So frustrating...

...when technology doesn't want to play nice.

I know it is probably my own fault for using CS that was too thick for my printer (see post here) but for some reason my printer isn't printing correctly - even though I set it to Black printing, it is throwing in a bit of blue. Annoying but at least it is still printing.

After playing with my Inktense pencils, I wanted to see what this Nicecrane Design image looked like using alcohol ink pens.

Having printed the digital image onto smooth white CS (160gsm this time) I started with some basic laying down of colour...

...the hair for both the boy and girl was coloured using TN1, GB1, GB6, GB7 pens from the Spectrum Noir range. The boy's outfit was given an all over layer of TB1 with a little TB2 on the shadows. At this point, the skin was just given a base of FS1...

 ...and the girl's outfit was started with DG3 on the darkest areas blending into DG2.
The coat was finished off using DG1 all over and the hat was given a straw-like colour by using EB1, EB2 and just a hint of TN7 to darken the shadows...

 ...whilst the skin areas were finished off using TN1, TN2, FS7 and then the FS1 again for blending.
The boy's outfit was then given a bit more depth by adding TB3 and blending back with TB2, TB1 then a touch of CR8 was used to create the red trim and IG1 was used to create the shadows on the hat and socks...

 ...the dustbin was coloured using BGR1, BGR2, BGR3, BGR4, BGR5 and the Blender to remove some of the colour where the light would hit on the curved surface...

 ...ground shadow was created using BG5.
The scruffy little mutt was coloured using TN3, GB3 and some IG1 to 'dirty up' the white fur...

 ...and a little touch of FS7 for his tongue.
The ground was given some sweeps of BG2 blended in with the BG5 of the darker shadows...

...and the general background was given a sweep over of TN1.

The alcohol pens create a very different look to the Inktense pencils.

This is just one of the images from the new digi-stamp set...

..."A Garden of Friends" which will be available on the Nicecrane Design site.

The DT have been busy using items from Ignacio's May release of designs - you really should pop over to the Nicecrane blog to take a look at what they have been creating.........................................