To Refill your Dove Blender

Pull off the end cap on the Blender Pen and add a few drops to remoisten the insert. The first time you remove the cap, it can be a little tight, so you might want to use pliers. Be sure to only add drops. Do not fill the pen to the top.

To Replace the Nib

Your nib will fray with use. Simply pull out the old nib and put in a new one. Some users refill the pen from the nib hole, before they put a new one in.

Good Ink Pad Choices

If you are using the dove blender pen to color in a stamped image, you may find some inks smear. The dove blender pen has both glycerine and a little alcohol in it and this seems to smudge even permanent inks. Ideally you are coloring inside the lines or outside the lines more than over the top of the line, but it's best use these with images stamped in VersaFine or StazOn ink. You can still smudge these colors if you press hard against the stamped image but it is minor and not likely to be an issue with typical blending. If you want the ink to smudge with the blender pen, basic pigment inks like Versacolor, Colorbox or Adirondack Pigment inks will break down the most because they have similar contents to the pen.

Blending Techniques with Markers

• Place several short strokes of any Water Based Markers color onto a white Styrofoam plate or a piece of acetate. Using the Dove Blender, pick up the marker color with the tip and apply it to the stamped image.

• Some paper, primarily un coated papers, requires the Dove Blender to prep the area first before applying color. To do this, simply take your Blender with no color on it and color the desired area to be colored first. Then take your Blender with color to the desired area. Preparing the area this allows one to apply various
  marker colors to blend directly onto the card.
  

• Before changing colors, wipe the blender clean on a scrap piece of paper. Be careful not to pick up to much color. If there is to much simply wipe the
  blender tip on a scrap paper before coloring the image. The tip may look discolored, but if you rub the tip on scrap paper and it is clear, then it is clean.
  

• When working with a intense color, take the Dove Blender right to the tip of the marker to lighten. By touching the tip of the marker with the Blender, the marker color has transferred to the blender tip will be lighter in value.

• For a realistic blended look, layer color on top of color. For example start with a marker color of light purple and then add a darker purple or blend colors on a
  palette, then apply to your image.

Variation on the Blending Technique: Water Based Markers on an Embossed Image

Emboss your image using embossing powder.

With the tip of your water based markers, lay a hint of color on the actual embossed image. The embossed lines will work as a blending palette, making it easier to move the color, thus eliminating a hard line created by the marker.

Working in a circular motion and in small areas, use the Dove Blender to pull the color into the open area of the design. When this process is completed a light
application of color will appear on the image. To prevent the color from appearing too washed out, continue to add more color using the marker and the
Dove Blender until the desired depth of color is achieved. Start with lighter colors and then gradually add darker colors. Limit the colors being used. Three basic colors differing in intensity, plus variation in value, will give life and interest to a stamped image.

Blending Techniques with Watercolor Pencils

When using watercolor pencils, create a palette by scribbling a little of each color on a scrap piece of paper with all the colors. Take your Dove Blender Pen and pick up the color from your palette by marking the pen across the color you want to use. Use the pen on your artwork with the color you picked up and continue picking up color as you go (hint: start with lighter colors first). When finished no fixative is needed because the blending medium acts as a fixative.

Blending Techniques with Chalks

When using chalks you can use the clear blending fluid to color the image and then apply a little chalk using a chalk applicator to the area you are coloring. You can also use the Dove Blender tip to pick up chalk dust you scrap from the chalk block. When you are done no fixative is needed.

Blending Techniques with Watercolor Paints

When using watercolor paint take the Dove Blender or a brush with the Dove Blending Fluid directly to the color or use a palette, and then pick up the color, and start coloring your image. When you are done coloring, the blending medium in the pen or the blending fluid on the brush will make your work. Permanent once dry.