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Topics - elsa.d

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / writing on river rocks
« on: February 18, 2015, 05:27:10 PM »
I've received a request to write in white ink on river rocks to be used for place cards. Got any ideas of what kind of writing utensil would fit the bill? I'm thinking maybe a paint pen???

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Tools & Supplies / Eyeshadow For Ink
« on: February 04, 2015, 12:54:30 AM »
...cuz you know I ain't been using that stuff on my face these days. Can I get a HOLLA from all those stay at home mamas out there?

So here's the scoop, I started using PearlEx for ink and in doing some "research" (aka google surfing) I noticed that many people were using it for eyeshadow. This got me thinking, why couldn't I use eyeshadow for ink? So the next time I was perusing the shelves of my local Dollar Tree (the classiest place for fancy shoppers with loads of envelope addressing dolla billz), I picked up a couple of L.A. Colors loose eyeshadows. I mixed those eyeshadows using the same ratio I use for PearlEx, 4:1 pigment to gum arabic (more or less), plus distilled water to desired consistency. It was pretty much an awesome success.

NOTES: Most of the colors I tried had large particle sizes so they settle quickly and require much stirring. Also when particle size is large I find that nibs which lay down a thicker hairline are prefereable (i.e. Leonardt G, Brause Rose, Hiro 41, etc.). Nibs with fine hairlines in my experience leave upstrokes dry as the Sahara.

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES: Yes caps were necessary for this guy. I have never had one stitch of success with pressed eyeshadows. They will not disolve in water. I believe the culprit is talc powder which improves pressibility, and which is insoluable in water. I came to this iron clad bulletproof conclusion after about 30 seconds of googling, then losing interest.

I also ordered a boatload of mica samples from TKB Trading for $1.50 each. These are generally sold for the purpose of creating your own makeup. The samples came in little zip bags that have about 6g of pigment. For reference, the small bottles of PearlEx come in 3g jars. How much ink will 6g make? Eh, maybe like 1/2-1 oz ish. That is a general guestimate, as I have not mixed up any of the samples in their entirety. Perhaps they make more ink, perhaps less, All I know is that it's plenty to experiment with, and experiment I do! The colors are intermixable. Here are some photos of the colors I purchased. The only color I whole heartedly do NOT reccomend is Black Mica. It's grainy and messy, and basically has no sparkle. The Forged Gold is a lovely color, but it doesn't flow that nicely. There are a million shades of gold PX, all of which I find better for pointed pen.

My top favorites from the eyeshadow experiment were:
L.A. Colors: Sunshine: has GLITTER in it! and the gold pigment is blindingly shiny. Constant stirring/shaking required. The photos are basically criminal for doing it no justice at all.
TKB: Silken Gold: Flows like a dream, stays in suspension forever, and makes a very classy pearlesent (not sparkly) ink that's white gold.
TkB: Limerick: particle size is big (read, SPARKLY) so it doesn't flow in a spectacular fashion, but it mixes beautifully with other inks and is the prettiest shade of silver/gold I have ever come across. It is marketed as a green on TKB... I see no green in it.

Here are some photos. They are pretty lousy, but hey it's better than using you imagination! Feel free to ask any questions. I'll do my best to answer. The bottom 2 pictures are Dollar Tree eyeshadow. All other photos are TKB micas.





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Tools & Supplies / Paper for wedding vows?
« on: December 05, 2014, 03:53:19 PM »
I've been commissioned to write some wedding vows to be framed. Black ink on 8x10 white paper. What paper do you suggest?

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Tools & Supplies / opaque brown ink?
« on: August 13, 2014, 01:13:21 AM »
A client has requested mocha brown ink on kraft envelopes. Anyone have suggestions? I was thinking of trying fw ink in sepia or burnt umber. Has anyone tried that? I don't love using gouache for client envelopes bc it's not water resistant and that gives me anxiety!

Oh and any helpful hints for making kraft easier to work with certainly won't be ignored!

