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Markers of Distinction
“Copic markers have a brush tip on
one end and a thin chisel tip on the
other, and this makes all the difference.”
Copic markers: an Investment in Your artwork • By Diana Sample
When I moved to Arizona from
Connecticut, I found the size of this
state intimidating. A life-long case of
direction impairment plus Arizona’s 75
mph highway speed limit kept me
close to Tucson for a while until I discovered there was a stamp convention
being held near Phoenix.
When I opened a map of the
sprawling Phoenix area, however, I decided to find alternate transportation.
Since my husband didn’t appear to be
receptive to a day of togetherness at a
rubber stamp convention that required
five hours of driving, I signed up for a
chartered bus for Tucson stampers.
After a wonderful convention we
headed back to Tucson, the bus floor
littered with lumpy plastic bags and
the seats full of tired women ready to
nod off. However, in an attempt to
keep the day’s enthusiasm going, the
organizer of the trip began giving an
impromptu stamping class, beginning
with a long list of necessary supplies.
The woman sitting next to me
sighed and shook her head, and when
the final item on the list was mentioned, a pencil, she poked me and
whispered, “Well, at least I have that!”
need to get finished.
If you’ve been in an art store or
crafts emporium lately, you’ve probably seen the word “Manga.” A literal
translation means “whimsical pictures,” referring to a Japanese form of
cartoon art. There are special pads of
paper and colored pens devoted specifically to creating the Manga style, but
even if you’re not into cartooning,
these art supplies provide something
special for stampers. Copic alcohol
markers, a brand commonly associated
with Manga art, are perfect for coloring stamped artwork.
Alcohol markers are nothing new.
Chartpak, Tria and Prismacolor markers are familiar brands many of us
have tried, however those fat chisel
tips are difficult to use for coloring de-
tailed stamped images. Copic markers, in both the Ciao and
Sketch series, have a brush tip on one end comparable to
that of a watercolor brush marker, and a thin chisel tip on
the other, and this makes all the difference. These markers
are available from suppliers on the Internet and from better
art stores, and are sold both in sets and individually. Prices
vary greatly, so look for bargains.
Copic styles, colors and paper
Copic markers have soared in popularity, but it may
take a while to get used to them, particularly if you’ve been
a lifelong user of watercolors, colored pencils, chalk or any
of the other popular coloring media associated with rubber
stamping. There are reasons why there are 322 colors of
Copic Sketch markers and 144 colors in the Copic Ciao series (one pen in each series is a colorless blender), the most
important being that what you see is what you get.
When you lay down a color, you’re pretty much stuck
with it except for a tendency to lose intensity as it dries.
Scrubbing away at alcohol ink with a colorless blender will
lighten the color somewhat and aids in blending, but if you
want some subtle shading in a mountain, you’ll need the
base color for the mountain plus some of the compatible
markers on the color chart.
There’s a formula for the letters and numbers on Copic
markers, and understanding this formula is helpful when
you’re trying to find markers that work together. Briefly, the
letters indicate the hue. B is blue, BV is Blue-Violet, Y is
Yellow, YG is Yellow-Green, etc. The first number after the
color designation indicates the grayness of a color, where a
“0” or “1” indicates a pure color and a higher number indicates a higher level of gray. The additional numbers, like
“00,” indicate the value, where lower numbers designate
light colors and higher numbers designate dark colors.
Another reason that there are so many colors is that
you’ll never be happy with a “basic set” and you’ll want
more. The Copic Ciao markers are thinner and cheaper than
the Sketch markers, and the 144 colors in the complete set
provide an excellent range. They’re a great way to get started without taking out a second mortgage, and you can always augment the colors with markers from the Sketch
series.
Both the Ciao markers and the Sketch markers are refillable—and other accoutrements, such as replaceable tips,
airbrush mechanisms for the Sketch markers, and storage
boxes with different capacities are available.
Are they worth it? Definitely. You do, however, need
special paper for these markers, and finding the paper or
cardstock that works for you is a matter of experimentation.
I’m presently using Aquabee’s 110# Manga Artist paper,
which has a smooth finish that allows the ink to blend easily.
It’s reasonably priced and responds well to fixative. Since
quality art supplies are difficult to find in Tucson, I buy 50-
ColorIng wIth CoPIC markerS—SteP-BY-SteP
Starter set
Looking out the bus window on
the ride home, I wondered what it
would be like to be an addicted stamper living on a fixed income, unable to
buy every new have-to-have item on
the market. But as I get closer to retirement myself and have settled into a
comfortable stamping style, I find it
makes sense to bypass the latest fads
and make an occasional investment in
something lasting that fosters enthusiasm and improves the quality of my
artwork.
So at the last convention I attended (I can find my own way now), I
picked up a “starter set” of 36 Copic
Ciao markers. I should have known
better. Starter sets always seem to
SomerSet Cottage
(Stamp credit—PSX. artwork by Diana Sample.)
Begin with: Spring Dim Green,
Sand White, Barely Beige, Cool
Gray 3
Add: Green Gray, Lipstick
Natural, Cool Gray 5, Sand
Add: Pale Olive, Bush, Pea
Green, Verdigris, Flesh Pink,
Cream
Add: Light Suntan, Mustard, Pale
Blue, Willow, Ice Ocean, Abyss
Green, Orientale, Reddish Brass,
Pale Lavender, Warm Gray 5,
Jade Green, Colorless Blender
Add: Dark Suntan, Pale Sepia,
Cream, Caramel, Powder Pink,
Pale Blue, Frost Blue, Dr. Ph
Martin’s Bleed Proof White Ink
sheet packs online.
