Mix-Ability - Glue background

Birgit's Mix-Ability challenge this week is to use glue as an element on our projects. She has some gorgeous samples - I hope you'll go take a peek at them! I did 2 different things with glue on my background. The first involved these little masks made out of hot glue...

I spritzed a piece of watercolor with yellow shimmer spray, laid down the masks, then spritzed with red. I moved and spritzed a few more times until I had the coverage I wanted.

To complete the background, I added a little stamping, then scraped Tacky Glue through a stencil from Want2Scrap. I sprinkled some crushed glass glitter into the glue before it dried.

Here's another Classic Pooh image from my collection, colored with Holbein pencils.

Join us! It's so much friendlier with you!

Pencils: oil or wax?

A few of you have asked me: "If I'm just starting out, which should I choose: oil-based pencils or wax-based pencils?"

Really, both types of pencils work the same, and can be blended in the same ways. If you're planning to purchase from open stock, don't be afraid to buy a few from each brand you're considering, and see which one feels right to you. Also - don't feel like you have to limit yourself to one brand. Most brands work together well.

Consider which properties of the pencil brand are important to you.

• What's your budget? (Oil pencils do tend to be more expensive.)
• How many colors do you want?
• Will you buy a set, or open stock? Will you commit to one brand, or do you feel free to mix and match?
• What type of blending will you do? (Check the color swatches HERE and HERE for comparisons in your preferred technique.)
• What's your coloring style - lots of patient layering, shading, etc?  (Oil pencils hold their points longer.) Bright, vibrant, solid blocks of color? (Check the laydown ratings below.)
• Will you be coloring on black or darker cardstock? (Check the brightness rating below, and see the comparison HERE).

I gave number ratings to each pencil property as I tested them, and did my best to be objective. Here's my comparison of all the types mentioned in a chart form so you can see more clearly how they compare to each other.

Just for fun, here's an image that I colored using pencils from six of the brands listed above.

These are the pencils I used:

 I love slow, layered coloring for the depth and texture it can express, and these pencils all worked so well together. I used Prismacolor, Polychromos, Holbein, Coloursoft, Blick, and Pablo pencils to color, just blending with the pencils themselves. Here's a closer look.

Hopefully this information is helpful to you! I'm happy to pass on my thoughts to help you make a more informed decision if you're wanting to start or expand your pencil collection - I know it can be daunting to find art supplies that are just right for you.

Cheers!

Pencil comparision - white on black

One more comparison. I always find it interesting to see the strength of different white pencils on black substrate, so here's a visual comparison for you from the brands I've been testing here. This is useful if you ever plan to color on black or darker cardstock, or if you like adding pencil highlights over marker or other precolored images. I think the scan captures the coverage and strength of each pencil brand well. There is certainly a marked difference between brands.

 

I included the bottom two samples just for reference. The pastel pencil gives a bright white over a plain black surface, water-soluble or alcohol-based coloring; however, it doesn't layer over wax or oil pencils. I don't have a white Pablo pencil, but wanted to show the strength of coverage with the lightest pencil I have, which is a pale yellow.

I'm not going to give my preference here - I'll just let the pencils speak for themselves!

Here's a close-up of a sample I colored with a Prismacolor pencil - this is so backwards from the way I normally color - it's a very interesting challenge! Usually we color in shading on white surfaces and allow the white to show through as the highlight. On this piece, I had to color in the highlights and leave the shaded areas partially colored or untouched. I'll share the full card and more details another day.

Thanks for visiting!

Oil-based pencils - comparing properties

Today I'm comparing the oil-based pencils I have in my collection. Oil-based pencils can be more expensive than wax-based pencils, but they can be used on a wider variety of surfaces, including wood. They are also break-resistant, and their water-resistance opens up possibilities for using them in mixed media projects for detailed resist techniques. Their leads are not as soft as wax-based pencils, but they have a smooth lay-down of color, and are extremely blendable. They can be used with wax-based pencils, and blended in the same ways.

