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Wondering if there is a concensus out there on what is the best way to color in your stamped images. I want to do cards as well as scrapbooking and am looking for a technique that is relatively quick but also looks good. I am getting the Loads of Love set and it's accessories and it looks like there will be quite a bit of coloring in to do with this set.
Do you prefer chalks, markers, color pencils (which I have but yet to like), or the blender pen with ink pads. I will have the craft stamp spots for all the families except the bold brights and I have ordered blender pens. Do the craft inks work well with the blender pens?
Thank you
Roxanne
This is a great question for a poll! Maybe it has been done before...I probably missed it. I personally have tried most of them...markers, chalks, watercolor pencils, pearl ex, etc. In the Fall, I discovered Prismacolor pencils and gamsol...and am having fun using that as my current coloring method of choice. Next month, I might have a whole different answer though. Stay tuned I guess It is fun to try a variety of things and see what works for you/your projects.
__________________ Have an awesome day!
Loretta Rathert~
My favorite method is to use an aquapainter and ink pads. I don't have a blender pen, but that might work just as well. My second choice would be the prismacolor pencils and gamsol, especially if I want to blend. Hope that helps!
Are the prismacolor pencils the same idea as the SU color pencils? What in the world is Gamsol? Looks like I'll be doing a search on that.
Thanks for replying.
Roxanne
Prismacolor pencils are very high quality pencils. I'm not sure how they compare to SU pencils. Gamsol is mineral spirits, which you dab on with a stump (rolled up cloth, basically), to blend the pencil.
Watercolor Crayons, hands down! Very quick and wonderful to use, but as Joan said, for best results use Staz On with them. Second choice for me would be Prismacolor pencils & Gamsol (odorless mineral spirits to blend the prismacolor pencils), which gives a lot more control (IMHO), but takes more time. For just a few touches of color, I like the SU pastels. I am not a fan of the SU watercolor pencils, and I've never really gotten into using the blender pen/ink pad combination, although my daughter is quite adept at that technique.
Linda
Romulus, NY
I love SU's Watercolor Crayons with an Aquapainter. I also like Su's watercolor pencils with Gamsol. Different stamps require different coloring mediums--depends what look you are after! Chalks are fun as are ink pads with a blender pen. So many choices!!!!! Good luck!
I have been told that you cannot use craft ink with the blender pens, but haven't tried it myself. Aquapainters (or just a regular watercolor paint brush) work with craft ink.
I have used blender pens with ink from the classic pads (which I thought was the best until I got all the markers), chalk (not my thing), watercolor pencils (non Su, but not my style), and Aquapainters (which I just got and am learning to love!).
If you want bright, intense colors and quick results, markers are the way to go. However, they are expensive. Second choice for me is the blender pens with classic ink. Third choice is Aquapainters.
Depends on my mood, depends on the look that I want.
I have all of them, the only ones that I don't use are the Stampin' Pastels (aka chalks, not to be confused with the Colorbox Chalks, though they often are).
First choice is probably a paint brush, water and the classic ink, second choice is to use artist-grade coloured pencils (such as Prismacolor).
Have fun experimenting!
__________________ ~ Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers ~ (attributed to Socrates 470-399 BC)
I have been told that you cannot use craft ink with the blender pens, but haven't tried it myself.
I did with an old blender pen to see what would happen. Since craft inks are opaque, it also "mutes" and sometimes covers up the stamped image. It's also near-impossible to get any decent grade of shading.
__________________ Stamping with a cat - Fur is a fiber | Ribbon is a cat toy |Eyelets are for batting | Glitter is a fashion statement My Photography
I've used the pastels, markers, watercolor crayons, aquapainters and blender pens, and have a full set of Prismacolor pencils that I had to buy for a rendering class this past summer. Which one I use really depends on the image and the overall look I'm going for. I'm working on my fiance's valentine right now, and am using Touch of Nature with the WWC and an aquapainter. I was going for subtle colors with nice shading. For a more "cartoony" image where I want bolder colors, I'll use the markers. I don't use my Prismacolors much for stamping because I usually don't feel like figuring out which ones match SU! colors.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
I read once that you should have more ways to color your stamps then stamps themselves. Ok so maybe that's an exxageration, but I understand the point. One stamp set can look MANY different ways depending on what you use to color them in with.
I have: inks (both classic and craft), colored pencils, watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, some markers, Twinkling H2O's, and chalks. I use them all!
I like my aquapainter better than the blender pens, BUT I still use the blender pens. Blender pens work best with the classic inks.
Wow, that's a whole lot to think about and start dreaming of purchasing! Thanks for the heads up on the blender pens and craft ink, I'll have to look at the aquapainter. Sounds like the watercolor crayons are going on my wish list.
