- Now that there are 5 PCA Shader
types in our range, I would like to give a very brief overview of each
one, starting with the smallest, the MicroShader and going through to
our new MegaShader, the largest. Many thanks to all of our customers who
requested these 2 tools... we heard you!
- For full details/instructions and projects to try
using the Shaders we manufacture, please avail yourself of our new "The
Shader Family Booklet" that you can obtain through any of our stockists.
Learn how to use them to their full extent in ways you may not have
thought of!
- Check the
sales
and
online stockist
pages for a few of our listed stockists.... of course, there are many
more, email me directly for the stockist nearest you at
sales@parchcraftaustralia.com
General
Principles In general the method of most common
use with 4 of our Shaders ( MicroShader, MiniShader, Shader and MegaShader)
is that of using the wire loop at it's tip to create a soft, gradient,
airbrushed stroke. The SoftShader, though called a shader, has unique
purposes of it's own.
Why have
differerent size Shaders?
We created the 2 new sizes
as a result of all the requests that we have had for them! Each
project you tackle will have varying size areas that need shading and now we
can offer the full scope of shader tip sizes that anyone could want!
Having the right size tip for the area involved will allow you to minimise
overlapping strokes and get a soft, more natural looking result.
In Whitework
The beauty of this type of
stroke is that unlike solid, white embossing of a single depth, the clever
use of "shading" can create LIGHT and SHADE (the illusion of shadow) in your
projects, particularly in whitework where there is no use of deeper or
lighter colouring to denote areas where light does or does not hit the item
( eg a flower) in your project. It is all about trying to
recreate ( like an artist would with paints) the illusion of highs and lows
that occur naturally in nature.
Light and Shade
The artist would use light
colours where the light strikes the object first ( the closest parts to the
light source) and deeper colours to denote recession or shadow where the
light does not reach easily, if at all. Parchment Crafters
can create these effects by using our Shader tools to give the forward
(protruding) portions the brightest white embossing which, like nature
gradually fades away into the shadows ( the untouched areas of parchment
nearby).
The Action of the
Shader
By using a flicking action
where ( in the case of a flower petal for example) you start the
stroke with the deepest pressure at the outer edge of the petal and draw the
tip up and away toward the centre of the petal. What this does is
emboss a strong whiteness at the edge ... through to off white/pale grey in
the middle of the stroke and then as you lift the tip up and away (
releasing the pressure on the parchment) .... it will look sparse, deeper
grey through to untouched parchment. Repeat each stroke, slightly
overlapping the last and turning your work constantly.... until you finish
each petal separately.
Start of stroke, deepest
pressure
Midstroke - releasing pressure
Lift up and away!
at edge of petal - whitest
look
The tool can be held in either the SPOON ( as above) or
Fork ( turn tip over) position. The Fork position creates
sharper, finer strokes than the spoon.
Turn work constantly!!
Nothing looks worse than strokes that are at unnatural
angles, with no regard for the CURVES of the object you are recreating.
Comparison of Strokes ( not to scale, enlarged
to show detail)
MicroShader MiniShader
Shader and MegaShader
PCA MicroShader
Click thumbnail to see up close
The MicroShader is the newest member (
June 2007 ) and also the smallest! The narrow tip of our MicroShader
makes it a natural for the smallest of places that require graduated
embossing. Things like bird's feathers, fish scales.... tiny flower
buds to name a few. It draws beautiful lines when held on it's side
and can even be used to make small embossed dots etc.
PCA MiniShader
Click thumbnail to see up close
The MiniShader is very versatile. It is small enough to
fit into all but the smallest areas of your projects but can also be used to
fill in average size areas with repeated strokes, slightly overlapping each
one.
PCA Shader
Click thumbnail to see up close
Our original size Shader, it is midsized and can be
used like the MiniShader but covers wider areas in each stroke....good all
rounder! Perfect for leaves, flowers etc.
PCA MegaShader
Click thumbnail to see up close.
The new PCA MegaShader is the largest thinner wire loop
embosser ( as distinct from the SoftShader wire) in our range. It was
created to tackle areas that demand as few strokes as possible to cover
larger areas with gradient embossing.... things like large ruffles,
curtains, dress folds, large petals and leaves etc You'll be amazed at how
many projects really do call for a bigger loop so that you get a soft
natural looking curve to your strokes with minimal overlapping.
PCA SoftShader
Click
thumbnail to see up close
This is the tool that is sure to be used by anyone who
enjoys soft, seamless embossing in larger areas and finds it hard to get
their results soft and even...without the parchment looking lumpy or
buckled!
The SoftShader has a thick circular loop that is set on
an angle to be used in a sweeping movement over the area that you wish to
contour. It's perfect for shading and contouring things like areas of skin
or sails of a boat. It creates seamless UNIFORM embossing ( light )
rather than gradient embossing that is best done with one of our thinner
wire loop embossers in the physical size of your choice!
The SoftShader is good for warming up your parchment
ahead of a heavier area of embossing to minimise buckling of parchment by
relaxing the fibres of the parchment.
Also you can try our
Rose shader lesson by clicking here. Remember ..... to
demonstrate the versatility of each Shader member and give instruction and
practice with each one, we have created "The Shader Family Booklet" -
available from PCA Stockists.
