Acrylic Pigment Ink

Hi everyone, Ruth here for our next Exchange Day Post. I have products that are my go to and I use most of the time like Fresco Paints and Distress Inks and then other products which I like to have a play with every now and then such as Alcohol inks and Pan pastels. I think Acrylic Pigment Ink (API) will now fall into this second category following my playtime!

The product I've used is IZINK, I think it's been around a year or two and a few months ago Aladine who make it and Clearsnap who distribute it bought out several new colours including pearlescents.

I only recently became aware of it and thought I'd share some of the results of dipping my toe in the water with it. Before Christmas I was looking for quick ideas for Christmas cards and saw a you tube video by contadinaK (title- dry embossing and paint) and that was closely followed by a Donna Downey one exploring the same product so I thought 'ooh that looks interesting' and yes I was tempted and the basket magnet worked it's magic! There are several IZINK videos on you tube if you want to know more about the product and some project ideas.

My understanding is that because Pigment Ink has pigment suspended in it, it's therefore thicker than dye inks and that affects how it reacts. Apologies for poor lighting in some of the photos, role on lighter nights.

On the left is Black India Ink, the right one is IZINK API in cactus

Sprayed with water the India Ink spreads quickly.

Distress re inker in wild honey v turquoise API sprayed with water and I've used watercolour card stock

I thought this experimental piece had potential, the wild honey has spread but the API although remaining thick in the central part, spreads out even quicker. I think this quality and how it brayers are what I most like about pigment inks.

Brayered Distress Inks and Smoothy stamping card

Brayered API...much thicker so doesn't sink in the same and spreads more.

On absorbent surfaces you can use more ink and keep layering up the colours.

On metal foil sheet, you can see that it's more gloopy and can leave a nice texture.

On foil and any non absorbent surface you only need a tiny amount and it must dry one colour before you put the next layer on or they will just blend together. It dries very quickly though. This is on glossy card stock.

The dry embossing technique from the video followed by gesso lightly brayered over.

The same technique as the base for Christmas cards. Love the holly top right.

I was inspired to create some journal pages out of these. I didn't feel the first needed much more so I've just added some simple stamping with Stampers Annonymous SCF005 and black stitching around the pigment ink. Tension stitch not quite right but it works!

I took another sheet of watercolour paper and applied the same colours but diluted them much more. This would then tie the 2 journal pages together, I also used some Wendy Vecchi clear embossing paste randomly through a Tim Holtz bubble stencil just to add some texture.

I stitched some shapes onto the other inked sheet before cutting out and applying. The text stamps are Lin Browns ELB06

I hope I've encouraged you to experiment with Acrylic Pigment Inks or maybe products you've already got, just to see what else they can do....you maybe surprised. You might even share your results with us in our current challenge which is appropriately 'Fresh Beginnings', you can find the details here, there's one more week to enter.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Ruth x