I've heard that lightfastness is solely based on the pigments themselves, but I could be wrong. Also, this video is incredibly helpful for a thing I wanna do, so thank you for making it! It may seem super niche and a comparison of things that someone may not think need comparing, but every ounce of knowledge is useful!
I started using black acrylic ink as an alternative to Indian ink and found it flowed better from a nib (for drawing, not calligraphy). India ink seems to go gloopier than acrylic ink. Also it dries totally waterproof which certain cheap India ink brands do not. I use coloured acrylic inks sometimes for colouring illustrations. I can't see the point of alcohol ink if it's going to spread everywhere. And alcohol inks are not lightfast (I have heard). When I do any kind of picture I want the option of putting it on display or selling it in good faith that it will last. When a product isn't lightfast you don't have that option.
All True. I have found that Alcohol ink does take a long long time to fade even a little. But my things are in direct light. Each has their fun parts. I love using Acrylic Ink with the Alcohol Inks. Even sometimes with watercolor. So I guess it is safe to say I just like to paint. Ha Ha
Acrylics can be reactivated with 91%+ alcohol until they have fully cured. There’s a lot of cool effects that can be created with acrylics, water and alcohol that are permanent once cured. However, too much water, too much alcohol can reduce the adhesion of acrylics, potentially causing them to peel or flake later. Otherwise, quality acrylics are definitely light fast and permanent.
It seems to me that the Bombay Ink has a lower viscosity, so any gradients drawn with it look smoother and better shaded. With the acrylic ink, it looks like you get pretty harsh steps from dark to light as a stroke gets drawn with the paintbrush, probably making it pretty difficult to do any sort of smooth shading, especially across larger areas without introducing a "posterization" effect.
They all have their special qualities for sure. The bombays I like to use like watercolor sometimes. There is a transparency to it. Acrylic ink is acts like paint. But they are really fun to experiment with. Thanks for your input. I like hearing what others think and experience.
Extremely interesting review! Question, What sort of art applications would acrylic ink be used for as opposed to India ink be used for? I’m an amateur humorous illustrator and my normal process is Dr Martin’s or Pelikan black waterproof ink for my line work and then Dr Martin’s liquid watercolors for my color work. What is the advantage of using colored acrylic ink or colored India ink for my color work? Thanks!
Wow you are going to make me think. ha ha The bombay ink is very silky. it is thinner that the acrylic ink. Maybe more translucent. The acrylic ink is also sorta silky but seems to be more opaque. it seems to be more solid. I personally think they can be used in the same situation. I do think it comes down to which you like better .
Hi Kitty Kitty Kitty! So nice to have a 'helper'!! Thank you sooo much for doing this comparison test!! I have all 3 of those inks... and only kinda know what to do w/al ink!! I tend to 'collect' products as if I've found some fabulous treasure... and then they sit here unused cuz I have no idea what to do with them!! Now I can be brave & have fun experimenting!! YAY!!
You are so welcome! yes be Brave. I just played and that is how I learned about how each one did. some of the things I discovered it while I made the video. So yes Play Play Play
Ty so much I’ve been searching for a video like this.. tried the A.I. with the Bombay ink on a glass bottle. It wasn’t a good mix but it worked on the glass bottles. The Bombay didn’t stick to the rubbing alcohol. But when I used water it mixed with the A.I. with a opaque look.. Ty The Bombay works well with water 💦 Wow!
In google searches, information is saying that acrylic ink IS lightfast. So I wonder what's true. I'm trying to determine if I want to get some acrylic inks or bombay ink but will discard acrylic ink if it's not lightfast.
At the time of this video that was the info I found on their websites. Things could have changed. They could have changed formulas. in either case, the acrylic ink and bombay inks do act different. So give them both a shot.
Thanks for making this video I've been looking for a comparison video for awhile that explains the different ink properties! This was really helpful!!!
Ok Denise, I did this special for you and this is what I found. Yes. I put it on the back of photo paper and wiped it off with alcohol and there was a light stain. It did not wipe off as well as Alcohol ink. So Yes. Hope this helps.
