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?
I just started using the prisma pencils and baby oil technique(Gasmol or mineral spirits). I was losing interest in my sets that had to be colored in because I did not like the way other medias were working for me (watercolor pencils, chalk, markers). This is the best technique I have found! The control is fabulous, you can make the colors a mute or rich as you like. The baby oil adds a slippery coating to the paper that allows you to keep adding more color and blending as you go. I am just using plain old white card stack (nothing fancy, not even sure of the brand) and it does not break down at all. If you have not tried this technique, do! You will be so happy with it and really fall in love with your prisma pencils. You can get little travel size bottles of baby oil in the beauty travel bins at Targets and WalMarts.
The only problem I had is my Brown Stazon was smearing, I did not have this problem with the Black Stazon. So I would test the stazon on a scrap first to find one that works best for what you are doing.
Here are the links to the two cards I made with this technique so you can see the difference in the brillance:
I am lucky to have a Dick Blick art supply store where I live. While I have a decent supply of Prismacolor pencils, recently I decided to try out Dick Blicks line of pencils. They are every bit as good as Prismacolors, but at least 25% less. They spread like butter with odorless mineral spirts. So I went back and bought more the other day. I did notice they have a nice metal box of about 70 or 75 pencils for $54.99. If I was starting out, I would definitely have gotten that. If you get on their mailing list, occasionally they will send you a 30% or 40% off coupon. They have a website too.
Donna
I think that you get what you pay for. If you want something that is graded so that it is safer, you end up paying more for it. That is why 'artist grade' OMS is more expensive than paint grade of OMS. Gamsol claims to be the safest. Now as to whether the Walmart grade is any more or any less safe than Gamsol, I'm not going to say. There is an exposure limit rating but I'm not sure if it is listed on the bottles.
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
I use Johnsons baby oil to blend instead of Gamsol.
The baby oil works great to blend and you don't have to worry about the fire hazard of Gamsol. (See the materail safety data sheet on Gamsol for fire information about storing it in your house and disposal of rags or paper towels that Gamsol is on.)
Ok, another question. I bought erasers for my prisma pencils from Wal-mart. I got a soft white, a brown crumbly one and one that was squishy and could form it. None of them worked. None of them would erase a single spot. What should I have bought.
Thanks!
__________________ ~Susan He will cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you will find refuge. (Psalm 91:4)
Curiosity got the best of me, so I tried the alcohol (91%) with my Prismacolor pencils and I find the color does not move or blend as easily as with the oderless mineral spirits. It pretty much didn't move at all. I have not had a problem with the OMS as far as the smell (it is oderless) I poured some into a baby food jar and keep it covered until I'm ready to blend, when I finish, back goes the cover. I have never detected any odor.
__________________ Live your life is such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning....Satan shudders & says: "Oh no, she's awake!"
Sometimes when you read about somethng on scs it's hard to find info about it. I knew absolutely nothing when I heard about all the prisma talk. As is usually the case I got lots of info from this site today. Made lots of notes. If anyone has any more places for classes online, website tutorials, best places to buy stumps etc. I am more than interested. Thanks again to all of you. One other question-can you email people at scs if you wanted more personal info. from them. I did one girl at emmiestamps and she was very helpful and quite nice, but it was thru her blog.
Sometimes when you read about somethng on scs it's hard to find info about it. I knew absolutely nothing when I heard about all the prisma talk. As is usually the case I got lots of info from this site today. Made lots of notes. If anyone has any more places for classes online, website tutorials, best places to buy stumps etc. I am more than interested. Thanks again to all of you. One other question-can you email people at scs if you wanted more personal info. from them. I did one girl at emmiestamps and she was very helpful and quite nice, but it was thru her blog.
Yes, just click on the user name, over to the left and a menu will pop up. You can then click on Private Message and send that person a message. I've done this a couple of times now and everyone is sooo nice and helpful!
