I appreciate that I received this book from Fox Chapel Publishing via Kindle through NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited opinion about it. It is an excellent book for beginners and any artist ready to add to their skills.
The book by Laurie Williams and Sheryl Williams is much more than I expected. It encompasses tools including household items; safety considerations, color theory, techniques, along with exercises for working with alcohol ink. There are excellent explanations about ink in bottles and ink in pens or markers, ink pours and brush or marker methods for detailing. The authors explain the difference between pigment and dye. Williams details the different products available from inks, brushes, art surfaces, i.e. paper, canvas, silk, metal and objects with sources for purchasing.
Included are photos of artwork by several artists. The Star-Studded Nebula by Serena Webber is one of my favorites. The Rainbow Skies silk scarf by Laurie "Trumpet" Williams is gorgeous.

4.5 vibrant stars, rounded up

I’m impressed with the book Creating Art with Alcohol Ink. The chatty style invites both the artist and the crafter to improve their skills. The book is well organized, with chapters on tools and supplies, safety considerations, color theory, techniques, and projects. The wordy subtitle of the book is: 12 easy techniques, 17 spectacular projects. I liked how descriptions and photos to make an alcohol ink painting were broken down into manageable steps for the novice artist. I also appreciated that they used a variety of surfaces for the media: light switches, jewelry pendants, silk, metal, ceramic tiles. I wish they would have included some photos of greeting cards made with alcohol ink.

The beautiful photographs are inspirational. I have ‘played with’ alcohol inks, but this book gives new techniques to try. I appreciated that the authors gave low-cost options when possible.

Good books make you want to learn more, and this book includes websites of the authors’ and other artists’ creations. Helpful!

Blowing, blending, lifting, masking, painting, stippling, tracing, adding, dipping, dripping – so many active verbs to experiment with. Have fun creating!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book made it easy to understand the principles of using alcohol ink for various projects. I found the ideas both exciting and informative. I was initially intimidated by alcohol ink, but now I have the confidence to make my own crafts using alcohol ink.

This book is a nice beginners introduction to alcohol ink art. There is a great amount of information on what's needed for beginners regarding supplies, how to use different mediums & how to get various effects etc. There is also a lovely illustrated section showing different techniques. The different projects given as options are fantastic in how thorough they are with their step by step tutorials & with a good variety of styles. I do wish they would go more into the initial financial outlay though because this kind of hobby isn't particularly cheap to get into unless you have some kind of community house that has an art program or co-op or resources you're able to use etc. so you're not having to necessarily do an initial outlay. It is a very cathartic medium though which doesn't really require much natural talent to turn out something lovely.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy. The following is my honest opinion.
A wonderful book for anyone who wishes to start with alcohol inks, from all the materials available, safety precautions when using them, to actual projects you can do. While I haven't been able to do the projects personally, the instructions are clear to how to make the effects exemplified.

All in all, good book for people curious in starting to use alcohol inks.

A great guide to alcohol ink art. The book sections are Inspiration Gallery, Tools and Supplies, Safety Considerations, Color Theory, Techniques, and Projects.
As a total newcomer to alcohol ink, this book gave a lot of great info, including explaining different types of alcohol inks. The Techniques section gives great examples and shows how to achieve different looks and outcomes.
I was hoping for more variety in the projects section. There are multiple pieces of wall art (many landscape scenes and botanicals), a silk scarf, a metal pumpkin, and a set of coasters.
Overall, this seems like a great book but probably better suited to someone who is serious about consistently making alcohol ink art. It seems too deep and specific a book for someone looking to more casually try out a project or two in this medium.

Great Resource for Artists
Are you interested in alcohol ink art?

This resource provides a list of tools and supplies, safety considerations, twelve alcohol ink techniques, and an inspiration gallery that features completed projects.

The book is appropriate for beginners as well as experienced alcohol ink artists and crafters. The detailed instructions and color photos lend themselves to an excellent learning experience.

My Thoughts
I chose this book because I have dabbled in alcohol ink art and I am interested in learning more methods and techniques. I was not disappointed...this book provided some techniques that I was familiar with and many new methods to try.

I was pleased with the way a detailed list of the supplies was listed at the beginning of each new project. The color photos are helpful in understanding the techniques. I am very impressed with the clarity of the instructions.

Alcohol ink is best if used on non-porous surfaces. It can be used on treated canvas, Yupo paper, glossy photo paper, jewelry, candles, switch plates, tabletops, ornaments, glass bottles, and even musical instruments.

There is an informative section on how to seal your alcohol ink projects so they won't scratch or fade.

