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Advice, please, on learning to color my stamped images.
Ladies, I really need your advice and input on just what coloring method is best for beginners. I am so confused because there is so much out there. I feel like I need a good overview of exactly what's what. My preference is to start simple and move on from the basics
You Tube videos and tutorials on blogs show me the different techniques using watercolor pencils, markers, distress inks, blending pens, blending brushes, etc. But exactly which method is best to start with if you're a beginner? They all appear to be an investment, most particularly the Copic Markers. And then I read the Technique forum about alcohol based this and that, specific papers needed with specific tools/brands, drying times, brayers, etc. There just seems to be so many considerations to keep in mind.
Which method should I start with and where do I go for the best tutorials? And before I make any purchases, which brands are the best for markers, watercolors, blending pens, etc.? I feel like I would have more success with the best materials. All my CS is either Gina K or SU, so will those 2 brands be good for coloring?
Your help would be greatly appreciated. Clarification is definitely needed here!!!
Hi, Kathlyn! I've always felt that chalks (also known as pastels) were the absolute easiest to learn with, since they are completely erasable. Also, because they are generally light in intensity, you have to build layers to make them darker so you are way less likely to get too much on unintentionally. The nice thing, too, is that a set of chalks is generally an inexpensive way to get a good variety of colors.
The next might be watercolor pencils using a blender pen. You can get a "painterly" effect without necessarily knowing what you're doing, lol! You color the image lightly and then use the blender pen to blur the pencil lines for a soft effect.
Nothing is going to take the place of practice, practice, practice, though. Don't expect expert results when you're first starting out...nobody gets those at the beginning. Just play with the various tools and you'll start to get the feel of them.
Oh, my, yes - the options are endless and I can see where you're overwhelmed!
For someone just starting out, I'd stay away from the alcohol markers - also known as Copics and Spectrum Noir (among others). You can get some beautiful effects with them, but they take practice and can get pricey.
I agree with MSBetsyZ - chalks are very easy, and watercolor pencils with a blender pen or brush & water are pretty easy to use. You can also use the blender pen/waterbrush with watercolor crayons and with watercolor markers (SU!, Memento, Distress, Tombow and others). The watercolor markers work best if you color on a piece of plastic and pick the color up with the blender pen or waterbrush. Trying to blend the markers directly on your image is tricky.
If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, my favorite coloring method is magic colored pencil - or colored pencil and OMS. You can get a set of Crazy Art colored pencils at Walmart for around $6; the OMS is odorless mineral spirits and they have that in the art section at Walmart and at Michaels - Michael's brand is Mona Lisa. What I love about this method is that it is easy to blend and add more color and shading without making your paper pill up like it can with the water-based colors. Here are links to a two-part video tutorial on how to do it: Part 1
Part 2
I think what I like about it is that it starts out the way my aunt taught me to stay in the lines in my coloring book back in the day - outlining
Your Gina K cardstock will work fine for pretty much any method you choose. I'm pretty sure the SU! will as well, but I don't use their white cardstock, so I can't say for sure.
Mostly, just have fun and don't be afraid to play. I have full sheets of cardstock that I have stamped with 6 or 8 images just to color. And maybe only one of them will ever make it to a card. They're just to experiment with and have a little fun.
When I first started, I used what I had on hand... my kids Crayola colored pencils! I purchased a Dove Blending pen to use with them, and it was a good starting point for me. I also used blending stumps and baby oil with the Crayolas. Eventually I upgraded to Prismacolor pencils, and then onto Copics.
I think a lot of beginners jump into a big purchase, and then realize coloring is not for them. Start small, and if you like it, you can upgrade later.
I agree with Cheryl - I would recommend you get a set of Crazee Art colored pencils at Walmart. You can get a set of 72 great colors for only $5.97. I purchased a couple of sets of these recently for my budding artist pre-teen granddaughters.
I tried them out, and to tell you the truth, they compare very favorably to the very expensive Prismacolor pencils that many stampers use. I have a set of Prismacolor pencils, and wish I had known about the Crazee Art pencils before I spent the money on the Prismas.
You can use baby oil or odorless mineral spirits to blend them, but you don't even have to do that to get pretty good results. You can use different shades of the same color, and layer your colors for intensity.
Good for you! I sort of jumped into coloring and am learning, learning, learning.
I attend weekly classes at my LSS. I began coloring with Copics - in a class - where we were taught how to use them. We also have used colored pencils, watercolor pencils, watercolors, and pigment inks. (As well as regular stamping with pads). Having been given the chance to play with these different mediums, I would say colored pencils. I already had a set of Faber Castell watercolor pencils at home, so I didn't have to go out and buy any. Whatever the previous posters have recommended, go with that.
I say colored pencils because it's something you have a little familiarity with. Add a little water and some brush strokes and you end up with an entirely different looking medium. I am not a painter.
