Copic marker tutorial videos from beginner techniques to more advanced concepts. Learn how to color light skin tones for more realistic and believable drawings

Hallo, tijdens ons werk in Duitsland voor de Copic-importeur voor Europa hebben we wat nieuwtjes gehoord. Volgend voorjaar komen er 36 nieuwe Ciao-kleuren bij. Deze zullen de "gaten" opvullen die we in deze marker-serie hebben. Het totaal komt daarmee op 180. Dus dames en heren dat wordt weer sparen. Er komen ook 12 nieuwe Sketch Markers bij, welke kleuren dit zijn, dat wete we nog niet. Binnen enkele weken is er een nieuwe Copic papiersoort, Copic Perfect Coloring Paper leverbaar, dit papier hoort bij de harde papiersoorten, die ook voor de laserkleurendruk gebruikt worden. We hebben er al op gekleurd, heel fijn om te blenden en het loopt niet buiten de lijnen. Het papiergewicht is 250 gram, dus heel goed om te snijden en embossen. We hadden bovenstaand kleurenstaalboekje al bij Marianne Walker op haar blog gezien en het toen meteen besteld in Amerika. Omdat dit gedrukt is op ander papier dan ons kleurpapier is het gekopieerd en op ons (DCP)papier geprint en ingekleurd. Het bijzondere van dit boekje is dat de natuurlijke menggroepen op een regel staan. (zie uitleg kleurenleer) Het kwam de klanten op de beurs goed van pas bij het kiezen van hun markers. Dit boekje is over enige tijd ook hier te koop. Dan wordt het geprint op het nieuwe Copic coloringpapier, hier enkele bladzijden uit dit boekje. Alle bladzijden kun je in groot formaat hier vinden, je kunt ze gebruiken om voor jezelf kleurcombinaties te kiezen. Ik zet ze hier niet neer, want dan wordt dit bericht zo groot. Tutorial Copic Kleurenleer We merken dat veel Copic-gebruikers het kiezen van de juiste kleuren lastig vinden. Eigenlijk heeft Copic dat voor ons heel gemakkelijk gemaakt, ze hebben de kleuren in een overzichtelijk systeem gezet. Om dit systeem te begrijpen hebben we een tutorial voor jullie gemaakt, waarin we dit systeem uitleggen. Als je dit download en uitprint en dan eens rustig doorleest, zal je dit duidelijk worden. Tijdens onze Certificeringscursussen gebruiken we dit systeem ook, we merken meteen dat de deelnemers het kiezen van kleuren daarna simpeler vinden. We hopen dat deze tutorial antwoord geeft op veel van jullie vragen. Als je dan ook nog de kleurkaarten uit bovenstaand stalenboekje er bij bekijkt, dan moet het wat helderder worden. Je kunt nu ook je voorraad Copic Markers uitbreiden, met de kennis uit de tutorial maak je betere kleurcombinaties. Je krijgt de bestanden in PDFof docx, als je op de titel Tutorial klikt. Hieronder een voorbeeldje waarin je enkele goede kleurcombinaties kunt zien. We horen graag in jullie reacties of er behoefte is aan dit soort tutorials, geef aan welke uitleg je op dit blog graag wilt zien. We zullen dan ons best doen om deze informatie hier neer te zetten. Prettig weekend jullie CopicBlogteam Naschrift: We zouden het op prijs stellen als je even een kort berichtje nalaat, als je de bestanden meeneemt. Daaraan kunnen wij afmeten of er behoefte is aan dit soort informatie. We hebben gezien dat de bestanden meer dan 300 keer zijn gedownload, er zijn slechts 9 reacties gegeven. Deze dames willen we dan ook hartelijk bedanken daarvoor.

