Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Last night I was making a card for the sketch challenge. I was going to use red ink for my sentiment, but at the last minute I just reached for the black and used it.
Then I realized that I had all of this colored ink, and 9 times out of ten, I just use the black anyway. I have about 20 ink pads, that are not even open.
Do you use colored ink, or just grab your trusty black ink?
I like to use lighter inks for images - sometimes I just don't want a dark black outline. Really light inks are fun to use for a no-line coloring technique. A few I'm having fun with right now:
Memento Desert Sand, Pear Tart, & Angel Pink
Colorbox Archival Suede
Stazon Saddle Brown
Versafine Toffee & Spanish Moss
Colored inks are great for multi-step stamp sets too.
I use coloured inks for stamping a lot! I would be lost without them. I often use Versafine Smokey Grey or Sepia for stamping images to give a softer look as Dina mentions, and using coloured ink for sentiments is great too.
And that's not counting background stamps - I really would be totally lost without colours for those, while you could get by with just black for sentiments and line-art images if you absolutely had to.
Yes, I use my colour ink all the time.
Granted for sentiments it is usually from the Neutrals pallet or dark colour (navy, hunter green etc).
But I use all my colours for solid image stamps as well as for sponging the edges of cardstock, punched shapes etc.
At this point I have not ventured into line images that need to be coloured in (am thinking of trying out SU's new Blendabilities though)
I rarely use black - don't like that it stains my stamps. I would be more apt to grab basic gray instead! So I use every color I can, but black! Although now that I have discovered Momento ink that doesn't stain, I might be using black more often!
__________________ Meet the cutest apricot pug ever...Honey!
Those of us who do a lot of coloring-in of images tend to be focused on black and brown and other neutral inkpads. And if someone uses different coloring mediums - pencils, watercolors, copics, etc., then there is a need for the right black ink pad for every medium.
Those of us who do less coloring-in are going to have more colored pads (or at least we will have them and use them.)
I started out doing almost no coloring (because I was so bad at it.) So I bought lots of colored pads. As I worked my way into coloring, I understood better the obsession with finding THE best black pad. (I also began buying different types of images. Ones that you could color in!)
Since at this point I do both colored stamping and coloring in of outline-style stamps, I still have and use lots of different colored pads. But my colored pads are not all the same type of ink. I have fluid chalk ink, pigment ink, oil-based ink and various dye inks, including Distress. I use them all, and I choose what type I use depending on the properties of that kind of ink.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
For me, it's not a choice between black ink or colored ink... it's a choice between WHICH black ink or WHICH colored ink...
__________________ 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.
Last night I was making a card for the sketch challenge. I was going to use red ink for my sentiment, but at the last minute I just reached for the black and used it.
Then I realized that I had all of this colored ink, and 9 times out of ten, I just use the black anyway. I have about 20 ink pads, that are not even open.
Do you use colored ink, or just grab your trusty black ink?
I like this question. I was admiring my ink collection the other day thinking I have so many pretty colors. I tend to reach for color inks more. I have all the black inks for their certain mediums. I usually stamp with my Studio G black ink pad. How funny is that? It's always beside me so if I want to stamp a quick image to color I grab that one. Color ink pads I fall hard for and collect colors that catch my eye.
Since I frequently use patterned papers on cards, I use inks that coordinate with them. Sentiments are generally stamped in black, unless there's another dark color, such as navy or red, that will work better. Definitely not getting rid of my colored inks!
Dea
I personally love all my ink and have to restrain myself from purchasing more. I have the box of stampin up classic colors as well as, I have some not classic colors. I didn't realize when I got started the differences. It mainly has to do with what I'm stamping, inking or what look I'm trying to achieve. People have given me inks too, that I find amazing. I love the odd ball brands that you don't see in the mainstream stores.
I do love black inks though. I use my inks for more none stamping things, but I do stamp, especially, when I'm making cards. I'm a novice stamper at best, but I love it. Ink though, it's so flexible to so many mediums. LOVE INK!!
since I don't like to color that much I use my colored inks all the time! I stamp images in colors; or create backgrounds with them. I pretty much only use my black for sentiments or if I do a very brightly colored background I will use the black with a solid image for that silhouette look.
I have hundreds of colored ink pads and I found that I do use a lot of them. Like others I use a few colors for stamping images I'm going to color, but I mainly use black.
