The first thing we can establish is that iridescent derives from iridescence, which is a word that has its etymological origin in Latin and is the result of the union of the following lexical components:
-The noun “iris”, which means “iris”, the part of the eye that receives that name.
-The verb “esse”, which is equivalent to “ser”.
-The suffix “-ence”, which is used to indicate “quality of an agent”.
The adjective iridescent can be used, according to the first meaning mentioned by the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), to describe that which reflects or exhibits the colors found in the rainbow .
To understand what the concept alludes to, therefore, it is advisable to first focus on the notion of rainbow or rainbow . This is the name given to the optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is reflected or refracted in sprayed water, forming an arc that exhibits bands of the seven essential or elemental colors.
The rainbow usually appears when it rains and the sun's rays reach the droplets in the environment. In those cases, people observe an arc in the sky with the colors violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange and red.
The iridescent, in short, shows these tones . The term also refers, in its second meaning, to what generates flashes .
Something iridescent has the property of exhibiting different shades of light depending on the angle of observation. Soap bubbles , the playable side of a DVD, and oil stains, for example, are iridescent.
Iridescence is due to the numerous light reflections that occur on the surface , with different wavelengths. This causes the person who sees the object to perceive different colors according to their point of view.
The wings of butterflies are iridescent, to cite another case. That's why they seem to change color depending on location.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that within the field of painting the term that concerns us now is also used. This is what is known as iridescent acrylic paint. This is the result of a perfect combination between various pigments and mica powder, also known as aluminum silicate.
It has the peculiarity that, once it is applied and allowed to dry, it manages to have a reflective or shiny touch.
Other characteristics that identify it are that it falls within the so-called water-based range and that its application is very varied. Thus, it can be found both on the body of a car or a motorcycle and in a work of art, for example.
We can also highlight that acrylic iridescent paint achieves great results when applied to surfaces such as fabric, plaster, metal sheet, walls, thick paper and even wooden surfaces. All surfaces that must be clean and dry before applying that one.