Copic Markers Tips and Advice

My Princess Coloring Class covers so many different techniques that you can use over and over again. Before you feel comfortable in jumping into any Copic Marker Class you should check out some of these tips to help you use Copic Markers. I’m going to go over a few trouble areas that most people stumble across when Copic Marker Coloring.

It’s a long very informative post.. grab a drink.. sit back and enjoy!

Blending

 If you’re having trouble blending make sure your paper is Copic friendly, I use either Copic Xpress. When you start coloring try not to go back over the dark colors with the light, repeatedly. This causes your darker color separate and make your coloring look blotchy. Another thing that might be happening is you’re not adding enough color to the paper. So, if you’re using V12, V15, V17 (a coordinating family of purples) to color and it’s not smooth. Add another layer in that order exactly how you laid the color down the first time so you can get those colors moving and blending together, while the ink is wet. Once it dries it’s harder to get the colors to blend. So it’s always good to finish a section before taking a break.

Light Source

If creating Shadows with your Copic Markers isn’t your strong point – try thinking of your image in a fully lit room. Where would shadows make sense? If she was wearing a hat there would be a shadow on her forehead. If you’re coloring a dog with big floppy ears, it will be darker under those ears and onto the sides of his face where the ears are casting a shadow on it.It’s easier to start by doing this rather than focusing on a certain direction where the light is coming, while you’re still learning. It will soon just come to you and you will color without thinking. 🙂

 

Coloring Skin

There’s only one Copic Combo I use for all my skin tones E15, E13, E11, E00, E000, E0000 and W5. Depending on how light or dark I want the skin will determine how much of the dark or light I use. My cheek colors are R20 and R22 or R30 and R32. I will usually start darker on the outside of the face and under the eyes and then work my way out with each lighter color flicking in towards the face.

Coloring Hair

Hair is one of my favorite things to color. I never blend the hair solid.. I always keep the lines.. it’s HAIR! It should look like hair.. so don’t blend it all the way through. That alone really helps people to not overthink coloring hair.. because it is intimidating. Also remember where-ever the hair gathers together so if it’s in a pony tail or at the twist of a curl.. that’s going to be the darkest point. I usually start at the darkest point and flick the tip of my Copic Marker, following the lines and leaving white space between. Then Once I do that with a few coordinating colors E44, E43, E42, I’ll then take one lighter color, E41 and do one swipe over filling in the white gaps. This blends the colors together some but leaves the definition of the lines to create a hair texture.

 

Creating Textures

When I create animal textures or anytime I mimic a texture; First, I color the image and add my shadows like I would normally. Then, for an animal I’ll add hair streaks blending them with each lighter color so they blend into the color I’ve already laid down. Once the image is completed I’ll add little flicks or even dots, if you are heavy handed, on the outer part of the animal. so the outline of the image is starts to look like the hair instead of a solid line. It really adds so much detail to the image and gives it more of a furry look, rather than just flat. If you want to go with a fluffy look and not so ‘hair’ like use dots all over, like for a bear or even for grass, trees or shrubbery.

Coloring White

My biggest tip for coloring white is leaving a white space!!!!! You are basically just shadowing areas of depth and or to give a rounder appearance…but you must leave a white space!  This is the order I use when I color white with Copics – N3 in the areas I want to be shadowed, then blend out with N0 then trace the stamped image in N5 the part you want shadowed the darkest.. this is my Make it POP! Then soften the N5 by flicking it out with N1. You might possibly need N0 again to soften the lightest part into white. Don’t forget to leave a white space.

Fixing Mistakes

I almost never stop coloring an image half way through. Even if I’m hating the way it’s coming out! I’ll always finish the image. But—have you ever opened up your Copic Marker to have it blob on your image. Or even while you’re coloring. I can’t even tell you how many times this has happened to me and my students while I was teaching. Have you ever tried to cover it up? Even if you don’t end up using that particular image on a card or project. Challenge yourself to cover it up. Make your image darker, add a deep shadow! Take that challenge!

Blending Different Colors

If you want to blend 2 different colors together smoothly you want to find the color in between. So if you want to blend red and purple you want to use a coordinating pink color. Simple. But if you want to go from green to red you need to get all those colors in between. So green>yellow>orange>red. Let’s try another, Blue to orange. So blue>purple>pink>red>orange. Fun right. Just remember to practice that flicking in order to get a good blend!

Blender Pen

Did you know the Blender pen actually doesn’t help you blend nor does it take away color. It actually is more like a color mover. The blending pen moves the color that already on your paper – spreading it out. So let’s say you went out of the lines a little on your image. You would take the colorless blender and push the ink back to it’s place. Not too much it can start to look blotchy. Another way to use the blender pen is to use it to create texture. Dots, stripes etc. Using the blender pen is a fun way to get different looks with your Copic Coloring.

Copic Care

Copic Marker maintenance is so important. Your most used markers will need to be refilled. You’ll notice your marker ink not blending well on the paper and you will know you need some more ink. Another part of the Copic upkeep is to clean the inside of the marker lids, you can soak them in the blending solution. You will need to do this when you notice your ink getting sticky and that’s due to the dried ink on the cap getting on the nib of your marker causing your nib to get all gunky and your nib will need to be changed. These markers are seriously amazing and will last you forever!

That’s a lot of information to soak up isn’t it, I sure hope you have found my Copic Marker Tips and Advice helpful. Since you’ve made it this far, I have an awesome deal for you!

Take $5 off when you sign up for my Skin and Hair Online Coloring Class!

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