Ready to go to school? Today I’m answering a question that I get a lot: what’s saturation and why should I care? I’ll give you the Copic numbering system application – some swatches – a…

【PREMIUM ALCOHOL-BASED MARKERS MADE IN JAPAN】A fast-drying, transparent alcohol ink will not harm the surface or fibers in the paper allowing it to remain smooth. The ink used is low-odor and non-toxic. Round barrel with child-safe cap. 【REPLACEABLE NIBS】SUPER BRUSH & MEDIUM BROAD: The flexible brush nib is ideal for blending, shading, and for drawing both thick and thin strokes. The broad nib is perfect for producing consistent lines and for adding details to your creations. 【REFILLABLE】a separate ink refill product "Copic Ink" allows you to save money and be friendly to the environment. 【ACMI certifiied】all Copic markers are ACMI certified and conform to ASTM D-4236. This product is an improved version of our old model "Copic Ciao 6pc Skintone Set." This set includes pale, middle and dark earth-tone colors: E000, E00, E11, E15, E18 and E93. This set is great for blending colors to create skin, as well as brown-tones for landscapes or earthy textures.

Explore El Negro Magnifico's 9549 photos on Flickr!

Buondì. terza e ultima parte sulla panoramica dei capelli: stavolta vediamo come colorare i capelli in maniera da aiutare a renderne il movimento. un foglio solo di ragazze, poveri maschietti. ma dei capelli lunghi femminili mi sembravano più adatti, perchè presentano più riflessi e si vedono meglio le ombre. Partiamo con la roba 'difficile', molte ragazze ho visto che hanno problemi con i capelli mossi, in particolare i boccoli. Come si fa un bel boccolo morbido? Qui i capelli vanno pensati come fossero raggruppati in fasce, stilizzandoli diventano dei nastri che si avvolgono su loro stessi a spirale... ma quello che li rende veramente morbidi, è il fatto che il capello umano ha un suo naturale grado di elasticità: se una ragazza ha capelli lunghi e boccolosi, non saranno arrotolati nello stesso modo dall'inizio alla fine, anzi. I capelli più sono lunghi, più pesano, quindi la parte vicino all'attaccatura della testa sarà poco mossa o quasi liscia, tirata dal suo stesso peso, mentre in fondo faranno giri più stretti, terminando con un grazioso riccioletto. Nel primo step c'è una linea che indica il movimento, racchiusa in un cono. la forma conica è dovuta al fatto che stringendo le volute sul fondo, si stringe anche la forma. Qualche ciuffo sottile staccato dal 'nastro' principale darà un aspetto più morbido e naturale. Per quanto riguarda il colore ho scelto due toni di castano, uno che vira al dorato e uno che vira al mogano, cioè al rossiccio. Entrambe le scale cromatiche hanno 4 colori che partono con lo stesso tono scuro e vanno a cambiare man mano che si schiariscono. Parto con un E47 con le ombre. Il trucco per disporre le ombre è semplice: immaginare che il nastro in cui abbiamo stilizzato i capelli abbia due piani: uno davanti, che prende la luce sulla rotondità, e uno dietro, convesso, che essendo coperto dall'altro prende principalmente le ombre. Nel dubbio basta prendere una strisciolina di carta, colorarla da un lato immaginando che quelle siano le ombre e poi arrotolarla a spirale col lato bianco all'esterno, e si vede subito quali sono le parti più scure... non finirò mai di dirlo, stendere sempre il colore seguendo il movimento dei capelli. Continuo con E17 (per il dorato) e E19 (per il rosso) che sono gli ultimi colori che andranno nelle fasce in ombra, i colori da qui in poi (E35 e YR23 per il dorato e R02 e YR61 per il rosso) andranno solo nella parte chiara. I due colori finali vanno passati solo nelle zone vicino alle luci bianche per dare un tocco di saturazione che rinforzi la luminosità. A seguire, un mosso così lieve e semplice che credo non ci sia nemmeno bisogno di grandi passaggi. Sembrano tanti colori, ma solo perchè la base è tonalizzata in due nuance, quindi sono due colori per le basi, due per le ombre proprie e due per le ombre portate dietro al collo. Si tratta di sfumare lievemente i due colori di base, che sono E51 ed RV11, una sfumatura morbida e omogenea, con la predominanza di RV11, perchè velevo un tono rosa tonalizzato un pò al salmone. Con E93 ed RV23, che sono praticamente gli stessi toni su scala più scura, vado a dare un pò di ombre , qualche colpetto, per dare spessore alle ciocche. I restanti colori (prima V91, poi E04) sono stati usati per intensificare le ombre nella parte posteriore. lasciare qualche ciocca 'bucata' dai capelli che stanno davanti, quindi più chiari, per far vedere il colore più scuro sotto, aiuta staccare meglio i piani, e rende la massa di capelli più