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I found a way to save us TONS of money.... Instead of dropping $150 for Prismacolor pencils at Micheals, you can buy RoseArt brand 72 colored pencils for mere $7 something and instead of Gamsol (it's very hard to find) you can use Linseed oil (also can be found in Walmart) and the only thing you need is a tool to blend. Works like a charm, very same results as you would use with Prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I thought I'd like to share that with you guys! Total amount I spent was less than $11 for both RoseArt colored pencils and linseed oil!!!!
You can also use the crayola colored pencils also...its the wax in the pencils that makes it work so well. The blending stumps are super cheap too....you can buy them in most craft stores or order them from Dick Blick.
__________________ Have an awesome day!
Loretta Rathert~
WHOW! Major savings. I'm gonna use my 40% Michaels coupon right after work today and buy this so I can try it. I was not looking forward to buying SU's pricy pencil set. Now can anyone come up with a substitute for the watercolor crayons? I found a set of nice ones by Faber Castel, but they consisted only of the 8 basic colors.
Thanks for the tips that save us money. Keep them coming.
Anyone have samples using those? The reason I ask is that I tried crayola pencils with the technique prior to getting the prismas, and I know it was a WORLD of difference in how nice they looked...
I use the crayola pencils and gamsol. I figure if it's good enough or LunarLana...my stamping hero, it's good enough for me! All my colored cards in my gallery are done with crayola pencils.
Alison
__________________ ~Alison
Raising children is like being pecked to death by a chicken.
Alison, Your colored images do look really good!! Maybe I just didn't use enough elbow grease. I've heard the main difference between using crayola and prismas is how hard you have to work to spread the color. I don't know, it just didn't work as well for me!
I am curious about this technique too. What is gamsol and how do you use it with coloured pencils. I have been using Laurentian colored pencils. Similar to Crayola I think.
I am a lurker for a long time but had to put my 2 cents worth on this subject since colored pencil is the main medium I use for my fine art.
* You don't need to use any 'elbow grease' to lay color down with any colored pencils. You just layer your color down continually until you get the depth of color you want. If you use to much 'elbow grease' lol you will smash the papers tooth down and won't get to lay down as much color, it will just start lifting off. Clear as mud, huh!!
* The differnece between Prisma and El Cheapo's is the amount of wax that is in with the color. Some cheapo's have quite a bit of wax and some are hard, less wax. Plus some cheaper colored pencils have bits of HARD color that will make marks on the paper and almost impossible to get out as they make an indentation. So beware!
* Rose Art pencils are pretty good pencils as cheap ones go. They also make a professional grade that is pretty good.
* Crayola is quite a bit harder than Prisma but I have found they are ok for some things.
* Just try the cheaper ones and if they do the job you want use them. Each brand does different things on paper.
* Remember colored pencil is NOT lightfast so if you want to keep it do not put it in direct light.
* Beware GAMSOL is toxic. DO NOT put your colored pencils in your mouth while or after you use this. DO NOT eat, smoke or handle anything you put in your mouth until you wash your hands.
Adding some things here just because...lol
If you use an electric pencil sharpener use one that has the grinder inside like the ones we used at school. They are more expensive but well worth the money. Also after using it a few times, sharpen a regular graphite pencil in it to get all of the wax off the blades.
A battery powered eraser is a great tool to use with colored pencil. Those, I know can be bought at Hobby Lobby for $10. Altho if you have to have the cadillac of battery powered erasers the price can be up to $50.
When buying colored pencils, one at a time, like Prisma, look at the ends and make sure that the lead is centered and NOT to one side or you won't get them sharpened right or if at all.
DO NOT drop them or keep them loose in a container to roll around. They WILL break inside and will crumble when sharpened. Whe transporting mine, I wrap a rubber band around them and then put a paper towel around the whole mess. Prisma's are to expensive to damage.
When you use colored pencils you will more than likely find that you will get a hazy type look to it. No need to worry. Just take a soft tissue and buff it away lightly. It is called "Wax Bloom" a natural thing.
Wow thanks HazelJ for your thought-out post. I really appreciate knowing those tips. Yeah I drool at Prismacolor pencils but they are so darned expensive. One day when I hit the jackpot on lottery then that might will be possible! haha
Yeah the linseed oil is kinda oily but that's all I could find locally but I ordered some gamsol and stumps from inkyantics online so I will have those very soon! I am sure gamsol is the way to go in comparision of what I have been trying with linseed oil. Just keep in mind that I am brand spanking new with stamping.
