Zebra Highlighters and Yupo Paper #zebrapen @zebrapen

 This was a fun experiment I have been wanting to try.

Zebra Pen has these wonderful Eco Highlighters called Zebrites that really have some beautiful color. I am using them in my bullet journal because they don't bleed through the pages. I had been wondering how they would work on Yupo paper.

In case you aren't familiar with Yupo - it is a plastic, non-porous paper and the color does not absorb into it, rather it sits on top.

 Awhile back I received some ATC sized Yupo paper samples in my Art Snacks box, so I pulled that pad out. To that I added three of the Eco Zebrite highlighters and a water brush filled with water.

I squiggled down some bits of color here and there in a totally random fashion, then moved them around with the water brush. 

What you see above is the result I got with that technique.

The colors bled into each other in some places, and in other places the color moved completely around the color it came in contact with - causing those circles of blue and green.

 I loved how that worked and was encouraged with the results, so I moved on to some Zebra Mildliners I have.  

 This time I selected five colors and started randomly laying down swatches. Instead of pushing color around with the water brush - I squeezed the barrel causing drops of water to fall onto the yupo paper. A little tilt of the paper here and there caused the color to flow and appear as you see it above.

Wet things on Yupo take awhile to dry - unless you use a heat gun, but that is a whole other experiment - so I left the two ATCs on my desktop to dry overnight.

 This is how they look when dry.

The colors are not as vibrant and they continued to mingle a bit, but I still really love the results!

The first one (highlighter) didn't change that much other than color brightness, but the second one (mildliner) changed a lot!

I think next I will play with a heat gun and maybe some alcohol. Although probably not both at the same time. Hahaha!

These highlighters and mildliners are available at Zebra Pen - just click here. 

Have some fun! I'd love to see how it turns out for you!

More Blending Solution on an Alcohol Ink ATC

 Here is a completed ATC.

Again - made with alcohol ink on Yupo paper.

Kind of dark for me, but I thought I

liked it anyway.

 Finally, I was like, No!

Too dark for me!

So I used a lighter color of ink and

dropped a few more spots of ink

right onto the top of the darker areas.

It lightened up the colors,

but I started getting mud in that top section.

No bueno.

 So I pulled out the Copic blending solution.

Again.

(I just realized I say so and then and next 

and again a lot.)

I used the solution to squirt a wormy line

across the ATC.

I really expected I'd be throwing this one

into the trash can, then I wondered what

would happen if I blotted up those gobs of color.

I grabbed a paper towel - didn't know if it would work or not - and placed it down over the top of the ATC. Gently blotted, and lifted. And this is what I got.  A beautiful, soft alcohol inked ATC. I didn't even know you could do soft with these inks.  Haha!
Remember, I'm in Florida doing doctor visits with my mom. She will be 92 in a couple weeks. Still going strong. But I'm not going to kid you,  it's going to be a challenging couple days for me. I am going to break it up by spending a few relaxing - I hope - days  at the House of Mouse. And visiting my son, and Bobbie,  and the Frankles. Photos to come. I promise. Even if you don't want to see them. Hahahahaha!

Alcohol Ink and Blending Solution

 Here is the ATC we worked on yesterday.

I mentioned that I was going to do a bit

more work on it. Here is what I did:

 I explained this technique in a post a couple days ago.

Basically I have Copic Blending Solution in a

fine-gauged tip bottle that I purchased at

joggles.com.

I felt the yellow got a little spread out and

disconnected on the ATC.

I dropped one little spot of blending solution on the yellow, 

it spread onto the turquoise and 

I just let it go and watched the magic.

 Eventually the solution spread onto both the turquoise and pink. You can see where it changed the top turquoise to a green color, but not so on the lower turquoise. 

Alcohol inks have a life of their own.

They do what they want.

And I love how it turned out.

Next I will tangle the ATC with a Copic multiliner.

Pitt artist pens also work well.

Here is a little sampling of some ATCs I made with the inks.  So much fun, great results,  and I was finished in about ten minutes. Seriously.

Basic Alcohol Ink How-To

 Several people (more than two)

have asked my how to use alcohol ink.

So, let us start with a simple ATC.

Ranger and Tim Holtz distribute alcohol inks,

you can get them at Michael's, Hobby Lobby,

or Amazon.com haha! of course you can.

