Fun & Messy Techniques: Spray Walnut Ink

Remember art class in elementary school? You’d put on an apron or an old shirt of Dad’s and go right for the finger paints? While we’re not going to get that messy (I don’t know about you, but no one’s cleaning up after me) we can still have some fun with Spray Walnut Ink techniques that just might remind you of the good old days.

Spray Walnut Ink

I love how Walnut Ink looks sprayed onto paper. You used to have to buy Walnut Ink crystals and mix them with water yourself—now they come pre-mixed and in cool colors. They come in all different colors, from vintage shades to pastel tones. It’s acid-free so you can use them in your scrapbook.

You can apply the liquid in two ways: Spraying it, or daubing it onto paper. Since it comes in a spray bottle, you’re pretty much set to go for that method of application. If you want to daub the color on, you’ll need daubers that you screw onto the spray bottles.

Sprayed

Place your paper inside your sink or a cardboard box. Spray lightly at first, holding the bottle about 5" away from the paper. Hold it farther away for a lighter misting of color. Spray again to add more color. Don’t hold the bottle directly down, or the nozzle can get clogged.

Soaked

For an antique effect, simply pour a bit of the liquid into a shallow container and put your paper inside. The longer it stays in the ink, the darker the color. Dilute the color by adding water to the ink.

Tapped

All you need here is a wadded up piece of paper towel or plastic wrap. Pour a bit of the liquid into a shallow container, dip your paper towel or plastic wrap and tap it onto your paper. Use a light touch and see what patterns you create.

Daubing

Simply unscrew the spray nozzle from your bottle and replace with a dauber cap. You’ll need to let the ink soak into the dauber applicator—I turn mine upside down and press it firmly onto a pile of scrap paper. Lift and press again until the dauber is saturated with ink. Then you can apply it to your paper: Tap it to get a polka dot effect, tap and swirl, or sweep it across the paper. You can also use the dauber to edge the paper.

Crumpling

This effect looks great on manila tags. Simply crumple the tag lightly in your hand, just enough to put a few creases in the manila and relax the paper a bit. Either soak the paper or color it with a dauber. The creased areas will have a darker, richer color than the rest of the paper.

Once your Walnut Inked paper is dry, you can stamp on it with dye ink, permanent ink or pigment ink.