A: You can use watercolor and Inktense pencils together. When I use them together I tend to do most of my work in watercolor pencil first, then add finishing touches with Inktense pencils where I want the color and shadows to be darkest. Remember that the Inktense colors are very intense, transparent, and permanent when dry, while watercolor pencils can be a little lighter, more opaque, and will tend to lift and reblend when refreshed with water.

A: With wax or oil based colored pencils, the pressure you color with can make a big difference. Light pressure, sharp pencils, and layers of color will eliminate lines. Another way to eliminate lines is to blend the colored areas with a solvent. There are different types of solvents that can be used (an alcohol blending marker, or mineral spirits, rubbing alcohol, or baby oil applied with blending stumps), and also some methods of blending that are done without solvents (such as burnishing with a blending pencil).

A: I've used alcohol markers to create a palette for painting, which would have the same results. I scribble the colors I want onto a ceramic tile, and pick up the ink using a waterbrush filled with rubbing alcohol. I found that the auto-flow of the waterbrush worked best; when using a paintbrush dipped into rubbing alcohol, the alcohol evaporates too quickly to get good coverage. I like creating soft backgrounds around my colored images with this technique, dotting in the lightest color, then adding darker shades in toward the image.

A: A teflon craft mat or oven mat is a wonderful way to protect your work space - any ink, paint, or glue that goes off the edge of your project can be wiped or peeled easily from the nonstick surface. Use it as an impromptu palette for markers, paint, or ink, or a nonporous surface for monoprinting techniques (like our tutorial this week!). The mats are also heat resistant - you can iron or heat your project directly on the mat, or put the mat into the oven under a tile or clay piece that needs to be heat set (just be sure the surface below it can take the heat as well).

A: The core of these 2 products is the same. The blocks are great for coloring backgrounds and larger areas. You can sand or grate the blocks into water to mix up a wash or spray, or create a pool of ink for stamping or a background effect. The pencils are great for watercolor work and detailed shading. They can also be used dry and even blended with a solvent.