@@SCARYHAIRLADY thank you for taking the time to do that. I appreciate it! It’s an intriguing medium. I’ve been painting with AI for almost 10 years now. Always looking to experiment 🤩 thanks again!
What is the white stuff. I followed you but have never worked with any ANY of these yet. So it was very informative! Thank you. However, if you do more a suggestion might be more detail in your verbiage. An example: occasionally you say after doing something you’d said, ya we all thought it would do that.(I’m like wait, it would do what?) Then when you moved to the white product I’m lost. What is it & why & when is it used. This is good. But more detail would help. Thank you thank you for all the details I did get!!!! So helpful. Be blessed. 💝
you are so right. Believe it or not this one made me nervous to do. out of my range. ha ha But the white is Blanco from Pinata. I use it alot with ink and blanco just by itself. It is great fun to do. I did not plan on doing the Blanco so it was on the fly. I will watch this more carefully in the future. Thank you for the info. very much appreciated.
@@SCARYHAIRLADY Thank you for commenting back. You did an excellent job. (I’m a bit of a list person also. That said,) 1.) Thank you for you chart as you were going. (Also fantastic chart at the end.) 2.) If your not sure if you’d like to do more of this your an excellent type teacher.(here’s why.) a.) You teach w/care & companion. I could tell that you wanted to do your best for the listener. b.) Your spontaneous, not afraid to go a step further. Ex: adding the blanco at the last min. it makes it exciting to see you learn from you.( that also helps the student know to not be afraid of doing the same. Also, it teaches creativity.) Help me know trying new things is great. c.) For me most important is! • Your post reminding the viewers to be respectful. It’s scary to ask the teacher a question of any kind. I was very nervous to do so. Especially new to all of this. • My reason being, an info video I was watching once. I asked if the product had a strong smell as I wasn’t sure. ( after I wrote the question I also mention in the same comment~ that I bought such & such because the reportable company I just bought it from s pacific ally said it had no oder. A response quickly came up but it wasn’t the person who originally posted.She VERY assertively said, I was wrong. It has an Oder & aggressively said, such & such. Then another commented that yes, such & such. Then others commented on theirs & so on & so on. ~When it all came to the comments running about 15 comments in. I didn’t want to ever ask in a group again & didn’t want to paint & be creative again. Because, I didn’t know things so I had to ask to learn. But felt to intimidated to ask.(so I saw it as, don’t know can’t ask~no longer fun. ~ to this day: I paid $98.00 + Shipping & have put the product away & never used it. So that teaching moment was stifling instead of a learning moment. I know this was a extreme example but a true one. ( I made the choice to not proceed know one made me) However, to even have one person back off because of opinionated people is to many. My point THANK YOU 4 asking people to remain respectful. Final comment: Teach more if you’d like. It was fun & your very good at it! Be well. 😄👍🏼💟
@@sheilaschollmeier2166 Sheila Thank you so much for your words. Wow. It makes my heart feel good. I hate she made you feel bad or feel unimportant. I had someone when I was small 10 or 12 yrs old , instead of telling me what to do she actually drew on my paper. Something inside just died that moment. I can feel it to this day and I'm 57. so it took me a few years to understand that was her thing and not a me thing. Who wants to spend money on something that they know little about. That can get costly. So always ask, I will tell you my experience. The alcohol ink community is awesome. Most very willing to share info. I look forward to seeing your work. Keep playing and experimenting. It is just paper and ink. Thank you again for your incredible encouraging words. Eloise
This was great....I am looking for info on how to seal alcohol ink in glass after painting? Any ideas? I want to sell glass pieces that I paint a bit with India Ink, but afraid it will wear off. Would I use Krylon Kamar? Other? Thank you!!
my go to is Kamar Varnish. It does not effect the ink. If you spray really close just a few inches it will make it spotty. After Kamar I spray with a UV protector then if needed a clear acrylic coat.
The Acrylic Inks and Bombay are wonderful to use with a dip pen. But the Alcohol ink will spread and wont hold a line. Both Acrylic inks and Bombay write different but both are really fun. The Bombays are the ones I think write the best. They seem more smoother. But both are good to use.
