Page 80 - The Decorative Painter Spring 2017

ALCOHOL INKS COLOR PALETTE
Sunshine Raspberry Sailboat Blue Yellow
ALCOHOL INK TIPS
n Alcohol ink is an acid-free, fast drying, permanent dye in an alcohol base. The colors are transparent but some have a stronger pigment than others. The alcohol will evaporate very quickly.
nTim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink brand is what I use but there are others that work in the same way. It is per- sonal preference.
n There are 54 colors in the palette of Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink. They are sold in packages of three (and are also available online as singles) under the headings of: Earthtone – colors that have stronger pigment.
Lights – more like pastel; very transparent, light and delicate.
Brights – more intense colors but not necessarily stron- ger pigments.
Mixatives – white, pearl, silver, gold and bronze. Use in small increments as accent colors but they do not have the same blending qualities as the inks.
n All surfaces should be white or light – tiles, glass, plastic, high glaze pottery and ceramic, high gloss metal, and gourds to name a few. You can paint on dark surfaces but that is another lesson.
nThe Alcohol Blending Solution is used to move the ink more rapidly and to cover the surface. It is like water- color painting – if the paper is thoroughly wet and paint is applied, it will spread out quickly.
n To protect the ink, spray with DecoArt Americana Acrylic Sealer or Krylon Kamar Varnish. All other spray sealers and varnishes have some sort of alcohol and will cause the inks to run.
n If used on glass and you do not want it to be transparent, then you can spray white over the ink design (after using Sealer). This would usually be the backside of the item and make the unpainted side safe for food.
nOn clear surfaces or non-white metal you can spray the surface with a glossy white and use the ink over this surface.
Teakwood
Pitch Black Butterscotch
78 The Decorative Painter • SPRING 2017
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n The Applicator Stamp has a piece of white felt attached to its Velcro surface. You can buy these packaged, pre-cut, or buy a large square and cut your own.
n Use the small cups for the ink when you use a brush. To reconstitute dried ink, add a bit more of the color or a drop of Blending Solution. Never clean out these cups as the ink can always be reactivated.
n I use the Hypo Art Bottle with blunt needle to hold al- cohol since it’s easy to apply to surface when I want to use just a little or to put in color cups to reconstitute ink. Two sizes: 25 gauge for very small drips and 18 gauge for larger drips.
nClean out brushes in alcohol between colors and wipe on paper towel.
n Use durable inexpensive bushes – do not buy children’s brushes.
n Use Dust-Off Electronics Duster to blow the ink to create textural effects and designs.
nClean up ink with alcohol, not water. Protect your hands by wearing gloves. I like to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby; it will help get the ink off the skin if you forget the gloves.
n Keep out of prolonged direct sunlight; the ink may fade.
n Painted pieces are not recommended to put in microwave or dishwasher. Surfaces that do not have ink can be used – clean with soft cloth.
n Use 6" tiles for practice. It is an inexpensive way to try out the technique. If you do not like what happened, remove the ink with alcohol and a paper towel, and start over!
n Yupo paper is a bit pricey so do your practicing on the tiles until you feel more confident to paint on Yupo. Yupo will also stain so if you do not like what is happen- ing taking the color off will leave a light stain behind, which may or may not work to your advantage.
nWhen stamping over color, move the stamping tool in random patterns, twisting it back and forth so that the de- sign you are creating is not rigid but is all mixed up. Don’t twist it on the surface – twist before touching the surface.