I highly recommend this book for inspiration and instruction. You can never have too many art books! I have included one of my alcohol ink paintings below ( 5" by 7" on Yupo paper).

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thank you to Fox Chapel Publishing and NetGalley for access. This is a very thorough education in alcohol inks and how to use them in your art and crafts, including what to buy, tools to use, techniques, and ideas for projects. There are explanations for everything, and clear photographs. The authors also give you a theoretical foundation in colour theory for completeness.

I enjoyed this, and anyone interested in alcohol inks (or art in general) will find it useful.

My first thought when looking at the book was WOW and my thoughts upon finishing didn't changed a bit. This bright and colourful book is jam packed with all the information there is to know about choosing materials, guiding you through the process and completing works of art with alcohol ink. It discusses different mediums and takes pains to compare and contrast brands and different effects that certain inks and markers have on each other. I am tempted to try the different techniques used as well as ine or two of the projects they have for you at the end. A very thorough and detailed book. Thanks to Netgalley and the authors and publishers for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for providing me with a copy of this book to review. It was a pleasure!

This is a beautifully planned and executed knowledge base for those interested in learning more about the alcohol ink medium. The layout of the book was well structured and provided very detailed information on all topics covered. I found it to be extremely strong in providing a multitude of processes, techniques, and examples for creating this type of art. As a visual learner myself, I appreciated the time and effort put into giving clear verbal and visual samples. The block text layout was easy to follow. Photos were aesthetically pleasing, informative, and relevant. Would highly recommend to someone interested in learning more about this art technique and/or looking for a helpful visual arts classroom resource on this topic..

Lots of fun projects with alcohol inks! I particularly loved the gift tags and the scarf. Most of the projects are simple and would be fun for beginners.

I've only used alcohol ink to color resin and I was interested in branching out. This is great for beginners because it has as much information as someone could want, and it is also careful to point out that you should have an open space and a ventilator (I actually use a respiratory mask for resin so had one on hand) and for people to know that is ALCOHOL ink, so it is flammable and not to be used without preparation. The projects are absolutely gorgeous and there's a wide range of how you can use alcohol inks, from jewelry to paper - my mom was also excited because she's only used them on paper and we both got great ideas from this!

This is a great intro to alcohol ink art which can be tricky and requires safety precautions. Anyone considering getting started in creating with alcohol inks should be thoroughly prepared with a ventilator or an outdoor space in which to create. That said, this book is very well planned and covers the essentials and includes beautiful projects to try.
Highly recommended.

Authors Laurie Williams and Sheryl Williams provide good basic supply info, technique overview, and step-by-step projects in this alcohol ink how-to book. I have used alcohol inks in a few polymer clay projects, but I wasn't familiar with its uses in a more controlled, painterly fashion. Since I personally prefer the more abstract results that can be achieved with alcohol inks, the front cover projects didn't grab me. But the first section of the book was the inspiration gallery, and I loved several of the projects shown there.

The tools and supplies section is well-done, covering brands of bottled inks, markers, surfaces, activators, and other tools. They also give tips on (and discuss the pros and cons of) making your own inks and activators. I really liked the very practical storage ideas.

My favorite part was the techniques section. Throughout the first part of the book, the authors take an experimental approach. They encourage sampling materials and methods -- for example, trying both alcohol blending solution and isopropyl alcohol to see the different ways they affect the inks. I feel like this approach is great for an organic medium like alcohol inks. There were parts of this section that seemed a bit repetitive -- for example, there were places they could have said "repeat with remaining colors" instead of showing the same steps for each color. But overall, I felt like this section was well-done.

The 17 projects came from the authors plus 12 other artists. I like that this gave a range of different artistic styles. All the step-by-steps seem easy to follow. I was surprised to see that the book included templates that they encouraged readers to copy with tracing paper. That seems like it would fit better with a more exacting and project-based medium than alcohol inks.

While I haven't tried any of the projects yet (I'm headed to the art supply store today!), I definitely found this book to be approachable and inspiring. I get the sense that I can use these techniques and projects to get a broad sense of alcohol inks' capabilities.

Thank you to NetGalley and the authors for an electronic copy of this book, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

With beautiful color photos and helpful descriptions of the process of working with Alcohol Ink, this book is a must have for anyone interested in working with this medium. You can spend hours looking at the pages and then transfer your new skills to paper. Highly recommend to artists new to Alcohol Ink.

I love the vibrancy of the color that working with Alcohol Ink produces. I have been wanting to try the technique for quite awhile, but have been unsure of where to start. This book is a great starting point, with lots of different style and uses. I really enjoy it and it has help me understand the creative element of this medium.Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

This is a beautiful book with vivid pictures and detailed information on creating art with alcohol ink.

