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I'm using baby oil to blend, but Gina K. has posted earlier about the different grades of mineral spirits. Here's part of what she said.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gina K. Designs
...
As far as grades, most companies, including Gamblin, produce several different grades of Mineral Spirits. Depending on the way it is distilled, the evaporation rate will be different. The short explanation is- the faster the evaporation rate, the more dangerous it is. Usually hardware store OMS has a fast evaporation rate as it's meant to be used in a well-ventilated area or outdoors. Artist grades evaporate much more slowly.
The label I bought from the art and craft store (Riot) and the label for what hubby bought at the hardware read the same ingredients and percentages so they should be equally the same quality. My brand here is different to overseas and is made in Melbourne.
I do thank you all for your help and ideas they all lead to wonderful and mysterious master pieces LOL
I saw a post where someone bought a large bottle of spirits from a hardware store which was really cheap compared to the bottles from art stores, but I didn't know what brand or anything it was. It lasts ages anyway, I am still on my first little bottle!
I bought mine from the paint section at Walmart - works fine for me.
My son bought me several prisma's for Christmas to complete my set. Several of them keep breaking when I try to sharpen them. I am using the "prisma" sharpener. Any words of advice? Thanks!
Good moring. I really need to remember that microwave trick. When I get one that won't sharpen I get frustrated adn change pencils and forget about the bad one until the next time I want to use it.
My boyfriend just bought me a great present! He got me a second pencil binder. Because I had found some Prismas in discontinued colors I had more than would fit in the 120 binder. AND he got got me a set of 12 Derwent colorsoft pencils!!! I haven't used them except to put a sample on my color chart. They were so soft just putting on that litle bit. I'm going to love them. ANd now I can have my all of my pencils in binders. Yeah!
OH! And yesterday had great mail for another reason!!! I took advantage of Hambo's sale last weekend and got a couple of Tim's stamps! These are going to be so much fun!
Another tip I've read for sharpening pencils with the Prismacolor sharpener is to occasionally sharpen a graphite pencil too... the graphite helps keep the colored pencils from 'catching' on the blade. I think sometimes the fault is more in splintery wood than in the leads. Also with the Prismacolor sharpener - pencils seem to catch more when there is a build up of shavings caught in the cap between the casing and the blade, so keep that well cleaned out, too.
Another tip I've read for sharpening pencils with the Prismacolor sharpener is to occasionally sharpen a graphite pencil too... the graphite helps keep the colored pencils from 'catching' on the blade. I think sometimes the fault is more in splintery wood than in the leads. Also with the Prismacolor sharpener - pencils seem to catch more when there is a build up of shavings caught in the cap between the casing and the blade, so keep that well cleaned out, too.
I think I listed that tip many pages ago, and it really does work.
I use an electric sharpener and a burr rotary sharpener and the waxy prisma lead builds up on the blade, then the blade starts to catch at the lead as they are now both waxy. I keep a graphite pencil by the sharpener and every third time or so I sharpen it for a few turns between the prismas. This works with the razor type angled blade sharpeners as well.- it helps to keep the blade from catching on the lead instead of shaving through it. Sharpening a cheap #2 regular old graphite pencil will knock the build up off the blade and help to lube it to prevent new build up for a little while.
OH! And yesterday had great mail for another reason!!! I took advantage of Hambo's sale last weekend and got a couple of Tim's stamps! These are going to be so much fun!
When one of my pencils break off in the sharpener I have to jamb a graphite pencil in there to clean it out. I guess you do buy tubes of graphite to lube things up.
Just thought I'd share this with everyone... I really don't like Arches water color paper. I've been using it and haven't been too happy so I kind of quit for awhile. Even though I still have some left I went and bought Fabriano Artistico HP watercolor paper that I have used before. And it made all the difference. Here's my last effort with the Fabrano.. Le Painter by MrHambo - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers
The Arches would clog up really fast with wax but I could never seem to get it to cover completely if that makes sense. I've heard that it's the grain of the paper that does that.
From the description on Amazon it sounds like it's a regular water brush with the advantage that you can control how much water is released. If that's the case it's much better than Koi or other products which sometimes flood your paper. Hmmmmm - very interesting. OK Tim - what do you think?
From the description on Amazon it sounds like it's a regular water brush with the advantage that you can control how much water is released. If that's the case it's much better than Koi or other products which sometimes flood your paper. Hmmmmm - very interesting. OK Tim - what do you think?
Yep, that's what I was thinking. They're in my cart for the moment. I haven't decided if I want to buy them or not. In the past I've taken a couple of brushes and a bottle of water. Sloppy is a good word for it.
They also sell a 3 pack of the same exact product for $9.99. The only difference is that the cheaper ones have a plastic cap and the 2 pack has a metal cap. I'm very tempted.
Thanks! Well, to me, I feel like I got my money's worth not to mention the weight of the paper. IMO, it feels heavier than the GP. I was pleasantly surprised and it also takes stamped images nicer too!
This is my first time to post & I'm not sure how this works. Here goes. Where do I buy PTI white CS? I have SU card stock & I'm just starting out to use my Prismacolor pencils. I'm not an artist but have been reading how to color & shade. Thanks to everyone for posting such helpful ideas.
Jan
Butterfly Goddess
They also sell a 3 pack of the same exact product for $9.99. The only difference is that the cheaper ones have a plastic cap and the 2 pack has a metal cap. I'm very tempted.
