Rachel in Bloom

On Working with Chinese Ink

There’s something humbling about working with Chinese ink—a medium that feels both ancient and alive. It moves with elegance, but demands presence. Every drop carries weight.

I’ve used it across different surfaces—watercolour paper and mixed media paper in particular. Both respond differently to the ink’s character, but one thing remains constant: the rich, deep tone fades gently as it dries, settling into a more muted presence than when first applied. It teaches you to work not only with intention, but with acceptance. What you lay down may shift—ink settles where it chooses.

It’s also a medium that requires respect. A single spill can be permanent—I say this with experience, having lost a beloved carpet to one careless moment. The ink flows like water, but stains like memory. Handling it is almost ritualistic: steady hands, thoughtful placement, and a workspace that’s prepared for the unexpected.

What I love most is how the ink flows into thought—how it invites restraint and boldness at the same time. You don’t fight it. You move with it. Sometimes I’ll stare at a stroke and leave it just as it is, not out of hesitation, but reverence.

Working with Chinese ink is more than technique—it’s a quiet conversation with movement and contrast. Every mark is a moment captured.

Let the medium guide you. And protect your carpet. 🖤

— Rachel

The power of a line is so great that it can bring its audience to a halt, direct, redirect, convince, and play mind games if it is clever enough. “Lines” need not be limited to straight cut 90° angles, planned and measured. They can be loose, bold, shy, whispered, there is nothing a line can’t express if you let your mind see it.

The fun thing with alcohol ink markers is the variety of colours. I bought a 168 marker set for relatively cheap off Amazon. I never knew the possibility of having so many neutral and subtle shades, as well as the dozens of greys and off-whites. Wow. It’s seriously like a candy store feeling when I open the case and I’m greeted with all the colour and potential of what I could do!!

You’ll definitely need a heavyweight paper for these babies though. You know what it’s like handling a Sharpie? Same thing here. They’re permanent, they will seep through paper, and they dry instantly, so no smudging! In addition to the set I originally purchased, I also bought a bunch of green shades from the art store. The ones I chose have a really nice brush tip that make corners and plant drawing easy and natural, they’re incomparable to any other markers I’ve ever tried. Well, close to watercolour marker application, but the difference is in the ink.

Did you know alcohol ink markers can be applied to other surfaces than paper? This versatile medium can be used on metal, glass (see example, above), plexiglass, jewelry, resin, fabric, added to clay, and many more contexts. Side note on the stained glass effect, if I were to do it again, I’ll just draw straight on a home window. If you want to remove what you’ve done, just scrub it with rubbing alcohol. I bought a small tube of black “cure” from the art store, it’s the raised black borders that really give it a more authentic look and feel. If you use cure, you’d be best to apply it first.

Alcohol Ink in Liquid Form

Alcohol ink can be used as a fluid painting technique. The ink I bought came in small dropper-style bottles. This highly pigmented ink splashes and stains easily, so grab a pair of gloves for the sake of staying clean. Amongst the various inks in the set I bought, some are transparent and some are opaque. I saved the opaque choices for some of the resin projects – quick note – it doesn’t blend as much as it “drops” because it’s a heavier substance. Back to the ink on paper, it’s not really just “paper”, as the heading may suggest. Polypropylene is a synthetic, thin, flexible non-porous and non-absorbant plastic. It has a kodak paper feel to it. Since it doesn’t absorb, you can keep adding layers to it.

How to actually do it? As with most projects, preparation is primordial. Here’s a list of things you’ll need and want handy:

• Alcohol. I’ve just gone with the 70 or 90% rubbing.
• Small dixie cups, or shot glasses.
• Vinyl-type gloves.
• Ink.
• Some kind of background surface you don’t mind getting dirty.
• Hairdryer.

A quick note on the ink – I’ve actually unscrewed a few of my markers to remove the core (gloves are a must here), and I squeezed drops from the wadding into one of my cups. Add a few drops of the rubbing alcohol to the pigment and slowly pour it onto your paper. You’ll see how this is a random art in many ways. You can tilt the paper to guide where you want the ink to go, it dries pretty fast so you’ll see results quickly. Here’s where you can add layers. If you make a small puddle, you can guide it around the paper with a hairdryer with very pleasant results as well. Experiment with letting the ink drop and splash and bleed into each other – it’s a distinct look and it’s just plain fun!

As if alcohol ink wasn’t messy enough on it’s own, let’s add another level of OMG I’m so glad I brought gloves to the mix! Epoxy resin, which I’ve described how to handle and create in its own post, marries so well with the ink. I’ve tried my hand at a few crafty projects, particularly enjoyed the bookmarks and sun catchers.

You’ll need the same list of preparations as previously mentioned above, plus that of the resin. To keep it simple, prepare your resin first and add the ink as desired as the second step. I found that if I added the ink while the resin was still very fresh, the shape that I was aiming for shifted and changed more than what I wished for. Note to future self – wait for the resin to set a bit longer. Also, I found that in the absence of a blowtorch (see resin tips), adding drops of pure rubbing alcohol to the surface of the resin made any bubbles disappear! Go figure!