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The Japanese jewel beetle: a painter's challenge

Whereas artists have been able to reproduce pigmentary colours in paintings since the earliest time, this has not been the case for structural colours. The example of the Japanese Jewel Beetle demonstrates, however, that by application of the latest iridescent colour technology, biological structural colours can finally be simulated in painting. This research shows how effect pigments, and the resulting paints based on light interference, can be adapted to recreate in art this important segment of natural reflection. Iridescent colour technology has the potential to revolutionise fine art painting. Mimicking the Japanese Jewel Beetle by employing paints with embedded flakes, we demonstrate that the resulting painting, just like the beetle, displays iridescent colours that shift with minute variation of the angle of light and viewing.

Merck KGaA & BASF Pigment Division provided effect pigment powder; St John’s College Oxford awarded Schenk a Visiting Scholarship in support of the work reported. The research was additionally supported by Arts Council England, Birmingham City University and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research/European Office of Aerospace Research and Development AFOSR/EOARD (grant FA8655-08-1-3012 to Stavenga).

The paper was commissioned by Professor Andrew Parker (Guest Editor), Bioinspiration & Biomimetics Journal, with Professor Robert Allen (Editor-in-Chief) and Dr Andrew Malloy (Publisher). Schenk acted as the lead author, initiating and conducting most of the research. Bodo Wilts performed the comparative optical measurements involved and provided the associated diagrams. Professor Stavenga added a detailed discussion on multilayer reflectors.