The book is divided into several sections that include:

1. Inspiration Gallery which has pictures and blurbs about how to achieve the project. To name a few….candles, stencil art, and collages.

2. Tools and Supplies and Safety Considerations with very detailed information.

3. Color Theory which is a great first project to give you the confidence to try more projects.

4. The section on Techniques is very detailed and I was amazed at the many different ways to create an alcohol ink project including dripping, blowing, and mashing.

5. The projects are gorgeous and achievable with the excellent instructions. My favorites were Seascape Silhouette and Rainbow Skies Silk Scarf. Both of which I’m excited to try and make.

6. There is also a section on templates.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

Creating Art with Alcohol Ink
4 Stars

I was interested in checking out Creating Art with Alcohol Ink, because I have several bottles of alcohol ink that I occasionally use. Typically, I use them every October when I join artists around the world to participate in Inktober(which is 1 ink drawing for 31 days). I was looking for new possible ways to use my ink, and boy did this book deliver.

This book is a comprehensive text which covers a wide variety of information. I did appreciate the author breaking the material into bite-sized pieces. I didn't get lost or overwhelmed. The step-by-step directions with picture instructions were helpful. I loved how many pictures, illustrations, and color-blocked tips were included. They broke up the text nicely.

I was really surprised by the wild range of surfaces that alcohol ink will adhere to. It was nice that the author included the templates on the back of the book for the art projects. All in all, Creating Art with Alcohol Ink gave me several ideas on how to use my ink. Unfortunately, ink it's still messy, but I'm inspired to try a few new techniques I've learned. You can tell a lot of thought, time and love went into the making of this book. I'd recommend it for creative people wanting to improve their alcohol ink skills. Thank you, NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing,for an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.











I

Here is an extremely well organized and thorough introduction to alcohol ink, it's properties and uses. There is information on supplies, how to use various tools and substrates. A very well illustrated section on techniques. There is a selection of projects that span a good variety of styles. I have not used alcohol inks yet. Friends tell me I'll love it and I can see why. I feel that this book would get me started in a much less chaotic way than just jumping in. It not only explains how but a lot of why which is a great help.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book is extremely beginner friendly and definitely a great read for those interested in dipping their toes into alcohol inks. Of art books I've seen and read, this one is certainly up there as one of the best! If you've been curious about alcohol inks before, this book may be the place for you to get started with it.

This book covers the bare minimum basics, including details of all sorts of information about alcohol inks, different brands, products, and tools to use with them. Importantly since alcohol inks are toxic, there is also a section on safety. (If you have any pets or young ones, please keep them away from these products!)

The 'inspiration' section including such a large variety of different pieces was really cool to see. As a 2D artist myself, most of what I do is illustration, but to see the book showcase 3D crafts as well was neat!

And a good bulk of the book as well are loads of various project ideas with step-by-step explanations that could appeal to most any kind of artist. (Certainly plenty to get you inspired for your own projects too!)

This is definitely up there with one of the best art books I've read. Most of my issues are minor nit-picks. Such as:
-The author listing 'Staedtler markers' under the tools section, with the photo displaying a Staedtler pen, which I'm not sure is water-based, since it looks like it's from the set I have, which dissolves in water. (I learned the hard way, haha.)
-With that, I think it would've been a good idea to explain to readers to make sure whatever product they end up picking up says 'alcohol based' or 'permanent' or 'water proof', if they're looking specifically for alcohol ink tools, as some brands make both.
-When discussing different brushes (p29), having the description be paired with the photo, with numbering or lettering, so readers can more easily identify which brush is being described, could be helpful for beginners.
-Given the dangers of working with alcohol based products, it would've been nice to have at least a mention of caution for prospective alcohol artists towards the beginning, as the safety considerations section is a bit farther into the book.
-The placement of the text on page 32 wasn't the best for me. The lack of photo for the 'masking fluid' section had me confused for a bit, and that paragraph being directly under and much closer the dotting tools made me think those two paragraphs should be switched in terms of placement.
-It would've been nice to see other races or genders represented in this book. All the artists are white women.

All in all though, still a great book and I'm glad I was able to read it. :) Also, don't feel limited in using the supplies listed in this book as well. I've done several alcohol ink projects on watercolor paper, like you would use watercolors, and got fantastic results there too. But this book certainly has me wanting to whip out my Yupo paper and explore.

If you're looking for a place to start with alcohol inks, this book covers more than enough to get you going.

Editing errors:
-Page 44, the colors for step one and two are listed as "yellow" when they should be "blue".
-Page 116, step 7 has text copy and pasted from step 6.