Anna Sokolova - Brilliant Inks: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating in Vivid Color: Draw, Letter, Paint, Print, and More!

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CREATING IN VIVID COLOR

Anna Sokolova

DRAW, PAINT, PRINT, AND MORE!

Learn about the range of choices in inks, brushes, paper, and pens.

Discover techniques celebrating inks unique properties: washes, gradients, wet-on-wet, negative painting, spatter effects, ink droppers, monotypes, and more.

Get inspired by nature and paint mushrooms, flowers, leaves, and a botanical mandala.

Explore the magical world of butterflies, birds, and red pandas.

Expand your creativity by painting simple figures, a portrait, and fashion motifs.

Put a unique spin on painting with your imagination and create a map, a pomegranate, and a plated dessert.

Experiment with new ways of applying colored inks on cork, clay, and fabric. Be inspired to create a fantastic accordion silhouette book, paper dolls, and more.

Im standing in front of a myriad of tiny mysterious bottles and tubes, and I have no idea how to use them. I feel irresistibly drawn to the medium, their allure promising endless possibilities.

But Im feeling overwhelmed by the choices and the prices of the materials. I also have an unsettling notion in my mind that to create a good piece of art, I must combine the finest art materials in some special secret manner only professionals would know of. Which is, of course, totally falsecreating is all about your personality, dedication, and practice.

And then I saw inks.

Just one bottle of violet ink, one brush, and that was it! For the price of a cup of coffee, I had a golden key to a whole new world I could never imagine.

That was me in an art store in St. Petersburg, Russia, many years ago. I was studying publishing and avidly absorbing all the art practice advice I could get. Strolling along the streets, I soaked up the artistic atmosphere in both the State Hermitage Museum and the Dostoevsky district. I could stare at Ilya Repins painting Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom for so long it made the museum steward suspiciously question my intentions. I still practice the same behavior in Berlins Museum Island nowadays.

Since that time, my work has evolved and bloomed, but surprisingly, the very core of my style hasnt changed. And thats the most incredible news for any artistyour personal style, your unique voice, is already there, right from the very beginning.

I hope this book inspires you to try new things and discover what you love. If drawing fine lines doesnt make you feel comfortable (even after lots and lots of practice), have no fear! There are tons of art styles and mediums to help you express yourself even better, more suitable to your character and personality, like bold and loose abstraction, collage, printing, lettering, photography, bookbinding, crafting, creative writing, or digital painting.

In this book, youll focus your attention on the creative use of colored inks. Youll explore a variety of materials and techniques that will help you get familiar with the medium and bring your ideas to life. Youll draw flowers and birds inspired by the natural world and then move on to people and objects. Playing with vivid colors and shimmering special effects, youll discover the world of fashion and still life.

Do you want to unlock your imagination? Create an illustrated accordion book version of Alices Adventures in Wonderland. With room to experiment, what could be more fulfilling? Im also thrilled to share a monotype technique with you. Youll create a unique piece in minutes, even without any experience.

Feel free to jump in anywhere in the book. If you can regularly devote just a few minutes to practicing some of the lessons from the book, I guarantee youll feel immediate improvement in your art techniques.

Youll be amazed by the things you can create. Cherish your individualitythats what the art world needs from you!

Ink has been a favorite of many great artists, yet there are still so many mysteries left to discover.

Colored ink is a broad term that can relate to many types of inks and mediums, such as printers inks, tattoos, and markers. In this book, we'll focus on the liquid form of colored inks that can be used with pens and brushes.

Lets explore all the magical types of colored inks that are perfect for a contemporary artist.

Every type of ink has its own unique personality and special properties. Well focus on the liquid form of colored inks that can be used with brushes and nib pens and even droppers that come with some bottles. Well also discover some inspiring and sparkling specialties.

Acrylic Inks

Acrylic ink is one of the most popular mediums because of its universal properties. Highly pigmented particles mixed with acrylic binder provide vibrancy and are resistant to fading. These inks adhere well to all sorts of papers, making it possible to work in various techniques, such as layering, washes, and collage, in combination with charcoal, paint, and even pastels. Acrylic inks have a longer working time than a medium such as acrylic paint, so there is no need to use any additives or retarders.

Acrylic Ink

Acrylic ink can be used on almost any oil-free surface after preparing it with an acrylic medium such as gesso or matte medium. Some inks have a bit of an oily or glossy surface when dry, depending on the brand, but the color remains bright. Acrylic inks can be opaque or transparent and can be applied with a brush, liner, nib pen, or an airbrush.

These inks are super lightfast. Lightfastness in colored inks is the resistance to fading when exposed to natural or artificial light. This process is caused by UV radiation. Generally, most dye-based inks are bright and transparent. You can affect an inks lightfastness by increasing the thickness of the layer, and although the color will inevitably fade, some parts will remain. When you mix inks, the lightfastness of the weakest ink will define the properties of the whole mix. Varnishing an artwork will help protect it from UV light. There is no need for extra protection when using lightfast inks because they are resistant to fading, but its a good idea to cover the finished piece with a final layer of water-based lacquer. This helps protect the artwork from dust and UV rays. Use a glossy lacquer if you want to intensify the dark colors and a matte or satin one to keep the inks light.