Markers are a great tool for adding custom color to your stamped art.

TYPES OF MARKERS

WATER BASED MARKERS are great for adding color when it is not essential for the ink to be fade resistant or permanent, similar to watercolor paint. The ink is not water resistant, thus it can be blended with a blender pen, water brush or a paintbrush and water.

ALCOHOL & SOLVENT BASED MARKERS are idea for blending and layering color. They are also able to be used permanently on numerous surfaces.

EMBOSSING MARKERS are a specially formulated water based marker designed for use with heat embossing powders. The colors are very bright, and the ink is slow drying, which gives the needed time to apply embossing powder. Color can be added after stamping the image, or directly to the rubber die of the stamp.

WAYS TO ADD COLOR

COLOR YOUR STAMPED IMAGES
Stamp your image on cardstock with black or dark ink. Allow the ink to dry, or immediately heat emboss the outline. Then color in the stamped image as desired with waterbased markers or pigmented markers. Know your markers, and choose the one which will perform best for the project you are working on.

WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES
Watercolor techniques are perfectly suited for rubber stamping because of the transparency of the colors. The lines and details of the stamped image will not be covered. Watercolor ink from markers can be applied before or after stamping for backgrounds, foregrounds or detail coloring. This method of applying brush marker color gives a softer effect than coloring directly with markers. It also eliminates the harsh overlap lines caused by markers. Experiment with your colors and the amounts of ink and water, which will achieve a variety of effects. Apply brush art marker ink to a plastic plate. Transfer the colors to your background paper or prepared stamped image, using a damp brush, blender pen or water brush.

COLOR THE RUBBER DIE OF THE STAMP
Coloring directly on the rubber die of your art stamp using a variety of colors will give you an accurately colored design which could not be achieved using a stamp pad. Because it takes longer to hand-ink a stamp in this way, the color you applied first may begin to dry out before you are ready to stamp. Breathing or "huffing" on the stamp surface as if to fog a mirror will re-activate the ink.

• Do not use permanent markers when coloring directly onto the die of your stamps. They dry too quickly, and also stain the rubber.
   
• Add versatility to your stamp usage by coloring only a portion of the stamp design, using only the parts that will fit your theme.
   
• To get more than one image from a stamp directly colored with markers, ink the stamp with clear embossing ink before adding color to the die with your markers. Stamp the image and emboss it with clear powder. You should be able to get two or three images this way before needing to re-ink the stamp. Lightly spritzing the surface of the stamp with a mist of water will also enable you to stamp the image more than once.
   
• Use a blender pen to lightly pull the color from the outline of the stamp into the inside portions, giving a monotone look with different shades of the same color.

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This Tip/Technique has been provided courtesy of The Stampin' Place • www.stampin.com
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