In the other thread, somebody posted a color comparision chart between Stampin UP and Prismacolor pencils! That's soooo awesome! I already printed that out. Thanks goodness only 48 colors in Stampin UP haha I guess me hitting the jackpot on lottery is out of question, it's time for me to whip out my plastic! hee hee
How about just an odorless solvent with the pencils, I have a brand called Taltine. Or should we be using gamsol or linseed? I don't know if I can get gamsol in Canada?
I am going to agree with everything said here as I too work with colored pencils as well as teach colored pencil classes at national art conventions.
...why in the world would you want to use Linseed oil on your paper creations? I realize that the SU paper has chalk in it to make it very white and/or more pastel...but I doubt if it is enough to keep the oil from eventually bleeding out into the paper - and old, rancid linseed oil is going to smell and get sticky eventually - even the boiled linseed oil takes on an odour and gets gummy after a few years, unless it is kept in a cool environment and the bottle is closed more than it is open . This is a gradual change that you may not even notice for months but it will happen...again depending on the environment that the paper is stored in.
Personally, I wouldn't use gamsol or rubber cement thinner or any type of solvent unless I was really intent on the watercolor look - and I would use inks and a watercolor brush anyway. (I never use the aqua painter thing - no control over the water!)
There should be sold, right along side the prismacolors a pencil called a colorless blender - it is basically the binder without the pigment of a pencil. Lay down your pigment, very light to start - shading and hilighting as you like, then go over the whole design - light pressure to start - with the colorless blender pencil. It will make the pigments darker and appear blended without that "scratchy" look to it. If you feel you need more shading and highlighting, or need to add another color - go ahead and do so, right over the blender - then add another light layer of blender. Proper art paper will allow you to do this time and again building up the layers - the smooth SU papers don't have the tooth to accept layer after layer of pigment, the naturals will probably layer longer before you have packed the fibers completely with pigment and the fibers will no longer accept pigment - you have to be finished at that point.
Operative words here are LIGHT LAYERS - just a touch of pigment that looks like nothing more than a few passes with the pencil,will appear as much more once you burnish it with the colourless blender - practice your pressure on some scraps before hand!
..there is nothing toxic in the colorless blender as it is designed to be totally compatible with the pencils - I haven't tried it with any other brand of cheaper pencil, it may not work as well with them as they are so heavy in wax.
J
UOTE=HazelJ]I am a lurker for a long time but had to put my 2 cents worth on this subject since colored pencil is the main medium I use for my fine art.
* You don't need to use any 'elbow grease' to lay color down with any colored pencils. You just layer your color down continually until you get the depth of color you want. If you use to much 'elbow grease' lol you will smash the papers tooth down and won't get to lay down as much color, it will just start lifting off. Clear as mud, huh!!
* The differnece between Prisma and El Cheapo's is the amount of wax that is in with the color. Some cheapo's have quite a bit of wax and some are hard, less wax. Plus some cheaper colored pencils have bits of HARD color that will make marks on the paper and almost impossible to get out as they make an indentation. So beware!
* Rose Art pencils are pretty good pencils as cheap ones go. They also make a professional grade that is pretty good.
* Crayola is quite a bit harder than Prisma but I have found they are ok for some things.
* Just try the cheaper ones and if they do the job you want use them. Each brand does different things on paper.
* Remember colored pencil is NOT lightfast so if you want to keep it do not put it in direct light.
* Beware GAMSOL is toxic. DO NOT put your colored pencils in your mouth while or after you use this. DO NOT eat, smoke or handle anything you put in your mouth until you wash your hands.
Adding some things here just because...lol
If you use an electric pencil sharpener use one that has the grinder inside like the ones we used at school. They are more expensive but well worth the money. Also after using it a few times, sharpen a regular graphite pencil in it to get all of the wax off the blades.
A battery powered eraser is a great tool to use with colored pencil. Those, I know can be bought at Hobby Lobby for $10. Altho if you have to have the cadillac of battery powered erasers the price can be up to $50.
When buying colored pencils, one at a time, like Prisma, look at the ends and make sure that the lead is centered and NOT to one side or you won't get them sharpened right or if at all.
DO NOT drop them or keep them loose in a container to roll around. They WILL break inside and will crumble when sharpened. Whe transporting mine, I wrap a rubber band around them and then put a paper towel around the whole mess. Prisma's are to expensive to damage.