Again, I tested each brand at different pressures, then used 3 different blending methods to see how well they performed. In the blending samples, the first is done with 2 different pencils blending one into the other. For the second sample, I colored with heavy pressure to the right and blended out with odorless mineral spirits to the left. On the third sample, I scribbled a sample, then used a Derwent Burnisher to blend across the top. These types of blending are covered in my Pencil Basics class.

Pencil Type and Colored Sample	Properties
Caran d'Ache Pablo Pencils	Base: oil Colors in range: 120 Set sizes: 12, 18, 30, 40, 80, 120 Open stock: yes Lead Strength: 5 Softness (5 is softest):  3 Laydown: 5 Blendability: 5 Pigment strength: 5 Brightness on Black (5 is brightest): 5 Strengths: color range, blends well with other brands, smooth blend Weaknesses:
Holbein Artists' Colored Pencils	Base: oil Colors in range: 150 Set sizes:12, 24, 36, 50, 100, 150 Open stock: no Lead Strength: 5 Softness: 4 Laydown: 5 Blendability: 5 Pigment strength: 5 Brightness on Black: 5+ Strengths: color range, smooth blend, Soft White pencil is extra bright Weaknesses: import restrictions, not yet tested for toxicity
Faber-Castell Polychromos	Base: oil Colors in range: 120 Set sizes: 12, 24, 36, 60, 120 Open stock: yes Lead Strength: 5 Softness: 3 Laydown: 5 Blendability: 5 Pigment strength: 5 Brightness on Black: 4 Strengths: color compatibility with other Faber-Castell art lines, blendability, lead strength Weaknesses:
Lyra Rembrandt Polycolors	Base: oil Colors in range: 72 Set sizes: 12, 24, 36, 72 Open stock: yes Lead Strength: 5 Softness: 4 Laydown: 5 Blendability: 5 Pigment strength: 5 Brightness on Black: 3 Strengths: creamy blend, excellent coverage, blends well with all methods, and with other brands Weaknesses: limited color range

Here's a card colored with Polychromos pencils. The image is from Taylored Expressions, and it's such a fun one to color up!

As far as my recommendations here... I'm really happy with all the oil-based sets that I reviewed here. For an overall rating and best value, I think the Lyra Polycolors are a great choice... I just wish there were more colors in the range. The Polychromos are a great choice for the price too - and if you mix pencil with other art media, the colors in the Polychromos range coordinate with those in other Faber-Castell ranges, from watercolor pencils to oil pastels.

If you do have a little more money to invest, the Caran d'Ache lines are also excellent. I only have 15 of the Pablos, tucked in between Prismacolors to round out the range where I felt it was lacking. The leads are strong.


For my post comparing wax-based pencil brands, click HERE.
For my post comparing pencil prices and purchase options, click HERE.

If you have questions, leave them in the comments and I'll answer them in another post. Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Here's a list of product links at Blick Art Materials. These are affiliate links that kick a little commission my way if you do make a purchase after a click-through. That helps me keep my art supply stash fresh and fun. Thanks in advance, if you buy!

Caran d'Ache Luminance Pencils 

Caran d'Ache Pablo Colored Pencils

Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Pencils

Splitcoast Tutorial: Die Cut Stencils

Today's tutorial on Splitcoast is brought to us by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps! Korin shows how to use the negative of a die cut as a stencil, and creates a cute background using a repeated border die. Very fun!

Here's a little twist on the technique, using a stencil I made out of chipboard and circle dies. (That tutorial is HERE.)

For my background, I squooshed chalk inks through the stencil onto watercolor paper, then spritzed with water to let the colors blend together a little.

The main image is a recent ebay addition to my Classic Pooh collection, and it's colored with Holbein oil-based pencils. I used a sentiment from Flourishes and some ribbon from The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store to dress it up... I love the texture of that ribbon! I lightly heated it with my heat gun to help it keep its shape in the double bow.

Hope you'll check out the tutorial and join us!

Wax-based pencils - comparing properties

Back with another pencil comparison post! I do hope these are useful for you, and will be a good reference for those intending to buy a larger set of pencils. Let's talk about wax-based pencils today.

