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I saw these being used by Jennifer McGuire and googled to realize that its been gaining quite some popularity among stampers.
I am terrible in blending. Tried different dye inks and finally got distress inks and even with them I get the harsh spots of ink. Maybe I am really reallyy heavy handed... So obviously I got interested in these.
Would appreciate if anyone can tell me how different these are from color dusters/shaving brushes. Should I add them to my never ending Wish List?? Thanks so much!
I too would be curious to see hear a comparison of the two types. After I watched Jennifer's video I got out my color dusters and will make it a point to use them more on stencils. In the past I had tended to pounce them on paper rather than sweep. It's hard to imagine the visual difference would be great enough to warrant buying the Clarity brushes.
The dusters look so different than the Clarity, it's hard to imagine comparing them! I saw the JM video with the Clarity brushes, but haven't seen one with the dusters.
I've never used a shaving brush, but in my opinion, these things are the best things since sliced bread.
My work with blending tools always ended in failure prior to these - I think you'd love them.
Thank you Lydia, I saw your video too yesterday.The cards look so amazing and hard to believe that they were so effortless! The more I see these videos, the more inclined I get towards these brushes..
I too would be curious to see hear a comparison of the two types. After I watched Jennifer's video I got out my color dusters and will make it a point to use them more on stencils. In the past I had tended to pounce them on paper rather than sweep. It's hard to imagine the visual difference would be great enough to warrant buying the Clarity brushes.
Would love to know your experience of blending with color dusters!
The dusters look so different than the Clarity, it's hard to imagine comparing them! I saw the JM video with the Clarity brushes, but haven't seen one with the dusters.
I saw Frugal Crafter/Lindsay use the color dusters. I don't have any color dusters but they are so much cheaper than the clarity brushes.
I'm confused. (So what's new? Nothing.). I don't see a Jennifer McGuire video using Color Dusters, just Clarity Brushes. Does she have one showing the Color Dusters too?
And why is there no "like" button for Aastha's post? Aastha, I like your post!
Having seen Barbara Grey using these, and having a friend who is heavily into all things Clarity, I can say that the brushes are very good- however- I would also say that the main part of using them is having the mylar mat that you work from. By brushing from the mylar mat to your cardstock, you overcome the temptation to go too heavily onto your cardstock.Not seen the Jennifer Macguire video, so don't know if she uses one, but I do know that Barbara swears by it. As an outsider to the products, I'd say one colour dusting brush is very much as good as another, I think the secret is in unloading some of the ink first.
Having seen Barbara Grey using these, and having a friend who is heavily into all things Clarity, I can say that the brushes are very good- however- I would also say that the main part of using them is having the mylar mat that you work from. By brushing from the mylar mat to your cardstock, you overcome the temptation to go too heavily onto your cardstock.Not seen the Jennifer Macguire video, so don't know if she uses one, but I do know that Barbara swears by it. As an outsider to the products, I'd say one colour dusting brush is very much as good as another, I think the secret is in unloading some of the ink first.
With Color Dusters being wide and fluffy - shaving brush-like - and Clarity brushes being pointy, I'd think they'd give different looks and options of where and how you want to place color. But I don't have them - yet! They're on my list.
Jennifer McGuire simply offloaded ink onto the paper grid paper that is generally/always behind her cardstock.
I had to chuckle when I saw the Jennifer's McGuire's (JMc) video. I have a dozen brushes (back then they were called Stipple Brushes) that have stood the test of time (15 yrs) and are in tip-top condition. I noticed, and I sure a lot of you ole' time stampers have as well, how a lot of companies will resurrect products by giving them a new name and packaging to sell them to as a new product on the market.
I'm just saying...
I had to chuckle when I saw the Jennifer's McGuire's (JMc) video. I have a dozen brushes (back then they were called Stipple Brushes) that have stood the test of time (15 yrs) and are in tip-top condition. I noticed, and I sure a lot of you ole' time stampers have as well, how a lot of companies will resurrect products by giving them a new name and packaging to sell them to as a new product on the market.
I'm just saying...
I have a few old stencil brushes and checked out stencil brushes in a local artists' supply store after hearing about Clarity brushes, but mine and the ones I saw aren't pointed and don't seem to be (?) as soft as the Clarity brushes appear from videos.
So my old ones and ones from the store you'd pounce with, but in the video, the Clarity brushes can be swiped or pulled. That's just an observer viewpoint though.
Sure, reintroducing products or targeting different audiences is just good marketing.
Last edited by bjeans; 06-15-2016 at 12:58 PM..
Reason: clarification
I just got my Clarity brushes-I have wanted them over 18 months now since seeing Barbara in a vid. I had to wait for a sale and got my first set. Then I found out a month ago they are stateside and got another set.
