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I really wish I could use Copic (or any other alcohol-based) markers, but I can't. I envy those of you who can. I love how they look.
I have been using either of two coloring methods when I need to color in an image:
Prismacolor pencils - which I can't blend with Gamsol for the same reason I can't use Copics. I have worked with baby oil for blending and while it does work, I'm not really happy with it. It doesn't look as good as Gamsol.
Markers - I have the complete set of Distress Markers. I like using them, but there are not enough colors, and I also find it hard to blend colors well with them, even on WC paper. I do like them. They work very well for me if I want soft washes of color. Not so well when I want to color in an image in a precise way.
I'm thinking of trying watercolor pencils. I've looked at all the brands and read up on them, and also looked at the Inktense pencils. I'd appreciate anyone's views on which WC pencil they like, and also if anyone out there is using the Inktense, I'd like to know how you like them. I have watched them demo-ed online, but I've read that if you don't get the largest set, you don't get much in the way of paler colors. I also want to know if I'm right in assuming they don't give off any solvent odors, but are similar to working with regular WC pencils. I like that once they dry they are permanent and you can work over them with other mediums.
Any opinions would be appreciated.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I love my Inktense pencils! My only regret was not investing in a larger set, but I've learned a workaround... mix my 12 Inktense with cheapo watercolor pencils and I can achieve any color I want.
Keeping in mind I only have 12 (and they're bold), it is tricky to work in lighter shades. Tricky because you have to know the water-to-pencil ratio if you're short on time and can only use 1 coat. If you have some time, then no biggie because you can layer color. I use the waterbrush to pencil tip technique a lot, but it's so cool to color on paper and watch the vibrant color appear when you add water.
There is no odor and the advertising is right, once dry the color doesn't move.
Hi there, I've never posted on here before but theres always a first time. I have the large set of Inktense pencils and I totally love them. I colour all the time with them. They can be soft or vibrant and once water is added they become permanant. So so many choices and so easy to use. Like anything you use the more you use them the better you will get. No odour. Must use WC paper to get the best use out of them. I have used a number of different Derwent pencil types but feel I found my thing with the Inktense. Hope this helps
And thank you especially ailhelen, for reaching out and posting on the forum for the very first time - to help me! Now that you've posted once, I hope it will be the first of many
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Last edited by Rachelrose; 07-14-2013 at 03:08 PM..
I have alcohol markers as well and the Inktense are easier to use tale up less space and the colours are able to be varied more.
To get pale colours I use a wet brush to pick up a little colour from my pencil, then put that in a drop of water on a plate to get a thin wash. You can also scribble on a plate then mix with water or apply a little colour in your shadow area and drag it outwards to create a wash.
You can get great results straight away with just a few colours but with a little practice you can achieve a huge variety of textures and shading. My 10 Year old loves my pencils too and she is pretty good with them.
Just remembered... To do flesh I found I needed to mix tan and a little pink tone (I specifically got carmine for the purpose) or I have a flesh coloured water colour pencil from Staedler that I won, which is great in a hurry.
__________________ There is no such thing as lack of sleep, only caffeine deficiency.
Lovely cards! Yes, the effect of the pencils is more what I am looking for. What size set did you get KoffeeKat?
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I have the Derwent regular set of 72 colors & love them. I also have the 25 set of Inktense that I use for highlighting & shading when I can't get a dark enough result from the regular Derwent.
This website has some very helpful information on the different types and brands of pencils. Here is a link to the "Water Soluble" section:
Yes, I know this website - it has a lot of great info on it! I found it when I was looking for info on regular colored pencils a while back, then forgot about it. So thanks for reminding me!
I ended up sort of hedging my bets by ordering a set of 24 Inktense pencils and a set of 36 Faber-Castell WC pencils. I figured then I could try both and see what I like before investing in big sets.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
It hasr already been mentioned but you mayhave missed it - you can go to an Art shop and buy these singularly for a cheaper price per pencil. You can scribble the pencils onto you clear stamp block and use a paint brush to pick up colour as pale or as strong as you want.
I love inktense for their versatitity and use them in my mixed media art class. My teacher is impressed with them.
I have the large set of inktense, I got a good price at blick art materials and they had a 20% off every order and free shipping that day. They are wonderful! The colors are so vivid, none are pale. I'd get a set of some other brand or the regular derwent watercolor pencils for pale colors. You will love them!
I have received both my sets - the Inktense and F-C watercolor pencils, and am starting to experiment with them a bit. I have family visiting right now, so I don't have much time to work in my studio, but by the end of the week I'll be able to really start playing!
I'm so glad for all this good advice and sharing of personal experience!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I am subscribing to this thread. I have been dreaming about getting inktense pencils, but haven't stepped out there to get them yet. Rachelrose, let us know how it goes.