morbida, anche se la forma di queste ondine è volutamente compatta e un pò statica. Qui un sistema simpatico e veloce per fare i capelli riccissimi, tipo afro. Non c'è bisogno di disegnare ogni singolo riccio, basta dare la forma e disegnarne qualcuno in qualche punto strategico per dare l'idea della texture, dove per 'punto strategico' intendo dove si accumulerebbero le ombre, infatti le parti basse della capigliatura ne contengono di più. La base mi fa pensare tantissimo a questo ma l'ho fatta multicolore semplicemente per affrontare tonalità calde e fredde in un colpo solo. Tra tutti i colori segnati in questa color chart bastano un realtà un colore di base (o due se si vuole cangiare un pò) due grigi tonalizzati a Cool o Warm a seconda della base che si è scelta e un nero. a me il nero 100 non piace perchè copre completamente la lineart, quindi uso un T10. Una volta passate le basi colorate, che siano singole o sfumate tra di loro come in questo esempio, basta picchiettare con la punta del copic i toni più scuri: prima il grigio più chiaro, in scala un 3, sia della gamma W che C, e poi un 5. Poi si passa il nero o il suo equivalente, che viene distribuito principalmente nelle zone più scure, quelle interne e in ombra. Dopo il nero dò un'altra picchiettata di W-5/C-5. toccando e premendo con la punta durante la picchiettatura si rilascia più inchiostro di una semplice passata, quindi scioglierà il colore scuro, spargendolo un pò sulla carta. sarà come ottenere un tono intermedio, come un W-7/C-7. non è necessario ripassare il 5 su tutto il nero, basta darlo nelle parti più esterne, in modo di lasciare anche un pò di T10 puro. Si può rifinire con qualche punto di bianchetto per dare lucidità. Tutto questo si poteva fare anche in scala di grigi, ma una cosa che apprezzo particolarmente del manga è l'uso del colore per saturare e vivacizzare tutto. infatti anche quando faccio i capelli neri li tonalizzo, anche solo un semplice viola-blu. Due appunti per i capelli intrecciati: in questo caso la colorazione è molto semplice, tono su tono, tre semplici passaggi. Per chi possiede pochi copic possono bastarne anche due. Si tratta di decidere da che direzione vengono le luci e tenere un riflesso luminoso in quella direzione in ogni spicchio di treccia. Al contrario dei codini e delle code, che sono un raggruppamento di capelli che oltre l'elastico sono liberi e sciolti - e quindi necessitano generalmente di riflessi lunghi - la treccia è fatta di piccole porzioni che necessitano ciascuna della sua luce e della sua ombra. Un raccolto. qui è palese come il colore viene steso seguendo la direzione dei capelli. Le luci sono piccolissime, per dare un effetto sobrio e leggermente opaco, inoltre fa apparire la massa molto compatta. In questo caso i colori passati non sono in scala, ma alternati. per intenderci, invece che 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, vengono passati in quest'ordine: 1, 3, 2, 5, 4. Quindi parto col BV01 per la base, poi una passata di BV04, che sarebbe il terzo tono. successivamente ho passato il secondo, BV13, per sfumare tra loro i due toni, ma ho lasciato dei fili di BV04 tra le ciocche di capelli, perchè in quei punti c'è ombra. La luce proviene da sopra, quindi aggiungo le ombre nere (T10), perchè l'idea è che i capelli siano neri, anche se tonalizzati a viola e successivamente le sfumo con una passata di BV23. Qui un'altra gamma di viola, ma chiara e in tinte calde. i capelli chiari sono più facili da fare, perchè rendono bene anche con pochi colori. Sono partita con un BV13 una minima quantità nelle ombre pù forti seguito da un V17. questo colore in particolare è stato steso con movimenti rapidi ed una pressione calcolata per ottenere tratti appuntiti ad entrambe le estremità. Bisogna fare un pochino di pratica per prenderci la mano, ma fa sembrare i capelli molto fini e sottili. Per terminare il V05 sempre passato con tante pennellate sottili. Le luci sono nette e lunghe e solo perchè volevo far vedere che bastavano 3 colori non ho dato una passara di RV23, vicino alle luci per saturarle ancora di più. Per finire, una noticina, spero interessante: gli ultimi due tipi di capelli erano uno 'opaco' e uno 'lucido', quindi aggiungo un paio di color chart per abbinare i due effetti a capelli chiari e scuri. Sperando di aver stimolato una nutrita schiera di parrucchieri bidimensionali, non posso che augurarvi di sbizzarrirvi! Alice Qui i precedenti tutorial: 1- come distribuire luci e ombre sulla testa 2- come tonalizzare i capelli con le cangianze

E con questo post chiudo l'argomento metalli. Avendo già parlato di come ragionare i contrasti dei riflessi metallici QUI e come applic...

