This is an updated version of the Bleedthrumanade tutorial I posted a few year ago.
Got Lemons, make lemonade; Got Marker Bleed-thru, make bleedthrumanade.
This is the back of the drawing above. Read on to see how this is done.

The process is simpler than people expect it to be, and I hope this makes it clearer–I’m simply taking advantage of the fact that color from alcohol markers shows up on the back of page, lol! I use my bleedthrumanades as background for art journaling, tangling or doodling.
Bleedthrumanade
Recommended Tools:
- Any paper that is NOT specially coated to prevent marker bleed-through.
- Alcohol markers or any wet media-Copics, Sharpies,Watercolor, etc that bleeds thru to the back of the page)
- Technical pen, Fineliners – any pen that won’t bleed-through the paper
- Optional:
- White Gel Pen (Signo Uniball White Broad is my favorite)
- Colored Gel pens or paints (fluorescent or glittery are fun!)
- Metallic Gel pens
- Colored pencils

Here are the completed pages, so you can see them better.


Tips for more fun: Try to make the front and back of the bleedthrumanade as different as possible. There are several techniques to help you do this.
On the front choose from among the following. On the back choose something different.
Tangle or use patterns:
- use completely different patterns on each side.
- look for shapes, and use those as your string on the front
- look for different shapes on the back (it might help to turn your page in a different direction)
- apply colors at random, then use them as your string (sections). Examples:
- on the front page, you might do one pattern all in yellow, another in the pink, and another in the purples
- on the back of the page, span two colors. In other words, one area would be yellow/pink, another would have yellow/purple, and so on.
Drawing or Coloring:
- Switch pens
- Change for a rigid to a flexible tip for different line marks
- Change to pens that have larger or smaller nibs
- Change the color of pen you are using
- Change from pen to colored pencil, marker, or paint
Use Other media
- Use Mixed Media/Art Journaling techniques
- Glue ephemera onto the page
- Make hot glue swirls with a glue gun
The main thing is to think differently from one page to the next. Don’t let the color fool you so you think there is only one thing to do.
Most importantly – have fun!
I love your tutorial! If I can find some spare time I have the perfect piece for it
I need to do some more with this. I haven’t pulled out my alcohol markers for a while.
What a wonderful Tutorial!
Thank you, Carol! I need to do some more of these. I haven’t used my alcohol markers for a while.
What a great idea! I like that you make a problem – bleed through markers, into something positive!! 🎨👍
Thank you, Jill! I’ve found it’s a fun exercise too, to get you to look at things in different ways.