an experiment in coloring

I took a class at Archiver's on coloring techniques.  It really was more about the water color markers than teaching me and real detailed color blending techniques or anything.  It prompted me to do an experiment.  I got this stamp that night.  This is all done on white cardstock from Papertrey Ink.

Since I do not have the tombow coloring markers they were selling I decided to use my water based Tim Holtz markers of which I have many.  The technique is to put a line of color on the image and use a brush with a little bit of water to spread it around.  In class they had us emboss the design. I did the same for this one.  Here is that sample

Not too bad, especially since I had nothing flesh colored and had to blend several on my mat of what, I dont remember, but it did come out with a nice fleshy color.  Using too much water 'pills' the paper, not good.

Next, I thought, well I have a few Copics and a lot of LetraSet Pro alcohol based markers.  I again embossed the stamp design.  Same idea on the technique but instead of using the water and brush, you use the blender pens.

This one I found a little more difficult as I am not very familiar with using the blender pens.  The blending looks splotchy to me, but if I go over it any more then it removes too much of the color.  I have a flesh tone in Copic so this worked out pretty well.  One big difference to note so far, other than I did not think to try to color each one the same, is that the alcohol markers bleed all the way through the paper onto the back, none of the others do.

So the last one is the watercolor pencils and blending with Gamsol.

Now on this one, the first one I tried I also embossed, but whew that does not work with the gamsol, it smears.  So I got out the little pamphlet that came with the Gamsol, and doh, use dye based ink such as Ranger Archival.  Hmm, mine must not be dye based-it doesnt say it is on the label, and, it also smeared.  So I went in search of reading the labels.   Well I happen to have several that clearly say Dye Ink from Papertrey Ink so used that to stamp the image.  THAT worked.  Now I must say doing the pencils took twice as long and turns out much lighter in appearance.  I also did not have any flesh in my pencils, which I have a set from Stampin up and a small set from FaberCastell.  I was able with a little experimentation to blend a decent flesh.