Allora, ultima fase di questo disegno. Avevo tenuto l'innaffiatoio da parte per studiare un pò i riflessi metallici. Essendo un argome...

Hi, it's Miranda again and today it's my turn to publish. And even better I have a little tutorial for you to share. I love to work with my copics and airbrush, because you can make such wonderful backgrounds in a very easy way. Let me show you how: Step 1: Choose a template that you like (I used the flower by Dutch Doobadoo) and some copic colours (RV11, R24 and R59). Put your marker with the chiselpoint in the airbrush and spray some ink through the template. If you keep your marker close to the template the colour will be more intense than if you keep a little distance. This way you can make variations in light and dark hues. Be careful not to spray ink to close to the edge of the stencil because that will give you a ugly kind of border in the middle of your project. Step 2: Repeat with another colour. Step 3: And again I picked another colour. Because the alcohol inks are transparant you can make some lovey layers. step 4: For my last layer I used another template (Diamond by Dutch Doobadoo) and another colour (YG07). Red and Green are opposite each other in the colourwheel. When using inks or paints red and green would normally turn muddy, but the alcohol ink in the copics dry immediately after using. This gives us a great advantage over ink or paints, you can use it more easily on your project. Allthough you still have to be a little careful when layering it on dark red places because of the transparancy of the ink. It will look a bit muddy in such places. Step 5: Another fun way of using the templates is not adding another colour, but bleach out some colour by using the activator. Just spray a little activator through the stencil and see what happens. Step 6: I also like stamping with copics. Just add the copic ink with the chiselpoint on your stamp. Spray a little activator on the stamp. Not too much otherwise your stamp will smudge. I like to keep a distance of about 20 cm or spray some activator in the air and move the stamp through the activatormist. Step 7 I used 2 different stamps and 2 stencils. I never use more than 3 different stencils on small projects as it might look to heavy. Step 8: Use your background in a project. I used it to make a card for my mum's birthday. I used an image by Aurora wings. Colours I used for colouring the image are: E00, E02, E13, BV00, RV11, R0000, R24, R59,Y0000, YG07, YG17 and G94. The flowers are from the hobby craftshop and are coloured with my airbrush too. I hope you liked my tutorial. If you have any questions about this technique please let me know. have a fabulous day hugs Miranda

autumn in the air

Drawings in different styles and interests, that illustrate all sorts of things. Irina Shelmenko (Ирина Шельменко) is a Sketch Artist and an Illustrator + she also teaches others, how to sketch. This explains the inclusion on two study drawings below. It goes without saying, that you can go around chronicling all these different interests with a camera, but how may of the photos you take, do you revisit on a regular basis, or even once a year. With these drawings, you are bound to go through them, if nothing else, at the request of friends and family. Colorful illustrations that showcase a lot of the leisurely activities, we indulge in these days, like: travel, eating out, that divides in healthy eating and special treats + more... Medieval Scene. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Owl and Coffee Shop. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Pretzel Shop. Press the Image to Enlarge it. City Sketches Amsterdam. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Coffee. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Metal and Glass Lantern. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Charming Culinary Recipe. Press the Image to Enlarge it. City of Anapa. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Eat Me - Cupcake. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Quick Sketch on Location. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Travelling. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Sea Shells. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Textures Study 1. Press the Image to Enlarge it. Textures Study 2. Press the Image to Enlarge it.

