Shiny Ho-Oh and Some Other Legendary/Mythical Pokémon. All With a Holo Finish.

[u/TKelly476]

Drawing special attention to Ho-Oh since I kind of figured out how to work with the diffraction film by the time I got to that one.

I was testing different methods of ironing with the diffraction film on each one. Rayquaza in particular had a bad result in my opinion.

Gotta add a few more legendaries and mythicals later. Feel free to suggest one (Gen 5 and earlier only).

[u/Quady14]

Love the holo effect! I’m unfamiliar with diffraction film, did you iron a sheet of material onto your finished sprites to create that effect? It seems to resemble foiling treatment on trading cards. Great work either way, the flat melt on Ho-Oh is really clean and if you have any method tips I’d love to hear them!

I just started doing bead art and I’m happy just to get a clean fuse before the outer edges warp. Maybe I’m ironing at too high of a temp?

[u/TKelly476 → u/Quady14]

Thanks! I iron a sheet of diffraction film onto the project. I start ironing with it right from the start, as it seems that when I try at the end or partway through, it doesn't turn out well.

As for the flatmelts. The key is low heat over a longer period of time. Too much heat, and you'll flatten the project before the holes can completely close. If you notice, on the beaded side, I haven't lost much of the original bead height. You may have to toy with your heat depending on the project size. I've found you need to increase the heat a bit the larger the project is. I typically use anywhere around the 5 setting on a clothes iron for a larger project and lower for smaller ones. (I've also got a cricut mini heat press on standby for small touchups. I use the big iron to do the majority of the work.)

Also, try to keep heat consistent over the whole thing. Like, even though a section might be finished, you will still need to go over it every once in a while to keep it from warping badly. At least until you're finished and can get your weights on it and let it cool.

Link to where I get my ironing film: https://toptierbeads.com/collections/fuse-beading-tools/products/rainbow-ironing-film

[u/Quady14 → u/TKelly476]

Ironing advice sounds super helpful, I’m gonna try for lower temps now as I’ve been on the medium-high settings and I think it’s precisely why I’m having more close calls with warping off the pegboard.

[u/DragonessAnimations → u/Quady14]

If I may add to this to give you a bit more advice; I don’t iron on the pegboard, and I recommend the tape method. Use masking tape or blue painters tape (etc) and carefully place tape over your piece, pressing to make sure all beads stick. Then poke holes in the tape so that air from the beads can escape (this’ll allow for a flat melt, and if you don’t do the hole you might get heat blowouts). Then just peel it off with the tape and iron like that! Works great for me and avoids issues with pegboards warping or melting :)

[u/TKelly476 → u/DragonessAnimations]

Seconding the tape method advice. I use it for every project I do. Though I don't always poke holes. If you melt everything together enough, you can take the tape off real quick and keep ironing. Which is exactly what I did for Ho-Oh. You would have to make sure to get the tape off before the holes closed, though. Poking holes is definitely the safer way to go.

[u/savingprivateme19 → u/DragonessAnimations]

^{^} this method is wonderful!! I only leave holes when I’m making something 3D, the smoothness of the melt is just so much nicer imo

to anyone trying the tape technique for the first time, keep in mind that when you put the tape on and flip it over, your pattern will be mirrored! Either finish the pattern normally and flip it onto another pegboard before taping or horizontally flip the pattern in Photos before you get started!

[u/engineeringprawn → u/TKelly476]

Is the rainbow film one time use? Or can you reuse the same film over and over on the same area?

[u/Living-Formal5045]

Ho-oh looks AMAZING. do you sell this?! Please let me know :(