Hi there my crafty friends.
Today I’m sharing an adorable stamp set from Whimsy Stamps — Cow Party Stamp Set by Crissy Armstrong. I made a slimline card so I could use all three of the images along with the Birthday Die also from Whimsy. – I just love the layers on this die!
I stamped them in Memento Black ink and colored with my Copic Markers. Here’s a list of What Copic Markers to use to Color a Cow:
I stamped them in Memento Black ink and colored with my Copic Markers.
Copic Marker Color Combos:
- Cows – E11, E00, E000, E04, E30, E50, N0, N1, N3, N5, N7, N9
- Party Stuff – R32, R30, R01, Y21, BG11, N0, N1, N3, E23, E25, E29
- Grass – YG61, YG63
- Sky – B000
When coloring these little cows or any ‘realistic’ object there are many different colors. So instead of just shadowing the white part of the cow in grays I added some creamy tones first then layered the grey on. This changes the color a bit, too. Here’s the order of the colors I used.
First I colored the mouth, using E11, E00 and then E000. I always go back over in the same exact way I colored the first time but this time I’m starting with the E04 — giving a little more of a shadow.
Then, starting in the shadowed areas add your creamy tones I used E30, E50 and E000. Again repeat the color combo.
After I added my cream colors to the white areas of the cow I then added some grays. Starting with N3, N1, N0 and then touching up the deepest part of the shadow with N5. I did go back over and added more cream colors to the cow.
Check out my Post on How to Color a Large Realistic Scene Using Copic Markers.
Blending Tip:
If you’re having trouble blending I want you to first make sure your paper is Copic friendly, I use Copic xpress it. Second, make sure you aren’t going back over the dark colors with the light. You are making your darker color separate and causing blotchiness.
Another thing that might be happening is you’re not adding enough color to the paper. So, if you’re using E11, E00 and E000 to color and it’s not smooth — add that second coat of colors to really get those colors moving and blending together on the paper.
Create your Own Coloring Style!
I always encourage my students to stop when they are happy with the image. If you don’t want to add the gray or use that N5 in the deepest shadow then you don’t have to. It’s important to color until you like or are happy with it. This will help you stand out as an artist and help you create your own style! Remember this is art and there’s no wrong or right way to color if it’s how you like it!
Download your free Copic Marker Checklist!
Not sure what Copic Marker Colors Blend or what colors are good to buy .. download my free Copic Marker Checklist!
What Gray Copic Markers Should I Buy?
This is such a great question! Let me tell you why I use what I use. There’s 4 different Gray Copic Families.
W’s are the Warm Gray Copics. This family has a warm, brownish tone to it. I like using this family for Hair, Fur, some wood and shadowing or getting deeper shades of other Browns (E’s – Earth Tones) I tend to use this family more in the Fall.
C’s are the Cool Gray Copics. This family has a cool, bluish tone. I like using this family to color snow, sky, clouds, some water scenes and shadowing or getting deeper shades of the Copics that are more ‘cooler’. I tend to use this family more in the Winter.
N’s are the Neutral Gray Copics. This family works well with all colors I find. This is my go to gray family that I use most of the time.
T’s are the Toner Gray Copics. I will be completely honest, I do not own any of these. To me they were too similar to the N’s. When I was working on my Copic Marker collection I had to budget myself and after 14 years of coloring without the Toner Grays — I don’t feel the need to purchase them.
On a budget?
There are 11-12 colors of Gray per Color Family. You don’t realistically need all the colors. With card-making the images are smaller and we tend to skip between colors when there’s not enough room. You can do the same when purchasing your gray Copics. I buy all the odd colors, N0, N1, N3 etc. I do recommend getting the 0’s or 00’s if they have it.
ScrapbookPal.com has a great selection of Copics and Refills! Go Shopping for some new Copics today!
Pin this image below so you can always find your way back to this page!
