I tried to work on my Christmas card but I am soooo uninspired. Not because I don't have the Christmas spirit…I do, I do!!!! But because I made the painting for the card 8 1/2 " X 11" thinking that I would scan it and then shrink it to card size. Well…..when I shrunk the card down, it lost a lot of detail and color intensity. I guess that it is back to the drawing board on that one!!!
In the mean time….an artist friend of mine made the most beautiful cards using yupo paper and alcohol inks. I thought that I would give it a try! She used the originals to make her cards where I decided to use prints from my new laser printer (more about that in a future post) and use those instead. After all, I may find another use for the originals later.
Some of you may not think that these cards are too Christmasy but I'll make it work. Also, I plan to give these as gifts.
This is how I made them:
1. Cut the yupo paper to 5 1/2" x 4"
2. Lightly mist the yupo paper with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. You can find this at any Drug Store.
3. Drop the lightest background color onto the misted yupo and brush evenly using a paint brush. I covered the entire sheet but if you wish to have some white show…just slap it on!!! Also, don't worry about streaks…they will even out on their own as the alcohol flows.
4. While the background is still wet, place the stencil over it. It is best to use the very thin plastic stencils as you want them to grab or stick to the background. If the background dries before positioning the stencil, mist either the back of the stencil or very lightly mist the background with the 91% alcohol.
5. Drop two to three different colors onto the page….making sure to drop through the openings in the stencil. I sometimes coaxed the ink with a brush. Do not use complimentary colors or they will turn to mud. Try colors in the same family. Pinks, reds. purples and yellows or Blues, greens and yellow.
6. Set aside to dry. Tip: if you push on the stencil and you see ink move…it is not dry. I left mine to dry overnight just to be sure. I am very impatient and often tempted to pull the stencil back to look under it but be warned….this will cause the inks to flow into each other and loose detail.
7. Once dry, pull the stencil off and admire your work!!!
Now, most importantly…CLEAN YOUR STENCILS! You can clean them by misting them with alcohol and gently wiping with a paper towel. Also, if you are making several of these and switch colors...clean your stencil and brush between use or the colors may turn to mud when the alcohol on the stencil or brush is reactivated.
There you have it!!! Alcohol ink and Yupo 101!
Until next time,
Hugs,
Ginny
I love these! I just ordered yupo paper from Blick's.
ReplyDeleteI love these! I just ordered yupo paper from Blick's.
ReplyDeleteLinda, you are going to have sooooo much fun!!!
DeleteWow!I bought some yupo to use with India ink but have never used it. Now I know why I bought the stuff! ;) Thanks for the great inspiration.
DeleteWow!I bought some yupo to use with India ink but have never used it. Now I know why I bought the stuff! ;) Thanks for the great inspiration.
DeleteLet me know how the india ink works. I bet you could water it down to get some great washes.
DeleteThis is wonderful! Thanks for sharing 👍👍
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous!! I have never heard of yup before. Is it different from regular card stock?
ReplyDeleteYes. Yupo is a plastic type paper so the inks flow across the surface rather than penetrating it.
DeleteThese are gorgeous!! I have never heard of yup before. Is it different from regular card stock?
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I have some unused Yupo paper & age-old alcohol inks. Who knew? Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSo rich and gorgeous! TFS!! I just came across this in Pinterest, and now you've been bookmarked:-)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI do not have Yupo... would this work on regular mixed medis paper that has been gessoed?
ReplyDeleteSorry Semajrn, it will not work the same. The yupo paper is plastic and nonporous. Therefore, the alcohol inks runs under the stencil, puddles and mixes the colors to create the beautiful patterns. Gesso is porous and will not do this. I also tried glossy photo paper which gave me an interesting and similar look. I squirted the alcohol inks through the stencil and then squirted blending medium on top in order to get the inks to flow. The key is not to lift the stencil for 24 hrs or the stencil pattern will be lost. Good luck!
DeleteAmazingly beautiful! Can this technique be used on any other medium that would react the same way, or similar to yupo? Would any other paint pool around the stencil? For instance, if you place wrinkled plastic wrap on some metallic sprays, you are left with a beautiful texture when dried.
ReplyDeleteGood question! Perhaps Golden High flow acrylic paints or watered down acrylic paints on hot press watercolor paper primed with a spray gloss sealer? The way I see it, you need two things: 1. Paint that will flow under the stencil and will not peel off or scratch off the surface once dry, and 2. Paper slick enough to allow the paint to sit on the surface and not absorb into the paper. Hope this helps.
DeleteGinny, I just made my Thanksgiving cards with alcohol inks on yupo and also tried the inks on clear acrylic. It turned out well and I was able to put stamped leaves behind the see thru acrylic rather than trying to stamp on the yupo or the acrylic. Next, I want to try the stencils.
ReplyDelete