YUPO PAPER IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SURFACES to use in my abstract adventures. Interestingly enough, it is not a paper at all. Rather it is 100 percent polypropylene. Because it’s nonabsorbent, you can achieve amazing watercolor-like effects with ink and acrylics. Erase paint and create layer upon layer of glazes and amazing marks with this unique product. On these pages, I’ll introduce some basics for creating backgrounds with Yupo paper, and we’ll return to this surface in a future chapter.
Black India ink
Brayer
Brush
Golden high flow acrylics
Golden fluid acrylics
Neocolor II crayons
Paper towels or baby wipes
Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
Scraping tools
Stencils
Water-soluble pencils
Yupo paper
Use a fan brush to apply the India ink to the Yupo paper.
Brush black India ink onto the surface. While wet, add a spritz of rubbing alcohol.
Use a brayer to apply black India ink until the ink is thinned out and dry. Apply a stencil to the surface. With a soft slightly damp paper towel or cloth, rub areas of ink away from the stencil openings to reveal patterns.
Use a brayer to apply a layer of black ink in an uneven fashion. Allow it to dry. Apply a layer of Golden high flow paint over the top of the black ink using a brayer. Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold is a good choice for a warm and rusty look.
Use the side of your brayer to scrape the wet paint. This technique removes paint layers and creates unique marks. Alternate directions to build depth.
Use a very light layer of fluid acrylics on Yupo paper. Adding too much at one time can cause the paint to crack off the surface once it’s dry.
In addition to Golden high flow acrylic, you can also apply fluid acrylic for an opaque look. Use a cataylst blade to scrape into the wet paint for additional texture.
In addition to paint, you can also use pencils, markers and crayons on Yupo paper. Rub away areas you do not want with a baby wipe, or swipe gently for a cool blending effect. Be adventurous!