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Dina....as are several of us, I am also wanting to hear your directions on exactly how this is done please. You color with the pencils first and then dip and push the color with the stumps? Do you dab off the excess oil first? We'd all appreciate the help. Please!?
:-D
This is pretty much it. I'm still working at getting it just right - but basically I am either coloring in the image roughly or coloring in the shades and highlights, then dipping a stump and pushing the colors around and blending them together. If there is too much oil you will get dark spots - it doesn't evaporate like the gamsol does - so that is an area of trial and error.
Other tips:
--I found that if I color with the side of the pencil or use a lighter touch with the pencils with a pretty complete coverage of the image, I get better results with the blending. It seems like the more paper you cover with the pencil beforehand, the better (w/ gamsol since it evaporates you can just hit the edges). You can always go back over with more color or shading, and that seems to work really well.
--If you look back up the thread at the attachment I posted, you can sort of see how much color I'm using to move around.
--if you're going to chalk around the image (sky or just soften the background) do that first before you do the baby oil! otherwise the color will stick and you'll have weird dark spots.
Hope this is a little bit helpful - sorry, this is a work in progress for me too, and I haven't had a lot of time to play as we are in the process of trying to pack up our house with 2 weeks notice.....! I do still have to work in my 'therapy' time, though...
Just looking back at more questions...I am using regular Prismacolor art pencils...regular cardstock, not glossy (generally 110#)...I have the baby oil in a small jar...I saw that Oprah too, and GAH! That was horrible...don't let your babies drink it!!...and Claudia, go buy your pencils back!
Just FYI...if you don't have the blending stumps, a dried-out blender pen will also work. I haven't used stumps so I can't do a comparison, but the blender pen will work. Dini has some wonderful samples. If you do a search in the gallery with the keyword 'baby oil' you can also see several great samples using this tech. by DawnL as well as others!! It really does work!
I am no expert, but from what I gathered reading through several threads is that any color pencil will work, but the quality of color depends on the quality of pencil - the less wax content the better quality/color. Cheaper pencils will have more wax content. To do the tech. you just lay down colour (lightly - you don't want to indent the paper) and then use your blender pen/stump/whatever to move the colour around. If you want to go darker in certain areas it is easy to add some color after blending with the baby oil - that layer of oil allows for you to blend again. Just be careful not to saturate your blending tool too much or you will get 'grease' spots.
Subscribing.. I too would much prefer to use baby oil of gamsol. Gamsol is very flammable, and I am not so sure it is so great to breath it. As my children are 17 and 22 - I don't have to worry about them ingesting baby oil - but I am not so keen on gamsol. Thanks a lot dini!
any prismacolor pencils? or a special kind? I have the color lead pencils.
Wow, I was surprised to see this thread resurrected - it's been a year!
The pencils I'm using are the Prismacolor Premiere line, their "regular" colored pencils. It's been a while since I've used the baby oil, since I had some relatives visit who brought me a bottle of generic OMS. I used blending stumps with it...dip the stump quickly into the oil, and let it soak in a second or 2 before applying it to your color. If you have too much oil on your stump you will get an oily ring around your colored area. It does take some practice to figure out how much is too much. I found that if I put down an even layer of color first, and then get the stump moving the color first before hitting blank paper, that helped - so the oil is affecting the color first and not the paper. If you look back at the attachment on post #20 you can see about how much color I was laying down before blending, and the result after blending.
I still have a big jar of the stuff on my desk - maybe I'll sit down and play again and see what happens.
I tried my ordinary watercolor pencils.
Then I wet a q-tip in lamp oil and went over my colored image.
You don need to have that much lamp oil.
I had ordinary printed paper when I did this test and it worked very well.
I used staz on ink (jet black) and it did not smear.
The lamp oil did run a bit outside the stamped image but it dried and did not show after a while. It was very fun to try.
I think a dove blender pen will work too but i have it packed down so I have not had the chance to try yet.
If you're using watercolor pencils, why not just blend with water or a blender pen? Just as easy, and don't have to worry about the oily bit.
