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Okay ladies, please can you help me!!!!
I have seen the cards etc., on the galleries here and am soooooo envious of the Copics coloured images. I would really love to know the difference of using Copics against other methods of colouring. I normally use Marvey le Plume pens, water based inks or watercolour paints, but from what I see on the galleries, I just love the effects of the Copics pens.
Only problem I have with that is they are so expensive here (Scotland, U.K.) and I just want to justify if they are worth spending the money on?
Please help if you can, my birthday is later on in the year and this could be on my wish list!:-D lol lol lol
I love them! They are more affordable, you get tons for the same price as a dozen copics and there is not much of a learning curve to using them. Check out my blog and SCS gallery for some examples. This is the only way that I color lately!
I'm a coloring fiend and while I love all of the different coloring mediums, I have to say that Copics are my favorite.
Copic Markers are alcohol ink markers where your Marvey markers are dye ink markers. Just like dye inks and alcohol inks have different properties, so do the markers. Alcohol ink markers have the benefit of being able to blend smoothly with no visible overlap lines. Your paper will also not pill up... no matter how many time you go over it. There are also some cool effects that can be achieved with the blender pen (not really used for blending).
There is a learning curve with these... some people love em' some don't care for them. Me... I'm partial to the vibrant colors and the beautiful blends that I can get with them that I can't get with other types of markers.
I've seen some beautiful work done with watercoloring and with watercolor techniques with dye ink markers too... each medium has some wonderful properties.
As for cost, I am able to justify it because of the quality and because they are refillable and you can replace nibs... so they will never run out of ink or become unusable. If cost is a major factor, I would look into the Ciao style. It has the exact same ink as the other styles... a round barrel, and the same nibs as the Sketch. The only difference is that they hold just a bit less ink and will need to be refilled a bit sooner.
I hope that helps. If you decide to give them a try... make sure to let us know what you think.
__________________ Colleen Schaan - Education Specialist at Imagination International Inc.,/Copic Marker
Blog - Distinctive Touches;My Copic Books!
I loved the look of Copic markers but found the price way too high especially in this current economic situation so I tried Prismacolor Markers. They are alcohol markers similar to Copics, come in more colors than I'll ever use but I have every one anyway, they are certified Non-toxic by ACMI, cost me $2 or less online and are from the good old USA. I made a chart similar to the Copic color chart and have my markers sorted by color family then by light medium and dark shade sets. Works for me.
__________________ Katie M
http:/tarjteachr-papermusings.blogspot.com
I second Katie. I have used some Copics (lighter colors), but I really like Prismacolor Markers. Their tips are different (marker type nibs) instead of brush tips, which I prefer for blending since you can "scrub" with them and get a better blend. And on Gina K Design papers, they don't leave a "grainy" effect like Copics do.
This image I colored with all Prismacolor Markers:
As for which medium to use, it's a real matter of choice and hard to answer. I've been stamping for years and have an abundance of choices from colored pencils, water colors, twinkling H20's in every color, markers galore, chalks, copic markers, if they made it I bought it!!!! Copic markers are my favorite (especially at the moment-yes I can be fickle), but I also love the puddled look of water colors depending on what I may be stamping.
Do you get where I'm going with this???? Cards are our art work, and the image may call for colored pencils with odorless mineral spirits to blend out the lines or whatever. It just seems to vary depending on your mood, your time, and the image; and that just my opinion, for what it's worth....
There will be no right or wrong answer however I do love my copics and couldn't live without the glorious range of color and blending I can get from them........Colleen is right, they do take practice getting used to using them, however there are lots of tutorials and blogs that are very helpful, and playing with them is all it takes!!!! Once you get the hang of them, you're hooked!!!
Good luck with your decision and a very happy birthday!!