W1 Warm Gray #1 Copic Marker. Understand this Copic ink's defining characteristics to better use it in your art projects. We swatch and test Copic colors- layering, staining, lift, value, lightfastness, saturation, and cap accuracy. Suggestions include complements, underpaint, and pencil for deepeni

Nature Pastels; Copic Markers Ciao Artist Doodle Set; Copic Ciao Marker Doodle Pack Drawing Art Set; Adult Coloring Books * Made in Japan * Packaged in a clear plastic case, a doodle set is the ideal way to begin or add to a marker collection * Refillable markers and replaceable nibs, compatible with Copic air brush system * Alcohol-based ink is permanent and non-toxic, dries acid free COPIC-Doodle Kit: Nature. A perfect set for every artist! This package contains five refillable Copic Ciao markers (one B95 marker one BV13 marker one E04 marker one V12 marker and one G82 marker) and two .3mm Multiliner fine line inking pens (Wine and Olive). Conforms to ASTM D 4236. Imported. List Price: $69.99 Price: $44.95 Compared to the Price of Cappuccino Grande: 8 c[] _____ My philosophy is simple: 1. YOU have to be happy with your purchase. That's it. If you are happy, I am happy. And YES, I do provide THE UNCONDITIONAL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Returns, refunds, remakes are easy -- just let me know. _____ Worldwide shipping from California by USPS, unless otherwise specified or requested. The US Shipping is First Class or Priority. If you need Express Shipping, please let me know. _____ I accept Etsy Direct Payment, Etsy Gift Cards, and PayPal. Please keep in mind -- for paying with PayPal, you don't need a PayPal account. Simply click on "Add to Cart" on this page. When checking out, choose the "credit card" option on the PayPal page to use your credit or debit card. @->-->--- ETSYICRT6V2

Since I discovered Copics, I have spent a lot of time trying to compile information so that I could learn to really use these professional art markers to their fullest potential. I figured I would share all of the information I have come across in my travels with all of you in cyberland! (Note- I am not copic certified. The information that follows is just my opinion and information I have found on the web and learned from classes.) COPIC MARKERS- The Basics- What are copics? Copic Markers are high quality alcohol ink markers, refillable , color consistent, non-toxic, acid-free when dry, and come in 358 colors. The ink is permanent but will not cross contaminate - or in other words, you will not ruin one marker by touching it's tip with another or coloring over another darker color. These alcohol-based dye markers make it possible to color over an image multiple times without making the paper pill. That is their super power which allows them to blend so beautifully. The result is smooth, even color-no more stripey unevenly colored images. There are four types of Copic Markers- Original (3)- square body, chisel tip and standard fine nib good for detail work, refillable Ciao (4)- round body, brush nib and chisel tip, holds less ink than sketch and original, refillable Sketch (2)- oval body, super brush nib and chisel tip, fits copic airbrush system (8), refillable Wide - inch wide stroke, 36 colors, refillable (good for coloring large areas) Sketch Markers are the most popular and are available in the most colors, 358. Copic also makes a Multiliner SP fine-tip pen in 10 different tip sizes. The preferred tip size is the black 0.3 it is acid-free, archival safe, and most importantly won't bleed when you color over it with Copics. This is a must have for journaling, and touching-up stamped images. Storage- Copics can be stored upright or on their side (Spicas Glitter Pens need to be stored ontheir side or the glitter will clog). Here is how I store my copics. Aren't they beautiful! Let's talk about the Colorless Blender Pen- You must have it! But the name is misleading...it is not so much a blender of ink as it is a pusher of ink. With the colorless blender, we expect blending, but it really does the following best: Lightens Color, Pushes color ,Great for Special Effects, Blends Colors when used with tip to tip blending method ,Fade to white by pushing colors. The colorless blender is your magic helper. If you have colored outside the lines of your stamped image, no worries, just use your colorless blender to push the ink back toward the line. Color Coding System- The Copic color coding system is made up of letters and numbers. Letters- The letter(s) represents the color family. R = Red YR = Yellow-Red Y = Yellow YG = Yellow-Green G = Green BG = Blue-Green B = Blue BV = Blue-Violet V = Violet RV = Red-Violet E = Earth N = Neutral Gray W = Warm Gray C = Cool Gray T = Toner