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hi all. just bought this blender pen but have no idea how to use it!! am new at this but our local store celebrated 10 yrs. so everything (and i mean EVERYTHING) in the store was 50% off..... hence buying a pen i have no idea how to use....
any advice? what kind of ink do i use? i have markers but i get the lines on the paper and it doesn't blend at all. should i use watercolour pencils?
If you draw on the lid of a plastic box you can pick up the ink with your blender pen and color with it. Or squeeze an SU pad so there is some ink on the lid and use that. I have never had much luck using the blender pen when I had colored directly on the cardstock.
You use a blender pen for coloring. If you do squeeze your inkpad some of the ink will stay on the lid after it is opened. You then use your blender pen to pick up the ink. You can also pick up the ink directly from the ink pad. To clean the pen you just scribble on scrap paper until clean you are then ready to change colors. I also always make sure I clean it good before I put it away.
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The blender pen works when your color directly to the CS with pencils and then use the pen to pull color over the rest of the image. I actually just outline with pencils and then blend. the harder I press down with the pencil, the deeper the color.
But for ink, it is better to either touch the pen to the pad itself or use a pool of ink in the lid. You may even be able to use reinkers..just place a drop or two on a paper plate and pick up from there.
I've used mine with the Watercolor Wonder Crayons and with the Watercolor pencils.
With the crayons I'll lightly color and area and use the pen to blend it. If I want a richer color I'll rub the tip of the blender pen on the crayon itself.
I use the blender pens when i want a deeper color and use my Water brush for a watercolor look.
I LOVE using a blender pen with my watercolour crayons - all the control of a marker with a gorgeous blendable pigment, it's so much fun (and I'm really bad at colouring!)
Blender pens are a great choice with:
*Ink pushed onto the Inkpad Lid (as mentioned)
*Watercolor Crayons ... (mmmmmmmmmm!)
*Watercolor Pencils
*Stampin' Pastels
The key point is to "Play" with your blenders. If you were not previously "shown" a couple of ways to use them, then just jump in there and 'play' with the above-mentioned uses. You'll love what you discover! ;)
I like the blender pens very much. I am no painter, so I feel I have much better control with the blender pens than with a regular paint brush. The water brush is nice for some stuff, but I blot off most the moisture from it as I put it to the paper also. I get the effect I want and the control to make me comfortable using either blender pens or water brush.
I have several blender pens so that some are dedicated to particular things and don't spread to other stuff......gold leafing, bleach, etc.
How do you use them with the pastels? Just dip the pen into the pastels and color from there? Or apply the chalks with the applicator first? Thanks. I just got my pastels in my kit and would love to know more ways to use them. They're so cool!
I have found that the blender pens just tear up my cardstock so I am going to try them on watercolor paper. I would not have bought them but they came with the Stampin Up Starter Kit for new demonstrators. If anybody else has some ideas, please advise. I am frustrated with them right now
I have found that the blender pens just tear up my cardstock so I am going to try them on watercolor paper. I would not have bought them but they came with the Stampin Up Starter Kit for new demonstrators. If anybody else has some ideas, please advise. I am frustrated with them right now
Peggy, if your C/S is pilling up, it's getting too saturated with the blender pen liquid. Our Very Vanilla and Whisper White C/S cannot accept very much moisture when coloring. However, the "naturals" cardstocks hold up to moisture better, as does the shimmer and watercolor papers. Sounds like your new blenders are just really 'juicy' or perhaps you're applying a little more moisture than the C/S can handle. Try it with a lighter touch or other c/s. Don't give up on them, as they're really a flexible product. ;)
How do you use them with the pastels? Just dip the pen into the pastels and color from there? Or apply the chalks with the applicator first? Thanks. I just got my pastels in my kit and would love to know more ways to use them. They're so cool!
I know that a couple of my customers use both of those applications. There's not a "right or wrong", but my opinion is that it's in the look you prefer. More often, I use versamark with my pastels for the 'popping' pastels technique.
