CC 102 Week 3 Alcohol Inks

Tag 1 Altered Metal Butterfly and Tag 2 Graduated hues

This week we covered more advanced techniques with alcohol inks.  For these techniques you should work with a glossy or coated paper for the best results.

Tag 1 was really all about altering the metal element using alcohol ink.  Our example was a highly distressed piece but to get that finish you have to coat the metal object with white alcohol mixative and then add your colored alcohol inks.  Of course, I don't have white!  I tried using a base of silver mixative and adding colors and while it changed the piece to a different finish it isn't the weathered metal look.  The background of the tag is also created by dabbing alcohol inks over a coated tag and then stamping over it.

Tag 2 is a graduated hue background.  It's very subtle but I used three different blue alcohol inks moving from light to bright to an earth tone.  It really makes the stamping pop.

Tag 3 Puddles of Ink and Tag 4 Many layers

On Tag 3 I dripped puddles of different color inks and 1 metallic mixative onto my craft sheet and then swiped the tag through it.  I love the way the silver makes it seem iridescent in places.  

Tag 3 has a lot going on.  First I applied alcohol ink and blending solution to the felt pad on my blending tool.  Then stamped all over the tag to create a background.  This technique needs a darker background.  I changed the felt pad on my tool and applied blending solution to it. The I put an alphabet stencil over the top of the tag and used my blending tool to apply the blending solution and removed the color from the open area of the stencil.  You can see the 'W' and 'V' under the airplane.  Next I did the same thing with the burlap stencil on the top left and bottom right hand corners.  Then I stamped all of my images in archival ink.  Finally I applied some Distress Ink through the stencil to apply random bits of text.  You can see the '365' in the top left corner and the 'wan' in the bottom left corner.

-R