Chameleon Color Tops

Chameleon Color Tops allow you to extend range of depth or change blending hues to a single Chameleon Color Tone pen.

Highlights

Product Description

Reviews

1. A Colorful Blend that is Just Tops

   
   By Jen Timko

   The Chameleon Color Tones Pens have already established themselves as revolutionary in the crafting industry. A way to color with alcohol ink all the way from the lightest to the most saturated version of a color with only one marker was brilliant! Now, Chameleon Pens have added a new product that works with this already amazing ink - Chameleon Color Tops. In the past, when working with my Chameleons, I always loved the unique look achieved but wanted to be able to blend other colors in just as seamlessly. Well, Color Tops allow for exactly that!
   
   The Color Tops use the same style of infusion to add color to an existing pen instead of just adding the colorless blending solution. In fact, you can add multiple colors and then add the colorless blender too. The pen will “release” the colors in the order you added them and there are so many possibilities! The key to your shading is timing. I used scratch paper to experiment with my timing to make sure I had the blend properly balanced. Part of deciding your timing is the size of the image you are coloring. For smaller images, it only takes a touch. For larger ones, I found that about 4-5 seconds was right. The other thing to consider, as with other coloring mediums, is the paper. I used Stampin’ Up’s Thick Whisper White with very good success. It is soft enough to encourage a blend but not so soft that I got bleeding. I also tried Strathmore Mixed Media Paper and loved how the color moved on it. It is a bit softer so you have to watch bleeding at the image edges but the coloring was smooth.
   
   As with all coloring tools, there is a learning curve to understand the best ways to use the pens. But isn’t that really part of the fun?! If you love Chameleon Color Tones Pens, these Color Tops are a must have. The extra options and all the color combination choices are a fabulous way to stretch your markers in amazing ways. If you are considering the markers as a whole, the Chameleon pen system is brilliant. The look you get from the Pens and Tops is distinctive and bold. A colorful and seamless blend that will bring gorgeous color to your projects!

2. On my List of Magical Things

   
   By Angela Bode

   A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of reviewing the original set of 20 Chameleon Color Tone pens for the first time. After watching a few videos I was coloring and having a blast so when I opened my package to find the 52 Pen Super Set plus Color Tops, I was giddy!
   
   The 52 Pen Super Set comes in Chameleon's signature black box. It props up for easy access to the markers during coloring, there is even a strap attached which makes it easy for transport. I love that Chameleon focuses on quality even in their packaging!
   
   Not only has Chameleon expanded their color palette to 50 markers but they have added a line of 50 matching Color Tops. The Color Tops are used to infuse multiple colors with one pen just as the original Toning Medium was used to infuse color gradient with one pen! The result is sensational blends and hours of fun!
   
   There are some techniques I use in paper crafting that seem like magic to me, and coloring with Chameleon Pens and Color Tops is on my list of magical things. I really enjoy infusing multiple colors then coloring and watching how the blends turn out. I created quite a few projects while reviewing Chameleon Color Tones Markers/Color Tops, and I can't wait to get back to my art desk to make some more magic!
   
   Tips:
   Watch the videos! Chameleon does a fabulous job sharing "how to" videos.
   Use a timer. I keep my phone beside me and use the timer function to time color infusion.
   Subscribe to the Newsletter. The newsletters are fun, informative and include free downloadable images to color!

3. Little Chambers of Magic

   
   By Ilina Crouse

   When you first open the Chameleon color tops you may wonder what in the world to do with them.
   They are little chambers of magic that you infuse your Chameleon pens instead of, or along with, the Toning medium chamber.
   
   Chameleon will allow you a seamless blend between 2 colors ,which I have had hard time achieving with any other marker. You can also blend 2 contrasting colors or two similar colors, your choice, with a seamless results.
   
   And that's not all. You can also work with the toning medium for initial coloring that is almost transparent (invisible) and blends to the Color Top color and all the way to the color of the Chameleon pen. Three blends, one to the next.
   
