Studio Journal: Ink Experiments

How I Use Acrylic Inks to Create Vibrant Color In My Mixed Media Layers

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with acrylic paints and water-soluble pencil, along with acrylic paints and inks. It’s fun to add acrylic ink and then color with pastels, picking up some of the ink, creating new color combinations, and lots of beautiful mistakes (especially when I dump water on top).

Once that dries, I begin to pencil in my face and body. I love to keep scribbling to see what happens. The first time I tried this technique, I didn’t love the colors, but I loved what happened with the layers. So I tried again, intentionally, with my favorite colors.

Now, my latest collection is coming to life. I’ll share more with you soon.

If you’ve been wanting to experiment with inks in your mixed media layers, here are a few tips and techniques:

ACRYLIC INKS: Acrylic inks are water-based and come in a small bottle with a dropper. They’re similar to acrylic paints or fluid acrylic paints, which have a thicker consistency than acrylic inks and are thinner than acrylic paints – you can pour out fluid acrylics as well. All of these create brilliant color, with acrylic inks being most transparent, without looking watered down. I like to add water to all of these, but the acrylic inks and fluid acrylics are also fun to just let bleed together to create luscious layers full of drips and color, so you can still see the layers underneath once they’ve dried. Acrylic inks also come in pearlescent colors which are very pretty.

INDIA INK: India ink is another option that is much more saturated in color and, to me, doesn’t have the same luminosity and pop as acrylic ink. But it’s especially great for lines and marks. I love to use waterproof black India or calligraphy ink for outlines in my paintings.

ALCOHOL INKS: Alcohol inks are alcohol-based and create a very different effect that, to me, is much less controllable with the layers I like to add. I stopped using many alcohol inks in my work because I’d cover them up with acrylics and not see them, but then when I added my top coat (Mod Podge at that time), the alcohol ink showed through – right on a face which I did not want. But I’ve still used them to create backgrounds and have just been really conscious to put them at the bottom of a painting where I won’t have as much detail or just in a corner for effect.

So often my new favorite technique comes from a beautiful mistake. It’s about embracing the imperfections. Sometimes it’s hard to repeat. But in the trying, again and again, new beauty emerges.

Have you been creating anything new lately?

xo Juliette

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PS In case you missed it, I’ve also put together a NEW Free Painting Class. Painting has always been a healing process for me, so it’s all about loosening up, letting go, and playing with just a few simple supplies.