I wouldn't change what I have but my advice to a new stamper is that you should have a few basic colors in different types (dye, pigment, etc.) that you really love and don't go over board.
I do tend to use mostly black unless I'm doing a more distressed card and then I usually go for my Sepia. Only sometimes use other colors for sentiments like red and green for Christmas. Otherwise its usually black for me.
Since I'm not big on either coloring or using a lot of dp, I end up using my colored ink pads quite a bit for backgrounds, sponging, spattering, etc. I do love my Versafine Onyx though for crisp black sentiments! I also have branched into the Mixed Media world so I too have added in some variety of inks and paints in color also.
Thanks again for the reminder to try the lighter inks as the start for no-line coloring. Everytime I see that used I think, "I need to try that" but I think I've only followed through on that thought once or twice.
Thanks to all of you who use your colored inks a lot, I finally got up the nerve to try it!!! I love the following card that I used my red ink and my Tim Holtz distressed ink on.
As a matter of fact, I just used my Memento Lady Bug ink pad last night for a sentiment!
I always reach for black usually (since I have 4 black inks!), but I realized, like you, I have this wonderful little collection of colored inks that aren't used much anymore.
I need to start inking in color more because it made the sentiment pop with little effort!
BuddysMama-that's a great card!! go for it! Do more!
An interesting question...I have a bunch of colors and want more..but I have been debating if it would be in my interests to try to stick to brands as much as possible...nah! lol Get the colors you like!
In the very beginning I was learning techs that used colored inks...like embossing over it or with stencils and then clear paste over it with clear glitter...so many things to do with colored inks! Not to mention background stamps and distressing edges etc.
One thing I saw recently I liked a lot for masculine cards was to folder emboss a metal plate look and then sponge it with silver ink so it looks like metal.
If you ever get stuck for an idea...check out the websites of the ink makers-they tend to have lots of ideas. I saw whole videos from Colorbox for example on disk a friend loaned me.
No...definitely need colors...the more the better!
Thanks for the tips on colors to use if I dont want a black outline-that went right into my tech file!
I use black a lot, but an getting away from it somewhat. I have used Distress Antique Linen for watercolors and love the results. Also have used light gray and other pale neutrals.
Also love the red on your card!!
Last edited by sacstamper; 05-28-2014 at 10:29 AM..
Reason: added something
I love ink! I only have 2 black inks, Versafine Onyx Black and Memento. These work for all the wet/dry and Copic mediums I use. I have quite a few PTI inks (first generation with the new dye re-inkers as well as the new dye inks) CTMH inks and re-inkers, a couple of random Palette colors and all of the Memento Luxe inks except for the white and black. I use colored ink every time I sit down to create. I love both the dye and Memento Luxe inks and they are great together. I also have a fair number of Distress Inks which are fun for coloring with and distressing the edges of things. I do mostly use black or some of my other darker colors for sentiments but I could never give up my colored inks!
I use all my inks- all colors and several brands. Most of the reasons have been mentioned although I don't care about staining. But there are SO many techniques, spritzing with water, coloring with inks, sponging, yes, I use them all and enjoy having them! The colored inks are particularly useful for techniques more than stamping.
I rarely use black for sentiments unless the card has black in it. I more often reach for teal, gold or white embossed, brown or another colour. And since I don't use black paper or patterned paper with black in it, it is about 20% of my use.
__________________ RebeccaEdnie Mixed Media Artist, Paper Crafter, Jewelry Designer SCSDirtyDozenAlumni Www.Boxofchocolatescrafts.Com YouNeverKnowWhatI’mGoingtoMake
...
One thing I saw recently I liked a lot for masculine cards was to folder emboss a metal plate look and then sponge it with silver ink so it looks like metal.
...
Off the original topic- but much easier than that (I think!) is to cover a piece of thin cardstock with thin aluminium (I think it's just aluminum to you, if my spelling looks odd) foil and emboss that. Although I expect that sponging with silver ink would give a more matt look that would be easier to photograph than foil, LOL.
I have lots of colors of inks and use them on EVERY card. It could be because I do very little coloring of images and let my stamps do the coloring for me. When I do color an image, I usually use an aqua painter and the inks squeezed to the lid from my ink pads. I use black, but far less than I do colors, even for an outline stamp. There are always lots of inks out on my work table because I make my own backgrounds as well and use very little designer paper.
Color ink
