How Do Alcohol Inks look on Paper vs Canvas?

Over the years I have used both paper and canvas for painting alcohol inks onto. I often get asked - “what is the difference between canvas and yupo, and how do the alcohol inks look on each of these?”.   

Here are some of the key differences and end result of using these different bases for alcohol ink artwork.

Yupo Paper

Alcohol inks work best on a non-porous surface, which is something that doesn’t allow liquid to pass through it. So, for my abstract and collage artworks I use a glossy paper called Yupo.

Yupo is a synthetic paper, like the type of paper that you can use to print photos. Yupo paper is smooth, durable, waterproof, and holds the alcohol inks really well as they do not seep through to the other side of the paper. This is quite different from when you use watercolour or drawing paper, as the inks on these papers seep through and end up tearing the paper from the moisture.
Yupo paper also has a very bright white surface which intensifies the vibrancy of the inks.  I have found that you achieve a lovely smooth, and glossy finish to my pieces when creating with Yupo paper.

Canvas

Canvas has the opposite composition and is a very porous material, so to ensure that the canvas does not absorb too much ink it is important to paint a primer layer or purchase canvases that have already been pre-primed. If you skip this step the inks could seep right through and be incredibly hard to spread across the canvas.

The textures of the dried inks on a well primed canvas are more of a matte finish, with a slightly textured look combining with some of the natural textures from the canvas coming through which can really enhance the piece.

Overall, both yupo paper and canvas surfaces are great for creating beautiful details and pieces of art, it just comes down to your own personal preference between glossy or matte finishes.