Being a new demo, I don't have all the ink pads yet. But, I do have all the stampin' spots. I tap a spot onto a small area of an old acrylic block I have and then dip the blender pen into the ink on the block. I can use 4 or 5 colors on the block before cleaning. I have also done it with the markers, coloring them on the block. I like it better with the spots though.
Try to use a VERY light touch with the pen and don't go over the same area too much. It takes practice and you will get better (and quicker) with time.
TexasGrammy, what is the popping pastel technique?
I have just discovered using my blender pen with watercolor crayons...I love it! My problem is that I know my blender pen is quite "dry" (from sitting unused for a couple of years, lol) and it is probably time to refill. I am going to try the "homemade" version that was posted here a while back. I am afraid once I do that, it will be too "juicy" and pill my paper...I make too many stamping mistakes to warrant the expensive paper so we shall see!
Peggy, if your C/S is pilling up, it's getting too saturated with the blender pen liquid. Our Very Vanilla and Whisper White C/S cannot accept very much moisture when coloring. However, the "naturals" cardstocks hold up to moisture better, as does the shimmer and watercolor papers. Sounds like your new blenders are just really 'juicy' or perhaps you're applying a little more moisture than the C/S can handle. Try it with a lighter touch or other c/s. Don't give up on them, as they're really a flexible product. ;)
Thanks SO much for this reply as I have a S-UP blender pen I tried (again!!) yesterday, and I had the same problem...my paper (cardstock) would get all pilly looking..I was using the Pen and just taking the ink off my S-Up SPOTS and was trying to add some shadows so was adding a second layer to darken it a bit...it was BUTT UGLY I might add!! hahahaha
The only watercolor paper I had was cheap stuff and when I stamped my image (before using the pen) the outline of stamp was BUTT UGLY also!! I think the texture of the watercolor paper did that ??
Do the blender pens work on glossy cardstock?
Last, I tried to color in a wheel (on a wheelbarrow) and wanted it a dark gray color..didn't have gray so thought?? I'd try black...it made everything PURPLE!
I tried both black classic ink (S-UP) AND Stazon Black..didn't matter..PURPLE!!
I dunno ?? must be the solution in the blender pen(s) that do this?? If NOT, than someone PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong!! HELP!!!!!
I use my blender pen for blending my regular colored pencils too. takes any "hard edges" off as well as blending when you use color over color. While I love the look of watercolor pencils and crayons I dont always want to use watercolor paper. I stamp the image with stazon ink on regular coardstock then color your image with multiple shades of regular colored pencils, finally blend with blender pen. It doesn't move the color around much just blends it together for a smoother look. I guess it worked well because everyone wanted to know how'd I do that?
I gather from the course of the thread that you are referring to SU! blender pens. I have a dove blender that I haven't used much.... tried it with chalk and between the paper getting torn up (my fault- kept touching it up and ultimately just too much) and the tip of the blender seemed to 'harden' with chalk and it doesn't just stroke off like you do with pencil. I did try it with watercolor pencils and it was better (Hmmm.. I need to try that again .. I just got hooked on watercolor pencils and found I like a fine brush best, but I don't think I gave the blender a fair chance). So, my question is, are there other blenders I should be experimenting with or are they the same. I do have Prismacolor marker blenders and a Copic marker blender sitting around... are they for the same purpose or just with alcohol markers? What is the homemade solution recipe? I'd like to use that with stumps and chalk since the chalk seems a bit rough on the blender tips.
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Thankyou so much for asking this. I took the plunge and bought my first copic blender pen. I saw some examples of what it can do and thought COOL! Unfortunately, after about SIX tries! I became very discouraged. :confused:
I hope I can figure out how to use this. I've googled, gone to Youtube, went to different blogs,etc.
Last, I tried to color in a wheel (on a wheelbarrow) and wanted it a dark gray color..didn't have gray so thought?? I'd try black...it made everything PURPLE!
I tried both black classic ink (S-UP) AND Stazon Black..didn't matter..PURPLE!!