Yes. It is a opaque white that plays well with alcohol ink. It is sold with the other alcohol inks. It make the alcohol ink more of a solid color vs when the ink is mixed with alcohol. BUT it doesn't work well with just alcohol. So I will use Alcohol ink and blanco or blanco, alcohol ink then alcohol. In that order. If the blanco and alcohol get around each other without ink it will act badly
As for reactions, don’t you need something for the color to react to? I think they differ in transparencies for the most part. Thanks for making these videos. We all can learn something from them.what about blending solutions?
No on the Bombay and Acrylic Ink. They play well by themselves. The alcohol ink can be used like a paint but needs to dry just a tad before painting on paper. Unlike the other two, unless sprayed with a varnish or clear coat, will reactivate when other ink is put on. The other two dry and they are done. As for as blending solution, I don't use it. At first it was cost. I like to play a lot. Alcohol was cheaper. Now it is I really don't know how to work with it. I just stick with Alcohol. Yes they have different transparencies. I like to use different paints for that reason. Bottom line is you need, NEED, them all. Ha Ha Ha They are fun to play with.
Great video for the visual learner! Wonder about different mediums, varnishes, glazes and resin reactions to each ink. Hec, even to acrylic and oil paint. I love all art that uses color 🌝 Dont even need the chart. I knew nothing about Bombay ink. Thought it was a brand of acrylic ink. Say hi to kitty 🧶
I am glad this helped a little. I would say with epoxy ( I've worked with that too) All these ink need to be sealed with Kamar Varnish or some type of acrylic clear spray. The epoxy would, after a bit, reactivate it. I did a wood piece with a cross on it and sealed it before I epoxied it. It did find. The wood piece is also in the videos.
I am sorry that annoys you. The reason I do things like I do is When I was starting out with Alcohol Ink I would mess up and not know how to fix it or how to finish the painting. I did not see people correct mistakes, or change directions or make a completely different picture than what they start out doing. There are so many great artist out there that do it right and perfect the first time. They are great to watch. But I was throwing away half done pictures because I messed up and did not know how to what to do. I like to try things and let everyone see the results. I am not just teaching a painting skill I am teach a thought process. In this video I generally knew what the results were going to be because I play a lot with them. But I still was surprised by a couple of results. I don't want to practice a painting a few times before I present it. I want them to be real, spontaneous and true to life. Thank you for your thoughts on the matter.
I enjoyed this video. My husband asked me what I was watching. I joked "I'm watching paint dry". :)
Ha ha ha. I love that.
Lol. Good one!
LOL
I was thinking the same thing! Lol
I've heard that lightfastness is solely based on the pigments themselves, but I could be wrong.
Also, this video is incredibly helpful for a thing I wanna do, so thank you for making it! It may seem super niche and a comparison of things that someone may not think need comparing, but every ounce of knowledge is useful!
Thank you and you are very welcome. I worked with all of these and I was curious how they would play together.
I started using black acrylic ink as an alternative to Indian ink and found it flowed better from a nib (for drawing, not calligraphy). India ink seems to go gloopier than acrylic ink. Also it dries totally waterproof which certain cheap India ink brands do not. I use coloured acrylic inks sometimes for colouring illustrations. I can't see the point of alcohol ink if it's going to spread everywhere. And alcohol inks are not lightfast (I have heard). When I do any kind of picture I want the option of putting it on display or selling it in good faith that it will last. When a product isn't lightfast you don't have that option.
All True. I have found that Alcohol ink does take a long long time to fade even a little. But my things are in direct light. Each has their fun parts. I love using Acrylic Ink with the Alcohol Inks. Even sometimes with watercolor. So I guess it is safe to say I just like to paint. Ha Ha
Acrylics can be reactivated with 91%+ alcohol until they have fully cured. There’s a lot of cool effects that can be created with acrylics, water and alcohol that are permanent once cured. However, too much water, too much alcohol can reduce the adhesion of acrylics, potentially causing them to peel or flake later. Otherwise, quality acrylics are definitely light fast and permanent.
I know I just hit the surface with these paints. Thanks for even more insight on these fun paints. The fun is endless.
