Chameleon Interference effects in painting

There is a unique collection of 38 references in the Stardust® range, leader and pioneer in Europe in the field of Chameleon colours.

“Chameleon” paints, formerly known as “Beetle” paints, “Flip Flop” paints, or even “Colorshift” paints are pearlescent colors that offer changing color reflections depending on the angle from which they are observed.

Among the chameleon colours, there are a certain number which consist of transparent pearls*.

These chameleon paints then take on the appearance of a whitish liquid, which is in truth almost transparent when applied with an airbrush / spray gun.

*The transparent mother-of-pearl is made of a modern synthetic material imitating natural mica. It is more transparent, more reflective, and less yellowing.

Try changing the background color

Usually applied on a black background, in order to reflect only the light of the mother-of-pearl that composes them*, transparent type chameleon paints can be applied on other background colors.

*the black color reflects little or no light.

We are not talking about a pearly or metallic background color here, because due to certain optical phenomena, a mother-of-pearl on another mother-of-pearl, or a mother-of-pearl on a metal pigment, see their effects cancel out.

We can therefore apply a transparent chameleon color on an opaque colored background, red, yellow, blue, gray… In truth, any color, white included.

The effects are quite interesting and surprising. These are innovative finishes in the field of bodywork or decoration, which are perfectly suitable for indoors or outdoors, thanks to the high resistance of chameleons to UV.

Multicolored interference mother-of-pearl

Interference is an optical phenomenon. In the field of painting, it designates the return of a single color, different from that of the background.

Example : a GREEN background + a RED interfering layer

Stardustcolors classic interference colors include red, green, blue, gold, and purple ; these effect products can be found either in powder form with Crystal interference pearlescent pearls, or in the form of clearcoats.

Transparent chameleons created richer effects in terms of reflections, with double, triple or quadruple colored reflections.

Depending on their purity and composition, they will modify the background color very slightly or not at all.

In truth, the darker the background color, the more the interfering chameleon reflection will dominate the visible appearance returned to the viewer of the painted piece.

Diamond-like interfering chameleons

Classic chameleons are composed of fairly fine particles, the size of which is in the average of the pigments used in the world of automotive paint. These transparent chameleon effects have been transposed onto the large diamond mother-of-pearl, which is made of glass, and which has much more iridescent and glittery properties.

Interference chameleon sequins from the COSMIC range

Here are flakes from the Metal Flakes family, made of polyester, which reproduce the same multicolored effects as chameleons. These COSMIC flakes are perfectly transparent and have an advantage over the large classic opaque Metal Flakes flakes : they are thinner and much easier to varnish.

There is yet another spangle, still polyester-based, and still 200µm in size, which is the transparent holographic spangle.

All these effects mentioned above belong to the family of “Interference effects”.

Chameleons

Also called Flip flop, Beetle shell, Harlequin effects.

The famous Chameleons paints create an extraordinary and surprising visual effect by changing colour (double, triple or quadruple), as the observer moves around the painted object. Two main colours can always be noticed, while the secondary colours will show at the angles.

It’s the light reflection on the chameleon pearls that gives to the paints their multi-coloured changing effect.

That’s why it is important to always apply it over a black base coat, because black doesn’t interfere with light whereas chameleon pigments reflect light ( when applied over a white background, most chameleons are invisible). They are ideal to create your own custom paint, whether for car, motorcycle paint, or in the home. You will get a great chameleon paint that will amaze everybody.

StardustColors proposes a large choice of 16 chameleon colours, available in spray and in can, and divided up into three categories, as follows:

• Sparkle: Medium size pearl flakes. Transparent type

• Stardust: Very small size pearl flakes . Non transparent type

• Colorwave: Ultra-thin size pearl flakes. Transparent type

Special chameleon pigments:

• Liquid Crystal: Very small size pearl flakes. Non transparent type. Candy paint have been added to offer greater colour saturation and depth effect.

• Diamond: Large size pearl flakes. Ultra-transparent type. Top quality materials made with glass microparticles for high index of light reflection.

How to create unique and amazing colours ?

Some transparent chameleon pigments (and only those!), can be applied over any basecoat colour other than the usual black! You can spray over a blue, red, orange, white or even grey background, to get unique and unexpected combinations!

How to apply the chameleon paint ?

The painting technique is extremely easy. The first rule for painting chameleon is to apply the paint over a black background. The second one is to spray very thin passes. The more you add paint the more the chameleon will show and become coloured. If not enough paint is applied, the chameleon effect will not show properly.