Using rubbing alcohol to make your own alcohol inks and clean your brushes with Nicole Austin
One of my favorite art “tools” can be found in my medicine cabinet: rubbing alcohol!
It is something that I think every artist should have in her tool box. Not only can you use it to clean hardened acrylic paint off of your brushes, but you can also use it to make your own alcohol ink!
Making your own alcohol ink is an economical alternative to buying alcohol inks and it’s also just a great way to use up any dyes you might have from another project. It’s easy to make your own inks–you just need rubbing alcohol and liquid or powdered dyes. I love using alcohol ink on photo paper to create galaxy-inspired backgrounds that I can use on cards or in other mixed media art projects.
Another great use for rubbing alcohol is using it to clean dried paint off of paint brushes. I know we’ve all experienced accidently leaving our beloved brushes in acrylic paint–you get distracted or called away from your project for just a moment only to return hours (sometimes days!) later to find perfectly good brushes ruined! But don’t throw those brushes out! Just soak them in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes, until the paint begins to dissolve. Then rinse with soap and water and they’re as good as new!
I hope you enjoy this week’s Quick Tip! I’d love to see what you’ve made with your homemade alcohol inks and if you have any other uses for rubbing alcohol in your art projects, I’d love to know!
Products Used:
91% isopropyl alcohol,
Jacquard Procion MX dye (fuchsia, lilac, jet black, midnight blue),
glossy photo paper,
Darice needle tip applicator bottles, white paint pen, baby wipes
