Spectrum Noir pens were originally formulated for use in scrapbooking crafts, paper artistry, etc.
But the great news is that you can use them on virtually anything.....and there is NO learning curve. If you can color with a marker or a crayon....you have it in the bag.
I recently discovered that they worked quite well on metal!
To show you, I did just a few sample pieces and took some hurried pix....regret they are less clear than I'd like, but! You will get the idea:
This photo shows you how nicely the colors blend. I used several colors out of the brown set to do the Art Nouveau fairy on the left. That piece, as well as the filigree butterfly, were completely RAW BRASS, no color. I used the ruddy brown, the espresso-type color and the golden color to blend the color. With a little work, she will look much like the old gingerbread pieces.
The filigree butterfly is browns and some turquoises blended. I don't know that I'd do it this way next time, but I wanted in a hurry to show you POSSIBILITIES.
The bottom two leaves are over CHOCOLATE BRASS......look how nicely you can blend tones. With a little work, you could come up with some gorgeous colored autumn leaves.
The pens feel good in your hand, and there are TWO tips---a chisel tip for broad coverage, and a nib tip for fine coverage and detail work.
THEY ARE NON TOXIC!! Be careful, wear old clothes when you use them, they will stain clothes and furniture.
THINGS to remember if you use the Spectrum Noir pens over brass:
It works over raw brass, brass ox, and chocolate ox nicely. I have not tried other plating shades yet, but I doubt it will be good on Old Rose Ox findings from B'sue Boutiques because of the shine.
Distressing the metal first, especially if plated, is best.
Like other alcohol inks, when you use them on metal, YOU MUST HEAT SET THE INK. So when you get your colorization where you want it, get your embossing heat gun and set the ink.
When it has cooled, you can distress the color back and add even more if you like. But when you get it just right.... then you must seal it. Here are options I have found to work:
1. Matte spray varnish.
2. Renwax
3. Vintaj glaze
4. Swellegant clear coat (those two leaf sprigs? One is sealed w Vintaj glaze, one with Swell clear coat. The clear coat dried faster and is cheaper to use, but there is little diff).
5. Nunn Design Sealant
More pix:
Again, a very fast picture, a little blurry....so sorry! But you see what's going on....
I used reds and browns and did a lot of distressing on this one. I haven't sealed it yet as I think I want to do more to it. ;-)
Here are the leaves a little more close-up:
Again, I'd like to try these again and take my time with them, I did them really fast. They were choxie brass first, I distressed them, added the color. One is glazed with Vintaj glaze and the other, Swellegant clear coat. Both look similar, as far as the finish is concerned. They dried fast, too....
So I'd say you could do your coloring in the morning, let set for a bit after sealing and probably start working with them later in the day.
We have browns, blues, greens, pinks, turquoises, purples. They come in sets of SIX pens, all nuances of one color family.
There are also sets of brights, darks, pastels....I am experimenting with those and we may have them later as they are large sets and a bit more expensive (but then, they have four times as many pens, so there ya go).
What to do? What color to chose?
Choose ANY! and try them out. I love how they let the integrity of the brass below (detail-wise) continue to peek through. It reminds me so much of the old Color Magic I used to carry....but it gave me a headache, it was full of Xylene, very toxic. While Spectrum Noir is to for kids' use, it is a NON TOXIC product and we can ship them anyplace at all, by air, too.
I always loved using the Color Magic products for the effect....but not the headaches! With SPECTRUM NOIR, a very very similar look....no headache. Non toxic, yes!!!
Find them in the Designer Inks section at B'sue Boutiques I WILL have a video on these by next weekend, but meantime....there is just no big deal to using these pens....fast and easy. FUN! Doodlers and scribblers will LOVE them!
AND....they are cool on polymer clay, too!