I jumped into Copics, but am no expert. I have a few colors for specific stamps. I plan on taking a Copic specific class in the future.
I have also started playing with chalks (thanks to the MIX challenges!).
So, as a fellow beginner, be prepared to play, practice, and be critical of your own work. You won't like a lot of what you do to begin with, but remember you are on a learning curve. Have fun with it, and intersperse your work with stuff you enjoy, too. Laughter, I have found, is a must.
__________________ - Happigirlcorgi Shyla P Middleton
Fan Club Member
I was never a big fan of chalks except for backgrounds and various techniques, but certainly pencils, either watercolour or not, are good to start with.
Here's an alternative to gamsol/OMS to use with the Crazee Art pencils: Derwent Burnisher and Blender Set - BLICK art materials
Add me to the Cra-Z-Art fan club. I am always recommending those pencils. I have a set of Prisma's too. Reach for my Cra-Z-Art the most.
I know it seems best to buy the most expensive first. I know a lot of us can admit we went that route and ended up not using a certain coloring tool because we favored another. Like some of our girls over here prefer Copics. Others prefer their pencils. Then you have the technique junkies. I fall in that category. We tend to own an art store in our rooms.
An economical way to try good coloring techniques is buy a set of student grade art tools where your budget allows. For example if you have $20 set for the week you can buy Cra-z-Art pencils. You can go to Michael's and pick up a nice set of Artist Loft watercolor pencils. You can a get a nice set of Bic markers. I also have bought a set of Artist Loft pastels at Michaels really cheap too and they are gorgeous. That makes a good little starter set. Throwing the pastels in probably goes over $20. ;)
Then when you find a coloring medium you really like you can start splurging on a set of artist grade coloring tools.
I'm still in the very baby-step stages of learning to color but the question I had to answer first was -What look did I like best? A smooth, colored on top of the paper look or a more sketched, color layered into the paper look?
What I did to answer that question is I bought the inexpensive Cra Z Art colored pencils ($5-6 at Walmart), OMS at Hobby Lobby ($5.00) a set of Bic Mark its($18 at Walmart) and a set of water-color pencils from Michael's for about $6.00 and water-color paper. Oh I did also buy a water-brush as opposed to paint brushes-it's much easier to use (in my opinion) than constantly having to dip a brush into a water source.
After coloring lots of images I determined which medium I liked best and then began to invest more in the one I felt best achieved that.
Now I must say again that I am still very much a beginner...and I don't always follow the rules for shading and such. I've found I'm fairly "challenged" at determining the direction of my light source and all that. But still I enjoy coloring-it's therapy!
My vote is colored pencils and OMS because it can be the cheapest for starters. The only thing is to get good blending stumps (not the ones that look like wrapped newsprint).
The next vote is water coloring - again because of the low investment. A set of kids water color paints and a decent brush doesn't cost much but good watercolor paper can be expensive so use a coupon.
But most of all, be willing to practice and instead of looking at quick videos, go to artist sites and read about technique, papers, mediums (pencils, paints, etc.). It takes a bit of work, but you will happier and be able to decide what you like if you have sound background. I find that many stampers want to be able to get the perfect look like a card they saw without considering that the person is probably an expert and spent many hours perfecting the technique. Know that most people don't post the mistakes
Thanks so much to everyone for your info. on different mediums and on your different perspectives on where to begin. Now I have some insight as to what's what. You've given be the specifics to start my online research. Before I was jumping from one tutorial to the next, from one medium to another.
I'll be staying clear of alcohol markers for sometime.
What type of ink would I use to stamp my image if I'm going to use watercolor pencils? colored pencils? pastels? Would my SU inks be OK?
Last edited by Kathlyn47; 02-25-2013 at 08:20 AM..
Reason: error
Your SU inks should be ok with everything you've listed except the watercolors. SU inks are dye-based and not waterproof.
For the watercolors, the best ink I've found is Versafine Onyx Black - I believe they carry this at Michael's and Joann's. It's a quick-drying waterproof pigment ink and it stamps beautiful images.
My SU demo., who is new and not into coloring, told me the SU Blender Pens were a must have so I purchased some. What is the liquid in these blender pens? Is it like OMS?
I noticed that these SU pens have firm sponge nibs. Which is best the sponge or a brush for blending or does that depend on the medium??
I'm going to put this here just because I wish I had never bought blending stumps (too many variations what is good/buy "made in" this country not that) and just used a coupon and gotten fantastix to use with my OMS and pencils. I now want to use my pencils rather than dread using them.
I do think you have to practice. I remember in my art classes we would spend a couple of weeks just getting the flow of strokes in classes.
Another thing I would say is with pencils to just take time and build the color with even strokes rather than fighting with the pencil to get more on quickly. HTH.
