Whew! It’s our last day of Alcohol Markers Week here at PaperCrafter’s Corner. Have you learned as much as I have? Have you enjoyed it all as much as I have? I sure hope so! We have just a few more resources to share and a few loose ends to tie-up and you can be on your way to the weekend

Alcohol Markers Prize Package Giveaway Winner

We had 335 comments on our Alcohol Markers Giveaway sponsored by Spectrum Noir, The Rubber Cafe, Simon Says Stamp and Creative Passion Classes (Copic Craze). Our randomly chosen winner was Victoria Merrick! Congrats Victoria! (Please email me your shipping address when you have a moment.)

Marker Storage

Did you check-out the marker storage round-up over at Craft Storage Ideas this week? They had some fabulous storage ideas for you! They are also holding a giveaway of a marker organizer unit from OrganizeMore so if you haven’t already, be sure to check that out!

Copic Classes

There are tons of great Copic classes available both online as well as locally. Many local scrapbook stores offer regular classes on this topic! We even have a few copic classes currently listed in our local event listings here at PCC. I’ve seen some “celeb” artists list their classes as they travel around and visit stores throughout the US so I encourage to keep you an eye on those listings.

Series of 10 Free Copic Lessons

Michelle Houghton is offering all PaperCrafter’s Corner readers a chance to sign up for a 10-week series of classes that are available in PDF format that are emailed right to you on a weekly basis for 10 weeks. Sign up for that email series here.

Exclusive Discount from Spectrum Noir

Crafter’s Companion (manufacturer of Spectrum Noir) is offering PaperCrafter’s Corner readers an exclusive 15% off any product in their Spectrum Noir product category. Not valid with any other promotions or discounts. To take advantage of the discount, be sure to use coupon code PCCMAR at checkout in their online store. Offer expires March 31, 2012.

Copic Coloring Guide

Many of you were in AWE of the gorgeous card we shared from Colleen Schaan yesterday in our alcohol marker project roundup. Colleen has co-authored two Copic coloring guides that you may be interested in checking out.

The Copic Coloring Guide is now available and the Copic Coloring Guide 2 will be coming out in April 2012.

I think that’s a wrap!! What did you think of our first “themed” week of this nature at PCC? If you enjoyed it, I’d love to hear suggestions for other topics you would like to see us cover PCC style

Welcome to day 3 of our Alcohol Markers Week!

By now, you may have decided to explore adding some alcohol markers to your stash. With a number of different brands available in the marketplace, how do you choose which are right for you?

We have compiled a chart below that has done a great deal of the research for you. Some of the factors included in the chart are:

Price: The price of each marker is very important especially since there are usually so many colors to buy. But you also have to factor in the “investment” that you are making. If a marker can be refilled at a fraction of the original cost and the housing is made to last a lifetime, then a higher cost per marker can be justified.

Color Range: For the serious colorist, color range is very important. Artists usually have an unlimited number of colors at their disposal if they are able to mix whites and blacks with colors and colors with each other. So artists who color with alcohol markers also want a full range of colors to use on their palette. Some markers have a broader range of colors than others so this might a determining factor when purchasing a specific brand.

Nibs, Refills & Accessories: Crafters can sometimes be tough on our supplies. We tend to go “off the page” occasionally, so replaceable marker nibs can be important. We also tend to have our favorite colors that we reach for time & time again, so refillable markers can be attractive for those often-used colors. If you really love a certain color, perhaps you’d like to consider purchasing it in a fine-tip for journaling or an extra wide tip for larger coverage areas.

Alcohol Markers Comparison Chart*

One factor not easily reflected in a table is ink quality. This criteria can be very subjective depending upon your specific needs and preferences. Some of the factors to consider here are ‘blendability’ of colors, ink flow and absorption into paper.  In addition, some of the alcohol ink formulas are different and will react differently when stamped on different kinds of papers and stamped alongside different kinds of inks.

The trick is to consider all of these factors together when making your shopping selections. What will YOU be using these markers for? Are you more interested in a huge color range for ultimate blendability? Or do you just need a few? Would you be comfortable creating your own color by blending your own? Will you be coloring stamped images as artwork, or cards created in bulk? Will you be using your alcohol markers to color embellishments and mixed media surfaces?

Regardless of your specific needs, I hope you find the above research valuable in your quest to finding the best alcohol markers for your paper crafting arsenal!

Already have a full supply of markers? Or on your way toward building it? Be sure to check today’s post at Craft Storage Ideas for a round-up of marker storage ideas!

