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I have a few copic markers and a colorless blender. So far I am not in love with them. When I color, they are splotchy. They bleed when I get close to a line. I don't really understand what the colorless marker does, it doesn't seem to blend the colors at all.
Right now, I am missing my watercolor pencils and crayons.
The best advice I can give is get some practice with someone who knows how to use them. For me, it helped to see someone do it rather than read about it. I took both a class and had a personal session with someone I know.
They are designed to bleed. In fact, you have to bleed your paper to get good blending. If the bleed is going lateral rather than just vertical through the paper, then I have to say it is based on your paper choice. What kind of paper were you using? Certain papers work better for copic applications. Also, certain inks can bleed with copics as well. I believe Momento is a dye ink that does work well.
I don't think most blending is really done with the colorless blender. That is usually used to take away color. It literally bleeds the color out where you apply it, so think of it more as an eraser. Most blending is done with shades of color. The ligher color can be used to soften the hard edge of the darker color.
The copic colorless blender is NOT for "Blending" like the SU blender pen. this copic colorless blender is for removing color. Like if you go out of the lines coloring, then you can touch the tip of the blender to the color outside the image and it will erase the color.
See if you can take a copic class at your local scrap or stamp store. To see how to use the copics and get a demo and then you can test them out too!
Good Luck!!!
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
There are several threads on here that you could read through. Also, tons of you-tube and blog tutorials that will help you get started. They take practice that's for sure.
I love my Copics and currently am st---rug---gl---ing to work with watercolor pencils! I would suggest you watch some You Tube videos on coloring with Copics. There are so many good ones out there (unlike watercolor pencils) especially if you are a visual learner. If you have the opportunity to take a class... go for it! Copics are a little tricky, but I personally found I love them, once I sort of got the hang of them. I am not great yet, but the more I practice the better I'm getting at using them.
Also, I do think your cardstock choice is very important. I use Georgia Pacific brand cardstock sold at Walmart with quite a bit of success. It is a cheap alternative to more expensive brands, and is easy for me to get to a WM. If you have the option to purchase cardstock that is made to work with Copics, it may make it even easier for you to use Copics.
I agree that the colorless blender isn't really named correctly. It should be called a colorless eraser. Once I learned that it really isn't a blender, as we stampers think of blenders, I had more success.
My last tip would be to buy Copics that are meant to blend well with each other... ie R11 - R17. I find it easier to blend colors if I stick with the "rules" of Copic blending. It isn't impossible to blend across color families and numbers, just easier, in my opinion.
There are many good advice-givers on-line. Reading blogs and watching YouTube videos made a huge improvement in how well I color with Copics. I hope you learn to love them!
copics are not something you can just sit down and start playing with. you need the correct paper (PTI select and Cryogen , the correct stamping ink (memento), correct blending families and practice.
the BEST place to learn is from the Color Me Creative website by Suzanne Dean - she has paid classes as well as freebie info on her blog Scrapbitz.
good luck!
copics are not something you can just sit down and start playing with. you need the correct paper (PTI select and Cryogen , the correct stamping ink (memento), correct blending families and practice.
I agree... you need to practice and learn how to use them. Once you get the hang of them you will love them. I struggled with mine until I watched this video: YouTube - Copic Tutorial
I only use Gina K Pure Luxury cardstock. If you use the 120# it will not bleed through and you will use less ink.
Last edited by Cinnistew; 03-31-2011 at 01:42 PM..
Mindy,
If the only Copics you have are what you got in your starter kit, it's going to be very difficult to figure out how to shade and blend.
I also had an easier time learning how to use them with bigger images than what we got in the starter kit :-)
I agree with checking out Marianne's blog for great tips. Debbie Olsen and Sharon Harnist(among others) also have lots of tips and advice for using Copics.
The first few things I colored with Copics really sucked and I wondered what the hype was. Now, I absolutely love them and they're my preferred coloring medium.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
I couldn't get my copic blender to remove ink, so I ordered a refill for it. I filled it up, can tell it is putting something on the paper, but it never changes the colors one bit. Or pushes them back into the lines. Sigh. I do it just like the video says, but I never see one bit of difference.
Still use them to color, but just don't expect to correct mistakes like the blender is rumored to do...
The blender does work to fix color that goes outside the lines, you just have to work slowly and push it back to the line. I try to dry in between, well like blow on it. Some colors, just forget it, like reds, for me it just gets worse! It does work tho.
What type of paper are you using? Different papers will give different results with both the markers and the colorless blender. A lot of the comic papers or alcohol ink papers have two sides... and they both give totally different results. Some papers don't give good blender effects at all..some give very crisp results.
It also depends on the color when trying to "move it" ... darker pigments like red are stubborn and harder to move... but you should see results if you are using a good cardstock.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thechecker
I couldn't get my copic blender to remove ink, so I ordered a refill for it. I filled it up, can tell it is putting something on the paper, but it never changes the colors one bit. Or pushes them back into the lines. Sigh. I do it just like the video says, but I never see one bit of difference.
Still use them to color, but just don't expect to correct mistakes like the blender is rumored to do...
Anne
__________________ Colleen Schaan - Education Specialist at Imagination International Inc.,/Copic Marker
Blog - Distinctive Touches;My Copic Books!
Blenders are really good for different effects. You can temperorarly put some color on one side of a blender chisel nib by touching that side with a colored marker and then you will have a gradiation. Add a second color to the other side and you have a pretty 2 color marker in one. Just make sure you color out the rest of the color off the blender by scribbling on a piece of scratch paper.
I've gotten splotchy results when I have over saturated, basically just overworking an area. I have learned to make myself stop because doing more isn't going to help. Sometimes overworking a dark with a light can cause splotchiness, the light then almost acts like a blender in removing the some of the dark color.
Blenders are really good for different effects. You can temperorarly put some color on one side of a blender chisel nib by touching that side with a colored marker and then you will have a gradiation. Add a second color to the other side and you have a pretty 2 color marker in one. Just make sure you color out the rest of the color off the blender by scribbling on a piece of scratch paper.
Thanks for sharing. Somehow I've never heard of doing that technique. I will have to try it some time.
Help me like Copics