What most people would refer to as 'regular' colored pencils are wax-based. Wax-based pencils generally have soft leads and blend well.  They can be used alone, blended with a special colorless, wax-based burnishing pencil (sometimes called a burnisher or colorless blender), or blended with a solvent such as rubbing alcohol, baby oil, or odorless mineral spirits, applied with paper stumps.  A common complaint about wax-based pencils is frequent lead breakage.

The pencils below are the ones I have in my collection. I don't have full sets of all of these, but I felt I had enough of each line to make a comparison. I tested each brand at different pressures, then used 3 different blending methods to see how well they performed. In the blending samples, the first is done with 2 different pencils blending one into the other. For the second sample, I colored with heavy pressure to the right and blended out with odorless mineral spirits to the left. On the third sample, I scribbled a sample, then used a Derwent Burnisher to blend across the top. These types of blending are covered in my Pencil Basics class.

Pencil Type and Colored Sample	Properties
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils	Base: Wax Colors in range: 150, plus some retired colors Set sizes:12, 23, 24, 36, 48, 50, 72, 132, 150 Open stock: yes Lead Strength (5 is strongest):3 Softness (5 is softest): 5 Laydown:5 Blendability: 5 Pigment strength: 5 Brightness on Black: 5 Strengths: High pigment strength, blends well with all methods, blends well with other pencil brands, soft leads, broad color range Weaknesses: breakage in core
Spectrum Noir Blendable Pencils	Base: Wax, some oil Colors in range: 120 Set sizes: 5 sets of 24 (no overlap) Open stock: no Lead Strength: 3 Softness: 2 Laydown: 3 Blendability: 3 Pigment strength: 4 Brightness on Black: 1 Strengths: Blends with all methods Weaknesses: breakage in core, inconsistent laydown
Derwent Coloursoft Pencils	Base: Wax Colors in range: 72 Set sizes: 6, 12, 24, 36, 72 Open stock: yes Lead Strength: 4 Softness: 4 Laydown: 4 Blendability: 4 Pigment strength: 4 Brightness on Black: 5 Strengths: soft laydown, blends well with all methods, not waxy Weaknesses: leads tend to crumble, dry feel
Blick Studio Artist's Pencils	Base: Wax Colors in range: 91 Set sizes: 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 Open stock: yes Lead Strength: 5 Softness: 4 Laydown: 5 Blendability: 5 Pigment strength: 5 Brightness on Black: 3 Strengths: strong lead, pigment rich, great coverage. Blends well with all methods. Weaknesses:
Crayola Colored Pencils	Base: Wax Colors in range: 64 Set sizes: 8, 12, 24, 50, 64 Open stock: no Lead Strength: 5 Softness: 2 Laydown: 4 Blendability: 4 Pigment strength: 2 Brightness on Black: 2 Strengths: inexpensive, blendable Weaknesses: high wax content

I colored this card using Prismacolor pencils (see the original blog post HERE). They're my favorite of the brands listed above, and I'm willing to forgive them for their breakage issues because they are so easy to work with. The pigments are bright and strong, they're creamy and blend well, and work well with other brands.   

For the price and quality, the Blick line of pencils is actually a very close second for me. The leads are soft and blend very well. Pigments are vibrant, and really comparable to Prismacolor. There are 91 pencils in the whole line, plus a blender. I have the portrait set (24) and a handful of other colors that I purchased to supplement my Prismacolors.

By the way - I threw the Crayolas in the mix because I have them - they're not artist grade pencils, but for a scholastic grade pencil I was surprised at how well they blended. They don't have the pigment strength that an artist grade pencil would, but if you're just learning or you just need 'something' and aren't ready for a big investment, they're a fine place to start.

For my post comparing pencil prices and purchase options, click HERE.

Next time we'll tackle oil-based pencils! If you have questions, leave them in the comments and I'll answer them in another post.



P.S. Here's a list of product links at Blick Art Materials. These are affiliate links that kick a little commission my way if you do make a purchase after a click-through. That helps me keep my art supply stash fresh and fun. Thanks in advance, if you buy!

