Pamela’s Gallery

Ink Release Background Technique

by Ursula Riley (DT)

This technique creates softly colored, well blended backgrounds.
Skill level: Easy-Peasy, but oh-so-fun!

Materials:
• Clean piece of transparency, scrap okay: at least 4×6 size
• 2-3 colors coordinated dye ink (Chalk pads are very nice!)
• Bone folder or popsicle stick
• Light colored Cardstock: smooth to slight texture
• Stamps and coordinated papers of choice
• Scrap cloth or rag & protective paper for work surface (recycled
printer paper works well!)

Technique:
1. Use recycled paper to cover work surface. No need to tape it down.
2. Layer light cardstock base on top of work surface sheet, and then
transparency on top of cardstock. (It won’t stay there, that’s just for
organization).
3. Gently tap 1 or 2 colors of ink directly onto transparency. Be careful
not to muddy your pads. You do not want full coverage ink, but instead a
light layer of color. Do not transfer ink directly from your pads to your paper
- use only the transparency to transfer the ink. (photo 1)

4. Pick up transparency, flip it over, position it where you’d like onto your base, and gently tap with your fingers, (this time) the color onto the
paper. The goal at this step is to transfer “some” of the ink to the paper, not “all.” (photo 2)

5. Pick transparency straight up, and move it to a new location on background. (photo 3)

This time use bone folder or popsicle stick to lightly rub over the transparency. (photo 4)

 The goal here is to transfer some ink, but again not all. Because the transparency is clear, you can easily see
how much ink is left, and to where it would be most pleasingly transferred.
6. Now comes the fun part: Move transparency again. This time you will rub with more pressure (work out your frustrations if you must!) The
goal now is to transfer as much of the remaining ink as possible to your cardstock. Repeat this step if necessary. You’ll be surprised just how much ink can still be transferred.
7. If you feel base piece still needs more ink, or you’d like to switch colors, wipe off transparency with rag, and repeat above steps. (photo 4 above)

TIPS: Try layering ink colors over each other. They blend very nicely this way. Don’t load your transparency with too much ink. Use light pressure or gently tap during first transfer (when ink is fresh). I especially like this technique with Stewart Superior Chalk-A-lots inks.