I orignally bought my first box of 24 colors at Michael's. Then I saw Marker Supply on this sps sit and ordered more of the colors I wanted at almost half of what I paid in the store. They have all the newest colors that are out. Go to markersupply.com and check them out. The people there are really nice.
__________________ Live your life is such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning....Satan shudders & says: "Oh no, she's awake!"
First of all, I'm holding you ladies responsible for the money I spent on Ebay yesterday purchasing prismacolor pencils. :rolleyes: If you hadn't been so helpful and informative, I wouldn't have felt so compelled to purchase them. Haha At least I got a good deal on them!
I do have a quick question I'm hoping you can help me with....when using the stump and OMS/Alcohol/BabyOil to blend them, does the stump itself pick up any color? For example, if I wanted to blend a red flower and then turned to a yellow sun, would the red I did earler smear onto the yellow I did later? I am asking because I'm not sure if I need seperate stumps for dealing with lighter vs darker colors, etc. I hope this makes sense.... If the stump does pick up color, can the color be reduced by rubbing on a scrap paper (much how you'd wipe clean an aquapainter or blender pen)?
__________________ Baby Avery Grace born December 14!
Hi Stef, I put my stumps in color families. I have ones that i keep just for light colors and others that i use for dark colors. they do hold on to the color and if only using one and you use it for a dark color, when you go to blend a lighter color it will bleed. hope this helps!
Hi Stef, I put my stumps in color families. I have ones that i keep just for light colors and others that i use for dark colors. they do hold on to the color and if only using one and you use it for a dark color, when you go to blend a lighter color it will bleed. hope this helps!
Thank you!
__________________ Baby Avery Grace born December 14!
Let me urge those of you who are new to or thinking of using this technique to jump in--the results in your cards will amaze you. With Prismas and Gamsol the images have dimension and shading, life. There is no comparison! I want to second those who urge Taiwan made stumps, the ones made in China will not work and will frustrate you. I got a nice selection from Gina K online after a few frustrating attempts with Chinas. The postage is a little high since the stumps are only $2.95 for six, but Gina, herself, handled the transaction and threw in a free stamp and a few other generous goodies. There's a stump share going on this thread that seems to be a good buy.
Sweet and Sassy Notes.com has a great tutuorial on the technique, but Debbie Gimbel invented the technique and hers is very good too.
YOU MUST ALSO BUY the Sandpaper Block that sharpens the stump so you can use it for many colors. I also recommend using the Prisma colorless blender for blending in small areas. I also have the large colorless blender that one can use instead of Gamsol, but I prefer Gamsol. Don't forget you can't use Gamsol with Prisma watercolor pencils. Just use a regular Tombow/Dove blender with watercolor pencils. Ebay is the best place to get started with Prismas, but just buy the Premier 12 set for $5.00. If you really like the technique, and you will, you can bird-dog ebay until you find a good deal on more pencils, or buy them at an art store for $1.00 a piece.
Sorry to be so talkative on this subject but the technique is like wings to your creations.
I do have to jump in!!! There are WAY different stumps! I originally had some Made in China ones when I first started. I had to scrub and scrub to blend. They were really 'hard as rock'. Then I purchased some of the Creative Mark ones and voila! They were so much easier to use. I logged onto the Debbie Gimbel magic pencil site and these are the ones that she recommends. I had a friend send me a Made In Taiwan one to test against the Creative Mark ones. I found that the MIT ones were softer but for me they seemed to ball up on the end quickly. I felt that the #2 of MIT worked better than the #2 of CM but saw no difference between the #2 MIT and #3 CM other than the fact that CM didn't burr up.
Putting in the order today on my share!
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
I'd just like to add that I've had good results using the Prisma Verithin pencils too. My son brought some back from USA so I had to use them I've been using other good quality pencils available in the UK as well, some are better than others - and what a collection I have now! The Artist grade odourless mineral spirit over here isn't completely odourless, or I have a very sensitive nose, and I find it gets to me after a while so I'm thinking of trying the baby oil to see how that will work.