I am not wild about Judikins dusters. They are stubby handled, the bristles are stiff, they shed bristles on my work...which I think gets worse if I use them for pouncing vs just sweeping.
These are them for people who dont know them: https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product?id=82369
They can leave streaks in the work esp if you are laying down more ink. Think like if you were painting the wall and a bristle went bad on you. You see a track.
I am super excited about getting these. They feel wonderfully soft and I like the long handle. I think people could "choke up" on the handle if they need to. (baseball term)
I dont know that the pointed end is going to matter. I'll find out. I struggle with the sponges to avoid splotching.
However...I am suspecting that for heavy coats I may stay with the sponge. Like I want to do a matching border.
I dont think you have to have a craft mat to use them...it helps in the sense that you can do the initial sweep off of ink on there and then pick it up again if you want it. But you could definitely do that on scrap. You would just have to go back to the pad. I am pretty sure I saw Barbara put pad to mat and pick up ink from there but I could be wrong.
I actually like to do that on a white scrap so I can keep peeking because I tend to think it isnt enough ink and I end up darker than I wanted.
Whatever you use, I would recommend sweeping off excess first.
I meant to say, I had been considering getting makeup blush brushes but never did-I have a small one I use for sweeping EP and glitter. Has anyone tried those?
wavejumper, in Jennifer McGuire's video, like you, she says this isn't instead of other methods, it's in addition to. I have several types of blending tools I like, but none allow me such softness.
I've been on the fence, but re-watched Jennifer's video and just watched Lydia's. Lydia was my FE (final enabler).
This is a bit off topic, but since we're talking about soft stenciling, I used a product recently that gives a very soft, almost suede look, without harsh lines: "Paper Soft" by Viva Decor. We used it in a card making frenzy class and I really liked it.
Im still in shock that Lydia and Jennifer are just now discovering these brushes! LOL I have been watching Barbara's videos when she used them for over a year, maybe two, and drooling the whole time! Jennifer is giving away a set, so I commented, hoping to win a set! I looked at Michaels and nothing they have compare.
I just ordered mine from Tupelo Designs and they have a few left. They're more expensive there, but shipping is free, and if you open an account, you get 500 points worth $5.00 off. They had something else I had wanted, and I sprang for them. https://www.tupelodesignsllc.com
If someone buys a set from them and mentions Beth B. they'll give me some extra reward points. But please don't feel obligated. SSS has them coming in later in June, and I saw them somewhere else for much less $$ but couldn't get a response when they might be in. If it's never, then the price might as well be $1.00. ; )
I had to chuckle when I saw the Jennifer's McGuire's (JMc) video. I have a dozen brushes (back then they were called Stipple Brushes) that have stood the test of time (15 yrs) and are in tip-top condition. I noticed, and I sure a lot of you ole' time stampers have as well, how a lot of companies will resurrect products by giving them a new name and packaging to sell them to as a new product on the market.
I'm just saying...
Frugal crafter mentioned Stipple brushes substitute as color dusters/shaving brush. Have you used them(stipple brushes) for blending inks/putting backgrounds (like its done with sponging) instead of stippling?
Thanks!
Kathy, that's a wonderful video! Thank you. You can see how they go beyond stencil brushes. (She makes it look so easy; may my results be 1/2 as good.)
Frugal crafter mentioned Stipple brushes substitute as color dusters/shaving brush. Have you used them(stipple brushes) for blending inks/putting backgrounds (like its done with sponging) instead of stippling?
Thanks!
I have stipple brushes and they aren't remotely close - they are very rough and prickly - they are great for what they do - but they don't do the soft, soft ink blending the Clarity brushes do.
I have stipple brushes and they aren't remotely close - they are very rough and prickly - they are great for what they do - but they don't do the soft, soft ink blending the Clarity brushes do.
Thanks. I thought so.. My husband won't be happy :p
[QUOTE=muscrat;21258503]This video was from March of last year.
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Back to Kathy's video. How she holds the brushes differently for different effects is worth the price of admission - even holding on to the soft brush part itself and not the wood. I can't wait to practice.
I've been using the Judikins color duster brushes for years ever since those brushes and their techniques were introduced to me by Darlene Domel in some stamping retreat classes that I took from her years ago. I have no doubt as to the quality of the Clarity brushes (I love Barbara and her products!!), but looking at the results in Barbara's and others' videos, the Clarity brushes produce the same results that I get with my Judikins color duster brushes for the techniques that I use them for (yay - money saved to spend on something else LOL).
__________________ "May your mind whirl joyful cartwheels of creativity." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie.
Kathy I dont remember off the top of my head-I am very scatterbrained right now with a couple of major projects going on around here. I am living in piles and my brain never reacts well to that.
I'll figure it out and let you know.
lol-I am shocked too that I liked something that the big guys liked! I got one right!
