Alcohol Ink is Awesome

Thought I would share with you a page I did while having a play with alcohol ink markers. This is my first every attempt at using them. I have been resisting for years, saying I don't need them and they are just an over-priced texta. Wow was I wrong!

 

When Kaszazz brought out their markers I thought I would give them a go, with just one colour-way (berries) just to trial them. I was sure I wouldn't like them because I have seen others using them and they looked like they required quite a deal of talent in colouring and shading etc. So I thought with one colour-way I can have a go with some coordinating colours, without having to spend too much and if I couldn't make them work, not much lost.

After having a bit of a doddle with a simple flower design, I decided to jump right in an do a whole art journaling page. 

As you can see, it's in an altered book, just a hard cover book I got at a book sale at my local University. I have gesso-ed the background, then stamped the images on with Ranger's archival ink (which turned out to be a major error as it reacts with the alcohol ink markers). Then just applied the markers, for the flowers I just coloured and mixed only a little bit, the big butterfly I did all the shading by going light to dark and blending each colour as I went. It was surprisingly fun and kind of soothing.

Needless to say, I have purchased all the alcohol markers for myself as a Christmas pressy! Stay tuned for more alcohol ink marker adventures.

-Mel

P.S. If you are interested in the makers, there are some great technique videos on YouTube. Search alcohol ink markers, and/or Kaszazz and you get a bunch.