Know this thread has been going on for months, but I greatly appreciate all the comments, questions, answers and referrals. Thanks to those in the know for the time you spent teaching and sharing. Thanks to the novices asking just the right questions.
I'm taking my supplies with me so my girls can "play" this weekend. One is an artist and the other is extremely crafty. I am just going to have fun even if I produce mud.
Just cruising ebay today and I noticed many, many Premier (12) sets for $3.99 + 3.00 postage today. Not auctions but buy it now items. Great price if genuine. Check carefully, but a great way to start using Primas.
Just cruising ebay today and I noticed many, many Premier (12) sets for $3.99 + 3.00 postage today. Not auctions but buy it now items. Great price if genuine. Check carefully, but a great way to start using Primas.
Ooooooo, 12 is never enough!!
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
I just recently took a class locally and got some more information on Gamsol and OMS (odorless mineral spirits). Perhaps this is helpful for some of you to make a decision. Gamsol is a better grade and has a higher flashpoint than some other OMS. What that means is that it has to get to 145 degrees F before it will spontaneously combust (yes that means no flame needed) so beware of where you store it as some attics can get very hot etc. The other OMS on the market have a flashpoint of more like 124 degrees F and so are more dangerous. This is from the Gamsol informationm that they publish. The product although odorless, is very flammable and should never be used near open flame and should always be used in well ventilated areas. Even though you don't smell it, it can he bad for you if inhaled in large amounts over a long card making session for example. Inhalation can cause dizziness, headache, nausea etc. You will also need to be careful how you dispose of anything that touches it as that would be saturated and can start a fire. All disposed of stumps, sponges, etc should be soaked in water just in case. And you must be sure to wash hands if you come in contact with the material.
I do use it but keep the jar capped between dipping and never use it for too long at one time. It does give excellent smooth results that I feel are worth using it as long as it is handled properly.
Here is information I got directly from one of the employees at Gamblin. Hope this info is helpful. ;-)
We have certainly become aware that Gamsol is becoming increasingly popular among rubber stamp and colored pencil artists due to it being such a mild solvent.
Please refer to our Studio Notes newsletter, Premium Grades of Odorless Mineral Spirits #10, which will answer many of your questions.
Keep in mind that the 300ppm of evaporated solvent is the level that becomes unsafe to work around. Gamsol will not reach this level at room temperature.
Gamsol is very similar to solvents used in the cosmetic industry. It will not penetrate healthy, unbroken skin.
Following are articles on solvent exposure in the workplace while pregnant. Most of the solvents that are discussed in the articles are much stronger solvents than you are exposed to in the studio and with our materials.
Information is our first step towards working safely. There is not much information that directly addresses mediums and solvents that are as mild as our products, but it is clear that minimal exposure to solvents during pregnancy is best. It is always a good idea to discuss these issues with your doctor.
Oil colors themselves are more benign than acrylics. (I'd eat any color in vegetable oil before I'd eat it in acrylics, and linseed oil is vegetable oil) Your only issue is managing solvent exposure.
On the lighter side of this issue here is a suggestion on what NOT to avoid during pregnancy: http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994854 It appears that the DAILY consumption of chocolate while pregnant leads to happier babies and. well you should read it for yourself..
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
I came across a message somewhere that recommends always using a manual pencil sharpener to sharpen your Prismacolor Pencils, rather than an electric one, etc. Is this true or did I stumble across a myth? I just received a HUGE bundle of them from ebay, but looking at all of the un-sharpened ends and picturing myself standing over the trashcan sharpening them by hand for the next MONTH has got me feeling a little frazzled.
:confused:
__________________ Baby Avery Grace born December 14!
I came across a message somewhere that recommends always using a manual pencil sharpener to sharpen your Prismacolor Pencils, rather than an electric one, etc. Is this true or did I stumble across a myth? I just received a HUGE bundle of them from ebay, but looking at all of the un-sharpened ends and picturing myself standing over the trashcan sharpening them by hand for the next MONTH has got me feeling a little frazzled.
