C
AR MODELERSare always looking for
ways to enhance their creations – with
photoetched-metal or cast-resin details
or special refinishing products. One of the
most exciting such products I’ve seen is a
powder called Pearl-Ex, marketed by
Jacquard Products (www.jacquardprod-
ucts.com) and available in craft stores.
Pearl-Ex is nontoxic and inert, and is
available in a set of 32 colors: 16 pearles-
cents, five interference colors that reflect at
certain angles, three duo-colors that flip-
flop, and eight metallics or pastels. When
one of these colors is added to almost any
medium, the result is a sparkle and brilliance
that simply cannot be accomplished with
paint alone. Here’s the 32-color assortment, available at craft stores.
Painting with
Mix Pearl-Ex with clear for dazzling effects
Story and photos by STEVE CULPEPPER