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QUESTION:

I am teaching my high-school kids how to hand color their prints. We found an old box of Marshall's Photo Coloring System. It is well used and I am going to purchase another set of pencils. I could use some advice on what we need besides the pencils. I am interested in the Conte Pastel Pencils. I have them printing on RC Glossy. Do we need turpentine, fixative, or other products besides the pencils?

Thanks, Sandy

MS. AIREY'S ANSWER:

Dear Sandy:

Let me start first with the paper: Although RC glossy photographic paper is fast and easy to print, it is the worst paper for hand coloring, especially with pencils.

You can use Marshall's pre-coat or something like Krylon's matt finish spray as a pre-coat and then attempt to use oils (paint), but even with a coat of mat spray or pre-coat, pencils are extremely hard to color with. The oil pencils will make an indentation on the surface and the pastel will not stick to it at all. Even with the oil paints, when you try to remove a color with the PM solution or with turpentine, it will leave that dreaded telltale circular smudge on the surface.

The only paper out there that is easy to use, pencils on, and still have the ease of printing, would be something like Kodak's RC Art paper as it has a suede-like surface that will grab the pigments. You do not need to spray anything on its surface before coloring. With this paper, if using something like Pastel pencils and you do not like the color, merely use a kneaded eraser to remove color or completely wash it off with water. When the paper is dry…start over.

I would recommend a toothy paper (one with texture such as a semi matte or the Kodak RC Art paper for your students to print upon and forget the glossy for coloring. It will be a nightmare.

If you use the Conte Pastel Pencils, remember to use a coat of Workable Fixatif to set the pastel to the paper before the final spray. If using the Marshall oils pencils, no spray is necessary before or after the coloring.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to write again if there are other problems or questions and I will try to help.

Theresa