A Little Copic Tutorial

I love my Copic pens but it did take me a little while to get the hang of using them!

 They are an alcohol based ink and you can layer the colours and blend them together to give  a lovely shaded look.

There are many blogs that give tutorials which are really useful and I read them avidly. However there was a time when I had to STOP reading and get colouring and nothing beats getting pen to paper to help you improve.

So here is how I use Copics with my stamps:

First of all make sure that you use an ink to stamp with that will not bleed or run with Copics- Staz-On is no good for example.

I use Memento Ink to stamp with and here I am am using a rose stamp: I'm colouring the petals and the leaves simultaneously (fewer photos for you!)

START with the lightest layer- which covered the greatest area:

 

R22 is a pale red and G21 is a pale olive green.

Now start adding shadows (we're imaginging the light is coming from above the rose) So use R27 for the second red shade and YG63 for the second green shade:

 
 Now you add the third shade R29 for the petals (follow the shape of the petals slightly when you colour in) and G94 for the leaves:

Finally add some R59 to small ares of the petals and for the leaves use G85.

 

Now the different layers that you have coloured in are still quite defined so it's time to blend:

Take the lightest shade you started with, R22 for the Rose and G21 for the leaves and go all over your colouring with small circular colouring motions. 

This blends the various shades together and smooths the image:

The same process applies with skin:

Start with E00 for caucasian skin:

 

Next use E02 to add the 1st layer of shade:

 

Use E11 as the second layer of shade:

 

Here is a ROUGH map of how to apply these three colours (Light coming from the Right):

 
Add the final layer of shadow E21 in the smallest amount:

 

  

Now to blend these layers of colour together take your lightest shade E00 and in small circular motions colour all over the image.

This will blend the colours together so it should look more like:

 And that's how I colour in my stamps with Copics. 

Remember that although these pens are permanent there is a wonderful pen which is rather misleadingly called the Blender pen! The Blender pen is an eraser for the Copic ink and is a MUST as it helps clear away those little mistakes in areas where you go over the lines!

 
 Have fun crafting!

GlitteryKatie XxxX
  

  

Comments

[Gez]

Wow! great tutorial. Looking forward to giving it ago. Have a great weekend. Gez.

[Caz]

Ooh I like this. Very clear instructions KT. Thanks hun :)

[Term Paper]

Congratulation, to you man, Such a nice post, i really interesting, really admire your work, to have some more of it,Thanks.