Jan I picked up the inks out of curiosity but also b/c they were really marked down at a hobby lobby I went to. I've only got to play a little bit with them, but I am really enjoying them. I was hesitant at first b/c they were permanent when dry and most of the things I work with are able to blend together.
I tried another "painting" but it did not turn out too well....instead though I used it to test different things like spraying with lots of water and using toothpicks to control where the water flowed etc and also use the Elegant Writer over the dried ink, (I was able to get the pen a few weeks ago and I love it!!! I am wanting to play more with it though and I want to try what Cindi did with using it in stamping).
But one thing I figured out is that I really like how these inks do not blend---when DRY---they will blend when wet which I figured out when spraying lots of water in one section and ended up somehow with very dark purple when the colors present mixed together---thus they do blend when wet (but I guess they would, just didn't know). On of the things that sometimes frustrated me with watercolors was going back to a painting and adding to it, just to have the layer below lifted off and erased (or mixed with the new color)---didn't always happen though so I need to work more with that media to learn when and how etc.
I did find that my white India ink marker kinda fades and more or less disappears when used over the inks....but that pen seems to do that anyways in general no matter the media.
I really liked the effect the silver and gold do---when they are diluted, they give a very fine, light shimmer that you have to turn towards the light to catch! I thought that it would lay down gold---and it does as long as you do not dilute it, like I did in the painting I showed....but if it's diluted, it becomes kinda like a sakura gel pen or what I imagine wink of stella would be (just based off what I here it does or seen online, since I have not seen that product in person). I am not able to really control it when laying it down on CS: I wanted the silver to act as a fine silver BG--I end up with streaks when dry somehow as I didn't see them when it was wet. I need try regular colors too though to see how it does when brushed etc.
I am scared to use them in stamping...this is one thing I do not know how to do---use a media that is liquid and in a bottle on stamps....that could go with any media think not just these inks. One thought is to add a drop or two to an acrylic block and spray with water and then stamp the stamp into it then stamp on paper....I just haven't had time to try and also I am guessing I clean the stamp off with a wet rag?
But back to the advantages, I also like the dropper; makes it really easy to get the ink out and apply if wish. I am interested in some of the india ink bottles, but I am for now, going to just concentrate on learning about these inks. I am so impressed with them that I am wanting to get a set of the basic colors---but everyone is out online until later this month!
Those are some (or many
) of my thoughts this far with the little I have got to play with the inks.