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils

 

Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

 

Blick Studio Artists’ Pencils

Crayola Colored Pencils

Pencil comparisons - price and purchase options

I've spent most of the last week with close to 800 pencils on my desk! I wanted to do some comparisons between the brands in my collection, as a reference for those who may be thinking of investing in a large set. I'll break the information up into several posts - there's just a lot to cover, and I like to be thorough. As always, if you have questions, leave them in the comments and I'll group and answer them in a separate post. Thanks!

In further posts I'll give you a look at the brands I have, and show you how they perform based on blendability, pigment strength, brightness on black, laydown, lead strength, etc.

For today, let's look at value. For those considering investing in a larger wax- or oil-based pencil set, here's a chart that compares 10 sets, based on their purchasing options and prices (the link will take you to a pdf version you can print if you want). They're in no particular order on the chart, just separated by type. I don't have all these sets, but these are the larger artist grade sets that are available at this time. There are other options that are student or scholastic grade - I haven't included those.

NOTE: I did include my latest purchase on the chart - the Holbein Artists' Colored Pencils. I've since found out from the manufacturer that these pencils are not marketed to the US as they haven't been tested against US standards for toxicity.  I have them and love them and I promise to be careful with them, but because of the direct caution from HK Holbein Inc., I don't suggest that you buy them from someone who is selling illegally. 


Here are a few things to consider when you're making a pencil purchase:

• Check the difference in price between purchasing pencils in sets and purchasing them individually.  It may turn out to be less expensive to purchase pencils in open stock.  


• Consider how you'll be storing the pencils. Would you need a tin or wood box for storage purposes? or will you be transferring the pencils to bins or cases?


• Note the price per pencil in each set size. Generally with smaller sets, the price per pencil is higher than it is in larger sets. (By the way, the 'largest set' price above is in a cardboard box or tin, not the higher-priced wood boxes.)


• If you're going to buy a set, the rule of thumb is to buy the largest set you can afford.  In the cases where there is no color overlap between sets, consider the division of colors, and how many sets you'd need to feel like your collection is complete.


• Know your favorite color palette. Do you work mainly in pastel colors? bright colors? muted or vintage colors? Love a huge variety of greens, or flesh tones, or browns, and rarely ever use blues or purples? Don't really need all those greys? Smaller sets tend toward brighter colors. If those aren't in your taste, consider creating your own set by buying open stock. Even if the cost is a little more, you will end up with pencils that you'll use. 


• IF you decide to purchase open stock pencils, don't be afraid to mix brands. Even the 150-color range of Prismacolors has some color sets that could be supplemented. Most wax and oil pencils blend well with other brands.


• Ebay can be a great source for used pencils. I've gotten some incredible deals on barely-used pencils from college students who needed specific supplies for classes and then never used them again. My set of 120 Polychromos was $50, in a leather case. They were used, but very little, and in very good condition.

Here's a pencil-colored card I made for the last CHA show using products from Impression Obsession - this one was colored with Polychromos. (Star Quilt, Sew Loved, Border Duo 2 die set)

Hope that information is useful to you! I've been playing with some other comparisons and putting my pencils through the paces - more info to come!


P.S. Here's a list of product links at Blick Art Materials from the list above. These are affiliate links that do kick a little commission my way if you make a purchase after a click-through. That helps me keep my art supply stash fresh and fun. Thanks in advance, if you buy!

Caran d'Ache Luminance Pencils 

Caran d'Ache Pablo Colored Pencils

Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Pencils

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils

 

Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Tombow Irojiten Color Pencils

 

Blick Studio Artists’ Pencils

Global Classic Leather Pencil Cases

Inktense Blocks and Lanterns

Kyra's Mix-Ability challenge for us this week is to create a background, use tape to mask off a pattern, then paint over the panel with a solid color. When the tape is removed, the overpainting creates the pattern, and the background shows through.

The example she linked had a tiled look, but I didn't have the right supplies in my stash to work with, so I created a striped look using quilter's tape (1/4" masking tape) and drywall tape, working on a piece of cardstock that has done a good job protecting my work surface when I paint. Here's what that looked like while I was working.

