Tuesday 1 January 2013

Distress inks vs spectrum noir


Hello, happy new year everyone!!! I havent been on blogger since before xmas as the week before christmas i was ill then just after christmas i didnt feel to well either, so i spent a lot of time in bed, lol. Luckily i am well for the new year now though. For christmas i got a bridge camera so i have been taking quite a few pictures recently and from now on i will be using this for the pictures i take for my blog:)

Also, over christmas my mum decided to buy some spectrum noir pens, so i coloured a magnolia tilda image with them to compare with my all time favorite, distress inks. 



I hadnt yet finished the image with the spectrum noir pens before i decided i prefered the distress inks. However, from what i have coloured i can say i was very pleased with the colour and shading of the face (apart from the fact the cheeks were a little to bright for me). Yet, the thing i felt the spectrum noir pens lacked was a soft brush tip meaning i found it fairly hard to put in the pleats and acheive sharp lines on clothes. Controversially the distress markers have this lovable brush tip and the choice of 000, 00 and 0 thin brushs to shrapen up the pleats and blend them in a little making them look more realistic, depend on how well you are at water colouring. Also, this is another thing i found with the distress inks that they blend so easy and can be mixted with multiple colours creating a fresh new unique colour, making the possibilities endless. The spectrum noir pens were not so easy to blend for me and the colours were more or less fixed giving a narrower selection of colours. However, you could layer the colours with the spectrum noir pens to make the colours look more mixed as i did with the top. Overall i feel distress inks are for me as i do love that distressed, old look about my work, though pens like the spectrum noir ones give a rather bright and bold look which others may prefer. Furthermore, it depends on what you can more easily colour with as some people may produced stunning images with pens like the, spectrum noir, but produce not so pleasing images with distress inks. This shows that basically you just need to experement a bit and see what best suits you. But for me i think i have now come to a conclusion of the fact distress inks are the best!! Id like to see what you prefer to colour with....

                                                                                                            
         
 


Thank-you for stopping by
Hugs, 
Brittany, xx

17 comments:

Marjan said...

Happy New Year to you !!
Very nice to see those different colour techniques.
I did not work with the markers yet. All my work I colour with Distress inks and I love it !

Hugs, Marjan

Tracy said...

Hi Brittany,
Happy New year hun.
I prefer your colouring with Distress Inks, although your very good with the markers.
I use Distress inks and promarkers depending on the image i'm doing. Distress Inks suit my Sarah Kay and Penny black images but promarkers suit my House Mouse stamps, so i do use both.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

Candy said...

Thank you so much for the comparison !
I have been thinking about the Spectrum Noir pens, after hearing from you I don't think they are what I want at all.
May I ask where you bought your water markers? I thought I would have to use the bottles of ink.
hugs, Candy

Kelly said...

Happy New Year dear! I love your comparison and although I like the distressed inks too. I have tried the Distressed markers and I do not like them, I prefer the bottled ink better. I thought the markers were not as easy to control or as effective to lay on more ink. How funny that we are all using the same things but we like them differently.
Thanks for sharing this with us!
Hugs
Kelly

Rene said...

Happy New Year! I love both but agree with you...the distressed coloring adds an extra bit of "WOW!"
Rene :D

cabio's craft corner said...

Happy New Year Brittany! The distressed ink one is softer and the spectrum noir one is more rich, but they both look gorgeous!!
Hugs,
Cabio

Danielle Champagne said...

Brittany, interesting subject of conversation here! I love to color with distress inks, however, I am a copic fan! I love copic for the challenge; but love the distress inks in bottle because it is applied on watercolor paper, that has a beautiful texture that adds volume. Depending on the look I want to give and the emotions I am in, I will select either one medium! I enjoy doing this. your coloring is beautiful in both mediums, however, I believe you do a much nicer blending with inks.
Hugs.

Cami said...

Great comparison information. Your coloring, either way, is beautiful, Brittany.

Cami

Laurian said...

Hello Brittany
Firstly thanks for leaving the love on my blog!
I use Promarkers mostly and I do manage to blend them quite well. I also have Spectrum Noir but I find the tips are much harder and I find them harder to blend but I'm trying really hard to get used to them as they have some better colours!
I would love to try distress markers but that will have to wait until I can afford to add a third range to my colouring arsenal, I also have Prisma pencils and Tombows not that I use either that much!
I love your colouring you do such a fabulous job with your Tilda's - you're a very talented young lady!
Hugs
Laurian

Only By His Grace said...

Super job on both these images Brittany. I do prefer your distress.
I love distress ink refills but haven't tried the markers.
I have Shinhan twin brush markers that are great to use and also promarkers that have the bullet head.
Nice comparison test.
Hugs Maz

cathylynn said...

Your coloring is fabulous on both but I too prefer the distress inks. Thanks for all of your hard work and showing us your comparision.
Hugs, Cathy-Lynn

Unknown said...

Wow this coloration is stunning, I haven't the copic colours because I think is very difficult to colour.
francy

adablog14 said...

Ciao Brittany...
Thanks for your beautiful comment...Your blog is very beautiful too and you paint tilda stamps very very well...excuse me for my english but it is not very well...When you want come here in my blog...
soon Ada

Christina C. said...

I think both images are stunning. Expert coloring in both mediums....I love distress inks, but coloring with them (and all other mediums) is challenging for me. Still have lots to learn!
Wishing you a very happy New Year!

Liza said...

Great colouring Brittany with both mediums. I love my copics but also love colouring with distress inks too.

Liza x

Lani said...

Love, love, love your coloring! I am brand new to this, and I am inspired by your work!!! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

I think you did a great job with both images. I use copics for everything myself. I have the Tim Holtz distress markers, but I can't figure out how to blend them. Can you tell me what colors you used on you image? Maybe I can give it a try. Thanks for the comparison.