i am thinking of using india ink on plaster rocks to provide detail in cracks etc. prior to painting. what is a good ink to alcohol mix for this type of use?
A little ink goes a long way. I’d guess 15 or 20 drops in 4 ounces of alcohol would be a good place to start. If that isn’t strong enough for the effect you want, add more ink. Sometimes it’s good to wait and see what an application of it looks like dry before repeating.
The India ink wash soaks into the plaster so it may take several applications to get the effect you want.
I tried using India Relish for ground cover. It doesn’t work. It’s sticky and after a while it smells bad.
It’s not very good on hot dogs, either…
I notice you said using the India ink wash prior to painting. Washes are ususlly used after the main color is in place to darken the crevises. If you paint after the wash you would cover it up. If you wash after painting, it will settle into the crevises.
At least that is the way I understand it. I didn’t paint my rocks, just repeated washes (varring the color as desired) until I had the color I wanted.
Yes, it is better to start with a wash that is too light than too dark. Almost impossible to lighten once the color has soaked in.
Good luck,
Richard
Bar Mills Model Works has a number of great how to videos including one on Alcohol and India Ink.
I use an India ink wash. Paint first, then do your washes. Don’t make them too dark because you can’t make them lighter again. Instead just repeat the process and each time it will get darker. I also made various washes out of Acrylic paints, I found these very effective. I use old spray bottles from things like Lysol or Windex etc. and really soak it.