This is wonderful and just what I was looking for. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
It seems to me that the Bombay Ink has a lower viscosity, so any gradients drawn with it look smoother and better shaded. With the acrylic ink, it looks like you get pretty harsh steps from dark to light as a stroke gets drawn with the paintbrush, probably making it pretty difficult to do any sort of smooth shading, especially across larger areas without introducing a "posterization" effect.
They all have their special qualities for sure. The bombays I like to use like watercolor sometimes. There is a transparency to it. Acrylic ink is acts like paint. But they are really fun to experiment with. Thanks for your input. I like hearing what others think and experience.
Extremely interesting review! Question, What sort of art applications would acrylic ink be used for as opposed to India ink be used for? I’m an amateur humorous illustrator and my normal process is Dr Martin’s or Pelikan black waterproof ink for my line work and then Dr Martin’s liquid watercolors for my color work. What is the advantage of using colored acrylic ink or colored India ink for my color work? Thanks!
Wow you are going to make me think. ha ha The bombay ink is very silky. it is thinner that the acrylic ink. Maybe more translucent. The acrylic ink is also sorta silky but seems to be more opaque. it seems to be more solid. I personally think they can be used in the same situation. I do think it comes down to which you like better .
Hi Kitty Kitty Kitty! So nice to have a 'helper'!! Thank you sooo much for doing this comparison test!! I have all 3 of those inks... and only kinda know what to do w/al ink!! I tend to 'collect' products as if I've found some fabulous treasure... and then they sit here unused cuz I have no idea what to do with them!! Now I can be brave & have fun experimenting!! YAY!!
You are so welcome! yes be Brave. I just played and that is how I learned about how each one did. some of the things I discovered it while I made the video. So yes Play Play Play
He shows up almost everytime. How he knows I don't know. but I like it. The other cat likes it when I sew. Go figure.
This was super helpful, thank you!
I'm so glad!
Ty so much I’ve been searching for a video like this.. tried the A.I. with the Bombay ink on a glass bottle. It wasn’t a good mix but it worked on the glass bottles. The Bombay didn’t stick to the rubbing alcohol. But when I used water it mixed with the A.I. with a opaque look..
Ty The Bombay works well with water 💦 Wow!
Yes they do I just love them
I would love to see you create flower petals using all 3 so we can see the difference. Great experiment!
Great idea! I will see what I can figure out with them. thanks
What kind of alcohol can be used for alcohol ink? Also ordinary white alcohol like vodka or special one ?
I use Isopropyl Alcohol. ( rubbing Alcohol ) 91% or 99%. Walmart has bottle of it for cheap. I would not waste vodka on art. Ha Ha Ha
If it is the white liquid then that is Pinata Blanco Blanco
In google searches, information is saying that acrylic ink IS lightfast. So I wonder what's true. I'm trying to determine if I want to get some acrylic inks or bombay ink but will discard acrylic ink if it's not lightfast.
At the time of this video that was the info I found on their websites. Things could have changed. They could have changed formulas. in either case, the acrylic ink and bombay inks do act different. So give them both a shot.
Can we use acrylic inks to color real pressed flower petals?
I would think so. That sounds fun to do.
Thanks for making this video I've been looking for a comparison video for awhile that explains the different ink properties! This was really helpful!!!
Glad it was helpful!
You and I both, these comparison videos are the best (and subscribed!)
This actually gave me the idea of watercolor painting on the photo paper.
It is different but has it's own look. show me when you do.
I like the way the Bombay reacts to alcohol. Can you tell me if it leaves behind a stain? Great video❤️❤️
Ok Denise, I did this special for you and this is what I found. Yes. I put it on the back of photo paper and wiped it off with alcohol and there was a light stain. It did not wipe off as well as Alcohol ink. So Yes. Hope this helps.
@@SCARYHAIRLADY thank you for taking the time to do that. I appreciate it! It’s an intriguing medium. I’ve been painting with AI for almost 10 years now. Always looking to experiment 🤩 thanks again!
