Iridescent paints can add sparkle to underpaintings, underlayers and backgrounds. Create a wide range of effects from graphic and bold to subtle tonal areas that can be used as a contemporary version of a grisaille (an Old Master’s technique of tonal underpainting that is glazed over with transparent color layers). See Technique 21 for another unusual grisaille using interference colors.
Paint
Micaceous Iron Oxide (or other Iridescent acrylic paints and Carbon Black)
Substrate
Any painting surface primed with gesso or painted white
Tools
Paintbrush, rag or other paint application tool, painting or mixing knife, mixing palette, textural tools (see Technique 3)
Products
Acrylic (polymer) gloss medium
STEP 1 Prepare the Surface and Apply Paint
Either start with a primed white surface or apply white paint. Let dry. Brush apply one coat of an acrylic gloss medium and let dry. If using Micaceous Iron Oxide, pictured here, brush or knife apply onto the surface. For all other iridescents (i.e. bronze, copper or gold) first put the paints on a palette to make several mixtures, adding various amounts of Carbon Black paint to create a variety of tones. Then apply these to the surface. Continue to Step 2 while still wet.
STEP 2 Create Lighter Tones with a Rag
Using a rag, wipe off some paint while the surface is still wet. Vary the pressure while wiping to create a variety of lighter tonal values.
STEP 3 Subtract Lines and Shapes
While the paint is still wet, use a knife or textural tool to scrape back with pressure to remove paint altogether from some areas, wiping excess onto a paper towel or rag. Allow the white background to be revealed in lines and shapes.
Micaceous Iron Oxide dries a warm black-brown. Here it is applied in varying applications from thin to thick, offering a full range of tonal values with no colors or other metallic paints added. This grisaille can now be overlaid with colored glazes (see Section 1: Glazing Tips).
Micaceous Iron Oxide is applied thickly and thinly, wiped away and scratched through while wet, to create a tonal underpainting or grisaille, then overpainted with glazes of paint color, Interference Red and Interference Green (see Techniques 22 and 23). The center sports a dripped and drizzled interference circular design.
BUBBLES UP
Helen McKeown
Acrylic on panel
10" × 8" (25cm × 20cm)
Collection of Joseph Snooks