Tombow Dual Brush Pens are water based and have two nibs – the
shorter nib is ideal for colouring small details or writing with and the longer
nib is ideal for colouring with.
In this tutorial I will impart some tips on how to get the most of out these versatile pens. Photo one, below, shows the tools I have used but you will find a full supplies list at the concolusion of this tutorial.
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| Photo One |
Paper
Given the pens are water based it is
best to use them with absorbent paper, such as water colour paper, to achieve
nicer colour graduations.
Ink
If colouring a stamped image it is best to
use a waterproof ink such as Archival Inks to avoid the outline bleeding while you
colour. If you do not have waterproof ink you could use a non-waterproof ink
then emboss the outline with clear embossing powder.
Refer to my earlier tutorial on heat embossing if you are unsure how to do this.
Colouring
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| Photo Two |
If you intend to colour your stamped
image with more than one colour work on the smaller details first using the
short nib then emboss the details to seal in the colour and prevent them from
bleeding. To do this apply a little glue directly to the coloured detail using
a glue pen (photo two), then emboss with clear embossing powder. Embossing
also adds a little dimension and interest to your image.
TIP: Remember to clean
the tip of the glue pen before moving onto your next colour.
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| Photo Three |
Once your embossed areas are dry apply your
other colour/s to the outer part of your image. I have used brown (899) as shown in photo three.
Blending
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| Photo Four |
To achieve a smooth colour graduation you can
use the Tombow Blender Pen, which is an uncoloured pen based on water or you
could use a water pen or a fine paint brush with water. I have used a water pen
in this tutorial.
Commence blending at the outline and bring the colour inwards as per photo four.
Bring more colour in if you want a darker shade. If you find your image is
getting too wet sweep the tip of the water brush across paper towel to remove
excess water. You can blend right over the heat embossed details with no
problem.
To achieve some creative accents or deeper
colour graduations, wipe the tip of the water pen directly over the tip of the
coloured pen to obtain some colour then continue to blend.
Clean the tip of
your water brush before you blend a different colour by sweeping it across a
piece of paper towel a few times.
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| Photo Five |
You can easily blend two colours together to achieve
a new colour. Simply scribble two
or more colours onto a non-porous surface (such as spare CD) then use your
water pen to blend the colours together. Use the water
pen to apply the new colour directly to your image. This is a great way to get
the most of out a few primary colours as I have done. I used bright green (245)
and brown (899) to make a slightly earthier green colour to colour my owl - refer photo five.
Once your image is coloured take a pale
grey pen (N95) to create a “shadow” around the whole image.
Colouring Directly Onto A Stamp
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| Photo Six |
Another way to use Tombow Dual Brush Pens is
to colour directly onto a stamp with one or more colours. As you can see from
photo six I have coloured the trunk of the tree in brown (899) and the leaves in yellow (055), orange (925) and green (245).
Once you have finished
colouring the stamp, breathe on the stamp a few times to moisten the
ink before stamping it onto water colour paper. The stamped image takes on a
slightly weathered look as you can see from photo seven below.
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| Photo Seven |
And here are the two finished images which I have incorporated into card designs – the
owl coloured using Tombow Dual Brush Pens and a water pen and the tree coloured
with the pens directly onto the stamp. I added a little crystalina Glitzin
Glamour to a few of the leaves to add a little sparkle.
Supplies used in this tutorial
Clear Stamp Block
Heat Tool
Additional supplies used to make the cards
Patterned Papers and Card - from my stash
