Have you ever looked at a blank canvas and had your heart race with excitement? You might have two left thumbs, or maybe paintbrushes make you nervous. That’s okay! I accidentally got into alcohol ink painting after I spilled a set of markers and had to clean them up. Suddenly, my kitchen table was covered in beautiful waves of color, untamed rivers, and flowers that looked like they were made of drugs. I was hooked.
The crazy thing is that you don’t have to be a pro artist. To learn how to paint in the traditional way, you probably need to spend three years in an old monastery. Ink made from alcohol? It’s the wild cousin. You are the DJ, and the paint wants to dance.
Get some things together: three colors of alcohol inks (start simple), 91% isopropyl alcohol, some non-porous paper like Yupo, plastic droppers, and a straw. Wear gloves unless you want colorful fingertips for a week! Cool safety.
Put color on the page. Don’t think too hard; just plop, splat, or drizzle. Put in some alcohol drops and watch in amazement as the colors spread and swirl. Use a straw to move them around. Bring forth your inner hurricane. Try turning the paper. The colors will mix and merge in ways that don’t make sense. Everything is a mess, but nevertheless magic happens. You’ll get soft edges, powerful lines, and ghostly veils that look more like dreams than art.
If watching paint dry sounds monotonous, you’re in for a treat. This dries quickly. In a matter of seconds, you see something crazy and unexpected, like a double rainbow in the middle of a snowstorm. The first time you try it, it could look like a birthday cake for a toddler. Laugh! Throw it away or flip the sheet over and try again. No pressure, no judgment.
It can be very meditative. I watch the inks push each other around some days and wonder if I’m learning art or life lessons. Stop. Embrace the mess. Have fun with the surprises. Making mistakes can lead to some amazing results.
Ask your friends to come. Make it a Rorschach party on Friday night. Talk about the strangest thing you saw in your new abstract works of art. There is no way to “fail” at this. Every sheet is a gift that you don’t know about. You don’t have to tell anyone your secret. Or do it—it’s up to you.
If you want to do something different, this alcohol ink excursion is the way to go. Your secret skill could come out and show itself. This strategy will make you question everything you believed you could (or couldn’t) make, even if you don’t think you have one. Get those inks out, put on a playlist, and go for it without thinking. Who knows? The next great work of art and laugh fit might be just a straw-blow away.