I am going through the prisamcolor vs copic debate right now. I just posted a whole post about it on my blog. I am new to prismacolors, so I would love to see what they can do
Wow thanks girls for all your great advice. Chrissy, I just love your card and the vibrant colours on it, is this the same with most alcohol markers on the market? I have never used these before so I really don't know (sad I know). I have seen in my local craft shop pens called Pro Markers and wondered if these would be any good to try out first? Ohhhh too many choices................my birthday is not until December so I am just doing the reseach just now so that when the time comes I am sure of what I want, especially when the copics are so expensive here! I am going to go along and look at your your blogs...........so I maybe asking you loads of questions. lol
Anne Marie x
Wow thanks girls for all your great advice. Chrissy, I just love your card and the vibrant colours on it, is this the same with most alcohol markers on the market? I have never used these before so I really don't know (sad I know). I have seen in my local craft shop pens called Pro Markers and wondered if these would be any good to try out first? Ohhhh too many choices................my birthday is not until December so I am just doing the reseach just now so that when the time comes I am sure of what I want, especially when the copics are so expensive here! I am going to go along and look at your your blogs...........so I maybe asking you loads of questions. lol
Anne Marie x
Wow thanks girls for all your great advice. Chrissy, I just love your card and the vibrant colours on it, is this the same with most alcohol markers on the market? I have never used these before so I really don't know (sad I know). I have seen in my local craft shop pens called Pro Markers and wondered if these would be any good to try out first? Ohhhh too many choices................my birthday is not until December so I am just doing the reseach just now so that when the time comes I am sure of what I want, especially when the copics are so expensive here! I am going to go along and look at your your blogs...........so I maybe asking you loads of questions. lol
Anne Marie x
Wow thanks girls for all your great advice. Chrissy, I just love your card and the vibrant colours on it, is this the same with most alcohol markers on the market? I have never used these before so I really don't know (sad I know). I have seen in my local craft shop pens called Pro Markers and wondered if these would be any good to try out first? Ohhhh too many choices................my birthday is not until December so I am just doing the reseach just now so that when the time comes I am sure of what I want, especially when the copics are so expensive here! I am going to go along and look at your your blogs...........so I maybe asking you loads of questions. lol
Anne Marie x
How about getting a set of Bic or Sharpie markers for a quick trial with alcohol markers?
I have all the colors in each and find they work exactly the same as the Prismacolor or Copics. The colors are much brighter and not as good for shading, but will give you practice and let you know if you like the technique for very little investment.
I ended up buying Prismacolor markers rather than Copics after using both, and I'm really happy with my Prismacolors. I still use the Bics and Sharpies in combo with them.
I too have bought the Bic and Sharpie at my local Staples, and found them useless for fine detail work. I only use them now for writing or for edging things.
I love my copics for what I bought them for and that's the wonderful ability to blend and mix colors easily (point to point). I also love the airbrushing ability and I just use the air cans with my Nesties. The lines are blended so beautifully more so even then your other markers, a much smoother transition. The blender allows you to do so much the more you play with it and get used to its properties. (Am I a fan or what!)
I do love other mediums, don't get me wrong, I still like my colored pencils and OMS, but copics are my favorites!!
If you don't have the money to invest in another set of markers you may want to search for NCNP (no copics no problem). There is tutorial out there somewhere for it that teaches you how to use dye ink markers to get a similar effect.
It's taken me a year and a half to collect the copics I have, but they have well been worth the process. They are so easy to blend and it's so quick in comparison to other methods and less of a mess. Copics also color white pearls, metal brads, ribbons, clear and white buttons, and rhinestones. They are just absolutely the best thing out there for the many things they can accomplish!! It has not been a bad investment in my eyes.
__________________ LizThe joy of the LORD is my strength.Right Brain Madness --My blogProud member of the redDivasKSS certified multi-step stamperFan Club member since 2004
Hi girls, thank you all so much for your help with this. I bought some Pro markers and a blening pen yesterday and thought I would let you know how I go on.
Disastrously I think is the word to describe it!!!
I stamped some images and started to colour them but the ink bled through the outside of the image on the cardstock, even worse though, it also went through the backside of the cardstock onto my table making a right old mess. However, I am not giving up, I have learned a very good lesson here, check what goes on at the back of the cardstock as well as the front and use paper underneath when colouring. Now I just need to find some cardstock that it will not bleed out past the image on!! Any help welcome most welcome. Lol lol
Anne Marie x x x
I think that most alcohol inks go through most papers. Use a good thick cardstock. There are lots of threads in here dedicated to the best papers to use with alcohol markers.
Copics vs. other methods
