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Polyester Jewels are vibrant, reflective metallic glitters that can elevate anything from polyester resin to acrylic enamel. Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or a professional crafter, these flakes are a game changer, bringing an eye-catching shine to your work.

Black patinas are incredibly versatile and can provide various effects depending on how you use them. Whether you’re aiming for a sleek, modern look or a textured, dramatic finish, these patinas can help you achieve just that.

At Douglas and Sturgess, we carry a variety of natural and synthetic pigments, as well as fluorescent pigments, phosphorescent pigments, metallic pigments, thermochromic and photochromic pigments and have the largest selection of pigments on the West Coast! Read on to find out more about these amazing materials.

Raw powdered pigments have been the cornerstone of artistic expression for millennia, offering artists a direct connection to nature and history. From the vibrant ochres of ancient cave paintings to the sophisticated color palettes of modern studios, raw pigments remain a fundamental element in the creation of art.

Flexible slip, also known as mannequin rubber, consists of a mixture of latex rubber and clay and is slip cast into plaster molds to create hollow, light weight , tough parts. This material air dries to the consistency of hard leather. Once dried, flexible slip can be painted with acrylic paints and is fantastic for making items like doll and puppet heads, Christmas ornaments and display props.

Some common uses for flexible slip include:

Casting: Flexible slip is poured into dry plaster molds to create semi-flexible castings that can capture intricate details.
Artistic Applications: Artists often use flexible slip to create sculptures and artworks.
Restoration: It can be used in restoration projects to replicate missing or damaged parts of historical artifacts or architectural elements. Especially useful for simulating lincrusta.
Additionally, because flexible slip is made of materials like latex and clay, it is virtually non-toxic!

We recently launched a new podcast called, "The Science of Art". We started this podcast with the desire to share information about the science behind how certain materials work to create different types of art. You can find this podcast on all the usual podcast platforms, and we have the audio on our YouTube channel as well. We look forward to sharing more topics with you in the future and if there is anything you'd like to learn more about, please share it with us in the comments. Our first episode was all about silicone rubbers and how they work, so we are sharing the transcript with you here in case you'd prefer to read about this topic. Read on about the science of silicone rubbers!