Mailbag: October and November 2017

From now on, questions sent to the blog will be answered in Mailbag on a monthly basis!  This allows me to share information that might be interesting or helpful to many 

Question: 

Hi, I'm trying to find a decent watercolor paper to use Penny Black brush 

stroke stamps with. I been using Canson and Strathmore 140. I use the Holtz 

stamp positioner so I can apply multiple colors over any spot  of the stamp 

and not 'loose' my place. But these have too big of a tooth. Is that how 

it's said? I need something a bit smoother and I was sold Ranger Distress 

watercolor paper. I was wondering what your opinion is of this watercolor 

paper and if there is a suitable paper available that's not quite as 

expensive as I have to do a lot of experimenting to find a combination of 

colors that sings to me. Nothing comes quick or easy for me. I don't know 

about others, but pulling inspiration into reality is a difficult process. 

But I love it. Thanks Cheryl Cunningham, Seattle WA.

Regards,

Cheryl Cunningham

Answer: 

Hi Cheryl!

I think you're looking for a hot press watercolor paper- this would have a smooth finish with no tooth at all.  I can recommend Fluid EZ Block watercolor paper in hot press as an affordable hot press paper.   Union Square and Fabriano Studio Hotpress are also good choices.

Hot press watercolor paper will still take watercolor without too much buckling, won't require any additional stretching or support if you're just doing light washes, but it may blend different from cold press watercolor papers.  

Question:

Hi Becca, I have stumbled upon your website and enjoyed reading some of 

your posts! I tried the Copic Ciao (brush tip end) marker and loved it but 

can not use it due to the odor. Would you say that the Pitt Big Brush is 

the most similar in a water based marker. I loved the flexibility and 

sponginess of the Copic Ciao. It just felt so wet or something, maybe more 

like an actual painting brush than a hard marker tip (I would classify 

myself as a crafter rather than an artist so I apologise if my words are 

not right). Anyways I loved the way those markers felt and wondered if you 

knew the closest alternative in an odorless waterbased marker. Thank you so 

much for your help, Erika

Regards,

Erika 

Answer: 

Hi Erika!

I love the Super Brush used in the Copic Ciao and Copic Sketch too!  Those are foam rubber brushes- that's why it's so juicy and springy.  Pitt Big Brush pens use compressed felt or fiber for their brushes, and use India Ink, so unlike most waterbased markers, once Pitt Pen ink is dry, it's permanent.  Pitt Pens can still be blended while wet and on the right paper- Pitt Pen on Yupo is a lot of fun!

If you're looking for a waterbased marker with that same spring, Zig Art and Graphic Twin markers with the old nibs are perfect for that- their foam rubber nibs have lots of spring!  You can check out my review for those markers here.  I also really like Tombow ABT markers (not quite as springy, but easier to find) and Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers (these feature individual nylon bristle brushes, so they're even more like painting!)

Question:

My sister is allergic to the alcohol fumes, but she would like to use 

markers more like permanent BIC markers.  Do you have any suggestions?

Regards,

Christina

Answer:  

Hi Christina!

If your sister is allergic to alcohol marker fumes, Bic Mark Its are probably not the solution you guys are looking for.  What properties is she interested in?  Is she looking for waterfastness?  Permanence?  Blendability?  Lightfastness?  Luminance? Brilliance?

Waterproof:
POSCA markers
Liquitex or Molotow Acrylic Markers

Pitt Brush Pens and Pitt Big Brush Brush Pens

These are blend while wet but are permanent when fully dry.

Non Waterproof:

Brilliant, blendable color (dye based):

Dr PH Martin's Liquid watercolors
Ecoline Liquid Watercolors
Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers
Fountain pen inks like Diamine Flowers or Music sets (you can also order samples from Goulet and Anderson pens) in waterbrushes

Spectrum Aqua Watercolor Markers
Ecoline Watercolor Markers

Waterbased Markers: 
Zig Brushables
Zig Art and Graphic Twin
Tombow ABT
Zig Clean Color Real Brush

Up and Up Waterbased Markers with a Tombow ABT blender 
Crayola Supertip Waterbased Markers

Pigment Based: 
Winsor and Newton Watercolor Markers

Here's a whole playlist of waterbased and watercolor marker tutorials!

All of the links used in this post link to reviews, tutorials, or field tests that demonstrate these products.  I hope this was helpful for your sister- please write back and share the results!

This concludes the October/November Mailbag!  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me using the contact form in the left hand sidebar! Future questions will be answered in Mailbag features.  Google comments don't work reliably using Google +, so if I don't respond to comments, it's because I'm not seeing them.