When you use colored pencils you will more than likely find that you will get a hazy type look to it. No need to worry. Just take a soft tissue and buff it away lightly. It is called "Wax Bloom" a natural thing.
Gamsol is a brand name for odorless mineral spirits. I bought mine under the Mona Lisa brand name at Michaels for a couple of bucks for the bottle. It was located in the art supplies along with the paint thinners, lacquers, etc. Although these are odorless, I suggest having good ventilation and abiding by the guidelines that were posted about regarding safety of not smoking and washing your hands well. I poured a little bit of the odorless mineral spirits into a short glass jar with a tight lid so I can dip my blending stumps right into the liquid.
I've tried the Crayola brand of pencil crayons and find they work just as well as the Prismacolor as long as I lay down enough color in the first place.
Wow...I will be sure and try the RoseArt brand pencils. I bought the small (12 I think) pack of Prismas...and they were so expensive...but I do love them...and they are difficult to sharpen.
I love my mineral spirits too...I was thinking that I would never be able to colour like that....but I was impressed with even my first try.
So...does anyone know how large of packs the Rose art pencils can come in? Do we need to figure out a RoseArt to SU! conversion chart? ;)
Jessica - I have them in a 72-pack, don't think I've seen more than that. I've been messing around and using both Rose-Art and Prismacolor on the same image. If you can believe, there are colors in the Rose-Art set that are different than the Prismacolors!
I also have the colorless blender pencils that J mentioned in her post - I like them, but the look is completely different than the look you get with the gamsol and stumps. Just like watercolor pencils look different than the prismacolors with gamsol which look different than the chalk pastels which look different than marker and blender pen etc.
I figure, as much as I have invested in this hobby already (and I don't really own all that many stamps, just lots of the other tools & trappings), I'm certainly not going to limit myself to one brand of color pencils or one kind of blender for them. This philosophy has put me in the position of not necessarily having exactly the right stamp for what I want to do, but boy howdy, I have plenty of options for coloring it once I find it.
I bought Odorless mineral spirits at Walmart. a 32 oz container was only $3.97. I tried some last night and it works great. I was impressed with the color after I got done because I am about as artistic as the tree in my front yard. I did use Prisma pencils. I bought the 24 pack on EBAY for under $15 incuding shipping. I love them.
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Has anyone tried this technique with EK Success colored pencils? I don't have any SU! markers yet so when I want to color in an image on my stamps I use these. They are acid free and lightsafe but I don't have any idea how much wax is in them. I didn't think I could try last weeks tutorial since I don't have the Prismas but maybe tomorrow I will have to get a blender and some mineral spirits.
[QUOTE=JMCDA]I am going to agree with everything said here as I too work with colored pencils as well as teach colored pencil classes at national art conventions.
Have loads more tips but those would be for an art forum.
OOOO...to bad your not here to teach for my Art Group. We are slim to none for anyone to teach Colored pencil.
I used the Blender pencil and also use the Prismacolor Blender Marker. The marker smells though.
I haven't tried the Gamsol tech yet so don't know what it would do with the paper.
There is also a cheaper colored pencil called PRANG. It also has a professional line. Don't know how it would do with the Gamsol tech but are cheaper than Prisma.
[QUOTE=Faereygirl]Wow...I will be sure and try the RoseArt brand pencils. I bought the small (12 I think) pack of Prismas...and they were so expensive...but I do love them...and they are difficult to sharpen.
10 to 1 the container your Prisma's were in had been dropped and the lead inside was broken. If the lead is not centered in the wood casing or if the lead is broken insode you will have trouble. That is why I never buy Prisma'a by the set.
How about just an odorless solvent with the pencils, I have a brand called Taltine. Or should we be using gamsol or linseed? I don't know if I can get gamsol in Canada?
I imagine any type of Oderless Mineral Spirits will work. If there is an art shop near, ask them what would be your comparison.
Has anyone tried this technique with EK Success colored pencils? I don't have any SU! markers yet so when I want to color in an image on my stamps I use these. They are acid free and lightsafe but I don't have any idea how much wax is in them. I didn't think I could try last weeks tutorial since I don't have the Prismas but maybe tomorrow I will have to get a blender and some mineral spirits.
First time anyone mentioned EK pencils. I have a set and after reading about all the substitutions I was also wondering if these would be all right. Anyone? Thank You
Last edited by Helene333; 06-04-2006 at 01:24 PM..
Gamsol is a brand name for odorless mineral spirits. I bought mine under the Mona Lisa brand name at Michaels for a couple of bucks for the bottle. It was located in the art supplies along with the paint thinners, lacquers, etc.
