April 21, 2021 Shannon Smith

Coloring with Karin Markers

Hello friends! Shannon here to give you my first impressions and a few tips on using Karin markers.

First off, I want to let you know that a lot of the info this post includes I got from the brochure that conveniently came with the markers.

Karin markers are either dye based or as in the case of the neon colors, are pigment based. These react beautifully with water and also work amazingly well with the blender pens (which contain a blending solution).

I tried using the four suggested ways from the brochure:

Touch tips. I touched the tips of two markers to create a blend. This is a fun way to create a transition from one color to another.

Touch a blender and a marker tip together, Same concept as the first way except you stay within the color of the marker and just gradually get lighter until it fades out.

Paint on a non-absorbent surface (glass mat or acrylic block works great for this). Then use the blender to mix your color and apply to your project.

Paint on a non-absorbent surface (see above). Use a blender to create a transition from full color and fade out.

I found these markers very user friendly and I love that I can get a watercolor look with a bit more control.

For this card I used the Floral Sentiments stamp set. I stamped it with Raven ink onto watercolor paper. Aqua Pigment paper is amazing and would definitely be my first choice. Because I stamped on watercolor paper, I used my stamping platform so that I could get a solid image. I heat set that with my heat tool.

I started by coloring the largest and smallest flowers with Soft Peach 1. This will create a highlight color.

I then went in with Soft Peach 2 not going all the way to the edges of the petals. This is the main color of our petals.

Next I used Rose Pink in the crevices and shadows to create depth.

I used the blender to soften the edges and blend out the colors a bit. (check out the video tutorial to see how I accomplished this)

For the other two blooms I used the same colors in the same order but added burgundy at the darkest points. I blended from the lighter end of the petals inward.