Saturday, May 23, 2015

Artist Demo - Painting the Mona Lisa with Alcohol Inks


Looks messy, right?  But the outcome is fun.  First I start with a little alcohol ink on a blank piece of Yupo paper.  Then, I try to wipe it away with alcohol and a tissue to create a very light colored but semi-textured image.  Next, I draw in my design (the Mona Lisa) and mask off the light areas with masking fluid.  This is when the fun starts!!  With the light colors being preserved, I am free to drip, drop, scrape, and manipulate the alcohol inks around the painting.  I often use a q-tip with alcohol on it to soften areas, and I use some alcohol ink pens to draw with.  But, the most fun part is putting some alcohol on a tooth brush and flicking it so that the droplets interact with the alcohol inks to make interesting designs.  The next step is to, of course, remove the masking fluid and fix up any areas that need a little work. 

The original painting can be found at my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/232055401/alcohol-inks-on-yupo-painting-abstract?ref=shop_home_active_10 and my other alcohol inks on Yupo paintings can be found here https://www.etsy.com/shop/kauaiartist?section_id=15832235&ref=shopsection_leftnav_6 .   

If you are on Kauai, you can also join me for a class in Alcohol Inks on Yupo paper.  Here is my art class schedule http://www.kauaiartclasses.blogspot.com/ .  I also teach it as a private lesson.  Feel free to contact me at 808-631-9173 if you are interested.  I hope you have enjoyed this demo!

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