Coloring on vellum

[ttemby]

Ok., so I just purchased the Painted Glass set from Stampin Up. The graceful glass vellum that goes with it I got last year.

My question is that people always say to color vellum from the back side of it. The problem is, no matter how dark a marker I use, it appears dull on the front side. I practiced a little coloring the front and it comes out darker. I wanted it to pop a little. Can anyone tell me what is the reason to color from the back or is it just a matter of preference?

Thanks in advance!

[Ellibelle]

It's been a while since I've colored on vellum, but I think the ink an image has been stamped with will bleed or smear, and the marker ink could smear too therefore it's recommended to color the back of it. There might be other reasons, but this is the only one I remember. Could be that in the meantime an ink has been developed that wouldn't smear when used on vellum. I'm pretty sure I used stazon ink and copic markers, which aren't recommended to use with stazon, so coloring on the back side was a must.

Edited to add: I think if you were to heat emboss the image, then it should be ok to to be colored on the front side. Depending on which markers you use. From what I remember, copics should only be used with clear embossing powder, not any colored ones or the nibs will get ruined. Not sure about any other markers.

[Scrapjanny]

I think that you would probably get better results if you stamped on acetate and colored it on the back. The colors would be much more vibrant. Any stamping ink that works on vellum should work on acetate.

[ttemby]

Just to be clear,I am using vellum already printed. It is similar to designer series paper that was in a suite with the stamp set and framelits. You just color the images and then coordinate it with cardstock and whatever else. I am not stamping it.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[SkyNacho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttemby

Just to be clear,I am using vellum already printed. It is similar to designer series paper that was in a suite with the stamp set and framelits. You just color the images and then coordinate it with cardstock and whatever else. I am not stamping it.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

I think they suggest coloring on the back for two reasons: (1) I can see some mediums rubbing off, and (2) I think, but am not sure, it might disguise coloring lines better?

I do think that your coloring will always be a little dull if you color on the back, though-- when you flip it over, you're basically viewing it through a frosted windowpane, kwim?

Not sure which images you are coloring, but if you've got $10 to spare, maybe try the Crayola Super Tips. Most of the colors seem pretty vibrant to me. (Bonus, you can watercolor with these if that interests you.)

[cnsteele]

I agree with you about colors being dull when coloring on the back of vellum. I achieved more vibrant results using alcohol markers and coloring in layers. For example, I would color things using a yellow alcohol marker. Then I colored things using a blue alcohol marker. I went on this way through all the colors I was using. Then I went back to the beginning and used a yellow alcohol marker to recolor those spaces and so on. I repeated this process until I was happy with the vibrancy of the colors from the front side.

I have colored the front of vellum, too, when I was using lighter colors and it just was too pale from the back, no matter how many layers of color I applied. I did not experience smearing or any other issues, but I was using alcohol markers which dry fast.

[RenT]

Oh I never thought to use alcohol markers... actually, the last time I colored on vellum, I hadn't even heard of alcohol markers yet lol

[bjeans]

You can color on the front too, but coloring on the back can hide/soften coloring marks/lines when you flip it over. And if coloring heat embossed images, depending on the medium and how much color is used, the embossed lines can pick up some color. Could the pre-printed image lines do the same?

When wanting a softer look I love Valium colored on the back.

Here’s an older JM video that shows coloring on the back with Tombow Markers - a nice amount of color. To skip past the heat embossing, fast forward to 1:40. This thread makes me want to pull out some vellum...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rdhT_wBOCRs

[Kendel]

I haven’t used vellum much for card making, but I have had some of the wonderful Dover Stained Glass coloring books from the 1990s. I always used water based markers, because those were what I had, and I colored on BOTH sides to get the colors to be as vibrant as possible. I also found out that crayon and colored pencil did not give me good results.
Recently I colored some stamping I did on vellum, and I colored on the back of the stamped images mostly so I wouldn’t risk smearing my ink. I was satisfied with how those images came out. Again I was using water based markers.

[jeanne3579]

I think it makes a difference if you use vellum cardstock or vellum paper. The latter is finer and the color comes through from the back better.

[rockybeta]

Go to Pinterest and/or the gallery here and look up your set........then see who has used that velum and look at their "recipes". I think most people are using alcohol markers on the preprinted velum but you are sure to get some ideas from people who have already used it. Hope this helps........Diane