FWIW I like Archival Ink (Ranger) for watercolor and pencil work.
My SU demo., who is new and not into coloring, told me the SU Blender Pens were a must have so I purchased some. What is the liquid in these blender pens? Is it like OMS?
I noticed that these SU pens have firm sponge nibs. Which is best the sponge or a brush for blending or does that depend on the medium??
Blender pens have a glycerin based solution that does well with water based mediums and chalk whereas OMS actually melts the wax in pencils. Since OMS is a bit harsh, I would think that after time it might have a negative effect on the blender pen nibs. Plus, you have to use a bit of pressure and that will flatten out your nib.
Brushes are not strong enough to blend wax pencil - you need a firm tip. That is why using good blending stumps are must. Plus, when the stumps wear down, you can sand them with fine sandpaper and get the tip back. Also, they are relatively inexpensive so you can have one for each color family and that saves you time from not having to clean (sand) them between colors.
Brushes are good for painting - watercolor, paints, Twinkling H2Os, etc. It is worth the money to invest in a good fine tip paint brush. If you find you like to paint, then invest in a couple of sizes/types. I buy super cheap paint brushes for glue applications, harsh mediums, etc so I don't ruin my good brushes. I buy them by the dozen at the dollar store and when they get gunky, I just toss them.
Personally I found coloured pencils and glamsol was the easiest for me. By starting out lightly and gradually adding deeper colour I could control it better. I also kept repeating to myself...'It's only a pencil..it can be erased!! (well except for red and dark purple) just ask me how I know this LOL! Also the black and white technique Lone Wolf by Mrs Noofy - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers is really a simple one because you follow the light and dark of the stamped image using a white and black coloured pencil.
I'm going to put this here just because I wish I had never bought blending stumps (too many variations what is good/buy "made in" this country not that) and just used a coupon and gotten fantastix to use with my OMS and pencils. I now want to use my pencils rather than dread using them.
I do think you have to practice. I remember in my art classes we would spend a couple of weeks just getting the flow of strokes in classes.
Another thing I would say is with pencils to just take time and build the color with even strokes rather than fighting with the pencil to get more on quickly. HTH.
FWIW I like Archival Ink (Ranger) for watercolor and pencil work.
Color pencils are my favorite medium. I have always worked with them since I was a small girl. I have always used color pencils using various pencil techniques.
It wasn't until I started posting here that I saw stumps, blending tools, OMS and all those other tools stamp artists use. I thought I had been pencil coloring wrong all my life.
I have used stumps for other mediums. DH uses OMS for his oil painting. I just never used these items for color pencil. I have tried them all. I love the different looks I can get with these mediums. In the end I still prefer to work with pencils alone. I am addicted to Fantastix. Wish I bought those years ago. You can do so much with them.
I agree work slow, build up layers and never work quickly.
A term has come up that I'm totally unfamilair with...............stump. I understand what it is used for, but I've never seen one with all the prowling the aisles I do at Michael's and A.C. Moore (my only local craft stores) and the tutorials I've watched. Who makes them?
A term has come up that I'm totally unfamilair with...............stump. I understand what it is used for, but I've never seen one with all the prowling the aisles I do at Michael's and A.C. Moore (my only local craft stores) and the tutorials I've watched. Who makes them?
These may not be the brand that everyone recommends - I don't use them, so can't say. But here is a pic so you can see what they are talking about. They are made of tightly wound paper, and come in different sizes. You dip them in the baby oil or OMS to blend the pencil colors with. You can file the edges to give them a sharper point.
They might be found in the art section of the stores, rather than the stamping/scrapbooking sections.
Update. Thank you everyone for your much appreciated advice. After much consideration, I decided to go with colored pencils to start. Blending seems to be the one technique to master that makes or breaks a great stamped image, so for right now I wanted to make it easy on myself and not involve water and watercolor paper.
Michael's has had a 50% off coupon all week so I headed over there and bought a set of 24 Prismacolor Pencils plus the colorless blending pencil. I've read a great deal on the forum about these pencils compared to other colored pencil brands and was impressed. I watched a no. of Prismacolor videos and I liked the concept of their blending pencil.
So I just spent a good hour practicing on SU's Secret Garden stamp set and did I ever have fun. These pencils are superb and the color lays down and blends so easily on the SU Whisper White. The colorless blending pencil works great too. I also tried blending with the SU Blending Pen and was more impressed with the pencil. It was all just too easy with the quality of these Prismacolor Pencils and the blending pencil.
I love my colored pencils. I currently mostly use Faber Castell Polychromos, but also use prismas and Derwent coloursoft pencils, and I use blending stumps and just baby oil for blending. For me the baby oil works perfect. Another tip, the blending is easier on some paper than other paper. I am loving neenah card stock for use with my colored pencils.
Advice, please, on learning to color my stamped images.