Gray The First Number - This represents the color saturation or intensity/gray scale. Lower numbers are more vibrant. Higher numbers are more gray. The Second Number - This represents the color brightness. Lower numbers are light. Higher numbers are bright/dark. Example- B00 will be light and bright blue where as B99 will be dark and gray blue. This color coding system helps when picking which markers can be used together as a "natural blending group." Look for markers with the same letters and first number. For example- R24, R27, R29 work great together. When blending two markers, it generally works to pick ones that are two to four digits apart. So, B00, B02 and B05 would blend well. Some colors don't follow the rule (example- RV11 with RV14). General Tips- Since Copic markers can be a rather pricey initial investment, it is best to have a plan when selecting which color markers to get. UPDATED POST REGARDING CHOOSING COLORS CAN BE FOUND HERE !!!! Copic Online lowest advertised price for markers is $5.24 sketch, $3.59 ciao, refills $5.99 MSRP retail price is $6.99 sketch , $4.79 ciao, $7.99 refills Registered members of oozak.com or icopic.com receive a discounted price...membership has its privileges! For beginners on a budget, I would advise not to get the basic pre-made sets as they usually do not provide multiple colors from blending families. To really get the most out of your Copics, you need to have 3 or 4 markers that can be used together in "natural blending groups" - various shades, light to dark, of the same color. * The Copic Papercrafting sketch sets do offer some good color choices if you have a larger budget- specifically the Papercrafting set of 36, Papercrafting set of 72 and Papercrafting set 72B.* If you can only afford to start out with 10, for example, just pick 3 sets of 3 markers in your usual go to colors along with a Colorless Blender Pen. (Example- If you color mostly floral stamps- get 3 reds, 3 purples and 3 greens + your colorless blender). ***If you can’t make a large initial investment, try buying your markers in groups of 12. over time.*** Each month spend about $60-65. You may have to brown bag your lunch or give up your makeup or Starbucks habits like I did, but it is worth the sacrifice. Period Style- is an online store that allows you to create a custom set of 12, 36, or 72 markers and it will come with a nice plastic case. This is great because you can get exactly what you need + they do free shipping for 12 + markers. Suggested Colors to start with: 0- colorless blender, the Quad Zeros or triple zeros for blending (ie- Quad Zeros- R0000 B0000 BG0000 BV0000 V0000 YR0000 YG0000 RV0000 G0000 Y0000, E0000, C00, W00) Also select flesh tones and hair colors if are you coloring people + and a little something from all the color families The colors you choose should be complimentary with what kind of stamps you have and your personal color preferences. Do you prefer Bights, Pastels, Basics, Earth tones? I prefer bright and pastel colors (purple, aqua, teal and pink are my favorite colors) and I color mostly people and some flowers…. Colors I use often: E0000, BV000, RV000, BG000, B000 Earth- E000, E00, E11, E13, E21, E25, E27, E29, E31, E33, E35, E37 , E49, plus Y21, R20 (Flesh/Hair colors) Red - R29 R35 R37 (red) R81 R83 R85 (pink) Orange -YR61 YR65 YR68 (orange) Yellow -Y11 Y13 Y15 (light bright yellow) Y32 Y35 Y38 (sunflower) Yellow Green- YG03 YG13 YG17 (bright green) YG91 YG93 YG97 (olive) Green - G21 G24 G28 (green) Blue Green- BG72 BG75 BG78 (deep water) BG10 BG11 BG13 (aqua) Blue- B12 B14 B16 (sky blue) B91 B95 B97 (jeans) Blue Violet- BV02 BV13 BV17 (amethyst) Violet- V12 V15 V17 (bright purple) V91 V93 V95 (pale purple) Red Violet- RV10 RV23 RV32 (pink) Cool Gray C1 C3 C5 C9 (black) Note- These 72 markers would cost you at least $377.28 if you bought them at the $5.24 price. Hefty Investment! But well worth the price overtime. I no longer use pencils, watercolor crayons, water based markers, etc. These markers will last a lifetime if treated right because you can just keep refilling them and replacing the tips. edited 4/18/12- Here is a link to some posts I have done sharing my favorite copic color combinations and my Copic Journal. Examples of Color Combos: The Angel Company used to offer Copic collections. Here is the chart of the 144 copics that they bundled- these are easy 'no-brainer' color combos that are proven to work together. With the exception of the RV combos I use all of these together often. (I am not a hot pink fan). Other Accessories needed for Copic success: The Right Ink- Using copic compatible ink is crucial as all others will bleed, smear and potentially ruin the tips of your markers. My ink of choice