I love my watercolor pencils. I did buy the medium set of INktense and love them. You are right about not pale colors but that is why you are buying them. The color is intense. What I do is use a combo of these and other markers for the paler colors. I use my Marvy Markers as watercolors also. Just scribble the marker onto a piece of plastic, preferably white plastic. It can be just a lid from your SU ink pad. It doesn't have to be one of the watercolor palates with the depressions in it. Then dampen you watercolor paint brush, squeeze out the excess moisture and pick up the color from your palate and paint away.
In my case I am not so great working with a brush initially. For blending after coloring, I'm okay. That's why the pencils appealed to me. I am better working with a pencil to get the color where it is supposed to go. If I have to use a brush to paint everything in, I get frustrated.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
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Primsa / Derwent
I am hooked on Derwent INKTENSE watercolor pencils. I regret buying a small set of 12 but the large set is at the top of my birthday/holiday wish list! A while ago, a friend gave me a few Copics. I tried to color with them to no avail. I bought a Copic blender pen, thinking it would work like a watercolor blender pen. NOT! I have yet to watch a beginner's video on how to use them but in the meantime, I'm happy w/my Prisma and Derwent watercolor pencils. I have a "cheap" set that I sometimes add to the mix, as well. I almost always use Strathmore 140# or 90# watercolor paper. I always use a SU blender pen or aqua pen (larger areas) to blend.
I certainly can't color as good as many other SCSers but I try my best. Here is a link to one of my recent cards, using Inktense pencils:
Oh no. Why, oh WHY did I have to read this thread??? Something tells me Inktense watercolor pencils are going to be my next "can't live without" thing. I cannot color worth beans. It doesn't matter WHAT I color with. I have had the best luck with my Prismacolor pencils, but that's not saying much. I've tried Copics, SU markers, SU watercolor crayons, chalk, other markers ... Maybe the Inktense pencils will be just the thing I've been waiting for. LOL Rachel, I will wait to hear your results. ;)
Well, I spent some time playing, first with my new watercolor pencils. I wanted to see if I could possibly use them on card stock. I sometimes don't like to use watercolor paper for stamping. I figured if I didn't use a lot of water I'd be okay, and I was, but I wasn't all that impressed with my results. Then I tried a blender pen instead of a brush and water. That worked better for me. I think WC pencils and a blender pen is a great option if I have a small image and need to be very precise, which is what I was doing.
I have a feeling a blender pen would be ruined by Inktense pencils, though, because they are made of permanent ink.
After I put together the card I'm working on, I'll do an image on WC paper and play with my Inktense and see how I like them. Will have to use a brush, though, right?
I will say discovering the watercolor pencil+blender pen combo was very heartening and exciting to me. I got results that I actually liked.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Rachelrose, look at his link for info on Intense pencils. Wednesday?s Card: Fabulous Florets Darlene does a great job with them!!!! Follow the links to more cards using Intense pencils
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Color it out
Rachel--glad you tried the Inktense w/a watercolor blender pen. As I mentioned in my reply, that's what I always use. To clean the tip, just take a piece of scratch paper and color it out, which usually takes me a few swipes. Any ink may leave the pen stained but the color won't transfer to whatever you color next if you color it out. I didn't like stamping/coloring images on watercolor paper either. The paper looked too textured on my card. Then I asked at my art supply store and found they had various weights and textures, including smooth. Check it out. Although, sometimes a textured look is what I'm going for:
I have the 12 set of Inktense pencils. Used a coupon and got at HL. I played with them last weekend while hubs was in hospital. I used water brushes. I really love them. I am an artistic person wanna be, but coloring and shading looked pretty awesome! I stamped Dylusions couture stamps on water color paper and then colored in their clothes. I stamped some tags but didn't get them colored on. I think it will be a lot harder to get dimension on there. I did do the water brush to Inktense pencil method a lot.
I have some Prismacolor colored pencils that I've had for probably 20 years. I found a blender pen in there also. I do have some Gamsol also. Can I use it with these pencils? I don't know what specific type of pencil they are. At the time they must have been fairly expensive because I bought a case and put them up. Didnt just throw with other misc pens and pencils.
Nothing beats the inktense. I have the set of 72 (a gift from my parents) and I just love it. If you use Distress Inks for colouring or backgrounds, Inktense can do it too. Or colour direct to image. There are lots of different watercolour papers so you can get papers that have less roughage (if thats a word!!). The colours are just out of this word. I love to colour very very softly first to establish a base then build from there. I like using a brush and adding water to the tip rather than the brush which can be filled with water. With watercolour paper you can get as wet as you like, the colour spreads better the wetter the paper. If it starts to curl when its drying just use your drying on the underside and it will flattern, or iron.
And after it has dried you can add more colour to build the vividness.Dont work the brush too much into the paper as it will break down the paper quality if too overworked. Better to let it dry and add than to try adding more colour to something that has already been worked enough.
