Alcohol Ink Tips

Alcohol inks are very vibrant and fun to use. It's very flexible and free flowing but with a little practice you can learn to control your inks. Alcohol inks are typically used for abstract art or creating mock stained glass windows.

Tip #1- Add the background first. With alcohol inks you have to build up your layers. You start with the lighter colors and build up the layers light to dark. To make the background blend nicely you can purchase "Blending Solution" and cover your entire paper with the solution. It allows the inks to spread evenly and dry without any harsh brush strokes and lines.

Tip #2- For abstract art, use your resources to your advantage. A simple hair dryer can add a nice touch of surrealism to your piece. If you want to make an image appear splattered or stretched across the page, a hair dryer will do the trick. Simply put the hair dryer on a low heat setting and hold it a bit of a distance from where you want to spread the ink and point it in the direction you want the color to go. It makes the picture look very organic and gives it a cool affect. Another item to use for more controlled and thinner lines would be a straw. You would point the straw in the direction you want the ink to go and blow through it to spread it.

Tip #3- Practice first to make sure you understand how to use your material. Simple rubbing alcohol will become your best friend for your alcohol inks. If for any reason your alcohol inks dry up, you can rewet them with the rubbing alcohol. You can also use rubbing alcohol to thin out your inks. Thinning out your inks will make them flow more quickly, appear more transparent, and lighter in color or vibrancy. Rubbing alcohol can also be used to create texture in you inks. You can simply drop the inks onto the paper for a splattered look or use a spray bottle for a misted, bubble appearance.

Alcohol inks are really fun to use and they give you a lot of freedom in how you use them and what style you go for. I hope this gave you some ideas and you have a successful alcohol ink experience!