:confused:
You can use an electric sharpener but you want to make sure that it has the roller type sharpeners and not a razor blade. I have a battery operated Panasonic KP-04 (Not sure on that model number but it is something like that). I actually handsharpened all 120 of mine with the little sharpener that comes with the set. Just did it while watching a movie. Painless.
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
You can use an electric sharpener but you want to make sure that it has the roller type sharpeners and not a razor blade. I have a battery operated Panasonic KP-04 (Not sure on that model number but it is something like that). I actually handsharpened all 120 of mine with the little sharpener that comes with the set. Just did it while watching a movie. Painless.
Thank You!
__________________ Baby Avery Grace born December 14!
I use an electric sharpener when the point gets really dull, but bt times I use a hand sharpener to freshen the point. Debbie Gimbel uses an electric sharpener too.
The reason you shouldn't use electric sharpeners is because it will eat up your pencils a lot faster. Most art stores sell them individually for about 1.50 a pencil or more.
I've never used them before either, but I should be getting my Prismacolor pencils by Friday and the Gamsol and tortillions should be coming in soon also... Another question that I can't find an answer to is, what paper works best with Prismacolors and Gamsol, mineral spirits, floor wax, etc.?
FYI: I got 48 Prismacolor Premier Pencils on Ebay for $27.00. New, sealed box.
Thanks,
MJ
You can buy them at Michael's w/40% coupon and really get a good deal!
If you are buying Prismas on ebay, make sure you purchase regular/lightfast colored pencils. The Gamsol technique will not work with watercolor pencils. Those use regular water. I second the suggestion to buy blending stumps made in Taiwan. They work best. I prefer them over Creative Mark ones. Gina K used to sell them, but other online shops sell them too.
Any artist quality colored pencils will work. I use Crayola, RoseArt, Progresso, and Derwent on the same image. Avoid the student quality colored pencils. High quality paper makes everything better. I do a lot of cards so I use the GP 110 pound Walmart paper. Watercolor paper with its heavy tooth also works very well for me.
Prisma's colorless blender can be used to blend colors as effectively as Gamsol. It's more work and produces a little different effect, but one does not have to use Gamsol, baby oil or 90% alcohol.
Just a cautionary note to new colored pencils users. Often with ebay purchased pencils, you will find the pencil leads break on sharpening and become unuseable. If the pencil suffers rough handling, i.e, fall on the floor, the lead will break internally. Prisma will replace any pencil free of charge even if purchased on ebay. Someone suggested that a broken pencil could be fixed with 10 seconds in a microwave, but I haven't tried that.
Lastly, sharpen the pencils by hand. I've tried electric sharpeners unsuccessfully, although others use them regularly with great success. I use a hand sharpener or exact blade and it works for me.
I have all the Prismacolor pencils and it is my favorite medium. However, I prefer to blend with the Rembrandt Lyra Splender pencil (It's better than the Prismacolor blender, in my estimation) Gamsol/alcohol is okay, but I like the blender pencil better. I took a class by colored pencil artist Terry Medaris a few years ago and he taught his technique of blending with just the Prisma pencils using a scribbling technique with heavy pressure. Very effective. You can go to terrymedarisartstamps.biz and see his wonderful work.
Judy:p
Judy, I am new to this...had the prismacolor blender and didn't like it...I need help with blending...so far it has a muddy effect. I want intensity of color and not getting it. Can you offer any advice?
The great thing about working with gamsol is working in layers. I start with the lightest color first, blend, then touch up the edges with that color; move to the next darkest color, blend just lightly (you don't want to over blend or cover up your first layer), touch up and so on, until the area is colored the way I want it. Here is a video that might be helpful as far as a visual.
Thanks for the video with the different methods of blending. I found it to be quite helpful and will now try blending in different ways to find what works for me :-)
pencils
Sharpening