Many thanks to this week’s guest bloggers Christine Ousley and Wendy Price for your advice as we compiled the above information.

*We used publicly available information to compile the data reflected in the chart above. It is accurate only to the best of our knowledge and we encourage you to independently confirm the information before making your final purchasing decisions.

Wendy Price joins us today for day 2 of Alcohol Markers Week at PaperCrafter’s Corner. You’re in for a real treat as THE Wendy Price provides a gorgeous, step-by-step beginner’s tutorial on coloring with alcohol markers. If you missed yesterday’s coverage, check out Christine Ousley’s Intro to Alcohol Markers and our Alcohol Markers Giveaway kickoff here. More great coverage is coming throughout the week, so be sure to stay tuned!

Alcohol Markers 101

Alcohol markers are all the rage right now in the papercrafting world. You might be asking yourself if you really need another coloring medium. After all we have watercolors, colored pencils, chalks, acrylic paints, spray mists, and stamping inks. The answer is YES! Alcohol markers are vibrant and easy to blend. They’ll make a great addition to your papercrafting supplies.  Keep reading and I’ll share with you everything you’ll need to know to get started with alcohol markers!

Supplies Needed

Before you can begin coloring you’ll need to gather up your supplies. I recommend trying out a few different markers, papers and inks because it really is a matter of personal preference. For cardstock, markers and inks, there are a number of choices on the market but here are a few of the most popular.

Supplies used in samples: Copics (B00, B02, B05, YG23), Memento Ink, Mohawk cardstock, Stampendous Perfectly Clear Butterfly Set

Cardstock: Here are a few of specific paper brands and weights that are widely recognized as working well with alcohol markers.

• Mohawk 98 lb
• GinaK Pure Luxury
• Neena Classic Crest Solar White #110
• PaperTrey Ink Stampers Select
• Georgia Pacific
• Copic X-Press
• Ranger Inkssentials Specialty Stamping Paper

Stamping Inks: For best results, either heat set or allow ink to dry before coloring. Solvent inks such as StazOn are NOT compatible with alcohol markers. I have had terrific success using all three of the below brands:

• Tsukineko Memento Inks
• Ranger Distress Inks
• Stewart Superior Palette Noir

Alcohol Markers: 

There are a number of alcohol markers on the market now. They differ in price, marker tip, refillable/nonrefillable, and color range. Tomorrow’s Alcohol Markers feature article will cover many of the available alcohol markers on the market, including Copics, Promarkers, Spectrum Noirs and others in detail, so stay tuned.

Additional Supplies:

• Colorless Blender:  The name is a bit misleading. It actually pushes the ink. This can be used to erase mistakes by pushing the ink back into the colored area. It can be used to lighten areas and create highlights. You can use it to create dots, plaids, or create texture.
• Nonstick craft mat (such as the Ranger Inkssentials Craft Sheet):  Be sure to protect your worksurface because the inks can bleed through the back of your papers.

Coloring Tutorial: Let’s Get Started!

To begin with stamp your image. Be sure to either heat set or allow drying time. Now with your lightest shade, color in the image completely.

Next add the medium shade where you would expect the shadows or darker areas to appear.

While the ink is still damp go back with your lighter marker and blend the colors using a circular coloring pattern where the colors meet. You will notice the darker shade blend into the lighter.

If you want even more contrast, take your darkest shade and color the areas you want to be the darkest. Using the same technique as before, color with the medium and the lightest shade marker to blend the colors.

To make the colors pop just a bit more, I added a bit of green to the butterfly center. Blend the green in with the blues using a feathering technique. Feathering is achieved by laying the brush tip flat against the edge of your image, pushing down and lifting up at the end of the stroke. When all the green was laid down in this manner, go back and add the lightest blue in this way. The result is a gorgeously blended gradation of color.

And you’re finished! You have a gorgeous butterfly custom colored to match your project!

Notice the butterflies I created for my Family scrapbook layout here. With just a couple of stamps, an inkpad and a few markers, my options were endless!

To view Wendy’s full layout, visit her blog here.

Additional Tips & Techniques

Another way to add another shade of color is to scribble onto a nonstick craft sheet or palette and pick up some of the color with a lighter shade marker. Don’t be afraid of contaminating the marker tip. You’ll simply scribble off on a sheet of scrap paper when you’re done.

One of my favorite ways to add a bit of color to the backgrounds without using a ton of ink or time is using a pointillism technique. Gather up 3 to 5 color markers and starting with the lightest color simply add dots. Be sure to hold the marker straight up to get a round dot. The longer you press the more ink and larger the dot will be. Instead of following a pattern, randomly bounce the marker tip along the paper adding dots. I try to have achieve a  larger concentration of dots closer to the image. Next move on to a darker color and continue adding dots. You will move up the range of colors, adding less dots with darker markers.

