I picked up some India Ink today for some washes, but for the life of me can't remember the mixture... having a seniors moment (too frequently these days What's the ratio of india ink and rubbing alcohol for a wash? Thanks Edward
I never knew that there was a specific ratio for mixing india ink with rubbing alcohol. I just dumped the whole bottle of ink into the rubbing alcohol and PRESTO, instant dark wash. I've got one bottle of BLACK India Ink wash and a bottle of RED India Ink wash. The red is for a rusted out wash.
India ink is very dense or dark. I would be concerned that my concoction would be too dark for a wash. Best to experiment before using, I would think.
I use like one drop ink for every 500 gal. alcohol!!! seriously, for one I use 2-3 drops in a baby food jar and top it off with the alcohol, and I mix another that's about twice as strong.
I agree with Flash and the others. Do your experimenting on old stuff and write down you favorite formulas. There really isn't a 'published' chart that I know of. One good guidline is go very light, let dry and do it again. Remember weathering in real life takes time and many layers. Do the same yourself and you will be an good weatherer in no time. Cheers, Jim CCRR
I discovered an old bottle of India Ink that had almost dried, just had a pasty mess of black at the bottom. I poured in 91% alcohol to a 1/4" from the top, capped tightly, and shook like mad for ~5 minutes. The result was a great thin black wash, see below.... The original wash is on the shingles, but it has been oversprayed with a very thin tan mist on the sides. The wash was laid on the sides with a bushy brush vertically to give the wood an appearance of many years of rain and staining. I was very lucky that the mixed up india ink was so thin that it merely stained the wood without covering the grain.
I have a small spray bottle of india ink. A one to one ratio seems a little much to me. It doesn't take much. I use it on buildings and my plaster retaining walls. I also used it on some rubber rock castings by "Cripplebush". I mostly use about 3 parts alcohol to 1 part ink. The trick (for me anyway) is to spray it on whatever the structure is, and then walk away. That is because when you first spray it on, you might think.... DANG!?! I've ruined it!! But the mixture will usually dry much lighter than when it is wet. Just walk away and go read or book or something. Come back later and judge it. My "Saulenas Tavern" that was washed in India Ink. The awnings etc., were applied AFTER the india ink bath.
I agree with the others, there is no rule that's "set in stone". Experiment, and use whatever looks right to you. I've heard 2 tablespoons-1 pint, 1 tablespoon-1 pint, and some other ratios.
So far using alcohol to mix with ink, then spraying onto a painted structure hasn't lifted the underlying paint. I imagine you could get a different effect if you tried dry brushing the ink spray before it dries but I haven't tried that yet. I use ink and wet water, ink and rubbing alcohol and ink and denatured alcohol as washes and each has different effects. The ink and denatured alcohol will alter the underlaying paint though it reacts differently with different brand rolling stock. I use my old badger air brush to apply it. Restraint is the operative word there. J.R.
I think it depends on what you want to stain and how dark you want it to be. I use A LOT of India ink washes on my stuff. I always start out light then add more ink if I want it darker. Wood stains easier than plastic and darker colored plastic takes more ink to show the "stain." I agree with everyone here: experiment, experiment, experiment!!
There are also different grades of ink that will effect the mix ratio. When I bought my "India" black ink there was another (cheaper) variety that was just 'black ink'. By holding up the bottles I could tell the India ink was more dense, thicker; While the cheaper one was watery. I've never tried using my airbrush to apply it. I've always used a cotton swab or old paint brush. I suppose how it is appliued would also effect the mix ratio.
I thought you always use 91%-95% Isopropyl Alcohol. Because Rubbing Alcohol is 75% and contains oils. Do they give different results.
Although I think the Isopropyl may dry faster, I don't think there is much of a difference since the alcohol is just a carrier for the ink. I use the cheap, off brand, off the shelf rubbing alcohol and it works just fine.
a few questions. * can you get india ink in different colors? *where do you purchase india ink? (craft stores, ect.?) *is it spray on or brush on or both? Thanks in advance for the answers
You can find India Ink at Office Depot, Michaels, and Scenic Express to name a few. You should be able to find it in any good craft store. Comes in a little bottle with a dropper like thingie inside. heres a couple of links............ Product Page Office Depot - Text Search Refinements
