Painting Hidden Images with Interference Acrylics
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Painting Hidden Images with Interference Acrylics
This article describes a technique that allows hidden iridescent images to be included in paintings and illustrations by using interference color acrylic paint. Applying a transparent layer of interference paint on a light-colored background produces a color change as the viewing angle or lighting conditions vary.
Introduction
Interference color acrylics are just one option
Acrylic is one of the most diverse and adaptable mediums available to a painter, one can choose between quick or slow drying times, blend colours or if preferred, paint with a hard edge, select a translucent glaze or apply an opaque layer, there are normal and fluorescent pigments, impasto gels are available for thick-bodied applications of paint or one can switch to using a flow medium which when added to the paint improves fluidity. Finally, there are also a range of interference colours available, which while perhaps remaining something of an underused option, can provide both vibrant colours and interesting optical effects. Interference Acrylics
Shimmer, shine, sparkle and iridescent color!
Unlike conventional pigment-based paint, interference colours consist of transparent acrylic paint that is impregnated with a suspension of metal-coated mica particles. These tiny particles selectively scatter light of a particular colour giving the dried paint a vibrant shimmering iridescent colour similar to the green / purple effect seen when pigeon feathers catch sun light.
If you haven't used interference colours before then it's worth making a test card to see the type of effects you can achieve (see below). However, before doing this it's important to experiment with different dilutions of paint. Using too little water leads to the paint looking predominantly silvery with only a tiny hint of the chosen colour. Like normal paint, too much water will lead to a very weak wash. Typically a mix of one part paint to five parts water works well.
If you haven't used interference colours before then it's worth making a test card to see the type of effects you can achieve (see below). However, before doing this it's important to experiment with different dilutions of paint. Using too little water leads to the paint looking predominantly silvery with only a tiny hint of the chosen colour. Like normal paint, too much water will lead to a very weak wash. Typically a mix of one part paint to five parts water works well.
Making a test card
Find out what interference acrylics can do!
To make a test card, take a piece of white paper and paint one area with normal black acrylic paint. Once this is dry, choose your interference color (here I've selected Daler-Rowney Interference Violet) and paint a thin layer of it onto the card ensuring that you cover both white and black areas. Looking at the right hand picture (photo taken at normal viewing angle) you'll see at first glance that the iridescent violet only shows up when painted over the dark area. If you look more closely you can actually see the paint on the white card as well, but only as a light translucent green. Now look at the same card from a different angle
This is the basis for hidden image painting with interference acrylics
Upon changing the viewing angle (right hand image) you can see how the interference paint shows up on both the white and black areas, notice that the color has shifted slightly to a more reddish hue. So you can achieve quite a dramatic color change by painting the interference paint onto a light background - at a normal viewing angle it is almost invisible, but appears vibrant when the viewing angle or lighting conditions are altered.Once the violet had dried I also painted some interference green over the top and you can see this shimmering on the left hand side of the right hand image.
You can extend this color experiment to include different color backgrounds and paints e.g. painting interference green onto a pale red will give you a color change from red to green as the viewing angle of the painting changes.
Didn't get that? here's a quick recap
See interference acrylics change in appearance
LEFT HAND PHOTO:White paper partly painted with normal black acrylic paint. Once dry, part of this is over-painted with a violet interference color. Look closely and you can see that, in fact, the layer of interference paint extends to the left onto the white card and appears as a very pale grey / green.
RIGHT HAND PHOTO:
The same test card under the same lighting conditions but viewed from a different angle. The 'interference violet on black' has colour-shifted towards red. To the left, the previously, near-invisible paint clearly appears as an 'orangey-violet'. On the far left, a patch of interference green that was painted over the dry violet is now visible. (The green paint is present in the previous photo but completely indistinguishable from the violet it is painted over.)
Having completed the test card
these optical effects can now be incorporated into an illustration
Here's an example of the type of effects you can achieve. This cartoon monster was created with a mixed-media approach (colored pencil, biro and felt tip pens). The background was then painted with interference violet and on top of this "happy birthday!" was painted in interference green (this message is virtually invisible in the left hand photo but if you look very closely it can just about be perceived). Some of the colored spots on the monster were also painted with an overcoat of interference paint (various colors).
When the viewing angle of the painting is changed you can see the background colour has transformed from a pale green to bright purple. The "HAPPY BirTHdAy!" is also clearly visible. Notice also the change in colour of many of the monster's spots.
More complicated designs incorporating interference acrylics
Having gained some experience in the use of interference colors they can now be combined with other artistic techniques such as using negative space. The children's illustration (see below) depicts a flying fairy princess sending magic forth from her wand in the form of toy blocks, stars and squiggles. Look more closely and you'll see that I've also included a toy teddy bear defined by the negative space created by the building blocks and stars. The shape of the bear has actually been over-painted in a thin layer of interference gold but this is invisible under normal lighting and viewing. Similarly panels in the fairy wings have been painted with interference gold and violet. As with the monster example shown previously, changing the viewing angle changes the visible colors and the bear is now shown in stark contrast to its surroundings.
Blocking in color
The design is initially outlined on Daler-Rowney 'The Langton' NOT (Cold Pressed) watercolour paper using a 4B pencil. Washes of fluorescent acrylic paint are then used to colour the picture. Next, the line work is enhanced using biro.
The finished painting (combining regular and interference acrylics)
Here's the finished painting under normal lighting conditions. Within the magic objects are hidden a teddy bear and a butterfly both partly defined by the negative space created by the surrounding objects.
Golden bear (interference acrylic gold bear that is!)
When viewed at a different angle the teddy bear becomes clearly visible due to the layer of gold interference paint that has been applied over the top of the blue undercoat. Iridescent wings using interference acrylics
The panels of the fairy wings which previously appeared blue have now changed color to gold and violet. Future projects
The optical effects shown here can also be observed by maintaining the same viewing angle but reducing the lighting levels. Furthermore, such iridescence needn't be so dramatic or restricted to cartoons and illustrations. More subtle color changes can be achieved by mixing interference colors with conventional paint (a "pearlescent tinting medium" is available specifically for this purpose) or by over-painting dried interference layers with a glaze of conventional acrylic. Thus, a blue sky can be given a hint of interference blue and / or red, hedgerows a touch of interference copper or flesh a measure of interference gold.
Mike Jory Art
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Thanks very much for reading
please feel free to leave a comment!
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Tolovaj
Apr 19, 2012 @ 12:53 pm | delete
- Before I became publisher I haven't even heard about acrylic paint but now i can say the world of illustration can be divided in two ways: "hand made" or "computer made" and "acrylic" and the "rest of the world". Beautiful lens:)
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TheWhistler
Sep 22, 2011 @ 11:51 am | delete
- Interesting. Blessed!
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KLAATUWI
Jul 15, 2011 @ 10:10 am | delete
- Very interesting. Not only does the final product look great, but it also looks like it would add more fun to a project.
I think I wiil do something today using this.
Thanks for sharing
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blueangel85
Jul 15, 2011 @ 6:45 am | delete
- Very cool technique !
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ArtformTheHeart
Jul 13, 2011 @ 12:27 pm | delete
- Great lens and an interesting technique!
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Mike Jory is an artist living and working in Exeter, UK. His interests and subject matter are wide ranging and include portrait, figurative and animal... more »
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