Getting Better Results for Alcohol Ink Ornaments | A Step by Step Tutorial

[@BeverlyMandell-rz7id]

I like this use of alcohol ink because its done inside the ball and fumes are contained. I am trying this for a festival coming up!

[@hopalongstudio]

Yes, I really like this technique because it keeps the mess and the smell down considerably. It takes longer to dry than applying the inks on the outside, but I'll take a longer drying time for less smell!

[@LJBSullivan]

If you spray with canned air it will help dry and you wont get the pooling in the bottom.

[@hopalongstudio]

Oh, that's a great tip! I was using a photo bulb, but the canned air would be a much more efficient way to dry the ink. Thanks for sharing!

[@aniawood]

The gesso idea is a great one. I'm going to try mixing gesso with a bit of flowtrol

[@hopalongstudio]

Thanks, I’m glad you found the video helpful! Mixing gesso to thin it out is definitely the way to go, it will save you A LOT of drying time!

[@deborahkelly7102]

very nice video! Liked that you showed all the permutations, and "saves"!

[@hopalongstudio]

Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@yolandahepburn]

You can add white paint after dry it’s amazing

[@hopalongstudio]

That's a great idea, thanks for sharing!

[@dianehoffman3508]

Thanks, what a great idea!

[@hopalongstudio]

You're welcome! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@night4001]

This is exactly what I had tested with a couple balls, and am planning to do with a bunch of them. Your video is exactly what I needed to fill in the blanks with how to go about it. One difference is that I have little tiny glass ornaments to colour, so they are a challenge. Thanks so much for sharing this! ❤

[@hopalongstudio]

You're welcome, I'm glad that this was helpful! It's a great way to color ornaments and I've had mine for several years now and they still look as good as when I first created them! Have fun with your tiny glass ornaments, I'm sure they'll look amazing but will probably be a bit more challenging!

[@night4001]

@@hopalongstudioI tried a few today. They turned out nice so far, and look great on my mini trees.

[@MsChilePepper]

I'd be inclined to use a cotton swab with a long stick to soak up some of the excess ink in the bottom of the bulb, so it dries quicker and you don't have quiet such a dark spot in the bottom.

[@hopalongstudio]

That's a fantastic idea! I think that would be a great way to soak up the excess ink. Thanks for sharing!

[@maryellenrichards391]

These are so beautiful!

[@hopalongstudio]

Thank you!

[@meShawndel]

Very helpful.

[@hopalongstudio]

I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@gardenescapeartist]

So pretty! Thanks for sharing your expertise!

[@hopalongstudio]

Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@meiraloraduncan8953]

These are gorgeous and I will definitely be trying this technique ASAP. To help prevent the pooling can you dry the ink inside before adding the next drops of the same or different color of ink? I like that you are doing it inside of the ornament instead of on the outside like I have recently been seeing done. I used to make these with acrylic paint nearly starting back in 1994 and gave them as Christmas gifts. Later when I was teaching 3rd grade and again in first grade I made these with my students and they were gorgeous and we got a lot of positive feedback from their families and other teachers.

[@hopalongstudio]

Thank you! Yes, you can dry the inside of the ornament and it will help with the pooling. The first batch of ornaments I did I had a lot of pooling because I didn't dry them at all. The next set I let them partially dry (because I was being impatient 😆) and I still got a bit of pooling. I find that it takes a bit more effort to get them dry. Unlike alcohol inks on Yupo paper which is completely open to air and good air flow, with the bulbs having such a small opening, you have to work a bit more to get them dry. If you don't want any pooling, give them a lot of drying time between colors and coats. I found that I would check on them after an hour and if I saw pooling, I would turn them upside down to get the ink flowing the other way. It just takes a bit of trial and error. I did a few of these on my own with acrylic paint, it works very similarly but it gives a more opaque effect than the alcohol inks. I hope that you give this project a try and enjoy the creative time! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@pattim1283]

Can you add a different color other than white after applying the alcohol ink such as silver or gold?

[@hopalongstudio]

Absolutely! I'd definitely try silver or gold. The key is to have something lighter and opaque to help the alcohol inks stand out. I'll have to give silver and gold a try on these sometime soon- that's such a great suggestion!

[@lp_cta]

What kind of white paint did you use?! Compatible with alcohol ink?!

[@hopalongstudio]

For all my videos, I include all the materials in the description. For this video, I used a combination of Liquitex gesso and Golden titanium white paint. Here's links to the exact products that I used: Golden High Flow Titanium White Acrylic Paint amzn.to/3CjqDrX Liquitex Gesso amzn.to/3CLZvDt Any acrylic product will work with alcohol inks, but a highly pigmented acrylic paint like Amsterdam or Golden acrylics will give you the best results.

