Hello peoples,
Over the past several months I have had regular emails from people wanting to know about Copic markers……Are they worth the money? Are they like the SU Markers? How do you colour with them? What colours are the best to buy? etc…etc….
So after spending many hours replying to all these lovely emails I thought I would put together a post about Copics and educate you all. First off though, I want to say I have learned this all by my own research and practice with my own growing collection of Copic markers. I do not claim to be an expert rather just want to pass on my own experiences and what not. I am hoping you will find this helpful 
Okay so first off I will talk about the types of Copics you can purchase:
Copics are an alcohol marker, that come in 4 different varieties,
Sketch
Ciao
Original
Wide
Some details about the markers:
- • There are 334 colors in the Copic markers
- • Guaranteed to not dry out for three years
- • Copic Markers are Non-toxic (great if you have kids using them!)
- • Alcohol-based ink dries acid-free
- • Our Airbrush System works with COPIC markers- for fabulous backgrounds
- • Guaranteed color consistency
- They are streak-free
The main difference between the Copic markers and the SU Stampin’write markers are the ink type. SU markers are Water-based dye ink, so you can blend them with water etc… Still fabulous if you want to watercolour with them. The downside is that they only come in one colour so adding shading and depth is very difficult. Also they streak when you colour with them, typical of a standard crayola texta.
Now the difference between the types of Copic markers has to do with the nib sizes and whether they are re-fillable or not, and whether you can use them with the Copic air-brushing system.
Original - COPIC Original Markers have a square body profile, with a small firm nib, perfect for fine lined work. They are also re-fillable and perfect for the fine art work, like Manga art.
Sketch - COPIC Sketch Markers have an oval body profile is roll resistant on working surfaces. Durable polyester nibs come in Medium Broad and Super Brush - a soft, flexible, fast-flowing brush for delicate or bold expression.
Ciao - COPIC Ciao Markers are a great start for beginning artists. They are round shaped pens that are made specifically for those who want to try markers for the first time. They have a solid polypropylene body which is both smooth and comfortable, for a perfect, controllable grip - and they are cheaper!
Wide - COPIC Wide Markers are the new design solution for all your graphic needs. With a stroke nearly an inch wide, these markers provide the smoothest, most consistent coverage over large areas. Great for creating backgrounds for large images.
The other unique thing about COPIC Markers is the colour numbering system. At first this can be rather confusing, but once you get it, it all makes sense.
The colours come in different depths, sometimes only two depths, or you could call it shades, and sometimes they can have 5-6 depths of colour. Just to try and explain in easier terms, it is like having Pink pirouette, then Pretty in pink, then Regal rose, and then Rose red, not the perfect example because they don’t all come from the perfect colour base, but you will get the drift
So first you will see on the lid a letter of the alphabet, ie E, R, RV, YG
The codes are named like this:
C- Cool grey
N- Neutral grey
T - Toner grey
W- Warm grey
F - Fluorescent
BG - Blue green
V - Violet
E - Earth
B - Blues
BV - Blue violet
R - Reds
RV - Red violet
Y - Yellow
YR - Yellow red
G- Greens
YG - Yellow green
So there are a few different types. To explain a little better, if you have Blue violet, they are going to be in purple tones as it is a mix of the two base colours, and the Yellow red, are orange colours…… Make sense?
Okay so now that we have the letters down pat, it is onto the numbers…the most confusing at first.
So let me explain, that when you have say the E markers, they may come in 2-3 different colour bases, like a caramel, or a rust brown, or even a chocolate chip type of brown. There are so many shades of brown. That is where the numbers come in. The first number after the letter, is the key. It may be a 0, or a 1, or a 2, or a 3. What that means is that it is that colour shade range. That number will always be the same for that colour shade range. It is the next number that will change per marker. It will usually go up by 2, or sometimes 3 depending on the shade difference.
