Chameleon pens and tops...

Hello my fabulous friends!

I'm sorry I've been MIA lately... It's been a little crazy around my house. Both my sisters came to visit with their babies, and we've been getting my mom ready for major surgery.

I've also been so busy playing with my latest addition to my art supplies that I haven't really been finishing projects as much as experimenting and learning.  

My birthday present finally came!!!

The complete set of Chameleon Color Tone pens! Aren't they pretty???

You've seen me work with these a little in the past, but I only had 5 pens...

And the NEW Chameleon Color Tops!!! They are the same colors as the pens, but are total game changers!

So, what are the Color Tops?

Well, if you recall from my last Chameleon Pen post (HERE), the color tone pens come with a mixing chamber on the top filled with clear blending solution. By putting either the bullet or brush nib of the marker into the mixing chamber and holding it vertically (with the clear on top), you are able to dilute the original color to just a hint of a tint, and as you color out, the color works it's way back to the original color... giving you a beautiful one color gradation. 

Awesome!

Then comes Color Tops...

They are the EXACT same thing as the mixing chamber that comes on each pen but instead of being filled with clear blending solution, it has COLORED ink..

(the same ink as the pens, so they are also refillable!)

So you can now go from a light to dark (or dark to light) using two colors instead of having white as your highlight (I LOVE that!)

You can mix colors that you generally can't mix without getting a muddy mess... like Tangerine and Turquoise... Simple smooth transition!

You can go from BLACK to a Red... Or red to black... again with a smooth transition.

You can transition between two similar colors like a purple and blue...

You can even stack multiple colors... like yellow-orange-red

And...

You can still throw the clear mixing chamber into the mix!

So many possibilities!

Usually I stick to finished projects, or tutorials with finish projects... but I've decided to share a little of my learning process for these pens. The fact is, they do have a bit of a learning curve... It's not too hard to get the basics down of creating a gradation, but to get the detail and control that I want, it is taking some time to figure out. I'm ok with that though. I didn't expect to be a master right out of the box. I enjoy the learning process. 

I'm still experimenting and learning with these pens, but here's something to get you started...

I'm using Mama Elephant "Lunar Animals" stamp set, stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink (good for alcohol markers), on cheap Georgia Pacific white card stock.

Let's do a monkey... my nephew's birthday is coming up and I think a monkey card would be fun!

Started by adding some pink to the cheeks.. I'm using the bullet nib of PK3 at full strength for this. I like to dot for a softer edge. 

Ok... for the face, I used the NU3 pen with the NUOO Color Top...

If you read my last Chameleon Pen post, than you probably know how I colored the face....

 Start with the light color in the middle, and work your way down.

Fuse again.

Start with the light color in the middle and work your way up.

Fuse again.

Start with the light color in the middle and work your way left.

Fuse again.

Start with the light color in the middle and work your way right.

This should leave you with a lighter area in the middle of the face and darker edges... you can fine tune that technique to fit what you are coloring to achieve lights and darks where you want them... I'm just keeping it simple for this little guy. 

Notice going over the pink softened it.... but it didn't lose them... That's why I like to dot... Blending on the paper won't always get rid of all your lines. 

Ok... Now For the head and body... I used the BR5 pen with the BR1 Color Top

I love that the Color tops let me get a beautiful gradation without any white areas.

Some PK2 in the ears, and BK4 on the nose... And this little guy is good to go!

Isn't he cute?

I added some white highlights on the nose and eyes for a little extra pop. I used a tiny bit of acrylic paint because I don't have a white gel pen that works.... I REALLY need to get me a new white gel pen!

I know this is a very simple example, but since I'm still learning these pens, I had to start somewhere. 

I understand that these pens aren't for everyone. But I'm enjoying them!

Have a wonderful day!

Enjoy!

~Kassi