Well, I got out my baby oil last night - I did a couple cards but I didn't get pictures yet. Have to say...after several months of working with mineral spirits I muuuuuuuuch prefer that to the baby oil, side affects and smell aside.
But..........
I found that with the baby oil - if I had laid down a good solid color base first, no white areas, that it did well, the color moved and covered well, and layering over top went very smoothly - I almost didn't have to blend more with the stump but could actually blend the color in with my pencil. If you like large areas of color, this is good for you. I'll post my card and link here later so you can see what I'm talking about.
Don't try to put down a darker color first and then try to blend it to a lighter color. Cover the area with a light color first, then go back over it with a darker color if you want. Work light to dark.
For an area where I wanted the color to blend to white, though, I wasn't so pleased. It ended up looking more 'greasy'. It was a lot more work to blend, too, but doable. Maybe it's the stumps I was using...I know that people prefer the Taiwan ones to the China ones, but these Taiwans I was using were NEW and the ends just went to mush after not long at all. I like large areas of color, but I also like the ability to create dimension by leaving an area white and blending the color to it.
After you dip your stump in the baby oil - let all the drips drop and let the oil soak in before you go to your paper. Start in a well colored area and get the pigment moving before you blend to a less colored area. Don't start at an edge, or you'll get a oily 'halo'.
Guys,
Any art store will have odourless mineral spirits. Just ask them for the name of another product. When I went looking for gamsol I wasn't going to spend $20 on a huge can of it. I asked and the told me to try a smaller bottle of another type of mineral spirits. I'm sorry but the name escapes me right now. Wallacks is the art store I go to here in Ontario. Micheals was totally useless when I tried to get info from them.
Okay, I'm a dunce. How did you get rid of that oily feeling? Did you have to use glossy paper? Could you explain exactly how this is done or point me to some directions? I have the prismacolors, but I'm breastfeeding and not allowed to use the Gamsol. Baby oil I could use, though (and I certainly have plenty of it in the house right now). I'd appreciate any direction anyone could give me.
Amy
I am breastfeeding, too... Could someone tell me why I shouldn't use Gamsol? I don't have any yet, but have been following multiple threads about coloring with Prismacolors and blending with oms/baby oil/goo gone/etc... and would really like to try it, but not with Gamsol if it's bad for me or my baby. Thanks, in advance, for the info!
Here is something I copied from that thread with regards to the toxicity.
So how toxic is mineral spirits? Well, let's say it is not good for you.
Here's is an excerpt from an article on mineral spirits and toxicity:
"Inhalation: Exposure to vapor or mist is possible. Short-term inhalation toxicity is low. Breathing small amounts during normal handling is not likely to cause harmful effects. Breathing large amounts may be harmful. Symptoms are more typically seen at air concentrations exceeding the recommended exposure limits. Symptoms of exposure may include irritation (nose, throat, respiratory tract).
Eye Contact: Exposure may cause mild eye irritation. Symptoms may include stinging, tearing and redness.
Skin Contact: Exposure may cause mild skin irritation. Prolonged or repeated exposure may dry the skin. Symptoms may include redness, burning, drying and cracking and skin burns. Skin absorption is possible but harmful effects are not expected from this route of exposure under normal conditions of handling and use.
Ingestion: Single dose oral toxicity is low. Swallowing small amounts during normal handling is not likely to cause harmful effects. Swallowing large amounts may be harmful. Symptoms may include gastrointestinal irritation (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) and headache, unconsciousness). This material can enter the lungs during swallowing or vomiting and cause lung inflammation and/or damage.
Medical Conditions Generally Aggravated by Exposure: Pre-existing lung disorders (e.g., asthma-like conditions) may be aggravated by exposure to the material. Preexisting skin disorders may be aggravated by exposure to this material"Nothing to leave out where your children can find it.
I use it myself, but my kids are now 18 and 23... and it still concerns me some. I suppose if you are pregnant or nursing, you intake some of the gamsol by breathing, and thus it goes to the baby.. and they are much more apt to affected by something toxic - like alcohol and ciggarettes aren't good for adults, but so much worse for a baby or devoloping fetus.
