to or otherwise redistributing the final and any at least softened underlying layer to expose one or more of the underlying layers for example a concentric wood ring effect is obtained by applying a greater pressure to the central portion of an article such as a ring coated with multiple layers of lacquer application_number US 32634781 A description the method of decorating articles according to the invention relates primarily but not exclusively to articles of adornment such as jewelry as used herein the term 34 articles 34 is intended to embrace portions of the body specifically fingernails and toenails as well as articles which are not commonly considered as jewelry for example belt buckles small boxes paper weights and the like a wide variety of coating compositions are suitable for use in this invention the only essential requirement being that the several coatings required i e two or more visually different coatings contain binders having a common solvent and that the common solvent be used for applying the final decorative layer the final decorative layer is the last layer applied before the step of redistribution of the coatings to form a pattern is conducted while an additional layer can be applied for example for protection of the decorated article such an additional layer is not considered a final decorative layer unless it is redistributed to form a pattern in accordance with this invention and it is dissolved in a solvent which is common for the layer or layers beneath thus a protective layer can be but is not necessarily soluble in the same solvents as the decorative layers which are essential to this invention and the application.