Which reminds me...I have to hunt down the box with the portfolios I bought for EFs...they are way too big and a PITA to use. I'm going to the box system others have, same as the dies. I want to sell those in a garage sale this weekend. That was a fail. I dont know what I was thinking!
I've been using the Judikins color duster brushes for years ever since those brushes and their techniques were introduced to me by Darlene Domel in some stamping retreat classes that I took from her years ago. I have no doubt as to the quality of the Clarity brushes (I love Barbara and her products!!), but looking at the results in Barbara's and others' videos, the Clarity brushes produce the same results that I get with my Judikins color duster brushes for the techniques that I use them for (yay - money saved to spend on something else LOL).
From videos and what you have said, it seems like that lovely soft look can be achieved with both types of brushes.
With the Clarity brushes' pointed tips it appears you can also target very small areas by grasping the actual brush head and not the wood handle. (Thinking of the Barbara Walker video.)
The Frugal Crafter had a Color Duster reserved for each major color group, which would be handy - and not expensive.
I used them with stencils to apply dye ink to my paper and creating soft backgrounds on my projects... I like the long handles and the control I have over application. I have Judkin's brushes as well but I prefer the stipple brushes... They're what I started with over 20 yrs ago...
It's unbelievable how things come back around. I've been stamping for over 20 years and the first class I took was called Faux Airebrush. The technique loaded the brush the same and you start brushing off the page. The key is that you use the Airebrush made in Germany.
The Airebrushe looks like a stipple brush but the quality is much higher. The bristles are soft, rounded top, and a lot of bristles so the brush is nice and thick.
I use the Airebrushes for blending, stenciling, and edging. I have about 15 -20 so I have a brush for each color shade plus white and VersaMark.
I've attached a class sample to show how smooth you can blend with the Airebrush.
Wavejumper, yes Barbara does swipe the pad onto the mat sometimes, I agree. The only real advantage to the mat, and the way she sold me on it, is that it's actually far less wasteful of ink.I've always sponged off onto paper, and like brayering, that does waste a lot of ink, if you do the technique often. With the mat you can keep going back to it, even if you only dabbed your brush off at the start, you will be surprised how much ink it retains. The ink will also stay workable on the sheet for a few days,from what she and other users say. I did try brayering off it once, and truthfully, didn't like it as I could not get rid of enough ink! Every time I went off my card onto the mat, I picked up ink again, so could not get a fade out of colour. The mat can also be used for other techniques, such as misting with water & so on.
Those are the same brushes I have! They're keepers in my book.
Nice job on your sample, it's beautiful.
In addition, I find them easier to blend colors than Tim Holtz's blender tools (I have them and use them as well).
Bohodiva, I have the same brushes you do; have had them for years. For anyone who's wondering, they ARE called stipple brushes, but they are not stiff and prickly. They are soft and give an air-brushed look to your art.
They are not like stencil brushes at all. And they are much better, IMHO, than the color dusters.
I am posting this because not everyone can afford to jump on the latest bandwagon and pay out the nose when other alternatives are available.
Here is a photo from one of Beate's tutorials here on SCS where she is plainly using stipple brushes, and a link to her tutorial where she shows how to use them:
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Lydia I love the video. I'm going to have to get some of these. I'm not sure I heard anyone say how you clean these. Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks.
I don't clean them - I have a designated one for each of the primaries - and I use shades of each with those - just swipe off on the paper and move on to the next color. But I'm not big on having everything perfectly clean before I create either. You can certainly rinse them and let them air dry too.
I do have and love stipple brushes just like those - I just don't get as smooth ink blending with them as with the stencil brushes because of the material and the cut. If you had them side by side you'd know why I said stiff and prickly - in comparison, they really are. The synthetic fibers on the stencil brushes are incredibly soft and light, and I believe that's why they lay ink down differently.
ANY brush will certainly work - as do sponges/ink blending tools, etc.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Yes and these are not the same brushes in the SCS tutorial. The German aire brushes are much softer and have a lot more bristles. I've never had to replace one. imho there no comparison to regular stipple brushes.
Yow, FedX just dropped off my Clarity brushes. I can't complain about free (aka included) shipping in two days. The company sent a little gift too.
They're bigger than they looked in the videos. Even the largest of the four tapers to a fairly small point, which would seem an advantage. And they're so silky. I'm a little in awe, kind of afraid to use them for the first timel
I also want to try out German Aire Brushes to see the difference. And Color Dusters. Such a tool junky. {shaking head}
For anyone into real cleaning I'd guess water and the barest dot of Dawn? If it's gentle enough for ducks and otters in oil spills... but only a guess; don't take my word for it.
Last edited by bjeans; 06-17-2016 at 10:10 AM..
Reason: warning: excitement over brushes causes typos
Clarity Stencil Brushes vs Color dusters
