Playing with inks and a spray bottle will always create surprise and not predictable results. As an artist, I like experimenting with mixing inks and paint, spray with water, and see what emerges on the paper. That is how I learn about the materials and learn through the tingology to develop a better technical understanding. Using a range of various mark-making tools can add texture and interest in the final artwork. Follow my tutorial and discover the beauty of inks.
Materials needed for this tutorial
In creating this big 60×80 cm floral painting, I used:
• Acrylic coloured inks, various brands
• Bamboo sticks
• Watercolour brushes
• Palette knife for splatter
• Dip pen
• Spray bottle & water
• Seawhite 350gsm watercolour paper or Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper
• Table salt
Fluid Inks
Any fluid inks work for this project apart from alcohol inks as they behave very differently. I generally use a mix of inks, such as Daler Rowney FW pigment inks, Liquitex acrylic inks and Dr. Ph. Martins pigment inks. These mix well together, are colourfast and also easy to mix with watercolours. For this painting, I used ink only.
Surface
You can use ink on many different surfaces, including primed canvas and any watercolour paper. For this project I used Seawhite 350gsm watercolour paper, 60 x 80 cm as it is a reasonable paper and works well with inks. You could use Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper in full imperial size 76cm x 56cm alternatively.
Any tools
I am lucky having a bamboo bush in the garden from which I have had an endless supply of bamboo sticks over the years ( cut the dead branches).
Any sticks and mark making tools work however including brushes, nib pens, fineliners, salt, wax for resist, sponges for texture etc
I dip the good watercolour brush directly in the ink. That’s alright so long as I remember to clean it immediately, or I don’t want the ink to dry on it.