I found a seven piece set with different brush sizes as well:
This is my first time to post & I'm not sure how this works. Here goes. Where do I buy PTI white CS? I have SU card stock & I'm just starting out to use my Prismacolor pencils. I'm not an artist but have been reading how to color & shade. Thanks to everyone for posting such helpful ideas.
Jan
Butterfly Goddess
Thanks. I saw heavy base weight at the bottom. Is this the one?
jan
That's it! I love the stuff. It has such a wonderful weight to it and it cuts/embosses beautifully with spellbinder's dies! Not to mention that it blends incredibly well! The color seems to just float on it.
That's it! I love the stuff. It has such a wonderful weight to it and it cuts/embosses beautifully with spellbinder's dies! Not to mention that it blends incredibly well! The color seems to just float on it.
-V
Thanks. I'll order some soon. I just ordered from SU so I do have a supply on hand but want to start working with pencils. I hope this CS will be better than SU for pencils.
jan
Wow. I've never heard of water brushes. What a great idea! I've heard of those other things... can't think of the name but they aren't like these. Blender pens that's it. Right in Dina's post above mine. Love to hear some reviews. How do you clean between colors?
I've been using pencil and Inktense to start off then a little Copic. Then Prismacolors and some OMS then more Prismas. They're all done on Strathmore illustration board which I like a lot.
I use a water brush when I use watercolor pencils, but I do not fill the barrel. I just dip the tip in the water. I have arthritis in my hands and the waterbrush is so much more comfortable for me to hold. I have the old chunky aqua colored ones. I just dip the tip in the water and wipe it off. It takes Very Little water and it goes a long way. I am always amazed.
When doing it this way, I never get the big drops of water to ruin my project.
I have a couple different blender pens... I had always used the Dove blender pen as the tips are replaceable and they are refillable. I do find that the tips get frayed and scrubby pretty quickly... maybe I was using it too hard? I suppose you could use the refill solution and blend with a brush too... but then... if you're just working with something waterbased, you might as well use water and save your money. A blender pen, though, can also be used with chalks and the fluid has a binder in it... I'm sure there are other applications for it that I'm not thinking of right now... haven't really used it much lately. I did recently get some Stampin Up blender pens from a SCS friend and they have a nice brush tip with a fine point which I've used with the Inktense pencils in tight spaces, like on the bicycle image... I also used Inktense and the SU blender on the grass in this swan card - had a little more control of the color where if I'd used water the lines would have bled.
Wow. I've never heard of water brushes. What a great idea! I've heard of those other things... can't think of the name but they aren't like these. Blender pens that's it. Right in Dina's post above mine. Love to hear some reviews. How do you clean between colors?
Congrats on the 72 set of Inktense V!
Thanks Tim! I'm already very much in love with them. I found a Koi waterbrush locally, but only in one size. This one:
I worked on a color chart for my Inktense pencils with it, so I used it continuously, changing from one color to the next over the course of about an hour. Tip cleaning was cake. Just wipe on a paper towel and squeeze the barrel to "dispense" a little more water into the bristles. There is faint staining at the very tips of the brush, but I expected that.
After repeatedly squeezing the barrel to add a bit more water I'm now VERY interested in those piston action brushes. Aside from that, they work beautifully. Definitely worth a try!
I was in the process of ordering the Piston pens. I cancelled the order when they were going to charge me over $10.00 for shipping on a 3 pack costing $9.99. I thought the shipping was a bit unreasonable.
What Card stock do you use. I'm getting confused about the best CS to get for Prisma pencils & OMS.
thanks for all the advice,
Jan
I have yet to find a card stock or paper that is BAD for using with pencils and OMS. I've even gotten them to blend on watercolor paper. My favorite, however, is Gina K's Pure Lux in the base weight. I just like the way that the colro seems to float on the cardstock when I go to blend.
Everyone seems to have their own favorites. If you don't want to invest a lot of money at the outset, go with the Georgia Pacific cardstock available at Wal-Mart.
I have just taken delivery of the full 132 colour pack of Prisma pencils and as yet they are still in the tin, haven't used any yet. First thing I have to do is work out how to store them as I think keeping them in the tin will be an inconvenience. I keep reading references to blending stubs....what are these? I don't have any. What I do have is a DOVE blending pen thingy that is used with Pebbles chalks, can I use this with the pencils?
I'm subbing to this thread. Hi everyone. I have horrible colored pencils. They're rose art.. cheep and they act like it. I do however use markers and watercolor pencils with my watercolor brush to paint many cards like this one.
I am interested in finding out the best set to start with. I'd like to spend under $40. and have opportunity to use them with blending solution to achieve the blended colors.
Tonight I'll look at the thread a bit more as I'm working right now.
Eels: What you're thinking of are blending stumps - they are a pencil shaped tool made of hard compressed paper, and they're dipped in a solvent (usually odorless mineral spirits, baby oil, etc.). The Dove blending fluid isn't a solvent, so it won't work for blending pencils... save it for your chalks. More often lately I've been using pencils without blending them - using a lighter touch and layering colors - and I like the results.
Derwent Coloursoft Pencils - BLICK art materials Derwent Colorsoft pencils are a good quality pencil with lots of color choices. Dick Blick has them very cheap. The more you buy the less expensive they are. 99 cents each 92 for quanity. So, for $40 you can get alot of pencils and they are very good. They have other brands too and I have heard their own Dick Blick brand is good too.
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