So an example for you would be the Violets,
V000
V01
V04
V05
V06
V09
This colour shade has 6 depths of colour. See how the first number always stays the same, it is 0, and it is the second number that goes up either by 1, or 2, and even 3 at the end. Each of these have the same violet base colour, they just get stronger the higher the number. So the V000 is very very pale, and it then gets up to a very dark Eggplant colour. Then the next range of colours for the Violets are V12, V15, V17 - only three colours, but they are a different shade of violet, and you will see that because the first number has changed. Each of the first numbers represent a particular shade of the colour, and the second number represents the depth of that shade…… clear as mud? I hope I am explaining it clearly for you.
It is the benefit of the different depths of colours that give you the range of depth or distinction when colouring with COPIC markers. That is where they really differ from say SU markers or textas. The sky is the limit when it comes to the colour, and you can blend them into each other with a colourless blender to really make the colour depth flawless and natural looking.
As you can see then, you need a good range of colours, just to get this effect. That is why if you are going to invest in COPIC markers, you need to start with a really good range of colours. It isn’t just about buying 48 colour……no siree you need at least 140 markers to have a fabulous range to work with..in my humble opinion Of course you can work with a lot less, say 50, but you will then be buying each colour with only 1-2 different depths rather than say 4. Your work will still look good, however if you do spend the $$$ you will really get a far better result. I suppose it is a little like buying fuel for your car, if you buy just the regular unleaded, you will always get from A to B, however if you spend the extra $ on Premium fuel, you usually get more kilometres to the litre, and often get a better performance out of your car etc…. It is totally up to you, but I do warn you these COPIC markers are ADDICTIVE! Yes almost as much as Chocolate is addictive to most stampers……:) If you have more colours the more amazing your work is going to look! Sheesh I should be selling them myself eh?
Okay so that is how the colouring system works, and here is a colour chart for you to all see:
As you can see there are lots of colours….yup 334 of them! Now I know you are wanting to ask how you know which colours are the SU ones? Well there are charts that you can match them for SU, and Papertrey Ink colours as well. Here are the links for you to view and print them. They are handy to have on had when you are ordering your Copics.
Go to this link to get the Copic marker conversion charts for Papertrey Ink;
Papertrey Ink : http://www.papertreyink.com/files/CopicChart_Version4.pdf
And here is listed the Stampin’Up! colours that match the Copic colours. - Just remember you will want to also buy some lighter, or darker colours in each shade groups, so that you can get the best result. There is no point buying COPIC markers and then say just use the R32 Peach to colour something, without any depth, you might as well just use your SU Pretty in pink marker.
Pale Plum - V95 Light Grape
Pretty in Pink - R32 Peach
Blush Blossom - E11 Barely Beige
Apricot Appeal - YR20 Yellowish Shade
Barely Banana - Y11 Pale Yellow
Certainly Celery - G21 Lime Green
Mellow Moss - BG93 Green Gray
Sage Shadow - YG63 Pea Green
Bashful Blue - B93 Light Crockery Blue
Amethyst - B63 Light Hydrangea
Lavender Lace - BV02 Prune
Glorious Green - G17 Forrest Green
Green Galore - G14 Apple Green
Gable Green - YG06 Yellowish Green
Yo-Yo Yellow - Y15 Cadmium Yellow
Only Orange - YR07 Cadmium Orange
Real Red – R46 Strong Red
Orchid Opulence - V15 Mallow
Lovely Lilac - BV17 Deep Reddish Blue
Brilliant Blue - B29 Ultramarine
Tempting Turquoise - BG05 Holiday
Brocade Blue - B45 Smoky Blue
Ballet Blue - B23 Phthalo Blue
Night of Navy - B39 Prussian Blue
Taken with Teal - BG49 Duck Blue
Handsome Hunter - G28 Ocean Green
Always Artichoke - G99 Olive
So Saffron – Y21 Buttercup Yellow
Regal Rose – R85 Rose Red
Rose Red - R59 Cardinal
Elegant Eggplant - V09 Violet
Chocolate Chip - E47 Dark Brown
Creamy Caramel - E33 Sand
More Mustard - YR23 Yellow Ochre
Pumpkin Pie - YR16 Apricot
Really Rust - E08 Brown
Cameo Coral - R22 Light Prawn
Summer Sun - Y17 Golden Yellow
Old Olive - YG95 Pale Olive
Garden Green - YG67 Moss
Not Quite Navy - B97 Night Blue
Blue Bayou - BG09 Blue Green
Soft Sky - BG10 Cool Shadow
Wasabi - YG63 Pea Green
River Rock - YG91 Putty
Groovy Guava - R02 Flesh
Purely Pomegranate- R59 Cardinal
Basic Gray - C-7
Tangerine –YR09 Chinese Orange
Pink Pirouette – RV00 Water Lily
Riding Hood Red – R37 Carmine
Kiwi Kiss – YG03 Yellow Green
Baja Breeze – BG72 Ice Ocean
Pacific Point – B06 Peacock Blue
Okay so now that we have the colour and the styles of markers down, now we need to talk about PAPER! It is all well and good having the markers, but what are you going to colour them on.
