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Working With Iridescents

By Jo Sonja Jansen MDA, VGM

There is a very pleasant touch to the Iridescent Colors. Smooth, silky and yet the paint will hold ridges. When you stroke the paint it's shimmery iridescent qualities will be revealed as the paint dries. If you have done a stroke with a lot of texture, sometimes a little white cast will remain in the area of the strongest texture, especially with Orange Iridescent, making a lovely highlight to the stroke.

When you open the tube and squeeze out the paint, they all look almost white, so place your colors near a pigment puddle of the same hue, of possible. It is best to place out only a small amount, when it is needed, as their lovely touch is best when fresh.

For Sideloading techniques, use your filbert or flat brushes. If you are a round brush painter, flatten your brush and sideload into your color. If the round brush will not stay flat, you may need to dress it in a little medium or transparent base color first.