Start with a clean page. When you pick up a crayon or look at those shiny alcohol ink bottles, your hands shake. Should you take a chance or be careful with thin blends? That’s the fun game that The Tingology loves. There are no germy classes here. There is a bit of creative mischief mixed in with the happy realism.
Just think about it: the color slides, the ink swirls, and everyone learns. People laugh, then there is a quiet moment as the colors bloom on the paper. Artists with a lot of experience can help you. These are people who have spilled ink, dusted pastel, and even had their own happy mistakes. One teacher tells a joke about the time her purple turned yellow, which caused “grape-mustard chaos.” Everyone in the studio laughs. Setting the tone is the first thing that needs to be done.
People don’t think of Harmony Pastel as an old-fashioned method. People use it as a playground. Yes, you will learn about changes in volume, layers, and smooth shifts. You will also be told, “Try it out and see what happens.” The freedom to make a mess? Given hope. Painting inside the lines all the time doesn’t make anyone happy.
The same sense of excitement comes through with alcohol ink. Someone once said that the unpredictable flow was like gathering cats—a little crazy but a lot fun. A classmate jokes, “Never fight the dye.” “Let the chaos happen.” Swers and blooms become things that people talk about. People are happy to share their knowledge on how to blend, mix, and get shapes out of wild color. You can tilt the paper and laugh if you mess up the first time. Art can surprise even the person who made it.
There are many kinds of workshops. Classes with a lot of people talk a lot. When you have private lessons, it’s more like having coffee with a smart friend. Beginners and experts sit next to each other and share stories and tips. It’s not like some art groups where people are always angry. The artistic feast is open to everyone.
Things also matter. People can use good tools, feel the weight of good paper, and see how colors change as more alcohol is added. There is no lock and key for techniques. They are shown right in front of your eyes, sometimes more than once, and a joke or two are added just for fun.
Often, people are tense and scared when they get there. By the end of a session, those awkward lines are forgotten and are replaced by loud chatter, which can be applause or loud laughs. One student put a splotchy “oops” piece in a frame and called it “Freedom Soup.” That frame? It is now fixed up next to the studio sink.
This is the studio where you’ll feel welcome if you’ve ever thought if you could make something colorful, long-lasting, and worth sharing. Don’t use big words or have a collection. You only need to be interested and ready to play. At Tingology, laughing and learning mix like ink on wet paper—every time it’s different, bold, and beautiful.