The Bottom Line
Glow in the Dark paint (made by various craft companies) is a useful addition to a miniaturist's toolkit for a number of effects. The glowing effect is fairly short lived and must be recharged with light often. The effect is best seen under a black light, which energizes the paint and causes it to glow. The paint can be applied to fabrics, and can be used on cling film to create glowing wisps for miniature effects.
Pros
- Acrylic paint, cleans up with water, can be used with acrylic mediums.
- Can be used on fabric.
- Easy way to get a glowing effect.
- Works well with uv black lights.
Cons
- Glowing effect is short lived once the lights go out.
- Without a uv black light it does not provide a very bright effect.
Description
- A short term glowing effect best used with a black light to illuminate the miniature you paint with it.
- Good for creating green glowing ooze, is not effective in scenes if overused. Use fluorescent highlighters for other colors.
- Texture does not allow it to be particularly effective as a stamp ink. Use fluorescent markers instead.
Guide Review - Glow in the Dark Acrylic Paint
Glow in the Dark paint is a useful paint for Halloween miniatures and good for adding some glowing effects to fire coals etc. for non seasonal displays. The paint does not form as even a layer as some other acrylic formulations, it tends to hold brush strokes and not blend together evenly. It also dries as a very flexible paint and appears to have more acrylic latex base than some other acrylic craft paints.
The glowing effect is fairly short lived once the lights go out, only a few minutes before the paint must be recharged again in order to glow. It glows very effectively under black lights, but even there is not as bright a fluorescent effect as some highlighting pens on bright white paper. The eerie green glow is very effective as a glowing slime, or for other things you want to have a green glow.
The paint can be used on clear plastic film (clingfilm, plastic wrap) as a means of creating very filmy textiles in miniature. The Skeleton Bride is wearing a gown created by dry brushing glow in the dark paint on cling film, allowing the paint to dry, then forming the film into a dress for the skeleton. You can also use this paint on cling film to create see through miniatures. Spiderwebs, decorations on windows, see through ghosts, can all be made this way and hung in situations where their see through qualities add to the effect.
