them and a low setting otherwise it sticks to the iron and makes the iron icky (I know that from experience lol)

[Mermaid Alea]

Heat gun or high powered hair dryer or even a dry iron. Don't put neoprene in the dryer if it's a neoprene tail. Neoprene does not like too much heat.

It is just 4 way stretch fabric.

[Ilyena]

Still no harm in putting the cotton between, stretch fabric can also melt if in direct contact, or low dryer setting, just remember to test before putting finished products in a dryer just in case!!

[courtneymermaid]

I use a cotton sheet, because my irons picks up the paint (even after it as dried completely) and then if I ever go to iron anything else, say my new shorts for summer (I was a mad mermaid), I end up with paint getting ironed into other pieces of fabric. LOL