Artist Share Their Alcohol Ink Tips

Alcohol inks are one of my favorite mediums to work with! They create absolutely stunning art and are such a fun medium to work with. If your interested in trying out this style of art I highly recommend it! If you’re already using them or interested in learning about them and you want some tips from some amazing alcohol ink artists this post will teach you ways of applying these inks, techniques to try, tips, safety precautions, supplies you’ll need and more!

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Taylor Pendleton that’s me! Heres my tips:

• Experiment with ways of creating texture. This is mostly created through the way that the ink dries. You can achieve different effects from using different items to move the ink around. Here are some items you can use: a straw, can of air, heat gun, air compressor, and hair dryer. Another way is by Mixing brands of alcohol inks, and mixing different medias together like acrylic high flow, or even applying alcohol. You can also use things like a sponge, bubble wrap, floss, or by even rolling a straw around, flicking ink off a paint brush, crumpling up Saran Wrap to press down on to your wet ink and then peel it off once the ink has dried. Try new things to figure out new effects/ techniques!
• Try different ways of applying your alcohol inks. You can drop it straight out of the bottle, use a brush, sponges,  droppers, spray bottles, felt stamps/brushes,q tips, cotton balls, napkins, markers, and anything else you think might create a cool effect. If you want ideas on odd tools artist use check out this post! https://happilyevercrafty.com/artist-share-their-favorite-odd-tools/
• Make sure you have 91% alcohol or higher. Just like working with watercolors you can use alcohol to reactivate your dried inks. You can also make your ink go further by mixing it with alcohol, make your color lighter, create a transparent wash, thin it out, and create texture.
• You can create different effects by applying masking fluid or rubber cement to the areas you don’t want ink.
• Experiment working on different surfaces to see what you prefer. You can use alcohol inks on any non porous surfaces such as glossy paper, metal, plastic, glass, and resin 
• You can also make a collage out of your alcohol ink pieces on Yupo paper.

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Jessica Young is known for her stunning alcohol ink art. Heres what she shared:

• When creating alcohol ink art I think the number one tip I can offer is to be patient and go slow. The theory “less is more” is something that I live by when it comes to using my Inks. When you put the ink down on your surface, your first instinct is going to be to use as much ink is possible to make your piece come to life, however I have learned that using more alcohol or blending solution and less ink leads to much more controlled pieces. Your Inks are concentrated enough that a little goes a long way! It is much easier to build up from less ink, than to subtract from a piece saturated in Inks. 
• Before every piece I create I take a moment to connect with the blank canvas. I close my eyes, take several deep and focused breaths and allow the energy of that stillness to guide my next steps. Along with patience, having a tenacity to not give up is crucial. This medium can often appear “easy” at first but once you’ve started you’ll see how tricky things can get. Taking a moment to breathe before starting can build confidence and help drown out any background noise that might impact your flow.
• When you make a piece you don’t like, step away from it and come back to it the next day. If you still are unhappy with the result, unpack what it is that you don’t like about the piece and use that as motivation and guidance for your next masterpiece!
• Remember: This craft is all about trusting your intuition and knowing that mistakes are 100% part of the process!

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Rachel Allen is known for her bright and beautiful alcohol ink pieces. Heres what she shared:

• Safety First! Try to create your alcohol ink pieces in a well ventilated area and wear a respiratory mask – it can get quite fumey! If you want to keep your nails and hands clean, wear gloves…  Alcohol ink stains, a lot – and there’s only so much you can do to remove it from your hand line crevices. I use disposable gloves and re-use them as much as possible.
• FYI: Isopropyl Alcohol to alcohol ink, is what water is to watercolours. So grab some Iso (preferably 90% +), and distribute it into dropper/needletip/squeeze bottles for inking convenience.
• Protect your work space. I have a piece of canvas board on top of my desk which I lay my inking surfaces on. A.I can flow all over the place if you’re using a lot of it, so if you have a desk or workstation that you don’t want all messed up, lay down some paper, tiles, canvas, paper towel etc…
• Give your canvas a wipe clean before you start! Dust that may be invisible to the blind eye, will certainly show up once you’ve laid the ink down. So get a head start on the pesky particles and use some ISO with a lint free cloth to wipe it down first. I also have alcohol wipes for cleaning smaller surfaces, which can usually be picked up from a chemist.
• One of the great things about Alcohol Ink, is that the ink on even an old (unvarnished) piece, can be reactivated with isopropyl alcohol, so don’t throw out any disliked creations you’ve made! Keep them for another day, revisit them and see if you want to amend them in any way.
• Invest in a heat gun. They’re actually not that expensive, I think I picked mine up around 2 years ago for $30 at a local craft store. I initially bought it for embossed lettering, but since A.I has taken over my life, it has come in real handy for blowing the ink around and creating patterns, as well as just drying the ink more quickly. You could use a hair dryer too, which is great for the different heat settings, although I much prefer the heat gun, it’s easier to control for me.
• Just experiment! Alcohol inks may tend to have a mind of their own most of the time, but that doesn’t mean that you fully lose control of what you want to create (and even if you do, it doesn’t matter!). Experiment with different application tools, alcohol ink to solution ratios, palettes, surfaces, and combining mediums to find what it is that you enjoy about them! Experimenting is definitely one of the fun parts about creating alcohol ink art.