Here's that background panel on my completed card. For the focal panel I had lots of fun with my Lanterns image from Impression Obsession, and my Inktense Blocks! I stamped the image with the blocks, watercolored with them, splattered and sanded, then used Inktense Pencils to add a little more detailed shading. Next time I play, I'll put together a video of different ways these blocks can be used - they're so much fun.

Here's a closer look at the oval panel... I added some highlights with gold Lumiere Acrylic Paints too, to tie the colors in to the background.

Here's a closer look at the background - I love the patten of the drywall tape. So happy to have a new roll in my stash! I was going to tuck the ends of the twine under the panel, then decided I liked them better loose.

I tucked a customs form from one of my jewelry charm orders under the oval panel just for fun! That little packet had some great postage stamps on it too - I just can't throw anything away...

Hope you'll join us for this week's challenge!

Splitcoast Tutorial - Sanded Pencil Background

This week's tutorial is one of my favorite techniques for adding texture when I watercolor. I had fun making the video too - so many possibilities for fun backgrounds here, using stencils or adding water freehand.

Here are the backgrounds I made on the video - the first card was done with a stencil, and some stamps and dies from Impression Obsession...

This card features an image from Tim Holtz's collection, an embossing folder from Darice, a sentiment from Impression Obsession, crocheted lace from The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store and dies from Spellbinders and Quickutz. (Whew!)

Here's the tutorial video, and you'll find written instructions on the tutorial page at Splitcoaststampers.

Hope you'll try it out - let me know if you do!! I'd love to see.

Posting at Power Poppy...

 

I'm hanging out on the Power Poppy blog today... come see how I used a printed digital stamp as a base for this mixed-media tag! 

Pencil Q & A

Just collecting a few of your pencil questions to answer.  I'll begin working on a new chart comparing pencil brands, too, for those who are interested. Here's a start, comparing whites on a black substrate. I'm waiting on a set from Blick to round out the chart. Below are the pencils I have in full sets.

1. Watercolor pencils are blended using water, yes?

 They are uniquely formulated to blend with water, and they truly shine best when blended that way. However, many of them can be used dry or blended with a solvent.

2. What is the best way to blend wax based pencils?

There are several ways that wax pencils can be blended:

• using the pencils themselves, with layers of color, or with a lighter colored pencil
• a blender or burnishing tool (again, layers of color, pressed into the paper using the tool - it's usually in a pencil format, but with no pigment added)
• with a solvent (quite a variety available, from mineral spirits to baby oil, laundry detergent and vodka!), applied with blending stumps
• with a solvent marker or alcohol blending marker

What's 'best' is a matter of personal preference. For detail work I prefer to use the pencils and blend layers of color. Of all the blending/burnishing tools I've tested, I prefer the Lyra Splender Colorless Blender. All these blending methods are covered in my Pencil Basics class.

3. Can wax based pencils be used in conjunction with the water colors?

I like adding fine details and deeper shading to my watercoloring with wax or oil pencils after the painting is dry.

4. I noticed you used an alcohol blender pen... was it used on wax-based pencils or on your alcohol markers just for the review comparison? It wasn't clear to me.

The alcohol blender pen was used on wax-based pencils as a solvent blender. It does stain the marker tip but it doesn't hurt it.

5. Is the Caran d'Ache Full Blender Bright only usable on wax pencils?

 The Blender Bright can be used with wax or oil based pencils, and with Neocolor I and II wax pastels.

Etsy items!

I'm still working on filling up my Etsy store, but I wanted to show you a few of the items I posted last week! I've been playing around with these necklaces, and I have had so much fun. There are a few that have a crafting theme, and I have more supplies on the way to do some necklaces in silver tone, some with hand-colored charms, and different charms to expand to other themes. It's a fun hobby and I'm excited!

Here are a few I have done:

 I haven't added any cards or mini canvases to the store yet, but I will do that soon... You'll also see some cell phone charms, tags, and other pendants in there, plus a section of my daughter's work and some metal charms I'd love to clear out to make room for more variety in my stash. Thanks for looking, if you do! :)