Alcohol inks get easier...

Hydrangeas

Cyndi Lavin, 2018

...but not much less frustrating!  I would say that at this point, I've got about 33% control and 67% luck.  I am still using mostly my own homemade alcohol inks (tutorial at the link), but I've supplemented them with some brand name metallic inks and an opaque white.

I've tried both India ink and alcohol-based markers like my beloved Pitt pens or Permapaque markers to add details after the painting dries, and I really like both about equally.  It just depends upon what exactly I want to add.  In the Hydrangeas piece shown above, I wish that I had used white ink markers instead of the black.  So in the next piece, I experimented with white.

For Spring Frenzy, I started with some plain alcohol on the page, and dropped ink puddles into it.  I covered it with plastic wrap and and allowed it to dry completely.  The wrap is what made the lines and the appearance of texture.

To the dried background, I added drops of White India ink and used a straw to blow them outward.  I finished them off by adding some small details with colored Permapaque markers.

Originals and prints of Cyndi's work for sale

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Copyright 2018 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. The tutorial only may be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.