More on Spectrum Noir

I have been asked some questions concerning the  Spectrum Noir Pen System,  and so the best place to answer them is here,  as many people are starting to collect them.  They filled a real gap in the market for an affordable colouring system and are well within most peoples price range.

There are 12 sets of  6 pens and they are  Pale Hues,  Blues,  Pinks,  Browns,  Reds,  Purples,  Cool Greys,  Warm Greys,   Greens,  Yellows,  Turquoise, and  Essentials.

They also come in packs of  24 and they are Darks.  Lights,  Brights and  Pastels making 168 in the complete collection.

But in the video Spectrum Noir Introduction  I said that you don't need all the pens and that the best way to get started with them was to buy the six pen sets.

These will give you an excellent colour range to get started with ... and when you feel more confident and  you like working with the pens then you can extend your collection.

The set I would advise you to get is the

Pale Hues.... as this is probably going to be the set you will use the most for all your skin tones.

 

Then the Essentials and two more of your choice will get the ball rolling.

Some of the questions were concerning the way the pens are numbered so let me explain  ...

 

When the pens were  first introduced  the numbering system  was different and  it was altered a few months ago.

 

But if you go to the Crafters Companion  website you can order a complete set of tops for your pens with the new numbering system  ... free of charge.

 

The pens are divided up into colour groups and the Letters tell you which group they are in.

 

For example  .....

 

PL is Purple and the numbers are the strength of the colours with 1 being the palest.  

CR is Coral and they go up to CR11 with that being the deepest, strongest colour in that group.

TN is Tan and they are from 1 to 9 with the colours as described ... palest to strongest.

TB is True Blues and they are from 1 to 9

DG is Dark Greens running from 1 to 4

 

To aquaint yourself  more with the groups you can download the  Colour Blends Chart from this link to Crafters Companion and  you don't need to be a member to get it.

 

Scroll down to Spectrum Noir and click  view to find the Colour Chart.... click the link and scroll again to Colour Blends, download it and  print it off  onto the same kind of paper that you will be colouring on and keep it with your pens ... you will find it invaluable when you want to choose colours from the six pen sets. 

 

This is another chart that you can download and this will give you the groups and colours for every pen in the whole collection.  

 

It is the A4 pre coloured Colour Chart and again very useful to keep with your pens ...  and you can see all the groups at a glance.

Storing them horizontally is best and remember that once you have purchased this system ... it is yours for life.

 

They are re-fillable and the nibs are replaceable ...  and if you coat your new pen tops with clear nail varnish the numbers won't wear off.

 

 

This storage system shown here is not just for Spectrum Noir as it can be used for all your pens.

 

One of the questions I was asked was the best way to store Promarkers.... well I stack my system on a slant and place the pens so that the pointed end is to the back.

 

This gives you more to grab hold of to get the pens out but unfortunatly you won't be able to see the pen colours with the Promarker  pen  design.

 

Hugs xx