How To: Use Acrylics & Rubbing Alcohol

Add rubbing alcohol to your acrylic paintings to create super cool texture effects in this step by step guide.

Materials

• Primed, stretched canvas 
  
• 2 tubes of acrylic paints in contrasting colours
  
• Foam roller
  
• Isopropyl alcohol (99% U.S.P.)
  
• 2 Spray bottles - one filled with water, the other filled with alcohol

Steps 1 - 5

1. Use a foam roller to apply an even layer of acrylic colour (I chose Paynes Gray) to the canvas and let dry. 

2. Use a foam roller to apply a contrasting layer of colour (I chose Titanium white) on top of the dry paint layer. DO NOT ALLOW TO DRY.

3. Use the spray bottle filled with water to mist the entire surface area. 

NOTE This part can be tricky. Add too much water and the effect won't work, add too little water and the effect won't work either. I spray the surface until it is quite wet but not wet enough so that pools of water begin to form.

4. Use the spray bottle filled with alcohol to lightly mist the wet canvas. Ta da! The alcohol will repel the contrasting layer of paint and you will be able to see the dry layer underneath.

5. Allow to dry and enjoy you're newly texturized canvas!

Pro Tips: 

Isopropyl alcohol can be purchase at most drugstores in Canada in 70% U.S.P. (less concentrated) and 99% U.S.P. However, more and more, I am finding that stores are placing the 99% U.S.P. behind the counter. If you can't find any on the shelve you might have to ask the pharmacist.

Make sure you do this technique in a well ventilated area. The smell of alcohol can be quite powerful depending on how much you use.