More Incredible Ways to Use Alcohol Inks!

Hey, guys!

This week, I want to jump on the bandwagon and preach the gospel of alcohol inks!
You’ve probably heard and know a lot about them and how great they work with Yupo Watercolor Paper. Maybe you’ve even used them yourself!
But, have you seen them used on glass?

A few years ago, I used them on just regular white tiles I picked up from the hardware store and created some awesome coasters:

After finding success with those, I wanted to see what else they would do and look like on other non-porous surfaces.

So, I picked up some votive holders from the local Dollar Store, grabbed my Jacquard Piñata Alcohol Ink and a can of compressed air, and went to it!

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Because of the typical rate of evaporation for the alcohol inks, I went with the can of air because I needed to be able to spread it around before it dried–and I knew that I’d get winded from just blowing on it myself. Plus, the unpredictable effect it gives is just so cool!

I started with the ol’ reliable Baja Blue on my least-favorite holder (you know, in case it ended up looking awful), and tested how hard and long I needed to spray it with the air.
Once I got the hang of it, I started alternating other colors in my first chosen scheme: Baja Blue, Passion Purple, and Señorita Magenta:

Feeling confident and having lots of fun, I kept going until I covered probably 85% of the votive holder:

I wanted to keep some of the glass clean just to break up the pattern and make less busy.

With one down, I started right in on the second one!

This color scheme was Baja Blue, Sunbright Yellow, and Lime Green.

I followed the same technique as the first holder in regards to color application, leaving sporadic clear spaces amongst the splashes of color.
I was on a roll!

For the final holder, I decided to go a different route:

I wanted to accentuate the holder’s long shape, so I focused most of my air bursts downward and let gravity do its thing!

I was very happy with the end result, and it actually proved to be a much easier way to handle the inks on such an awkwardly-shaped ground!

The holders were pretty dry to the touch, but I let them set a little bit longer just to be safe.
Once I felt a reasonable amount of time had passed (about 2 hours), I applied a few coats of Golden Soft Gel, Semi-Gloss–of course–to protect the inks from any scuffs they might endure.

After the final coat dried, I lit some votives and admired my work!

Beautiful! But what about with the lights off…

Incredible! I knew the holders would look great with the light shining through the inks, but I never considered the projection onto the surface they’re sitting on!
I was stunned when I turned the lights out and saw this!

With the vibrancy and transparency of the alcohol inks on glass, I’m betting they would be a great alternative to stained glass paint!
These inks are unstoppable, and I can’t wait to see what else they can do!