Some practical suggestions
There are instructions and demonstrations for using
just about everything on the Internet, including videos that
provide lessons from both professionals and amateur
artists for using Copic markers. Some are very worthwhile
and some are downright annoying or badly filmed.
There is also a 20-minute instructional DVD available
called Techniques and Projects with Sketch Markers. It’s
professionally done, inexpensive, and while it is designed
for beginners and covers more “projects” than techniques,
it offers some valuable information on how to get even
color and add shading.
Tips and suggestions
The following are my own suggestions for gearing up
to use Copic markers.
• Invest in decent storage. There are inexpensive
plastic storage cases made for each style of Copic marker
(since the barrels are shaped differently). Alcohol ink dries
fast, so you will constantly be pulling off and replacing
caps (the caps of the Ciao markers are easier to remove),
and storing the markers in an easy-to-access case with the
brush tip facing up really speeds things along.
Avoid the Easter Bunny baskets for storage (remember when a fishing tackle box used to hold all your rubber
stamps?). As your collection grows (and it will), regimental organization by color makes a large selection of markers easier to use.
• Include a Colorless Blender. Make sure to include
Add: Brown, Flesh
Copic’s colorless blender in your marker collection. Unlike the blender pens for watercolor markers, the Copic
blender actually works well and it can be useful for picking up color from a pen tip as well as blending directly on
paper. You’ll use the blender a lot, so invest in a bottle of
the refill ink
• Save money by analyzing how you stamp and
what colors you really need. The darker shades of Copic
markers are very strong. If your stamping includes a lot of
landscapes, for example, skip the dark, saturated colors
like deep blue or red violet and spend your money on
earth tones, greens and yellow greens.
• Leave white space and add highlights. A good
thing to remember when using Copic markers is the old
adage your fourth grade teacher told you about using commas: when in doubt, leave it out. Start with light colors
and leave light areas for highlights. The colorless blender
allows you to lighten and remove a little color, but it’s always easier to add color than to remove it.
An option for highlighting small areas is opaque
white paint, such as Copic White or Dr. Ph. Martin’s
Bleed Proof White. The Uni-Ball Signo UM-153 white gel
pen is also wonderful and mess-free for small highlights.
However, alcohol ink is bright and translucent and you’re
better off practicing some self-control from the beginning
with large areas.
• Hold your artwork up to a light. As you work, periodically hold the paper up to a strong light. The lighter,
highlighted areas will almost glow and you can also see
“the colorless blender allows you to lighten
and remove a little color, but it’s always easier
to add color than to remove it.”
where you’ve missed spots or need to add shading.
You’ll run into a lot of advice about turning your paper over to make sure
everything is saturated with color. I prefer the “light test,” as I often don’t want
an area saturated with color and the reverse side of any paper colored with
Copic markers is pretty depressing.
• Use fixative. Spray your artwork with fixative, such as Krylon Crystal
Clear, when you’re done. Artwork colored with alcohol markers tends to look
rather subdued and flat, but spraying it with fixative brightens and evens out the
colors. Of course this depends somewhat on the kind of paper or cardstock
you’re using (the reaction of the Aquabee Manga paper to fixative is a sharpening of detail and color enhancement). One advantage of using Copic markers
over watercolor markers is that even after spraying your artwork with fixative,
it can still be touched up.
• Obtain or create a color chart. You can download a color chart in .pdf
format for the Copic markers from the Copic website, see Resources) or pick up
a Copic brochure in an art store. Better yet, make your own chart using the
paper you’ll be working with most often. This provides truer colors and you can
use your color swatches to match your artwork to background paper.
• Think big. If you do landscapes or scenic stamping and you often have a
large expanse of sky to color, invest in a couple Copic Wide markers in blue.
Pale Blue (B-32) and Manganese Blue (B-34) are good choices. They cover the
paper in a wide swath that saves ink and a lot of fiddling. Once you’ve added
your basic blue colors and the marker lines have merged, work at the solid color
with the colorless blender to give a suggestion of clouds.
• Color in small circles. This blends the edges of your color and prevents
streaking. This is another technique that is pretty standard when you find information on using Copic markers, but use your own judgment. There are times
when doing this is impossible, and other times when it’s necessary.
• Take frequent breaks. Walk away from your artwork frequently. Let the
dog out or have a couple brownies. After 10 minutes, the colors settle,
the edge marks disappear, and you have a better idea of where you need to continue.
Diana Sample lives in Tucson, Arizona. She is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to the pages of RSM.This article first appeared in the Fall
2009 issue, #165.
Resources
Carpe Diem Store carries an extensive line of markers and other art products. Ships via FedEx, which can be expensive. For more visit carpediemstore.com, e-mail [email protected], write 3820 Valley Blvd. Unit 1,
Walnut, CA 91789, call (909) 598-7230.
Copicmarkers.com is an online store carrying Copic markers, accessories,
paper and more. For more visit copicmarkers.com, write Copicmarkers.com,
Period Style, PO Box 263, North Chili, NY 14514. No phone.
The Merri Artist is an art supply store with an excellent website and excellent service. Free shipping on orders of $90 and more within continental US.
For more visit merriartist.com, e-mail [email protected], write 321 NE
Baker St., McMinnville, OR 97128, call (866) 472-1684.
Oozak carries a wide assortment of Copic markers at discount prices, as
well as other art supplies and products. Free shipping on orders of $50 or
more within the continental US. For more visit oozak.com, write 225 Parsons St. Ste C-9, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, call (800) 507-0718.