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Sabrina Epton is known for her lovely alcohol ink collages. Heres what she shared:

• be careful using colors opposite from each other on the color wheel in the same painting. That being said, don’t be afraid to experiment! 
• yupo paper is a great surface to work on, but experiment with others too: try using inks on mirror, glass, or canvas
• if you’re intimated by a blank canvas, start by making a single mark, then react to it. Eventually you’ll have a completed piece
• overworking an alcohol ink painting is very easy. Try to be strategic about color placement
• t’s good to have a plan in mind for how you want your painting to look, but in the end you just have to go with the flow!  

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Lone Zimino is known for her lovely unique alcohol ink pieces. Heres what she shared:

• my advice number one will always be: your safety when working with alcohol ink, always wear rubber gloves ink and isopropyl is not good for your skin. paint with alcohol ink outside or by open window,  then you can paint with alcohol ink in many years and at the same time take care of your self.
• I mix my isopropyl with a little bit of glycerin to get a more soft expression and a different expression with my alcohol ink.
• I have always in my mind then : less is more. step back for your work and see your work on a distance so you can stop in time.
• paint to excite yourself and don’t think in likes and new followers. If you love your artwork others will too. In other words: paint from your heart.

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The 3 sisters running “Maleri Art” create gorgous alcohol ink pieces. Heres what they shared:

• Tip 1: Practice, practice, practice! It takes a lot of practice to feel super comfortable working with alcohol inks! We recommend practicing on something like a tile to cut down on waste and save you money! With a tile, you can practice your technique, then simply pour isopropyl alcohol on top of it and wipe away the inks for a fresh new base to practice on.
• Tip 2: Use metallics early! Metallic alcohol inks (gold, gunmetal, copper etc.) really make a lot of paintings look beautiful and complete! Though many people suspect they should use these as a finishing touch, we recommend using them early on in the piece. Metallic inks tend to clump together due to their texture. Use these inks early on so the other non-metallic inks can help to move/spread them around your work.
• Tip 3: Create your own colors! Many inks come in beautiful colors, but using all of these bright, vibrant colors together can sometimes cause a picture to “pop” just a little too much. Don’t be afraid to create your own colors in separate cups (we like to dull ours down quite a bit) to create a bit of a softer look.
• Tip 4: Get creative with your supplies! Use a Q-tip or a fine-tipped brush to add small details with the alcohol that you would never be able to create by splashing it onto your piece.
• Tip 5: Recycle! To save money and cut down on waste, rinse out and refill old alcohol ink bottles with isopropyl alcohol. This will create a dropper that can place the alcohol much more precisely than the large bottle it comes in!
• Tip 6: Find the perfect spot! Be careful where you hang your alcohol ink pieces! Even with a layer of glaze, the inks may fade if they are in direct sunlight. Find that perfect spot and make sure your work doesn’t disappear!
• Tip 7: Find unique ways to use your inks! Alcohol inks are so versatile which is one of the reasons why we love them! A few awesome ways to use your inks are: on Yupo paper, on metals such as aluminum or copper, as a tint for resin, and even on fabrics for a tie-dye effect!

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Dominique Wiese  is known for her pretty alcohol ink art pieces. Heres what she shared:

• You don’t need to use a blending solution made specifically for alcohol ink. 91% or 99% Isopropyl alcohol works just fine and is a much cheaper alternative. In fact, it’s the only kind of blending solution I use.
• Jacquard Piñata metallic inks are the best ‘mixatives’ to work with. They have just the right amount of consistency needed to flow with your inks and can be much more beautiful than the Ranger Ink ‘mixatives’.
• Play around with different ‘blowing techniques’ to figure out which one is right for you. You can use your lungs, a straw, a hair dryer, a heat gun, etc to move and dry your ink. They will all give you different effects. I personally love using a heat gun because it gives me more control over the movement.
• Always use varnish to protect your finished work from dust or other impurities, and from fading due to contact with UV rays from the sun. You want to make sure your beautiful artwork stays as beautiful as the day it was created. The two varnishes I highly recommend are Krylon “Kamar Varnish” and Krylon “UV-Resistant.”
• Experiment with different color combinations or challenge yourself to use just one ink color to see what happens. Most alcohol inks have beautiful undertones that may pleasantly surprise you because they may look totally different than the main color tone. For example, black alcohol ink may have a light blue undertone.
• Spend your first few weeks or months using alcohol inks to explore and develop your own personal style. If you can, try to limit any outside influence from similar artists while you spend this crucial time trying to figure out what you want from this art medium and what you are trying to express. Doing this gives you the opportunity to build confidence and creativity. And you might just learn a little more about yourself in the process.

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Hope Heffner is known for her beautiful alcohol ink art. Heres what she shared:

• Safety first! Wearing a respirator mask or working outside is really optimal, but if you’re like me and have a small space in a city row home, invest in good ventilation. Many alcohol ink artists use tools like an embossing gun, small hairdryer, or air gun to move their ink around, and so wearing a mask is no biggie. I prefer to use my breath and a paper straw (save the turtles!) so I invested in a window fan with a reverse airflow option. Trust me, your lungs with thank you!
• Layers, layers, layers. Alcohol ink is very forgiving, if you mess up, crank up the fan, dump some rubbing alcohol on top and wipe it clean with a paper towel. There will be some color leftover, but you can salvage that pricey piece of yupo. But, if you work layer by layer, you can easily control how much ink you’re putting on and potentially waste less. A little drop will go a long way if you also drop rubbing alcohol or blending solution over top and blow it out. See what colors and patterns can develop as the alcohol within the ink evaporates! You’re an artist/scientist honey!
• White Alcohol Ink. Jacquard Piñata offers a “blanco” ink that will make your colors more opaque and pastel in quality. It’s a really cool ink and it looks wild when it hits the ink – #oddlysatisfying. My two tips for this are, shake the heck out of it before you use it (more than you think you need to) and only use blending solution on it. I like Tim Holtz’s blending solution. If you put straight rubbing alcohol onto it, it will turn into a hard, gloppy disc that slides right off your piece or clumps up into a texture-y mess. I’m not a scientist, I don’t know why this happens, just don’t waste your ink trying! 
• Make it mindful. A lot of people think mindfulness has to be a mountaintop moment with perfectly calm zen feelings at all times. But it’s really about acknowledging where you are, how you are, without judgment and centering within that moment. It’s allowing yourself to show up with honesty and leaning in to accept that. Fluid art, intuitive art, whatever you want to call it, it’s all about finding flow within yourself and your work. When I take a moment before painting to mindfully center, I find flow more easily. I use essential oils (frankincense to clear away negative energy), crystals (my favorite are labradorite for connecting to my higher consciousness and smoky quartz for grounding) and a tried and true gratitude practice to get me there when the day has been extra tough. 
• Give yourself some grace. No matter what, you’re gonna have pieces that are “duds.” They don’t speak to you or they feel wrong. Don’t throw them away though! Save’em and try to cut them into new shapes, add on some gold leaf, or ink designs on top. I have a pile of pieces that I’m slowing finding new purposes for and I’m always glad I saved them!

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June Corstorphine is known for her pretty and unique style. Heres what she shared:

• My #1 tip, especially for beginners, have a playful spirit and allow the inks to ‘do their thing’. I have found the enemy of the inks is too much control.
• If you love the loose impressionist feel like I do, use lots of air – I use an old blow dryer, blow through straws and use canned air – air creates an airy, etherial result.
• Creative tools help the creative process. Straws (to blow through or roll), credit cards, sponge sticks, bubble wrap, cotton balls, fan brushes are a few favorites.
• To achieve the very popular flowy, fluid look – less ink, more alcohol. The alcohol is the vehicle that the ink ‘travels’ on to create billowly fade-outs.
• While an area is still wet, try adding tiny amounts of color by brush or whatever tool tickles your fancy to add detail. If you love metallics, Pinata gold steals the show here.
• ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’ (an oldie book title) Let the process take you on an adventure – that’s how I think about it. I hope it works for you too

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Roxy Syroid is known for her amazing alcohol ink art. Heres what she shared:

• Don’t compare yourself to others, or mimic other artists style. Alcohol inks are such a versatile medium that no one would be able to have the same style. Just play around with it and find out what you like best!
• Try different techniques! They’re so many different ways to play with alcohol inks. Using a straw, hair dryer, heat gun, just blowing on them, using a brush, a squeeze bottle etc. The list goes on! Play around and have fun figuring out what you like best. 
• Yupo paper is great, but pricey. Ive found that buying large sheets and cutting them down to be more affordable than the pads. Also cut your sheet a little larger than the wooden panel if you’re planning on mounting it, then trim the edges with a blade. Making for the perfect fit!
• Step back from the painting if you don’t know where you’re going with it. Sometimes I leave my painting over night and decide that where it’s at right now is perfect!
• Try using colours you wouldn’t normally. Or combinations that you think might not “work”. Alcohol inks are surprisingly good at making odd colour choices turn out beautiful, and flow together. 
• If you love a piece, and find a tiny spot you’re not happy with, learn to accept it. So many times I’ve  had a gorgeous piece, but found a tiny thing I didn’t like, and while “fixing” it I changed the entire piece!

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Hannah Sink is known for her beautiful pieces of alcohol ink art. Heres what she shared:

• What surfaces are best? My all time favorite surface to use alcohol ink is Yupo paper. You can get it in a variety of thicknesses but i usually use 85gsm as it is cheaper and still very high quality (as I go through quite a lot) although you can get 234gsm Yupo paper now which is slightly heavier and much better to ink on if you plan to mount your work on to a wooden board (as it doesn’t crease as much when you’re trying to flatten it on to the board). Ceramic tiles are great to test color palettes or techniques on because they can be completely wiped clean after and reused! These tiles could also be sealed and used on your walls or could be coated in resin and used to make coasters! One last surface I really enjoy working with is glass/perspex. If you have a spare frame lying around, take the glass/plastic out and ink on top of it! The inks flow very nicely on a glass and you can put the glass back in the frame after sealing and have a finished framed artwork!
• What inks are best? My favorite brands are Tim Holtz alcohol inks and the Copic various ink refills! The metallic inks can vary a lot with different brands but my personal favorites are the Jacquard Pinata metallic inks! They are very metallic and are very reflective. I personally find the Tim Holtz mixatives (gold/copper/rosegold) quite difficult to work with and can come out looking a little dull. 
• Techniques? There are a lot of effects than can be achieved with alc inks. If you want to make a colour lighter (or more pastel) then i usually add blending solution (or isoprophyl alcohol) to the paper first, then add one or two drops of colour and move it around with a straw or hairdryer (some people use heat guns but i find my hair dryer just as effective). This sheers out the color and creates a much softer look. Pipettes are very useful to drop the inks on to the paper as you get a lot more control when the ink is going. 

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Kari Hertzog is known for her many beautiful styles. Heres what she shared:

• Working with alcohol Inks are tempermental but when understood, they are my preferred medium to paint with. Hopefully these tips will help you avoid some of the mistakes I have encountered in the past few months and will allow you to love this medium as much as I do.
• Always have a rag or paper towel handy to soak up any unwanted liquid floating on your piece. Also, make sure you are painting on a covered surface with plastic or such. 
• I never spend money on the store prepared alcohol. You can buy a large bottle of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol at Walgreens for $1.88 and it works just as good with WAY more bang for your buck.
• Yupo paper is the easiest base to work on but wood or canvas works as well. The medium reacts differently with these surfaces but that’s not always a bad thing.
• Wear gloves. I can’t tell you how many times I have stained my hands for days at a time because I failed to cover them up.
• Have a straw. A blow drier. A heat gun. Pretty much anything that will dry/blow your inks around on hand and ready for use. 
• If you are looking for dramatic, use straight alcohol ink. If you want to mellow out/layer the colors with more control and floating appearance, mix with Isopropyl alcohol.

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The Topaz Twins Create stunning alcohol pieces. Heres what they shared:

•  I NEVER go in with a set idea with how I want the piece to turn out. Alcohol inks have a mind of their own… I have found when I go in with no expectations that I really liked the outcome vs. not liking it because it didn’t match my vision for the piece. I don’t try to control the alcohol inks too much.
  – Dont make art to fit what other people like or what is “trending”, simply do what YOU like! (your passion shows and you want to be UNIQUE!)
• I have found my favorite tools for alcohol ink are the simplest and easiest to find. You don’t need to purchase a bunch of fancy tools to create awesome pieces. Straws allow the most control- and if you like a lot of negative space in your art, then I’d recommend starting with the straw. Toothpicks, qtips, and paintbrushes are a few of my favorites to get effortless dots throughout the piece.
• The great thing about yupo paper is that you can basically start over by putting rubbing alcohol on it and wiping it clean. Also both sides of yupo paper are usable. Sometimes you really just don’t like the outcome of a piece and if all else fails, cut it into different shapes and make something out of it. Possibilities are endless with alcohol ink (plus yupo paper is kind of pricey so don’t throw anything away!)
• I recommend spraying your alcohol ink art work with Kamar varnish to keep the inks in place and protect them. After that dries, I always use UV light protectant spray because alcohol inks are prone to fading. 
• Although I have not noticed a difference in quality, alcohol ink brands do you matter in terms of how it looks when applying. The two brands I’ve been using are Tim Holtz and Jacquard Piñata.  I preferred Tim Holtz for yupo paper (the tip of the bottle is narrow and you have more control over how much ink you want on the piece) and I prefer the piñata inks for resin art-such as coasters because the tip is much wider and the ink’s pour out effortlessly.
   All in all- experiment and have fun!

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Laura Cleary is known for lovely alcohol ink art. Heres what she shared:

•  Make sure you’ve got fresh air coming in, via a door or a couple windows. Youre dealing with alcohol fumes, so ventilate well.
• Practice different ways of applying inks, you could make a wash in a cup (ink plus alcohol) before applying it to your surface, or drip ink directly from the bottle to the surface. It’s totally up to you, experiment, no two artists are going to work exactly the same way! 
• Colour swatches are so useful. Make yourself some. 
• Don’t be afraid to incorporate other media, like acrylic ink and high flow paint, gold leaf, or shellac. 
• Exploration is never a waste of supplies, especially as ink can be wiped off of yupo! Not everything you make will be good all the time, release yourself from that pressure, and enjoy exploring the process for its own sake.
• Always varnish and uv protect your work. This is so important when working with alcohol inks if you want the piece to last.

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Karen Louise is known for her pretty alcohol ink art. Heres what she shared:

• Practice. Getting to grips with alcohol inks requires a lot of practice. This can get expensive on yupo paper. Instead try using a tile, you can wipe and reuse. 
•  Watch you tube & process videos to learn all the different techniques. 
•  Don’t give up. Often when I working on a piece that I’m thinking is headed for scrap I force myself to stick with it and let it evolve and most of the time it’ll surprise you.  
• Experiment with ink / alcohol ratios. You can just drop the ink directly on the surface and then add alcohol to blend. I personally prefer to dilute the ink with alcohol slightly before hand. I find it moves easier and stains the paper less. Experiment with this though as it’ll give you different results. 
• Experiment with colour combos. You can mix inks to create your own personal hue. I personally love doing this, the possibilities are endless! 
• Experiment with surfaces, yupo, tile, canvas, aluminium composite, acetate. Each will give you different results depending what look you are going for. 
• Experiment with composition. I personally think alcohol inks have a mind of their own. Quite often I’ll have a composition in mind and half way through they’ll go off and do something completely different. I’ve learnt to go with it, instead I’ll see it as an opportunity to turn it into a diptych or little set of mini’s. Either way, don’t get disheartened if it doesn’t go to plan. 
• Purchase a heat gun if you can. not an expensive one just make sure it has adjustable temp and speed settings. If it’s too hot it’ll warp the yupo paper.
• Turn the music up and let those inks dance

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Jessica Hill is known for her beautiful alcohol ink art on homeware. Heres what she shared:

• eBay is your friend! Yupo paper, inks, isopropyl alcohol and tools are all available at great prices
• Glazed ceramic tiles are an inexpensive and great way to learn and practice. Easy to clean off with isopropyl if you’re not happy with the end result
• Inks are highly pigmented and a little goes a long way, dilute with isopropyl via a dropper or in a container before hand.
• Curved surfaces are hard but can be accomplished by the use of various tools and applicators – brushes, felt and foam are just some things you can use to create different looks
• Seal, seal and seal some more! Inks are susceptible to fading in sunlight and can be reactivated by some varnishes and sealants. I use krylon kamar spray, mod podge and resin to seal most of my inked items. Whatever you use try it out on a small tile before using on your good pieces. 
• Don’t be afraid to embellish your inked pieces with sharpies and paint pens. Simple dots and lines can really finish it off.
• Practice, experiment and practice some more. Although Inks may look simple it can be tricky to get the hang of it but its so rewarding when you get it right.

Thanks to all the amazing artists who shared their tips! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog, I hope you learned some helpful tips. If you enjoyed this post I would really appreciate you sharing it! I would love to hear your thoughts, any tips you’d like to share, or any questions you may have. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on my posts. Enjoy experimenting with this beautiful medium!

XOXO, Taylor