Aqua painters, blender pens, and markers.....Oh my!

[2manybooks]

I'm in need of some advice!

I'm getting ready to make some invitations using Diplomabella, and I'm wanting to find a new way to color her (besides colored pencils.) Which is better, an aqua painter or a blender pen? Or, should I just get some SU! markers???? I haven't had good luck in the past trying to color in with markers, but maybe it was my technique. I'm trying to stick with using SU! products because SAB is coming up.

Thanks so much!
~Martha

[MichelleSG]

I would figure out which pen works best for you coloring in fine images. I personally use colored pencils on my Bellas because I have problems coloring them in with pens. The pencils I can sharpen to a really fine point. The fine point on the SU pens may be good but try one out first and see how it goes.

[airbornewife]

If you have the SU ink pads... use them (squeeze the lid to the pad while it's closed) and some of the ink color will be on the inside of the lid when you open it.. and get an aquapainter.. they are GREAT! if you don't have ink pads.. go with watercolor crayons.. they are fun to use too with the aquapainter. Pam

[krystie lee]

My favorite way to color is to squeeze the lid of a classic ink pad (as airbornewife said), but I much prefer to then use the blender pen. Personally, I have a hard time controlling the aquapainter, so I only use it when I want a really loose, watercolor look on bigger images. For anything with detail, I love the blender pen/classic ink.

As for the markers (not copics), I don't love the look, they're too dark and lines show where I've colored, it just doesn't look polished to me.

My 2 cents!

[twinwillowsfarm]

I'll second the vote for an Aqua Painter. Here's why:
1) It's faster than a blender pen
2) The tips don't break down like blender pens
3) It's refillable, so you won't run out of fluid
4) It floats the color over the areas easier

BUT, you don't want to squeeze the Aqua Painter, you'll get too much water too fast. If it gets too wet, blot on a tissue and start again.

Oh, and it works great with watercolor pencils!

[klhbenson]

my absoute favorite is the aquapainter...but because the bella stamps are small and delicate, I would use colored pencils.

[ch]

my vote is the Aquapainters--they are awesome tools!

[scrapshappen]

Water Color Pencils with a blender pen used to be my favorite way to color everything. But then I discovered the Aqua Painter and now my blender pens sit lonely. I've used them with the ink pads, the crayons and pencils. Love them. But like pp said, don't squeeze them, or they make a huge mess!

[2manybooks]

Thanks so much everyone! I was thinking of going with the aqua painter, but I had heard some negative reports about it. (Plus, I've never used one myself.) I'm thinking of using the In-Colors, too, so I would have to use inks.

~Martha