I hope I have the right color pencils to use; have been wanting to do blending
of stamping. Have purchased stumps, but not used them yet. With so many topics on copic markers, and the cost; I'm so pleased to see this thread. Lovely cards and thanks for all the info
__________________ Carolyn
my avatar: (such desparation), Dear God, if you can't make me thin; make my
friends fat"
It takes a bit of practice to get the right amount of oil on your stumps. If you start with too much oil too close the edge of your image, you will get an oily halo. I found if I laid enough color down first, and didn't start blending right at the edge, and had just enough oil, I did'nt have a problem.
Thank you for sharing the baby oil idea. I tried it last night and am really pleased with the results. I used baby oil gel, Q-tips and my EK Success colored pencils instead of my Prismacolors to try it out. I can't upload so you can see the results, but I am happy with them! The cheap Q-tips worked fine - they don't have as much cotton as the higher-priced ones so I was able to do smaller areas also.
Thanks again for sharing! I love the smell of lavender baby oil! Big improvement over chemicals! :-)
i just gave this a try and i love it. i don't have gamsol so i can't compare it, but what i've got so far i love. this was my first time even trying something like this.
about the blending stumps; after a while do i just snip off the top to use again or should i have a stump for every color i use?
about the blending stumps; after a while do i just snip off the top to use again or should i have a stump for every color i use?
No....you don't snip the tip.....use a sanding block to sand back to a point. I have twelve stumps and have assigned each to a color family so I don't have to 'sand' them as often to 'clean' the color off. You certainly don't have to have one for every color though.
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
Marking so I can find again later. I'm 8 mos pregnant and can't use gamsol right now. I've done some cards with baby oil, I may make some more that I have some good tips! I'll post pics if I get any done.
I have the prismacolors, but I'm breastfeeding and not allowed to use the Gamsol. Baby oil I could use, though (and I certainly have plenty of it in the house right now). I'd appreciate any direction anyone could give me.
Amy
I know you are just being careful but you certainly can use Gamsol as a breastfeeding mother. Just work in a well ventilated environment, don't use it around the baby and wash well after use. There are so many wives tales about breastfeeding, no wonder so many women are too scared to try!! Look up the toxicity info for dishwasher detergent, gasoline or many aerosols, they are all officially considered toxic. Remember, you are using a tiny amount when compared with the normal use of cleaning paint brushes. You can even get a Special pump bottle that only releases a smidge at a time from Gina K designs. Very little of the chemicals we MIGHT ingest go into breast milk, that percentage is what matters most and is how safety is evaluated. Even if you ingest a tiny bit of a toxin, it won't make it into breastmilk in significant quantities. Cleaning paint brushes while painting a baby's room is way worse and still not proven to harm a baby.
As a side note: many women do not use any medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding either. Please, make an informed choice. Sick Childrens Hospital in Toronto has a Motherisk program to evaluate medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding. You can phone them from anywhere in the world ss far as I know. My 2 beautiful, health babies wouldn't be here if I hadn't been cleared by them to keep using my lupus medications. Please, get real info before making decisions!
Rebecca RN
__________________ RebeccaEdnie Mixed Media Artist, Paper Crafter, Jewelry Designer SCSDirtyDozenAlumni Www.Boxofchocolatescrafts.Com YouNeverKnowWhatI’mGoingtoMake
Last edited by Rebecca Ednie; 10-16-2009 at 05:00 AM..
I help regulate the amount of baby oil that I get on my blending stump by first pouring a little tiny bit of baby oil (maybe 1 or 2 tablespoons at most) in to a small saucer/bowl with a little bit of a rim so I don't smear it outside the bowl (I'm messy). Then, I place a small,flat, cotton cosmetic pad (like you take off eyemakeup with) in the bottom of the little bowl/saucer. Let the oil soak up thru' the pad for a minute or two. Add more oil if you need to - but you don't want the pad to float around - that's too much oil.
Then, when I want to add baby oil to my stump tip for blending, I just tap it on the cosmetic pad thingy (which has by now absorbed some of the oil) until I think it's just right.
Hope this helps,
Jeannie