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Favorite Resources / Blick Art Supplies
« on: July 29, 2014, 12:34:39 PM »
For those in the continental US Dickblick.com has some really good prices on art supplies and they have free shipping on orders over $50 right now (till 8/2 I think). Calligraphy wise they sell some nibs (brause, tachikawa, and hunt) various inks (w&n, fw, Dr martins Bombay, bleedproof white, yasumoto sumi, etc) pearl ex pigment powders, various brands of gouache, and rhodia pads. Most at lower prices than I've found elsewhere and free shipping to boot!

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Tools & Supplies / Pearl-ex Pigment Powders for Ink
« on: July 10, 2014, 11:56:50 PM »
I have been using Pearl-ex pigment powder for ink for a few months now and I wanted to share my experience.

I got the idea here: http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/2259-Metallic-Dip-Pen-Ink-homemade

Basically you just mix 4 parts pigment with 1 part gum arabic (I've been using powdered but liquid gum arabic should work just as well) and enough water to get an inky consistency. I LOVE this as ink. It is smooth, opaque, hairlines are good, and the colors are just gorgeous! So here is what I've tried so far.

Jacquard Pearl-ex
Aztec Gold
A darker gold, kind of orange-ish. Very rich smooth and opaque
Brilliant Gold
A Much lighter more yellow gold than Aztec. A bit too light for white paper in my opinion but absolutely stunning on black. Also smooth flowing and opaque
Sparkle Gold
Apparently this is the same color as brilliant gold except a larger particle size. I did not know that when I bought it. It is a lovely color and true to it's name it is sparkly...but the the larger particle size makes it a pain to work with. I don't recommend using it with pointed pen.
Antique Silver
This is a nice pewter color. I love it. It is understated, not too flashy, but a very interesting departure from say black ink. Very good flow and opacity. Works beautifully with both light and dark papers. See a recent instagram post (@elsabduncan) to see it on a black envelope.
Pearl White
I don't love this one. The particle size is a bit too large which makes for dry looking upstrokes.

You can get this product at most craft stores, although at Michael's I've only ever seen it in 12 packs (assorted colors). I bought mine at Joann online. Here is the link.
http://www.joann.com/jacquard-pearl-ex-powdered-pigments-3gr/2054997.html?mkwid=YTvUh3AK|
Dick Blick online store also has huge selection of colors.

Downsides:
Pigments are heavy and must be constantly stirred....like seriously, constantly
Not remotely waterproof or resistant (which makes for really easy cleanup though)

I have tried Ranger Perfect Pearls...basically the same kind of thing, different brand. Their pigments are not as fine and I think writing with them may have ruined my nibs. I think Pearl-ex is a much better choice.

Compared to Dr Martin's Copperplate Gold, the brilliant gold looks very similar on black paper, but Dr Martin's is much more brown looking on light paper.

Here are some photos. Metallics are soooo challenging to photograph in their full glory, but I did my best.

************************

New reviews:

I have since bought the Silver, Emerald, Copper, and Pink Gold pigments and here are my thoughts on those:

Silver: Super smooth. Not heaps different from Antique Silver which I already had, but a bit lighter. Shows up well enough on white and very well on black.
Emerald: Pretty smooth, nice shade of emerald. Shows up equally well on black and white papers.
Copper: A really pretty sparkly color, but the particle size is just too large. Nearly every upstroke is dry all of the time. I don't recommend for pointed pen.
Pink Gold: Writes smooth looks very different on white paper than on black. It is mostly a pink pigment which reflects gold, so it looks a lot more pink on light paper and a lot more gold on dark paper. Joi posted a picture of it here http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=1471.15


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Tools & Supplies / waterproof black ink
« on: July 08, 2014, 04:30:11 PM »
What is your favorite? I have not tried moon palace sumi is it really worth $12?

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Tools & Supplies / PIA received new batch of hiro 41
« on: May 20, 2014, 10:11:01 AM »
Great news! I emailed PIA yesterday inquiring about the hiro 41 nibs and was informed that they received a new batch. They have tested several and encountered no issues holding ink. Furthermore they offered to send me replacements for the defective one I previously purchased.

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Introductions / I'm noticing some familiar faces
« on: April 23, 2014, 01:19:45 PM »
Hello all! I am new to the forum but I recognize many of you from instagram! I am @elsabduncan there. Looking through the forum I am so pleased to see such a wealth of information and friendly environment. I look forward to participating here.

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