I have used several different types of cardstock, that is meant to be for Copic colouring. Remember it is a preference thing, however i will just share with you my opinions and you can decide for yourself
1. Copic marker stamping and papercraft paper. This I bought from Copic themselves, and it is made for stampers. I found this paper good, but it is rather thin, and an off white colour. So it didn’t match whisper white, or very vanilla. That frustrated me. On the upside you can blend beautifully with it.
2. All that scraps Copic cardstock. This is a beautiful paper that is very think and sturdy and a nice crisp white colour. I did find though that the cardstock was pretty coarse and so it really sucks up the ink. You get a very vibrant image though because of the extra amount of ink but blending doesn’t look so great on this type of cardstock.
3. Whisper white SU. This cardstock is far too smooth for colouring with Copic markers. You can do it, but it is hard to blend, and being so smooth it is hard to get a good layer of colour onto your image. I would not recommend using it at all for Copics.
4. Papertrey Ink, Classic white, and Vintage vanilla. PTI don’t have a specific so called Copic cardstock range, however their standard cardstock for cardmaking is perfect for Copic markers. I have found it to be a perfect balance between thickness, and texture. It is a little coarse, but not super coarse, and not super smooth. It blends beautifully, and has a lovely end result. Best thing is you can still use it for all your other stamping, and it is cheap at $9 per 50 sheets!
5. X-press IT blending card. This is made here in Australia and is fairly new to the market. It is actually a rather smooth card, but is a nice crisp white. I have worked with it, and like the result as it blends nicely, and isn’t super thick. Not too expensive either. You can buy this on-line as well,….. just google it
Okay so there you have a little bit of news on the types of cardstock you can get and what type of result you would expect.
Now another very important thing about using Copic markers in stamping is the type of stamp pad you use. Because the markers are alcohol based, you don’t want to use a water based ink pad, or it will just bleed into the cardstock…..not a pretty sight. So want you need is a Momento Tuxedo Black Dye ink. They are made by Tsukineko.You can also get it in a Rich chocolate colour. You can order these on several on-line craft stores and are usually about $12.95. Fabulous dark colour, and easy to use.
Some notes about the colourless Blender from COPIC. The colourless blender is an absolute MUST HAVE! You can’t blend or fix mistakes without it.
The job of the colourless blender is to remove colour. So this is fabulous if you go outside the lines. You can then just use the c.blender to remove that colour. The only colour that is really hard to remove is the Red colours! Also you can use the blender to lighten the colouring in certain areas you want lighter or to blend several colours together. to make the colour transition look even to the naked eye. It is also something that takes a little bit of practice, as you can remove too much colour in certain areas and it will then look patchy rather than smooth. The other great thing about the c.blender is that you can add texture to your images, by putting in cross hatch lines, polka dots on a girls dress etc…It certainly gives your image that extra bit of pizazz!
Another tool you can use with Copic Markers is the Air-brush system. I don’t currently own this, but it certainly is something I would love to get!
You can used the wide tip end of your markers with the airbrush system. It gives an even colour background. You can also change markers, so you can add deeper shades to give more depth and dimension etc…..