Amazon sells everything.

Except maybe goats.

Alcohol ink works best on Yupo paper.

This was a little sample pad of ATC sized

yupo paper that came in my Art Snack box this month.

It comes in all sizes - seriously - and can be found

on Amazon, dickblick.com, and Michael's. 

 When you use alcohol ink, work on a protected surface.

Craft sheets are perfect.

Here I worked on a large, thick sheet

of cardboard that I had left over.

 Alcohol inks also stain your fingers,

so if you aren't a lover of brightly colored

fingers, I'd recommend some type of glove.

I can't give you a recommendation

because I use the messy, pretty fingers

technique myself.

Makes me feel accomplished. 

(Emoticon smiley face.) 

Hehehehe!

 Sorry I talked through that last photo.

Take your first color and squirt a couple

drops in random locations.

Some people prefer working in odd numbers,

but since these ATCs are small,

I didn't worry about that.

As you can see, I began with pink,

then switched to a couple drops of yellow.

 Then be patient and wait.

The colors will spread and push each other 

where the edges touch.

Sometimes you get cool colors where this happens,

sometimes just a darker edge with its own

personality.

(Did you notice how that lower pink circle's

edges closed around and left that white hole?)

At this point I felt the ATC needed a little more color, so I added a couple spots of turquoise. And I love how it turned out. This is the perfect place to stop for today. (It isn't where I stopped with the ATC,  but it is a good stopping point.)
Once dry, this ATC will be ready for a little tangling with my Copic multiliner. I hope to inspire you to work with these inks. Such beautiful, rich colors they make!

Alcohol Ink Sneak Peek

Have I mentioned how much I love alcohol inks? They are bright, they smell weird, they evaporate quickly so you have to shoot photos fast, they spread, they mix, they blend, they are unpredictable and never the same twice. Bright, bold, beautiful! And there's a whole lot more where this came from. SaveSave

Valentine ATC Swap, 2016

Before you know it, Valentine's Day will be here. This year - probably for the first time ever - I was able to post a swap  before the holiday happened. In my Facebook group Zentangle All Around, we are currently holding an ATC swap. A 9 for 9 swap, which means you make nine ATCs and you receive nine ATCs in return. People are mailing me their ATCs now that they created, and at the end of this month I will set them up in groups of nine each and mail them back to the participants. This is a smattering of what I made for the swap. None of the entire ATCs show here. ATC stands for Artist Trading Card and they are the same size as a baseball card - 2.5" x 3.5". We trade them in little plastic sleeves and they are greatly treasured.  In my personal collection I have ATCs from all over the world. Little glimpses into the hearts of artists that have become friends -  truly all around the globe. So. Happy early Valentine's Day from me to you!
these are all made on white yupo paper. the color is alcohol ink

Heading to Maine Soon

We will be heading to Maine soon. Visiting for a few days. Closing on the new house. So excited, I can barely stand it!
Posting is going to be minimal during that time. Tomorrow I will try to schedule a few posts, if I can find the time. Packing is almost done. I can not wait!!!
I will be taking a couple of these to work on at night. Alcohol ink on Yupo paper. Love the colors.  If I could just get my scanner to recognize this hot pink. Not purple. But I can not get it to work. Ugh. I think this is still pretty, though.

Alcohol Ink on Yupo Paper

These are so much fun to do! Alcohol inks come in a wide variety of colors now, not like when they first came out years ago. And the yupo paper is non-porous so it is exactly  what you need for this technique to work. I love the way the colors are unpredictable. They work differently every time you use them. I made about twenty backgrounds and have been slowly tangling on them. I use an XS Pitt pen, works great gliding across the yupo!  So much yumminess! I love it!
Alcohol inks are a product of Ranger.

Alcohol Ink on Yupo

 
I absolutely love working with these alcohol inks! I keep finding new colors,  and new color combinations. I just can't stop!

Their colors are so vibrant and fresh. I use Yupo paper. It has a plastic coating over it, making it perfect for the alcohol inks. I put the color on first, let it dry completely, then use a Copic Multiliner pen to tangle.

And I end up with this. I love it! This is 5" x 7". I am thinking a black mat and a lime green frame.