is Memento Tuxedo Black ink which comes in pads, markers, and dew drop size. Other inks that can work with Copics according to a copic certified instructor- Amuse, Ranger Soot Black Distress Ink (all dry quickly) Brilliance and Memories and Versafine ink (MUST BE HEAT SET) Non-Compatible: Stazon, Stampin Up, Close to my Heart, Inks made for waterbased markers, colored embossing powders The Right Paper- You should use a smooth, heavy , non- coated paper when coloring with copics for optimal blending. Make sure to always test your paper. These markers work differently on each style of paper. Some things your want to be aware of are bleeding and feathering of the markers. It is okay if the paper bleeds the ink through the back (you want to see a well blended image on the back of your work...this means you are blending evenly. Make sure to have a scratch piece of paper behind your work. Watch out for papers that lead to ink feathering, this is when the ink spreads outward on the paper. The new X-Press It Blending Card (cardstock) from Australia is very highly recommended by the Copic certified instructors as being extremely easy to blend with. (icopic.com, papermaniac.com, 7kidscollegefund.com) My favorites cardstocks are: 1- COPIC X-Press It Blending Card 92 lb super smooth cardstock from Australia (available at oozak, allthatscraps, papermaniac, diecutsrus, icopic) 2- Boise HD Color Copy Cover 80lb (tigerdirect.com) 3- PTI Stampers Select White (from Papertreyink.com) 4- C.C. Designs copic quality paper (allthatscraps.com) 5-Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lb or 120 lb (XPedX stores or online at places such as papermaniac.com, creativeplaystamps.com, stampandcreate.com, diecutsrus.com) For me -these 5 papers were the easiest to blend with and I do not experience the dreaded ink feathering outside the stamped lines issue. Some people also recommend Gina K Pure Luxury120 llb , Cryogen Irridescent White and Georgia Pacific 110 llb. (I have not tried Gina K or Cryogen cardstock). I have a ream of Georgia Pacific and I don’t care for the grainy quality/ rough tooth and off white/grayish color. That being said, it is cheap and you can get it at Walmart, so it is great for practice coloring if you are just starting out. It is important to test your paper and ink combination as results can vary depending on what ink you use to stamp your images and what paper you are stamping on. Here is a link to a post that describes how to test your paper. * A Note on Digi Stamping- Copic Marker inks will not destroy lines printed out from a laser printer or standard photocopier. This is because they are toner-based devices and the toner is fused to the paper so the alcohol ink from the markers will not destroy it. However, with inkjet printers, each printer uses slightly different inks and you need to test your printouts before you color or you could make a mess. Newer inkjet printers seem to work better than the old; but to be safe you should always test them out. Some inkjet printed images will smear when the alcohol ink is colored over them. (*like with my printer Epson RX580 :0( If I color very carefully and do not color over the lines I can use my printed images.) edited 10/21/10- I have found that if I set my printing preferences to Draft and select Semi Glossy Paper as the paper type that less ink is printed out and I therefore do not experiencing bleeding/smearing. edited 4/18/12- I got the HP Envy All In One Printer and I have smearing problems with my digi images if printed with regular printing properties. I find that I need to select fast draft printing on regular paper so that less ink is printed on the page to prevent smearing. Techniques- There are many different ways to blend with copics, tip to tip blending, light to dark, dark to light, feathering....the list goes on and on. There are tons of fabulous video tutorials you can watch online if you are a visual learner. Here are two suggested techniques from the copic official site: Marker Blending on Paper 1. Color evenly, really soaking the paper. Color in circles to keep you edges wet and to avoid streaks. 2. While it is still wet, add your darker color to one side. Lift up at the end of the stroke, so you have more ink on the shadow side and less on the edge where it will be blending. You can do this step after your base color has dried, it is easier however to do it while the base is wet. 3. Go back over the darker color with your first color. Add a lot of ink and really soak it in. This is what hides those rough edges and mixes the two colors together to get a smooth blend. If this doesn’t work for you, try using colors that are closer in value to each other, or use lighter colors to begin with.