Great video! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! Can you seal the alcohol inks ?
yes you can .. I use Kamar Varnish or a clear acrylic spray. Don't spray too close. Keep it about 12 inches away
Can you draw with Bombay ink on top of the dried alcohol ink and plain alcohol ink paper?
yes. I do spray with Kamar Varnish or a clear acrylic spray to keep it from activating the ink
What is the white stuff. I followed you but have never worked with any ANY of these yet. So it was very informative! Thank you. However, if you do more a suggestion might be more detail in your verbiage. An example: occasionally you say after doing something you’d said, ya we all thought it would do that.(I’m like wait, it would do what?) Then when you moved to the white product I’m lost. What is it & why & when is it used. This is good. But more detail would help. Thank you thank you for all the details I did get!!!! So helpful.
Be blessed. 💝
you are so right. Believe it or not this one made me nervous to do. out of my range. ha ha But the white is Blanco from Pinata. I use it alot with ink and blanco just by itself. It is great fun to do. I did not plan on doing the Blanco so it was on the fly. I will watch this more carefully in the future. Thank you for the info. very much appreciated.
@@SCARYHAIRLADY Thank you for commenting back. You did an excellent job. (I’m a bit of a list person also. That said,)
1.) Thank you for you chart as you were going. (Also fantastic chart at the end.)
2.) If your not sure if you’d like to do more of this your an excellent type teacher.(here’s why.)
a.) You teach w/care & companion. I could tell that you wanted to do your best for the listener.
b.) Your spontaneous, not afraid to go a step further. Ex: adding the blanco at the last min. it makes it exciting to see you learn from you.( that also helps the student know to not be afraid of doing the same. Also, it teaches creativity.) Help me know trying new things is great.
c.) For me most important is!
• Your post reminding the viewers to be respectful. It’s scary to ask the teacher a question of any kind. I was very nervous to do so. Especially new to all of this.
• My reason being, an info video I was watching once. I asked if the product had a strong smell as I wasn’t sure. ( after I wrote the question I also mention in the same comment~ that I bought such & such because the reportable company I just bought it from s pacific ally said it had no oder.
A response quickly came up but it wasn’t the person who originally posted.She VERY assertively said, I was wrong. It has an Oder & aggressively said, such & such. Then another commented that yes, such & such. Then others commented on theirs & so on & so on.
~When it all came to the comments running about 15 comments in. I didn’t want to ever ask in a group again & didn’t want to paint & be creative again.
Because, I didn’t know things so I had to ask to learn. But felt to intimidated to ask.(so I saw it as, don’t know can’t ask~no longer fun.
~ to this day: I paid $98.00 + Shipping & have put the product away & never used it. So that teaching moment was stifling instead of a learning moment. I know this was a extreme example but a true one. ( I made the choice to not proceed know one made me) However, to even have one person back off because of opinionated people is to many. My point THANK YOU 4 asking people to remain respectful.
Final comment: Teach more if you’d like. It was fun & your very good at it!
Be well. 😄👍🏼💟
@@sheilaschollmeier2166 Sheila Thank you so much for your words. Wow. It makes my heart feel good. I hate she made you feel bad or feel unimportant. I had someone when I was small 10 or 12 yrs old , instead of telling me what to do she actually drew on my paper. Something inside just died that moment. I can feel it to this day and I'm 57. so it took me a few years to understand that was her thing and not a me thing. Who wants to spend money on something that they know little about. That can get costly. So always ask, I will tell you my experience. The alcohol ink community is awesome. Most very willing to share info. I look forward to seeing your work. Keep playing and experimenting. It is just paper and ink. Thank you again for your incredible encouraging words. Eloise
This was great....I am looking for info on how to seal alcohol ink in glass after painting? Any ideas? I want to sell glass pieces that I paint a bit with India Ink, but afraid it will wear off. Would I use Krylon Kamar? Other? Thank you!!
kamar varnish will work well.
hyy can u help which in can Dry quikly on Laminated Polythine pouchs
my go to is Kamar Varnish. It does not effect the ink. If you spray really close just a few inches it will make it spotty. After Kamar I spray with a UV protector then if needed a clear acrylic coat.
What kind of paper are you working on , please?
I paint on Kirkland Glossy photo paper from Costco. You can get it online.
Can I use a standard dip pen with all of them or only certain ones? Trying to figure out what to use in several colors with a new dip pen.
