Techniques/Uses for Liquid Ink?
 

I have a set of Dr. Ph. Martin�s Bombay India ink in multiple colors. Aside from calligraphy (which I do at times), what are some other ways I can use the liquid ink in card making? I know they can sort of be used in a similar way to watercolor�is there anything else?

I drip thin streams/lines of ink (or bottled watercolors) onto watercolor paper and either brush it or use the end of a paint brush to make single lines, or use a comb to comb a bunch of lines. Neat as is or as backgrounds or sliced and diced - like strips or 9 little squares, etc.

I think most things you�d use drops of reinkers for would be good candidates to try with these. Shaving cream marbling springs to mind (you�ll find a tutorial here if you�ve never tried this) or a striped background with a baby wipe (here). Or how about rolling marbles (here)?

Have fun getting inky, whatever you try with them. Let us know how you get on!

If you have a spray diffuser like this ~ Small 2mm Artist Spray Diffuser Hinged with Wooden Mouthpiece: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games ~ you can get a lovely spattered background using inks.

Blowing drips with a drinking straw is fun too. Just tilt the paper.

I use mine for watercoloring and any of the background techniques that call for re-inkers. They seem to be highly concentrated, and while they thin down nicely with water, they also do not loose the original quality of color, which I love.

I think you could also colour stencil paste/ texture mediums with them too. Should work well as these are so concentrated, as you will only need a drop or two to colour the paste, so you won't make it too thin. Adding to clear/translucent will give you a strong colour, adding to white should make it more pastel.

You could use them to color your hands. I was so hypnotised by a simple technique I forgot I was using ink, not watercolors, and was blue for days - despite shampooing my hair, using special soap, a nail brush and that round rough Ranger scrub thing.

Here is a video using Liquid Colors on a card. This may give you ideas!

I want to make some colors for my mini misters. Is there a thread about this already? I am not sure if I put water into the mister and add a few drops of color, or if I need to use rubbing alcohol as my base. Does anyone know how to do this? I'd like to able to spray a light sprinkle of color onto cardstock.

If you’re using water-based inks and spray No into regular cardstock then water in your mister is all you need. You might need to experiment a bit to get the concentration of colour you want, it will depend on the ink you’re starting out with. Distress ink, for example, in a Ranger mini mister, I would fill about two thirds with water and then put a full dropper of ink (that’s the glass tube thing full, not just one drop). Don’t forget you don’t need to make a full mister if you don’t need that much spray though.

I have a friend who does a lot of MM stuff, and she uses Gin or Vodka instead of water, as it evaporates rapidly. Both those alcohols leave no smell behind.