Inks for Stamping

Thank you for all the comments so far! Your answers help everyone who is trying to get the most from their markers. If you haven't already, please post a comment on yesterday's blog to get entered in a drawing for blog candy.

There are still a couple spots left in my certification classes next week in Seattle on the 18 & 19, so I'm opening them up to the general public. Send me an e-mail with your name, address, and phone number along with which date you prefer. Also, for those of you who don't know, there is a Kansas City certification session on Oct. 9th, though I won't be sending out applications until August.

Stamping inks- What works with Copic?
There are so many factors that go into each type of ink that it is hard to say what will work without trial and error. I know that I get great results from Tsukineko Memento Dye-based inks. Some people like the Ranger Adirondack Inks, and some prefer Heat-Set Tsukineko Brilliance. Stamp pads are not cheap, so it's frustrating when your favorite ink bleeds with the markers. Solvent inks, like StazOn don't work well, however, if you never color over the line these may work for you.

Yesterday we figured out what makes a good cardstock. If your cardstock passed the test yesterday, then your ink needs to pass as well. At least these steps are easier than the ones for paper. These rules also hold true for any inking pen you would draw with and then color directly over- see the bottom of the post for an example of a line art test with a Copic multiliner on Neenah Paper. If you photocopy your work you won't have any problems, since Copic markers don't dissolve toner.

I set these standards pretty high and test very thoroughly because there's nothing worse than using your last scrap of paper, coloring along, and you smear your ink all over! Bleagh! When I teach comic drawing classes I tell the students to photocopy their work before they color it because there is no"undo" button on artwork. With Stamp inks though, you're coloring directly over the ink, so know before you make a mess.

1. Stamp with a rich black (or other DARK colored pad) onto good cardstock. Pick an image that doesn't have

all thick or all thin, but one with a variety so you can see how well the ink performs.

2. Let it dry a while. Try a second one that you've heat set. Even good inks, if they're not dry will bleed with the markers. Some papers take longer to dry than others as well, so test each paper at different drying times. Coated/glossy papers won't dry as quickly.

3. With a light colored marker (Yellow is good) slowly color in the image up to the stamped line (not over)

Does the stamped edge that barely touches the colored area feather at all? No, go to the next step. Yes, check the tip of your marker to make sure none of the ink got on it and try another stamp pad or the heat-set swatch. If any ink got on your tip, scribble quickly onto scratch paper to get it off so it

doesn't ruin the tip.

4. Carefully color over a thin line in the artwork. Check for feathering. No, go to the next step. Yes, check the marker tip like step 3 and try again.

5. Carefully color over a thicker line. Check for feathering. No, go to the next step. Yes, check & clean your marker.

6. Really saturate the whole picture. Soak that paper until it can't hold any more ink. If you have a bottle of Colorless Blender solution you can just drip it on at this point (this will simulate some special effects I'll be covering in future days). If it survives intact, then you've got a winner. Now you can try it again, same ink, with less waiting time to see how well it works.

Inking pens: The general rule of thumb for using an inking pen with Copics is to choose a pigment based, water-based (not oil) pen that is waterproof. Pigments won't smear with Copics unless they have oil as their carrier- the oil gets re-activated by the markers and smears all over. Copic Multiliners are great and so are Pigma Microns. Still, you need to make sure the ink is DRY. On the sample I've attached I didn't let the ink dry long enough and it smeared, even though I know that Copic Multiliners shouldn't do that. On glossy, coated, or marker papers inking pens need to dry for long time before they won't smear.

Again, if you haven't commented yet on yesterday's post, then now is the time.
Stamp: Buzzy Bug by Stampabilities Paper: Copic Sketchbook Paper Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Marker: Y15