You can make some lovely background papers using paper doilies as prints. Using inks as an overdye gives a really nice effect. The picture on the right has been overdyed with Pearlescent ink, which is what gives it that shimmery look.

Paper Doilies

Ingredients

acrylic paints
F&W Acrylic Artists' Ink
Daler-Rowney Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic Ink
Paper Lace doily - make sure it's one with an open weave to let lots of color through
sketch paper

Process:

1. Place the paper doily on top of the sketch paper.

2. Using a soft brush, paint acrylic paints over the doily. If you use a gentle hand, you can reuse the doily several times. It will actually get a bit sturdier as layers of acrylic paint are added to it. Let your print dry. You can use the paper as is, or continue to the next step to overdye it.

3. The picture on the left was overdyed with gold F&W ink. The one on the right was done using Pearlescent pink. I poured a little bit of ink onto a palette and brushed it over the printed paper. You can thin the inks with water for more subtle colors.

4. Let dry.

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