This was my first play with alcohol inks.

I bought a set of Pixiss alcohol inks with 25 assorted colors, some Yupo papers, a couple bottles of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, and 10 empty bottles with fine metal tips. As expected, the plastic tips on the Pixiss bottles are larger. That’s okay if you make normal size art, but I like to work in miniature.

What I did not expect was the frikkin child protector caps. Push and turn; repeat every frikkin time, even with the black seal rings removed. I am 60 years old. My studio door and supply closets all have keyed entry locks to prevent visiting grandchildren from drinking chemicals or playing with sharp and dangerous tools. I do not need child protector caps on little bottles that require repeated opening while working on a project.

Easy solution: just pour inks into the other bottles. Correction: squirt inks into other bottles, and maybe best to just to squirt a little of the colors being used as there is no going back. The Pixiss bottles are not made to be opened. I tried prying around a tip base with my fingernail thinking that I could wiggle it up and out but those buggers must be press fitted in. DRATS!

Fast forward past initial frustrations and oh my… I really, really, absolutely love these inks!

Alcohol inks do not behave like other inks. The special paper required is a type of plastic. It’s not absorbent.

I spent several hours playing with the inks, exploring the effect of wetting the Yupo paper with Isopropyl first, adding tiny drops later, layering colors wet into wet as well as wet on dry. This is a medium that requires relinquishing control to a certain degree because the inks will do their own thing.

Here’s a little video made to show my cousin what is beyond words to explain.

That drop was first drop on my third… shown below is my first play, alcohol inks on 2.5 x 3.75 inch translucent Yupo, trimmed to ACEO size (2.5 x 3.5 inches).

Thanks for reading!