The Acrylic Inks and Bombay are wonderful to use with a dip pen. But the Alcohol ink will spread and wont hold a line. Both Acrylic inks and Bombay write different but both are really fun. The Bombays are the ones I think write the best. They seem more smoother. But both are good to use.
Very helpful chart
Glad you think so!
Please explain what "blanco" is?
Yes. It is a opaque white that plays well with alcohol ink. It is sold with the other alcohol inks. It make the alcohol ink more of a solid color vs when the ink is mixed with alcohol. BUT it doesn't work well with just alcohol. So I will use Alcohol ink and blanco or blanco, alcohol ink then alcohol. In that order. If the blanco and alcohol get around each other without ink it will act badly
Great video.
Only thing that could have made it better is if it had shown which ink makes the best dendrites.
Great suggestion!
Thank you for showing and making me laugh
you are so welcome
Can these inks be used with glass pen ????
yes they do well
As for reactions, don’t you need something for the color to react to? I think they differ in transparencies for the most part. Thanks for making these videos. We all can learn something from them.what about blending solutions?
No on the Bombay and Acrylic Ink. They play well by themselves. The alcohol ink can be used like a paint but needs to dry just a tad before painting on paper. Unlike the other two, unless sprayed with a varnish or clear coat, will reactivate when other ink is put on. The other two dry and they are done. As for as blending solution, I don't use it. At first it was cost. I like to play a lot. Alcohol was cheaper. Now it is I really don't know how to work with it. I just stick with Alcohol. Yes they have different transparencies. I like to use different paints for that reason. Bottom line is you need, NEED, them all. Ha Ha Ha They are fun to play with.
@@SCARYHAIRLADY I agree, NEED ALL 😉
Great video for the visual learner! Wonder about different mediums, varnishes, glazes and resin reactions to each ink. Hec, even to acrylic and oil paint. I love all art that uses color 🌝 Dont even need the chart. I knew nothing about Bombay ink. Thought it was a brand of acrylic ink. Say hi to kitty 🧶
I am glad this helped a little. I would say with epoxy ( I've worked with that too) All these ink need to be sealed with Kamar Varnish or some type of acrylic clear spray. The epoxy would, after a bit, reactivate it. I did a wood piece with a cross on it and sealed it before I epoxied it. It did find. The wood piece is also in the videos.
What paper did you used? It will help us ! I might missed it!?
Kirkland glossy photo paper from costco.
What is the difference between the acrylic ink and Bombay? Content of each?
Bombay is light fast If I remember correctly but as far as the ingredience I am not so sure.
Acrylic ink can be lightfast too but it depends what pigment is used. So some colors aren't but most are.
Wow that answers a lot of questions that have been in my head. Thanks for the information. Take care.. Hugs Sheryl 💙🎨💙
Glad it was helpful! Hugs are very appreciated. Thank you
You can blow the Bombay with a tiny drop of water or watercolor
Bombay is fun to work with. Good Tip . Thanks for sharing
A question from yesterday cant wait to watch...Thanks
Hope you enjoyed it!
So bombay ink is not acrylic?
No. But unless I use it like watercolor or write with it I use it like acrylic
But I've just read that Bombay ink is alcohol based...🤔
Do I hear a goat in the background?
oh no. It's a cat but now I have to go back and listen. That's funny.
It is very annoying that you are so unprepared in terms of your demonstration.
I am sorry that annoys you. The reason I do things like I do is When I was starting out with Alcohol Ink I would mess up and not know how to fix it or how to finish the painting. I did not see people correct mistakes, or change directions or make a completely different picture than what they start out doing. There are so many great artist out there that do it right and perfect the first time. They are great to watch. But I was throwing away half done pictures because I messed up and did not know how to what to do. I like to try things and let everyone see the results. I am not just teaching a painting skill I am teach a thought process. In this video I generally knew what the results were going to be because I play a lot with them. But I still was surprised by a couple of results. I don't want to practice a painting a few times before I present it. I want them to be real, spontaneous and true to life. Thank you for your thoughts on the matter.
@@SCARYHAIRLADY true to life is always the best!