Iridescent paint (also known as metallic or metal paint) comes in a wide variety, offering beautiful reflective options for painting. Customize them with these tips and techniques. For more information on iridescent paints see Section 3: Essential Tips for Reflective Paints.
Paint
One or more acrylic modern paint colors, several iridescent paints
Substrate
Any primed painting surface
Tools
Palette knives or other mixing and application tool, paintbrush, mixing palette
Products (Optional)
Slow-drying acrylic gloss medium or gloss gel
For Cleanup
Water, water container, paper towels or rags
STEP 1 Make Iridescent Color Mixtures
On a palette or mixing plate, apply some of each of a variety of iridescent paint colors forming a semi circle along the outside rim of the palette, leaving the center space free for mixing. To extend the open time, add up to 30% slow-drying medium or gloss gel to each quantity of iridescent paint on the palette. Create new color mixtures in the palette’s center by mixing combinations of two or more. Here Iridescent Silver is mixed with Iridescent Bronze to get an interesting new metallic color. Keep mixtures condensed into small, high piles instead of spreading out thinly so they stay wet longer. Mix as many combinations as you like.
STEP 2 Add Paint Color
Make new piles on the palette by mixing a few drops of modern paint colors (more information on moderns in Section 1) into one iridescent or combination of iridescents. Here Phthalo Blue is mixed into Iridescent Stainless Steel to create a cooler color version of steel.
STEP 3 Apply Mixtures onto the Surface
The palette should now have a wide range of choices. Using a brush, knife or rag apply these to an unpainted surface or a surface prepainted with color or an image. Vary applications thinly and thickly to get a variety of tonal qualities.
Iridescent Silver visually heightens the white ground underlying strong yellow and black gestural elements.
WHILE TURNING
Jill Moser
Oil and acrylic on canvas
55" × 56" (140cm × 142cm)
Photo credit: Kevin Noble
Iridescent Bronze paint adds a striking contrast with blue and black paint colors.
SHEDDING MY SKIN
Bonnie Teitelbaum
Acrylic on panel
48" × 36" (122cm × 91cm)
For more experimenting, try using a two-part patina solution found in art stores and online. These use iridescents that contain real metal with a compatible patina solution. Follow the instructions on the label for applying paint and patina solutions.