The background is made by liberally spritzed the Yupo paper with alcohol then dropped color onto the paper. The ink refills come with dropper caps which makes this technique so easy. I blew the color around with a straw until I was happy with it. NOTE: If it dries before you are happy with it, spritz with alcohol again. I set it aside to dry. I just love how the blending naturally occurred with the rich, vibrant colors and the texture that was created. You get a lovely surprise every time!