Copic Marker FAQ’s
I am going to list some of the typical questions that I have been getting about Copic Markers, and hopefully answer them for you.
1. Copic markers are really expensive, is it worth the money? Okay this is almost like a trick question! It all depends. If you have an extensive craft room loaded with product and you are looking to learn something new, then yes take the plunge, you will have a ball. If you are a bit limited with your supplies, I would first get your stamping kits fairly well set up before you spend money of copics. So get all your punches, stamp pads, a good range of stamps, and embellishments first, because they really make your cards beautiful.
The other thing I would consider deeply is whether you like to colour or not. Some people really gravitate to colouring, and others have always struggled with it! If you love to colour, then you are going to love Copics. If it is one of your creative challenges, then I wouldn’t go and spend all the money on Copics until you have at least got some form of shading skills, or water colouring etc…. I just don’t want you to spend all the $$$ on them and then have them sitting there and collecting dust etc….
2. Do i buy them individually, or in a set? I would definitely buy them individually. I bought my first Copic markers in a 72 pack. Whilst it was nice to get 72 all at once, Copic has cleverly marketed these sets to not have matching colour schemes. So you really get a box full of random markers, that don’t allow you to work with shading etc. Remember how I explained the colours to you, and how they come in shades, well with the kits that is almost impossible as you have all sorts of colors, but rarely any that follow along the colour deepening with shades etc…. So yeah I would buy them individually.
3. Which type of markers do i get? I personally bought all the Sketch markers, because I loved the oval barrel to hold in my hand. They are more expensive than the Ciao markers, but you can also refill them. Personally I don’t think I would buy the refill inks for all 334 markers so probably in future would just buy a new marker to replace the dried out one. Actually the markers are meant to last about 3 years before they dry out, so you do get good use from them before then. So if you were really wanting to get Copic markers, and don’t mind a round marker, (like a pencil, or SU marker) then by all means buy the Ciao markers. They are good value for money.
4. Where did you buy your Copic markers from? I bought my Copic markers on-line at a store called iCopic. They are in California, and found that they had every colour in stock, and if you join their VIP club you get at least 20% off. I had a reallly big look around before I bought them and I personally found them to be the cheapest. There are of course are lots of on-line store in Australia that have them, but usually they don’t have them in stock (which I understand because to keep that many markers on hand is a lot!) but you have to then wait for them to get them from their supplier, and then still to be posted out to you. I found iCopic always had the colours I wanted and they shipped within 24 hours, and i would have them under a week in Australia from the US. I would shop around for them and go with the company that looks the most reputable, has the best range, and reasonable shipping rates.
5. So if i buy them, how do i learn to use them? You can buy Dvd’s online from Copic direct, or you can use that wonderful place called YouTube! You will see by viewing some videos that everyone has different colouring styles. Some like subtle, and other like bold colouring and then there are different shadowing techniques. You really need to just view them and try them out. After lots of practice you will work out your own style. You will need some good computer time to view them though.
I will be doing my own videos on here in the coming weeks, to show you how I like to colour with my Copics. I definitely do not profess to be a professional, but I love to teach and it would be great to share what I have learnt along the way with all of you……so stay tuned on that one!
WOW this has been a long post, and I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you all. One thing I did find when it came to Copic markers, it was a bit hard to find out information on them, and by the emails I have been recieving some of you are feeling the same. It has been a pleasure to share this information with you, and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment with the question. By putting it in the comment section others will benefit from hearing it, and reading my responses etc….
Another note I want to say, is that i wouln’t have known, a thing about Copics if it wasn’t for my dear friend Lee-Anne Barry who introduced me to Copic markers in the first place. Lee-Anne kindly invited me over one night and gave me a one on one tutorial, and my love of Copic markers started there. Since that night I was hooked, and delved right in there, to enjoy this wonderful new colouring form……so a big thanks to you Lee-Anne!
Right I am off to give my hands a break from all this typing! Once again I hope you have enjoyed this long tutorial all about Copics, and I would love your feedback, or questions!
Take care,
* Images provided from www.copicmarkers.com
