Sharpies and Alcohol

Have you heard about “painting” with Sharpies?  The idea is to draw with a Sharpie on to fabric, and then to apply rubbing alcohol, which makes the color bleed in interesting ways.

Here’s a quick tutorial.

After reading it, I was ready to give it a try.  I used a fine tipped black Sharpie, which bled into purple.

Sharpies and Alcohol. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Sharpies and Alcohol. Ellen Lindner, AdventureQuilter.com/blog

Pretty cool, huh?

But, if I try this again, I’d like the design to have more white and less purple.  So, either I’d need to use less alcohol or I’d need to draw the design with more open space.

Still, a successful experiment.  (Also quick and fun.)

Ellen Lindner

2 Responses to Sharpies and Alcohol

  1. Mary Frances Ballard February 15, 2017 at 9:23 am #

    I LOVE THIS!!! From time to time I have played with dyeing fabrics, using paint sticks on fabrics and any other medium that I think would work. I have dozens of sharpie markers in all colors and point sizes and have been wanting to try something with them. This looks like so much fun and can add so much interest to my fabrics. Thanks for posting this!

  2. Ellen Lindner February 16, 2017 at 10:46 pm #

    Hi Mary Frances,

    I’m glad you like it. I think you’ll have a lot of fun playing with it – especially with your collection of colorful Sharpies! I’d love to see your results!

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