Alcohol Ink Vs. Acrylic Ink is a post about two ink mediums gourd artists often use.
What are their differences, and how does it apply to your gourd projects?
Alcohol and acrylic inks are different mediums that can create vibrant colors to enhance your gourd art. The differences are in the ingredients used. The main point is that acrylic ink is pigment-based, while alcohol ink is dye-based.
Alcohol Ink Vs. Acrylic:
Ink Alcohol inks have issues for gourd artists.
Gourd artists often use alcohol inks as an abstract technique where one dye color flows into another, naturally bleeding into pools of new shades and hues. There is no absolute control over the flow on a round gourd. To stabilize the color, it must be immediately heat-set.
Ultimately, our biggest problem is the fading of the colors once exposed to light. Yet, another problem is the dye’s transparency which allows the gourd color to change the intensity of the dye color. Solving that problem means painting the gourd white before you apply the ink dye.
Another problem happens when the alcohol evaporates. It leaves a thin film on top of the gourd rather than soaking it into the gourd. The film allows us to rework an area if more alcohol is added (like with a clear blender). For this reason, your final spray can’t contain alcohol! That will cause the dye to reactivate. Use alcohol inks when you want a more vivid marble effect and are willing to let the medium direct the design.
Now, let’s consider the acrylic inks.
Instead of a dye, this is an extremely fluid paint. This ink is pigment-based. The two brands I have used are FW by Daler Rowney and Liquitex. Both have more information on their websites – but here is what I have learned from experience.
Acrylic pigments combine with a liquid acrylic resin emulsion to suspend the pigments and make them flow more fluidly.
Use it straight from the dropper for intense color, or mix it with water for dreamy washes. Acrylic inks are fully intermixable. So, there are endless hues to create. It does not work well with alcohol, nor can it be reactivated with alcohol once it is dry.
Confused? Stop and watch this short video.
Best Part of Using Acrylic Inks
The color stays permanently on the gourd and will not fade in the light. That advantage makes it perfect for gourds you intend to sell for a high price! Acrylic inks are waterproof, archival, pH-neutral/acid-free, and have the most extended lifespan. It sticks to many surfaces, except for some whites; all colors are opaque.
Unlike alcohol inks, you don’t heat-set the color.
Using the two mediums together
The pigmented acrylic suspension fluid does not play nicely with the alcohol-based dyes. Some gourd artists have found success starting with alcohol ink, letting it thoroughly dry, and layering acrylic ink lines over the top as a final layer of detail. It is essential to apply the alcohol ink on top of acrylic paints rather than underneath; otherwise, the acrylic may remain tacky. When I added it, the paint grain began to show.
Acrylic Ink Sets Available
The FX Acrylic Ink comes in 45-ink colors and lets you build your own FW ink set.
Acrylic ink is perfect to use straight from the bottle giving you an opaque color. You’ll choose opaque, semi-opaque, and transparent colors of the 55 ink colors of the Liquitex Acrylic Ink selection.
FX inks have a line of Pearlescent inks that are fun to play with. They add shimmer to a feather, dragon wing, or flower petal.
Application Techniques to Try
I put several eyedroppers full of the acrylic ink into small plastic containers and then dilute the ink slightly with water. Colors will spread with water sprayed on or blown on. Or tip the gourd! While the paint is still wet, select areas to lay down waxed paper or plastic wrap, flat or crushed, and leave till dry. What you use for texture is only limited by your imagination.
Create many of the effects done with the alcohol inks.
Blow it around with a straw.
Spray it with water.
Use stencils.
use your stamp pads!
use paint markers on top.of dry ink.
Use the ink with a fine line brush over your design when dry.
Watch this artist demonstrate some of these techniques in fast motion to get your ideas flowing. FW Acrylic Inks with artist Jenny Muncaster
Alcohol Ink Vs. Acrylic Ink :
Acrylic Inks have more compatibility.
Another difference between alcohol ink and acrylic ink is their compatibility with other media. Alcohol ink won’t work with watercolor and acrylic paints. It tends to repel them and can cause separation or bleeding.
Acrylic ink is much more compatible with many mediums. You can see that the flower on the gourd is more vivid when the artist combines acrylic ink with acrylic paint. Yet, when you mix acrylic ink with alcohol, it causes the acrylic paint to separate or thicken, resulting in a grainy or lumpy texture. Combining acrylic inks with watercolor or paint can create unique effects and textures.
Alcohol Ink Vs. Acrylic Ink :
Some Last Words
These two liquid art mediums can create beautifully vibrant works of art. However, they are not the same. The main takeaway is that acrylic ink is a highly fluid paint. Once dry, it is pigment-based, lightfast, and permanent. Acrylic ink does not mix with Alcohol Ink, nor do I recommend using them together on a mixed media piece without plenty of testing first. You will need to seal both inks.
Let both dry for several days; then use 1 or 2 even coats of gloss or matte acrylic varnish. For the alcohol ink, I also spray it with a UV filter spray before the final spray.
You can purchase both kinds of ink purchased in craft stores and online.
Too expensive for your budget? Try making you on. Watch the video.
How To Make Your Own High-Flow Acrylic Inks with Gold Airbrush Medium!!
How do you Clean Up Acrylic Ink?
Murphy’s Oil Soap works very well when it comes time to clean those brushes. Sometimes the droppers with the ink containers become clogged with dried ink and stop up. Alternate rinsing them with water and soaking them in alcohol until the dried ink dissolves. Suppose you accidentally get acrylic ink on your clothes or furniture. In that case, you can often get it out with hot water mixed with detergent, but it does take time.
Maxine Masterfield’s “Painting the Spirit of Nature” book was published in 1984 by Watson-Guptill Publications.
Although she works on paper and canvas, she has some inspiring techniques. Maxine Masterfield, a noted watercolorist, demonstrates basic techniques for achieving texture, color mixtures, and shapes. She also shows you new ways to work in watercolor–by pouring inks, adding opaque lines to textured passages, and using crinkled wax paper as resists.
Give the acrylic inks a try. You might like the results better because you have more control over the design and can use texture techniques to add to the interest. I especially like to see these techniques on a gourd with a rim embellishment.
Have you tried the acrylic inks? Do you have any tips to offer?
Please, share your thoughts here in the comment box or share them with all the gourd artists on our Facebook Group Page.
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Hi Bettie,
Thank you so much for this article! For ALL of your articles & FB hosting, in fact! I am eager to try some acrylic inks! Just confirming that you would expect them to have the same compatibility as acrylic paint. I plan to start with a carved gourd treated with deft sanding lacquer & finish with either more deft or an acrylic varnish, as you suggest. I hear that the deft sanding lacquer can be used under acrylic paint, so I am hoping that is also true for acrylic ink. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Beth