Handcoloring on Inkjet Prints

blackdoglab

yeah I'm easy.... but I'm not cheap
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This suggestion may seem blasphemous to those of you who strictly adhere to silver and jello, but I want to find out if it is possible to handcolor inkjet prints and what oils, pens, or pencils work the best.
 
It's quite possible, as long as you keep some of the basics in mind. If you want to use photo oils, applying them to any non-coated inkjet paper will give you a blotchy, hideous, unworkable mess - or perhaps rot the paper after a certain amount of time goes by. ;) So you simply must test your paper to make sure there is some kind of barrier (ground)between the oil and the paper, one that will still get a nice workable flow of oils and enable you to rub down as needed, or remove color with the use of a kneaded eraser.

That is, IF you want the look of oils or use oil pencils. You can bypass the issue if you use pastel pencils (chalks) or wax pencils, though the latter can be harder to blend. You can also try watercolor pencils, dipping only the tip in a small pool of water or use them without water. So, you have non-oil-based choices.

I tested several inkjet papers and my favorite was Arches watercolor. It takes a gelatin ground easily that seals this paper and it has a nice "tooth" for pencil work, too.

For more detail, you can refer to the latter part of this article. I'll always prefer a beautiful silver-gelatin print over an inkjet, though. Personal perference. Hope this helps! :)
 

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