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Working With Iridescents Print E-mail

 

This same brush loading technique would be advisable if you want a little more blending of an iridescent color into a highlight color but do be cautious, the iridescent colors are very "tender" and their lovely shimmer can be quickly muted by too much base color in your brush.

Since you are working with colors that shine, they become your highlight colors. Remember that as you plan your painting. Cool colors will still recede, warm colors will come forward. Essentially most to the colors are lower in value than white except when they "catch the light" so keep your foundation or base painting lower in value and at least a little less intense.

 


You still need to carry each color throughout the painting and especially be aware that the shimmery strokes form a separate pattern of their own, so tip your painting until you can visualize this pattern and make sure that it is pleasant to look at also. There may be some exceptions, such as a large sun or moon and little stars.

 

The Iridescent colors can be mixed with other colors, sponged or stroked into faux finishes, spattered (especially nice on porphyry or lapis lazuli), give the shimmer to fairy wings, butterflies, humming birds and just generally make a little more elegant statement.

 

 



 

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