If you follow pininterest at all just type in Inktense cards and you will find lots that has been done in inktense. look at Boards as well as pins.
some really good places to look for inktense examples : Annabelle stamps blog; Jennifer McGuire; youtube for colouring with inktense on cards and materials. If you like those vibrant and intense colours these are the go and so many of the well known card crafters out there are getting into them. Worth every cent.
Gabalot, that's an adorable card! I must have skid right past your saying you used a blender pen with your Inktense, though. Good to know I can do it! I just bought a box of extras. I have two SU's but got some Tombows off Amazon. I have to be sure to get low-odor water-based ones, no alcohol based pens for me. I use WC paper a lot, but have always bought Canson Aquarelle cold press 140 lb. It's inexpensive. I keep looking at the hot press. Maybe I'll bite the bullet and try some. For Distress Ink BGs, which I do a lot of, the cold press is excellent. But for stamping it is sometimes too textured for my liking.
Fabulous video, eyestitch! I will be going back to check out her watercolor pencil tutorial. (Of course I immediately wanted those stamp sets.)
Ske1961, you should be able to to use your Gamsol with your pencils, no problem. Gamsol works with pretty much any colored pencil. I cannot use it myself. I envy you. As for your blender pen, I don't know how a blender pen would work with plain colored pencils, but if you mean a blender pencil, then that's made to be used with them. Prisma makes blender pencils and Derwent also does. I have never been all that happy with the results using a blender pencil, but that might be poor technique on my part.
I wil try out my Inktense pencils later today.
Everyone has been so helpful. I really am grateful. Lots of excellent advice.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Gamsol does gives the nicest effect, in my opinion. Because I can't use it, I have tried working with Prismas and blended with baby oil (or mineral oil). I was not able to get the effect I wanted, although some people are doing it wonderfully.
Here's video done by SC member Dina Kowal (Dini). She demonstrates all the various colored pencil blending methods very clearly. She shows 2 methods of using Gamsol (she actually uses just no-name odorless mineral spirits, but it's the same thing as Gamsol).
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
rachelrose, that was a good video. I tried the Gamsol technique some time ago, but found that the pencil color changed with the Gamsol on it. Then it didn't match my paper anymore, so I have up very quickly.
Why not post to the Prismacolor chatter thread right on this section of the forum and ask some questions about why that happened... the folks on that thread are very helpful! They might be able to give you some tips so you could make the Gamsol work for you.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Gamsol does gives the nicest effect, in my opinion. Because I can't use it, I have tried working with Prismas and blended with baby oil (or mineral oil). I was not able to get the effect I wanted, although some people are doing it wonderfully.
Just wanted to throw this out there--have you tried using Goo Gone to blend? I wasn't keen on using gambol, and baby oil left a slick on my paper. Goo Gone gives me good blending.
I have heard that Goo-Gone works for blending. But the odor of it is too strong for me.
I've used it to clean off stamps I've unmounted that had really stubborn gunk on them, but I have to work outside to do it.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Okay I can no longer resist buying these Inktense pencils everyone is raving about. Any suggestions for the best online site to buy them from? We don't have Michael'a, Joanne's or the other wonderful craft stores you folks on the mainland have.
I just bought some from dick blick. Go through DarleneDesign.Com ? A card-making and papercrafting video blog just because she is such a great resource for card making. Click on Dick Blick. There is a 15% off that expires tomorrow 8/1/13. I got that plus free shipping on the 72 pencil tin since it is over $100,just barely. It is a great price!!!
I just bought some from dick blick. Go through DarleneDesign.Com ? A card-making and papercrafting video blog just because she is such a great resource for card making. Click on Dick Blick. There is a 15% off that expires tomorrow 8/1/13. I got that plus free shipping on the 72 pencil tin since it is over $100,just barely. It is a great price!!!
Done! Kinda sad that the free shipping doesn't apply to Hawaii so it was $15 for shipping. But the discount covered the shipping so I still came out ahead. Thanks! ��. I ordered through the blog link so hopefully the nice blog person gets credit. I order from Joanne's fairly often so I will try and remember to go through her blog next time I order.
I have been thinking about the Inktense pencils. After reading here, I just have to buy them. Time to start saving up for them. I do have the Prisma WC pencils and absolutely love them.
I finally had time to play with my new Inktense pencils, and I LOOOOVE them!!! As I mentioned before, I absolutely stink at coloring, but I actually managed to produce a decent colored image! (For me at least. lol) They are so "forgiving" and goof ups don't look like goof ups (if that makes any sense). So, so glad I found this thread! Thanks for all the wonderful tips, ladies.
I too bought the small set of inktense and regret not getting the larger set. I love these pencils! What ink do you usually stamp with when coloring with intense?
Watercolor pencils - recommendations?
Primsa / Derwent
