Art and Craft Supplies: Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger Industries

Tim Holtz's Adirondack Alcohol Inks are a versatile addition to any artist's or crafter's stash of supplies. These inks are noteworthy because they are formulated for use on non-porous surfaces like metal and acrylic.

The Pros:

The colors are gorgeous and vibrant, and there is a fabulous range of colors to choose from; the colors can all be mixed together to create even more colors.

These alcohol inks give you an easy way to color things that would otherwise be challenging to color.

The quality is amazing.

They dry quickly, and they are permanent.

The inks add a vibrant wash of color wherever you use them; they are translucent, making them ideal for use with clear albums, transparencies, and overlays.

They are also acid free, so if you are creating a scrapbook or other project that needs to be archival quality, Tim Holtz Adirondack alcohol inks are a fantastic choice.

The Cons:

There is a learning curve when it comes to working with these. Expect to spend some time experimenting, and possibly even ruining projects, before you get the hang of working with them.

The alcohol inks have a strong odor; they smell like alcohol.

They should be kept out of reach of children.

Coordinating Tim Holtz Adirondack Products Available:

You will probably need to buy some additional supplies to use with these alcohol inks, so allow for the additional expense when you purchase them. There are several coordinating supplies made by Ranger, including the Adirondack Alcohol Blending Solution, and the Adirondack Alcohol Ink Applicator. Ranger also manufactures Adirondack Metallic Mixatives, which you can use if you want to add shiny metallic highlights to your alcohol inks. While these products are not necessary to buy in order to use and enjoy your alcohol inks, you will probably want to have them. If you don't buy the applicators, you'll have the added challenge of figuring out how to apply the alcohol inks to your projects. They can be dropped onto your project straight from the bottle, but that doesn't give you a lot of control over the ink.

Waterbrushes and Adirondack Ink Fillable Pens:

There is also a brand new product called the Adirondack Ink Fillable Pen. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks pretty cool. I'd suggest getting either the Fillable Pen or a similar product if you want to be precise about how you apply your alcohol ink. The fillable pen looks like a great choice, but an alternative would be a waterbrush such as the Zig Brush20 Pen. I have some waterbrushes that I got in a swap; I am not sure what brand they are, but I attached a photo of them so you can take a look at them. The pens are hollow so that you can fill them with liquid. I filled mine with alcohol inks, so now I can just paint with the alcohol inks like I would with a watercolor paint. This technique takes a bit of practice, but once you get used to it, it can give you some pretty amazing results.

Project Ideas Using Adirondack Alcohol Inks:

Please view my other Associatedcontent.com articles for the personalized CD tin project instructions. The CD tin is painted with alcohol inks.

This wordbook clear album has its edges painted with alcohol inks.

Tim Holtz's Blog has even more free project ideas for you to try.

Conclusion:

I enjoy working with Tim Holtz's Adirondack Alcohol Inks, and I am happy to recommend them to other artists and crafters. I think they are an excellent value for the money, and I think the many pros more than outweigh the few cons.