Magical Moving Ink Landscapes

Choose the Right Card
This technique relies heavily on using a suitable card: it needs to be strong enough to allow the inks to float and move, rather than instantly soaking in. Our 350gsm Mixed Media Cardstock is perfect for this and won't buckle when water is added with your brush. We have cut the card down into A6 pieces but you can work on any size you prefer. 

'Draw the Line' – Engrave the Trees and Landscape
Use a pointed tool such as an awl tool to score a line slightly above the halfway point across the width of the card. Add 'tree trunks' by engraving vertical lines upwards from the horizon. Vary heights and thicknesses to suggest trees in the distance. Occasionally branch one line out into 2–3 finer branches. Keep things irregular – gaps and different spacing feel more natural. Score another line nearer the bottom to represent a river bank or field. At this stage the card still looks blank – the engraved lines are almost invisible on white card. The magic happens once ink is added.

Load the Inks and Soak the Brush
Place the chosen inks in a small tray. Fill a flat brush in very clean water – it should be absolutely saturated, with excess drips ready to fall. A wet brush is essential; this is not a dry-brush technique. Have kitchen paper to hand for blotting or lifting colour.

Paint Your Scene
Apply ink along the engraved horizon line by touching the pipette tip lightly to the scored line and let a thin bead of ink follow it. Use minimal pressure on the pipette – a little goes a long way. Place the brush just above the ink line and sweep across the card. The water will pull the ink up into the engraved tree lines, revealing a silhouetted forest. Repeat along the lower engraved lines with your chosen colours, dragging the ink downward this time. Allow colour to soften into the space below, suggesting grasses, banks or water. If the ink isn’t moving enough, add more water. If there is too much, dab gently with kitchen paper to soften and lighten areas.

Build the Foreground
Once the base wash has settled (still damp or dry  - both work, but avoid very wet card), paint loose, upward strokes in the foreground with a fine brush to suggest grasses or reeds. Vary height and thickness; bring some strokes up into the picture to lead the eye in. Dab a dry sponge into undiluted or slightly thinned ink and gently tap at the very bottom edge of the scene to create texture. Each landscape becomes a unique miniature painting. Even using the same colours, no two will ever match exactly.

Add Highlights
When the ink is completely dry, use thinned white paint on a firm brush and paint horizontal strokes across the lake or river to create ripples and reflections. White pencils or pens can also be used to add fine highlights on tree edges, grasses or water. For a touch of magic, Cosmic Shimmer mica pigment paints can be brought in as the final layer. Mix a tiny amount of mica pigment with water to create a thin paint. Use a brush or dip pen to add a delicate shimmer line across the water or occasional sparkling grasses or flower heads in the foreground. Less is definitely more here – the shimmer should appear mainly when the light catches the card, not dominate the whole scene. 

Using Aperture Cards To Frame Your Mini Artworks
You can simply mount your scene onto a piece of card or if a section of a scene is particularly beautiful, an aperture cards are a perfect way to show this off. Cut that section to size and mount it behind the aperture. With just a few items, it’s possible to build an entire collection of atmospheric landscapes – ready to frame, gift or turn into striking greeting cards.