 Repeat steps 2 and 3, layering more and more ink until it gets as smooth as you want it. You won’t destroy your paper, don’t worry. 4. Add a third color if you wish, again, using the same technique. Start with your lightest, add your middle color, go back with your lightest to blend those two layers together, then add your darkest, then go back with your middle to blend the dark into the rest of the picture. Finish up by using your lightest color. 5. Use the colorless blender to add a highlight back in. For a stronger highlight, use Opaque White and paint a white spot back in. Marker to Marker Blending This works with any two Copic markers. If you want the color area to fade to white, use a blender pen as one of your colors. If you wanted it to fade to yellow, then choose a yellow as your “brush” color. 1. Always use the lighter color to pick up darker colors, that way you can see how much color you’re picking up. 2. Use the colorless blender as a paintbrush and pick up some of the color from your other marker, directly onto your blender pen. 3. Start with small dabs of color until you see how much/how quickly it will fade out when used. 4. Next, choose a picture that you want to color, and touch your marker at the darkest point you want. Then color out towards the lighter side. *If you’re done blending with that color but your marker tip still looks dirty, just scribble onto some scratch paper until the color comes completely off. Great Resources on the web: Here is a link to the copic hand color chart. You can print it out and color in which markers you have then refer to it when you are shopping to make sure you don't purchase duplicates. Copic FAQ thread on Splitcoast Stampers site. Copic's website. Copic Color is a new site that Copic has launched that is like a cross between facebook- an online gallery- and a tool to track what markers you own vs. which ones you would like to own. It is mobile compatible! Ilikemarkers.blogspot.com Marianne Walker is the copic guru and offers wonderful instruction on her blog regarding color theory, shading, and all the latest greatest copic info. Lime Tart has a great archive of their Marker Monday blog posts featuring tips and techniques. Youtube.com- search for copic coloring, or Suzanne J Dean- she has great tutorials- check out her vid on Scandinavian style coloring. Makeupartistkatie also has some great vids including how to color cone shaped, cylinders, cube shaped objects, and my favorite- high contrast coloring. Suzanne Dean just started offering online Copic classes through her Color Me Creative Online Classroom. You can see the details here. She has a beginner, intermediate, advanced, and fun level class. I can't wait to take them. If you sign up, please mention in an email that I referred you. Mycreativeclassroom.com – they offer a great online copic class called Everything Copic taught by Copic design team member Colleen Schaan. I was inept with my copic coloring before I took this class. It was very helpful. http://www.oozak.com/ best online prices for copics and refills for registered users (must register to see the lowest price) Period Style- copicmarkers.com - you can create a custom color set of markers 12, 36, or 72 and it will come in a clear plastic case. Great for when you are starting out. Free shipping on 12+ markers. Final Points- It is a good idea to do some research and check out other stampers’ blogs and see what colors they are using to color their images. If you like what you see, take note of the color combinations that they are using and then invest in those copics. I keep all of my favorites in my portable copic journal so I can see what the combos look like together. You can view a post with sample pictures from my journal here. Here is a link to Rachel's blog. She is the creator of the journal pages. In my blog roll of copic friendly blogs on my sidebar, most or all of these bloggers post what colors they are using. Especially Color Me Copic -this blog is hosted by a collection of great ladies who all use copics in their projects and they list all of their favorite color combinations, suggested starter colors and they even will answer questions that you email to them. The most important thing to remember is: practice, practice, practice! Rome wasn't built in a day…Copics have a learning curve. Practice, be patient, and don’t give up! Once you master your basic coloring skills- blend blend blend and remember where your light source is and you will have fabulously colored images in no time.