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I am thinking of going to get some watercolor pencils. My question is do u have to use a special paper for them or can u use regular cardstock. I have a blending pen which I have never used, I'm wondering if this would work with blending the pencils. Any information on water coloring would be most helpful, in making my decision as to get some. Thanks:cool:
You'll probably get the best results if you use watercolour paper. A lot of regular cardstock just doesn't take well to the moisture - it either pills up, tends to "bubble" or soaks up the colour really quickly so it doesn't spread nicely. You might find a cardstock that works OK though - maybe somebody your side of the Pond has some suggestions of brands that might work.
Watercolour paper comes different ways - hot press and cold press. Hot press is a little more expensive and has a smoother surface so if you're using very detailed stamps it's probably the best choice as it take the stamped image more cleanly. Cold press is fine and dandy for most things though and it will certainly let you practise without feeling too intimidated.
A blender pen should work with watercolour pencils but I confess I'm a traditional brush and jar of water kind of gal, just seems like more fun! (back to kindergarten, I guess!)
Have fun picking out and playing with some new supplies!
I am thinking of going to get some watercolor pencils. My question is do u have to use a special paper for them or can u use regular cardstock. I have a blending pen which I have never used, I'm wondering if this would work with blending the pencils. Any information on water coloring would be most helpful, in making my decision as to get some. Thanks:cool:
Try it, you'll LOVE it!! Watercoloring is my favorite way of coloring images.
Watercolor paper is definitely better and easier but not entirely necessary. Some images turn out fine on heavy cardstock. It is really a matter of trial and error. You can get small packs of watercolor paper fairly inexpensively- I even saw packs of precut pieces of WC paper at Michaels recently.
I never use a blender pen with watercolors- they are designed for water which is much cheaper.
Remember that with watercolor pencils you can either color the image with the pencils and then apply the water, or wet the brush and "lift" the color from the pencil tip and then color with that. Both ways are fun.
There are sooo many options with watercoloring- like I said, if you try it I am sure you will like it! Have fun!
Just wanted to add - if you're not used to working with a brush and water, the blender pen may be a good stepping stone as you work with the watercolor pencils, to see how the colors move and blend. When you get more comfortable, you might try using a waterbrush. It's a paintbrush that holds water in the barrel, so you have a constant controllable flow of water. It takes a little practice, as does any kind of coloring medium.
Let me say from experience that blender pens don't work with watercolor pencils because they are alcohol/glycerin/water blend. Glycerin is the killer when it comes to blending watercolors...just won't do it. Water is what you should use with watercolor pencils. Using the blender pen will only lead to frustration and the desire to give up on watercolor pencils. The color doesn't really blend much, if at all.
You can use a good round watercolor brush size 4-6 range with a dish of water or you can use one of the niji waterbrushes. Personally I prefer the regular watercolor brush because there is more control. Sometimes I get too much water coming out of the waterbrush.
As for paper...I frequently use cardstock for the simple reason that I apply my color to the paper and do a quick blend and wash over the pencils...or I lift the color off the pencil and apply to the paper. I never overwork the color. However if you are going to do a lot of "playing" with the color, then watercolor paper is much preferred. It will hold up to lots of water and lots of brushwork much better. I do all my "regular" watercolor painting on watercolor paper because I DO work much more with my colors and with lots more water. But with my stamps I usually don't work it that much.
As for watercolor pencil brands...I have Staedler Karat. Derwent watercolors, Lyra Rembrandt, Caran d'Ache, and Prismacolor watercolors are other brands I am familiar with. All are good quality.
There are also different "weights" of watercolour paper. I don't use less than 140lb weight otherwise my paper buckles under the load of all the washes/water. You can get away with lighter weights if you don't use tons of water but if it buckles a little, then get a heavier weight - but I started with the 140 lb weight and found it works well for what I do. If you don't understand what this means, check out this link to explain about "weights". It isn't as daunting as it sounds.
Some people also like to use refillable water brushes but you can just use a small brush. If you look at the website below, there are some fantastic tips and techniques - I love it.
how to draw and paint I know it's not coloring in stamped images, but it gives you some good grounding in using watercolour pencils.
For stamped images, you will need to use an ink that won't bleed once you add water. I use Stazon, but I'm sure other stampers out there will guide you as to what other ink pads you can use - there are other brands out there that won't bleed.
Best of luck - watercolour pencils are fantastic!!
Last edited by JoBear2; 10-01-2010 at 04:00 PM..
Reason: didn't proof read it well enough and it sounded confusing!
Let me say from experience that blender pens don't work with watercolor pencils because they are alcohol/glycerin/water blend. Glycerin is the killer when it comes to blending watercolors...just won't do it. Water is what you should use with watercolor pencils. Using the blender pen will only lead to frustration and the desire to give up on watercolor pencils. The color doesn't really blend much, if at all.
You can use a good round watercolor brush size 4-6 range with a dish of water or you can use one of the niji waterbrushes. Personally I prefer the regular watercolor brush because there is more control. Sometimes I get too much water coming out of the waterbrush.
As for paper...I frequently use cardstock for the simple reason that I apply my color to the paper and do a quick blend and wash over the pencils...or I lift the color off the pencil and apply to the paper. I never overwork the color. However if you are going to do a lot of "playing" with the color, then watercolor paper is much preferred. It will hold up to lots of water and lots of brushwork much better. I do all my "regular" watercolor painting on watercolor paper because I DO work much more with my colors and with lots more water. But with my stamps I usually don't work it that much.
As for watercolor pencil brands...I have Staedler Karat. Derwent watercolors, Lyra Rembrandt, Caran d'Ache, and Prismacolor watercolors are other brands I am familiar with. All are good quality.
Hope that helps!
Just wondering what you would use the blender pen for?
__________________ Sharon S. "A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit." - Rabelais My Gallery
ok I went an bought a cheep set of watercolor pencils and a pad of watercolor paper. I tried coloring a stamp on thepaper, by then I forgot that I have no paint brushes so I tried to use the blending pen. NO LUCK. I was VERY fustrated and put everything away for another day when I want to try again.
need a little help understanding watercolors