I dunno ?? must be the solution in the blender pen(s) that do this?? If NOT, than someone PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong!! HELP!!!!!
WRT the glossy paper, probably the easiest way to find that out is if you have some scraps of the glossy CS you use and try it out.
And with the black inks, it's not really the solution in the blender pens that makes the inks you tried turn purple; it's just the inks themselves have a purple tinge to them. According to a post by stamping goddess 'Mona Lisa' Strahl in a thread on SCS about fave black inks,
Quote:
Depends on the purpose...
-Pitch Black Adirondack dye by Ranger for Copics and general stamping.
-Jet Black Archival ink by Ranger which is permanent and gives rich, full coverage.
-Black Soot Distress dye ink by Ranger for any type of sponging or coloring as it is the only "truly" black ink I have found - never gives a hint of any other colors.
-Brilliance Graphite Black by Tsukineko is a nice pigment ink that can be heat embossed.
-Onyx Black Versafine by Tsukineko for super fine detail images.
Thanks SO much for this reply as I have a S-UP blender pen I tried (again!!) yesterday, and I had the same problem...my paper (cardstock) would get all pilly looking..I was using the Pen and just taking the ink off my S-Up SPOTS and was trying to add some shadows so was adding a second layer to darken it a bit...it was BUTT UGLY I might add!! hahahaha
The only watercolor paper I had was cheap stuff and when I stamped my image (before using the pen) the outline of stamp was BUTT UGLY also!! I think the texture of the watercolor paper did that ??
Do the blender pens work on glossy cardstock?
Last, I tried to color in a wheel (on a wheelbarrow) and wanted it a dark gray color..didn't have gray so thought?? I'd try black...it made everything PURPLE!
I tried both black classic ink (S-UP) AND Stazon Black..didn't matter..PURPLE!!
I dunno ?? must be the solution in the blender pen(s) that do this?? If NOT, than someone PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong!! HELP!!!!!
Thanks all....Jo
Sounds to me like you're using too much ink - but I'm no expert!
Instead of thinking 'add more to get shading' try to think 'lighter shades happen as the pen keeps moving' - make sense? As a trial, touch your pad to something acrylic - block, packaging, cd or what-have-you, then BARELY touch the tip in the ink. Now, draw a straight line on white paper - notice how long your ink lasts & what differences in shading happen? Use that knowledge to your advantage when coloring. Some inks just don't work well for this technique - black is notorious for turning other colors... just the nature of the beast!
I know it's hard to 'get', we're ALWAYS told to color from lightest to darkest. This is the exception to the rule, darkest to lightest works best with blending pens!
Oh, one more thing - yes, your Copic & Prisma blenders are only good for alcohol inks.:mrgreen:
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Thanks SO much for this reply as I have a S-UP blender pen I tried (again!!) yesterday, and I had the same problem...my paper (cardstock) would get all pilly looking..I was using the Pen and just taking the ink off my S-Up SPOTS and was trying to add some shadows so was adding a second layer to darken it a bit...it was BUTT UGLY I might add!! hahahaha
The only watercolor paper I had was cheap stuff and when I stamped my image (before using the pen) the outline of stamp was BUTT UGLY also!! I think the texture of the watercolor paper did that ??
Do the blender pens work on glossy cardstock?
Last, I tried to color in a wheel (on a wheelbarrow) and wanted it a dark gray color..didn't have gray so thought?? I'd try black...it made everything PURPLE!
I tried both black classic ink (S-UP) AND Stazon Black..didn't matter..PURPLE!!
I dunno ?? must be the solution in the blender pen(s) that do this?? If NOT, than someone PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong!! HELP!!!!!
Thanks all....Jo
Hi all!
I know this is an old thread, but making a try. I’m also so frustrated with the blender pens. I have watched all kinds of videos and it looks so easy for them. When I try, every pen stroke is showing and if I try to blend them out, the paper is pilling! I’m using the shimmery white card stock. What should I do?
blender pen help, please!
Blender Pen & PILLING?? on cardstock...
