What is Alcohol Ink Art?

• The nature of alcohol ink is that it evaporates and dries quickly so working on a glossy surface will enable the ink to stay wet for longer, which allows you to mix the colours and move the ink.
• The ink can be moved by adding additional ink in the same of varied colours or by adding colourless blender, which helps to keep the ink wet.
• You can also move the ink by using a hair dryer (on cool/low heat) – make sure that there is a good amount of distance so that the air is not too hot.
• You can also use a straw to blow the ink which allows good degree of control in slowing moving the ink into position.
• The ink can also be shifted by tilting the paper and moving it around.

• Copic ink is a dye-based ink, with many colours have a high degree of colour intensity and it can be difficult to remove the dye from porous surfaces. It is suggested that you always work with a scrap piece of cardboard under your artwork to protect your work area and it is recommended to wear an apron or old clothing in case of spillages.
• You may also want to wear gloves although if you need get ink on your hands this can be removed using hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.
• As alcohol is the main ingredient of the ink, it will evaporate during use. It is recommended that the room be well ventilated before starting your work.
  
  

Step 1

Start by dropping the ink directly onto a smooth and silky or glossy paper/surface. The ink will flow easily and spread on the surface when it makes contact. 

Alcohol Ink evaporates quickly and does not work for fluid art techniques when using regular paper because it is too porous, thus absorbing the ink instantly. For best results, we recommend using synthetic or glossy coated paper such as an ink jet film or yupo paper.

Step 2

To move the ink to create patters and blend colours: Add colourless blender or more ink.

Gradient effects

If you are wanting to create a gradient effect, you can use a straw to blow your ink gently in different directions. You can also slightly tilt the paper or medium you are working on. You can also use a hair dryer (on cool/low heat). We do not recommend applying heat or using an embossing heat gun on the ink, as the alcohol ink may be flammable.