   
   Want to go fancy and see more magic, then stack few colors tops colors on your Chameleon Pen. The time you infuse with each color top will dictate how long will that color run. If for example you infuse the Turquoise pen with Yellow Mellow and Mossy Meadow and you would like to have only little bit of the yellow and more of the green. Infuse your pen for only couple seconds with the Mellow Yellow and then go longer with the Mossy Meadow.
   
   My favorite technique was blending 3 colors (1 Chameleon Pen and 2 Color tops) and seeing magic happen when I color.
   

4. More Variations in a Single Blend

   
   By Dina Kowal

   The Chameleon Color Tops are such an exciting addition to Chameleon's product line. The marker line was innovative in itself, allowing color gradations easily within a single hue. Now add the Color Tops into the picture, and thousands of color combinations are possible! I love the ability to combine any 2 colors together - even unusual combinations create exciting blends. And why stop at 2 colors? You can 'stack' colors from several Color Tops for even more variations in a single blend! I wanted to mention the packaging of the Color Tops too - the sets of 5 come in individual plastic cases that can stand on their own, and have a lid for storage. They also are designed to hook into one another, end to end or side by side. Very clever and convenient!
   
   I feel like I have so much more experimenting to do with this line, but I hope you were able to see them in action in my Stained Glass Stamping tutorial here - there's no way you could fill tight spaces with such smooth color transitions using more than one marker! The ease of making a single pass to blend minimizes bleeding as well. I love combining warm and cool colors, too, to see what happens in the middle.
   
   If you're considering a dive into this marker system, there are several levels from which to choose. If you'd just like a few to experiment, the markers are sold individually and in themed sets of 5. Chameleon also offers a deluxe set of 22 original markers, a completely different set of 30 newer colors, and a full combined set of 52. The Color Tops come in themed sets of 5 and can only be used with the markers - but keep in mind that each set you add to your collection multiplies your marker range! As well, all the marker nibs are replaceable, and Chameleon also offers a full range of refill inks. This marker system is so much fun, and a great long-term investment!
   

5. Chameleon… the Name Says it All

   
   By Cheryl Scrivens

   I was a brand “newbie” to Chameleon Color Tone Pens, so I watched some videos to get up
   to speed, became accustomed to using the Infusing Chamber, and created color sample
   charts to see the amazing changes in the value of each color as they went from light back to
   the original colors.
   
   The Chameleon Color Tops come in the same colors as the Chameleon Color Tone Pens and
   come in sturdy plastic cases. Each case contains a color family—Primary, Floral, Blue,
   Nature, Gray, Skin, Earth, Warm, Pastel, and Cool Tones. Just like the Chameleon Color Tone
   Pens, the packaging is well designed. I quickly was impressed with how versatile the cases
   interlock with each other in whatever array you wish. They easily fit side to side or end to
   end—you decide how! You can rearrange them easily and simply disconnect them to travel
   with one or more cases.
   
   But, if anyone knows me, coloring is the ultimate fun! Not only could I color from light to
   dark with a single marker…I could infuse other colors directly into that same marker to
   create brand new colors that transition beautifully. In fact, Chameleon says there are more
   than 1,200 color combinations. How is that for color options?
   
   While I originally started to color in the side-by-side method shown in many videos, I was
   pleased with the results using flicking, circular, and brushing motions. For one of my
   flowers, I “mixed” a color combination that allowed me to use a single marker to color
   around the outer portion of a petal and then color the center (shaded) area as the color
   became darker. Now that put a smile on my face!
   
   As I created my own color combinations (“rainbows”), I wrote down the “recipes” so I could
   replicate them. I colored the “rainbow” in a blank template. My “recipe” included the Color
   Tone Pen and Color Top numbers along with the number of seconds I infused each of them.
   The timing of infusion is important. However, it is fun to allow a bit more or less time for
   lovely color variations that truly mimic nature. I was excited to see the results of “stacking”
   a Color Tone Pen with multiple Color Tops and to see how beautifully the colors
   transitioned. Chameleon—the name says it all!
   
   I believe the Chameleon Color Tone Pens with the Chameleon Color Tops are an excellent
   way to get into alcohol-based markers. The Chameleon Color Tone Pens and Color Tops are a great
   addition to my color media, and I look forward to using them more and finding many new
   color “rainbows!” Thank you, Chameleon!

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