Don’t have the perfect colored embellishment for your project? No problem! Alcohol inks work great for adding color to your embellishments. Try coloring buttons, bling, alphabet stickers, ribbon, twine, and metal embellishments.

Even glitter can be colored to match. Simply add a drop or two of re-inker to a small amount of white glitter. To cut down on the mess, mix the glitter and ink in a plastic bag.

So have I convinced you to give Alcohol Ink Markers a try? I’m sure you’re going to LOVE them! Be sure to stop back tomorrow to learn more about the various markers on the market!

Thank you, Wendy, for that fantastic tutorial! Be sure to visit Wendy’s blog Paper, Ink and Smiles to see more of her great work.

Welcome to Alcohol Markers Week at PaperCrafter’s Corner!!

Christine Ousley kicks off our Alcohol Markers Week with an “intro to alcohol markers.” Later today we’ll start our alcohol markers complete prize package giveaway! Tuesday will bring a fabulous photo tutorial from Wendy Price on blending with alcohol markers for beginners. Wednesday will bring in-depth research of current alcohol markers available in the marketplace including Copic, Spectrum Noir, Promarker, Marvy and others. Thursday features a fun alcohol markers project round-up, and Friday will bring a few more resource links along with the giveaway winner announcement! So be sure to stay tuned all week!!

Intro to Alcohol Markers

Are alcohol markers an important part of your inky arsenal? Or have you been reluctant to invest in what sounds like it could be “just another marker?”

All this week on PaperCrafter’s Corner we will be sharing with you what we know about alcohol markers to remove the “mystique” for newbies and to fill-in some gaps for those already indoctrinated. We will be talking about what makes alcohol markers different from watercolor markers as well as talking about techniques, color ranges, marker nibs, price differences and more.

So read on and  learn everything  you ever wanted to know about alcohol markers

Background

Alcohol markers have been on the market for some time but didn’t really catch the attention of crafters until a couple of years ago.  What sparked this trend?

I believe the trend began because of a trend change in rubber stamping. Originally, most stamp designs sold were solid images which you used with ink pads to stamp them on paper.  But then we saw more and more stamps being released that just begged to be hand colored in some way.

Card makers & stampers first used colored pencils, watercolor markers and watercolor pencils for the delicate “coloring in” of the stamps. Before long, though, crafters discovered the alcohol markers. Alcohol markers were not “new.” They had long been used by artists, architects and other professionals. But they were new to crafters and all of a sudden a hot, new paper crafting trend was born!

What’s so Special About Alcohol Markers?

Alcohol markers have some very special qualities that appeal to stampers and paper crafters.  The most important is how different shades of colors can be blended together.  This helps to create a gradient between the shades thus creating shadow and highlighted areas in the image.  By applying a darker shade of a color to a lighter shade of the same color and using the tip of the markers to mix the two together, a colorist can achieve a smooth blend between the lightest and darkest colors in the grouping.

Another important quality is related to the ingredients of the alcohol marker.  An alcohol marker contains alcohol and dye ink.  The alcohol, which evaporates after application, floats the dye ink onto the paper, reducing coloring lines.  A blending pen, filled with clear alcohol solution, can also be used to smooth the gradient between colors or “erase” color in order to lighten or subtract it completely.  Unlike watercolor markers and watercolor pencils, alcohol markers do not react with paper which reduces or eliminates tears in your work surface.

Alcohol markers are also permanent on most surfaces including paper, metal, wood, and fabric.  This allows the crafter to alter and customize the supplies they used.  I have seen ribbon colored with alcohol markers as well as clear gems, buttons, chipboard letters, and canvas embellishments.

(Note: Because alcohol markers are dye based, they are not light fast, so projects created with them should be keep behind UV coated glass or out of artificial or direct sunlight if archival qualities are desired.)

Alcohol markers can be used by crafters with wide range of abilities.  They look equally good when colored in without blending, as in the case of coloring a simple image using only one color, or colored with many different colors and shades of those colors in a more realistic and complex image with blending techniques and skills that have to be learned and practiced to achieve.

As you can see there are numerous reasons why alcohol markers have been “adopted” by paper crafters.  Their ease of use, blending capabilities, wide color ranges, and permanency make them a well loved and must have tool in any crafters tool box.

Stay tuned! The giveaway is up next for Alcohol Markers Week at PaperCrafter’s Corner!