It sure makes alot of sense to try to have several ways of coloring in for your stamps. I never thought of it that way. When I got the SU pencils, I assumed that they would be color coordinated and was disapointed when I discovered that they were not. I admit that lessened some of my enthuiasm to play with them. I am also having a hard time with the paper 'piling'. I read in a different post that the confetti white paper works better in that respect, looking forward to testing that out.
Creatively and color coordination challenged.......
Roxanne
I read once that you should have more ways to color your stamps then stamps themselves. Ok so maybe that's an exxageration, but I understand the point. One stamp set can look MANY different ways depending on what you use to color them in with.
I have: inks (both classic and craft), colored pencils, watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, some markers, Twinkling H2O's, and chalks. I use them all!
I like my aquapainter better than the blender pens, BUT I still use the blender pens. Blender pens work best with the classic inks.
i read that too! i think it was debbie gimble but i am not 100% sure.
I am totally in love with the prismacolor/oms method. i cant watercolor for the life of me and regretted buying watercolor pencils even though it was only $10. i now use the watercolor pencils for teeny tiny details the stumps cant get into and i dont need shading like teensy flowers.
i also use chalks.
Wow, that's a whole lot to think about and start dreaming of purchasing! Thanks for the heads up on the blender pens and craft ink, I'll have to look at the aquapainter. Sounds like the watercolor crayons are going on my wish list.
It sure makes alot of sense to try to have several ways of coloring in for your stamps. I never thought of it that way. When I got the SU pencils, I assumed that they would be color coordinated and was disapointed when I discovered that they were not. I admit that lessened some of my enthuiasm to play with them. I am also having a hard time with the paper 'piling'. I read in a different post that the confetti white paper works better in that respect, looking forward to testing that out.
Creatively and color coordination challenged.......
Roxanne
When using the blender pens, you have to be careful not to "work" the color too much. That's what causes the pilling problems with the smoother white and vanilla cardstocks.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
Thanks Rachel
I also think my blender pen may be on the dry side. It is a used one that was given to me. I've yet to use a new one so I'm not sure how to tell if it actually is dry.
I hated coloring images until I got my Prismacolor pencils. I absolutely love coloring now, and actually find the process very relaxing. I also enjoy using the watercolor crayons, but it's an entirely different look.
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
I will either use the aquapainter with watercolor crayons or pencils. I'll also use the gamsol technique. I didn't like the pastels, mainly because of the piling.
Thanks Rachel
I also think my blender pen may be on the dry side. It is a used one that was given to me. I've yet to use a new one so I'm not sure how to tell if it actually is dry.
If you scribble on a piece of blank paper and don't see any fluid, your blender pen is dry. The tip of the pen should actually look a little bit wet.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
I love all kinds of coloring methods...
I enjoy using the aquapainter with watercolor crayons
Also love using my Twinkling H2Os
I also think the Prismacolor pencils w/ Odorless Mineral Spirits make awesome results.
I rarely use the Pastels except for poppin' pastels method which I rarely do.
__________________ ~ Wendy ~ *AVATAR--That's my DD's cute feet at the beach when she was 18 months old! She's 5 now!Where did the time go???
Given that you're a scrapbooker, I'd put the markers at the top of your list. The watercolor crayons are wonderful, but with the dual tips of the markers you can also match your journaling to your image, and that's a great option to have.
Lately I have been doing everything with my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. I wasn't sure how to use them when I first got them, but now it seems to have clicked (I'm not arty, so my idea of clicking doesn't mean I'm whipping out masterpieces, lol). I've also got the aqua painters, but I think I prefer the Prismacolor for most of what I do.
Well ladies, you've all been very helpful! I definitely need to test drive the watercolor crayons and prismacolor pencils. Neither seem inexpensive and it would be a shame to spend the money and not use them often. I did receive a little hands on help from a friend yesterday on how to use my SU pencils and hope to play a little today or tomorrow. I also tried out the few non-SU markers that I have with a new blender pen I bought at Michael's and really liked how that worked. I can't remember offhand who it was that mentioned smearing a palette of markers on a plastic surface and picking it up with a blender pen, but man that worked good. Thanks.
p.s. is it too soon to start thinking about christmas cards?
Roxanne
If you like the Prismacolor technique, you can achieve the same look using Crayola pencils with the odorless mineral spirits, and they are much cheaper!
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
Roxanne, no....it is not too early to start those Christmas Cards! I have a customer that has already bought all the supplies for her 2006 Christmas cards and will make them this month! So Create!!!!!
Coloring in your stamped images