[@lp_cta]

Thx

[@donnademer703]

Is there a reason you put the ink on the inside and another puts it on the outside? Very new to this, but your work is beautiful! Some people paint them white, I’m confused…

[@hopalongstudio]

That's a fair comment. It was a personal preference more than anything. They take longer to dry than having the ink on the outside, but I like that the ink is protected by the glass. I generally like the look of it better. There's no reason that you can't do it on the outside, but then I'd want to use a layer of protectant and UV spray to prevent them from fading or getting damaged. My main reason was because I liked the look and I didn't want to spend a bunch of time sealing them!

[@patricemotyka1128]

What type of bulb dryer are you using? These are so interesting and beautiful.

[@hopalongstudio]

Thank you! They are so fun to make, I love that every ornament is so unique. I was using a camera cleaning bulb for drying the ornaments. If you are looking for one of these bulbs, here is the one that I purchased for my alcohol ink classes. My students really liked this one and I think it works a bit better than the one that I used for this video. Here is my affiliate link amzn.to/3ATOT3X

[@michelledovey7109]

Hi -alcohol inks need UV protection so they don’t fade - do you spray them at all ? I guess that’s difficult when the inks are inside.

[@hopalongstudio]

That's a great question. For these ornaments, I don't spray them. Because they're generally in lower light hanging on the Christmas tree, I haven't noticed any fading. My hope is that being on the inside of the bulb, the color gets a bit more protection. You are right, as alcohol inks are fugitive, they generally need UV protection. I know artists that use at least 6 coats of UV spray on their pieces while I know other artists who just tell people to display their work out of direct light and don't bother with UV protection. For these bulbs, I chose not to use a UV spray. Spraying the inside of the bulbs would be difficult and it wouldn't really protect the ink. You would need to spray the outside of the bulb as that is the area exposed to light. I haven't tried it myself, but I think it would take away some of the shine.

[@michelledovey7109]

@@hopalongstudio thank you ! 💜

[@joychip5994]

Can you just dab outside with a sponge or roll it in plastic. I love the pin inks

[@hopalongstudio]

Yes, the paint will stick to the outside of the ornament. I like adding paint and ink the the inside because you end up with a smooth outer surface. You could add ink and paint to the outside of the ornament as well. I would just make sure to seal them after you are done to provide a bit of protection. Also, if I was going to add a lot of layers of paint to the outside, I would start with a layer of gesso, it'll help the paint to stick better.

[@joychip5994]

@@hopalongstudio thank you for replying yes I will try that I have some big bottles to do I have done one but at this moment in time the krylon is expensive xx I love your stripe ones..

[@sues5693]

thank you...this is exactly what I have been looking for. I would like to do them for gifts this year. I am hoping to be able to purchase these supplies here in Alberta...any suggestions?

[@hopalongstudio]

I'm so glad that this video was helpful. I gave quite a few away as gifts last year, people loved them! Are you closer to Edmonton or Calgary? If you're looking for places in Calgary for supplies (which is where I am) you can get the glass or plastic ornaments at Michaels, the alcohol inks and white fluid acrylic paint I got from Kensington Art. The blower bulb I got online at amazon. If you are in Calgary, you can also get the alcohol inks at The Paper and Ink Boutique, Scrap Shotz or Paper Pastimes. If you are closer to Edmonton, Scrap Addicts is always good to deal with. If you're not close to these city centers, I would suggest scrap addicts and the paper and ink boutique as they both have good online stores. You can always get most of this supplies at Amazon.ca as well. If you do use Amazon, here's my affiliate link: amzn.to/3fOCneh Let me know if you have any more questions!

[@sues5693]

@@hopalongstudio thanks so much for replying. I am a few miles west of Edmonton…and Happy Thanksgiving

[@hopalongstudio]

@@sues5693 You're welcome! I hope that you can find what you're looking for to do this project. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@eloisecoppler8228]

Amazon

[@franpolizzotti462]

The ornaments are beautiful and your tutorial was great, but next time if you could wear something lighter in color it would be easier for us to see the detail of your work. I don't want to miss any of the video. Thanks!

[@hopalongstudio]

Thank you for watching and for your feedback. I'm always trying to up the production value of my videos, I think this was my first dual-camera video, which was a big step for me. I'll definitely keep that in mind when I do another video like this. I tend to wear dark colors and a dark apron because the alcohol inks stain clothes instantly, but the camera angle can sometimes make it hard to see the details. I appreciate the feedback, I'm always looking for ways to make my videos better!

[@donnalisinski1036]

Are you kidding me.

[@jeaneinabottle]

⁠Yes, she does wonderful work!! 🥰

[@MsChilePepper]

I'd be inclined to use a cotton swab with a long stick to soak up some of the excess ink in the bottom of the bulb, so it dries quicker and you don't have quiet such a dark spot in the bottom.

[@hopalongstudio]

That's a fantastic idea! I think that would be a great way to soak up the excess ink. Thanks for sharing!