Yvonne
I spent forever at Michael's the other night and couldn't find mineral spirits anywhere. I even had a very knowledgeable and helpful salesperson with me and she had never heard of it before. Can someone take post a picture of the bottle for me? Is it a metal bottle like the kind linseed oil comes in? I was so disappointed - I really wanted to try it!
I went out and bought the gamsol as well as blending stumps and am amazed at the results.....It makes me want to do away with all my other coloring techniques. The results are awesome......I am in love.
I am watching the bidding for Prisma colored pencils on ebay (til the end to try not to bid against myself!) and don't know which set is the most recent NEW set. Is it the woman on the front of the 120 set or the pencils in a circle? thanks. I want to try these out as I love what I've seen.
Also, now I'm scared they might come to me broken. I had no idea they were fragil. Dick Blick sells them for 92 cents I think but the whole set is 84 bucks. All stuff is shipped and handled a lot. What to do....
This is for Judylead from Canada -- taltine is also an excellent form of odourless mineral spirits as is gamsol a form of odourless mineral spirits. Hope this helps.
__________________ Crazy about Card and paper crafting
Thought I would pass this on, read on Wet Canvas (an art forum)
that alot of the colored pencil artists use ZEST IT, which is a non-toxic solvent.
Here is a link about it: http://www.zest-it.com/zest-it.htm
Okay, just want to put in my 2 cents...Linseed oil is combustible. It can sit in your craft room and just catch on fire. This is a fact... I learned about this while attending a convention on dangers in the household... Please don't use Linseed oil. If you have it, get rid of it! I would hate to loose any of my Splitcoast friends to a horrible fire. I love to stamp, but is a colored image worth your life???
HazelJf- Your are absolutely right about the wax in the pencils. You get what you pay for when it comes to art materials. The cheaper the pencils the less pigment (pure color) and more wax fillers. What this means is that you won't get as much color or as vibrant color as you would with a better quality pencil. The Prang line is ok, when I started teaching the technique 7 years ago I used them and they worked fine but eventually everyone bought a better set like Derwent Studio Line, Pismacolor or Fabercastell. AC Moore sells the Derwent set of 24 pencils for about $30.00 or less. They have a 40%coupon every week so you'll end up paying about $18.00. Just make sure they say waterproof on them and not water soluble. If you want to save money do it on the odorless mineral spirits. Michaels and AC Moore sell an odorless mineral spirits used for thinning artist oil paints that costs about $4.00. This will last you a very long time and probably be a 1 time investment.
__________________ -----------------------------
Cecilia Ross AKA/PrincessInk
Would blending medium work? Is it flamable? I have little ones and I dont want fumes or anything combustible, for the love! Hubby wouldnt be to happy if the house caught on fire from my craft stuff!
Okay, just want to put in my 2 cents...Linseed oil is combustible. It can sit in your craft room and just catch on fire. This is a fact... I learned about this while attending a convention on dangers in the household... Please don't use Linseed oil. If you have it, get rid of it! I would hate to loose any of my Splitcoast friends to a horrible fire. I love to stamp, but is a colored image worth your life???
You are SO correct. Thank you for posting this.
Linseed oil DOES NOT need a spark to ignite.
�It can spontaneously combust,� in other words it can catch fire all on its own due to chemical reaction. Altho I haven't heard anything about it catching fire in a sealed container, but I haven't looked anything up about this.
If you think you have to use linseed oil as a solvent. Anything you used to apply the oil to the paper or anything, after you are done with it needs to be disposed of in an AIRTIGHT container with some water to cover it. DO NOT just throw it away in a trash can. I would, also for safeties sake, take the container you through it away in outside to the trash.
The Zest-It looks lovely, but I don't see a US supplier. Anyone seen it in the states?
As I really don't use any solvents except for the colorless blender and the Prisma Marker colorless blender I can't really say.
But you may want to go to your local hardware store or paint store and see if they have anything that meets the same criteria as the Zest It. There are many Eco-Friendly things out there.
Hazel
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WOAH!:o I subscribed to this post because I had a ? about color pencils but I learned something about Linseed oil I didn't know! DH & I have been using it on a barn board hutch we have in our kitchen. It works great on the rough wood but we've been storing the oil under the kitchen sink! Thanks for the important info on it being cumbustable! Why don't they tell you these things at the hardware store!:???:
Good News Regarding Colored Pencils & Gamsol...
