Alcohol Inks in Fine Art

Have you wondered what alcohol inks are? Have you wondered if they are accepted in the world of fine art? I am here to tell you that alcohol inks are ink that is suspended in alcohol and YES, they are accepted in the world of fine art!

I love the fluid motion that occurs when using these inks. They are the most similar to watercolors just instead of activating with water like you do in watercolors, you activate the inks with alcohol. I use a Kamar Varnish and UV Protective spray to increase the archival properties.

My latest series is called “Freedom” and these pieces are strictly alcohol ink on either Yupo paper or Mineral paper. Yupo paper is a synthetic plastic that is nonabsorbent in a paper form. Mineral paper is made from rocks instead of trees and has a nonabsorbent surface that is slightly different from Yupo. If you are interested in trying alcohol inks, I suggest you try these and as many other nonabsorbent surfaces that you can find. For a cheap alternative to get started, just use Freezer paper (glossy side) or a For Sale sign that you would buy in Walmart.

If you like the look, but don’t want to get your hands messy, then check out my latest alcohol ink paintings below. You can find more paintings in my shop or let me know if there are some specific color combinations you would like for your home!