Introduction to Copic Sketch Markers for Card Makers

Adventures in Copics, Part I

12/3/2017

The Start

I have been avoiding Copics. I’ve only been card making for about a year and just couldn’t justify the expense. When I started, I did purchase the entire set of Tombow Dual Brush Pens because these could be used for: coloring, watercoloring, stamping and lettering. I figured a tool with that many uses transcended the expense. There was one problem with my Tombow markers: when I went to color, the paper would pill. After asking my artist friend about the paper piling frustration, she told me, “go buy yourself some nice alcohol markers.” I still couldn’t justify the expense. So I have avoided coloring little critters and typically use my watercolor paintbrush to color. After stumbling upon a Black Friday deal, I decided to purchase some Copics and am glad I did. So this is my first entry into my experience with Copic markers.

Which marker to buy?

I settled on Copics. I had an opportunity to try them at a card class I took and they were really great. Copics come in four types: Sketch, Classic, Wide and Ciao. I settled on Sketch because of the brush tip and that's what everyone in interweb land seems to use. Looking back, I probably would have been ok with Ciao. The differences between Sketch and Ciao revolve around size (sketch is larger so it holds more ink) and amount of colors available (Sketch has 358). The Ciao is less expensive but the Sketch is readily available in my local craft store which was an important factor in how I ended up purchasing my markers.

Which colors to choose?

The Hex Chart is on the left in comparison to the Copic Chart on the right

There's a lot of colors. Since this was my first go, I had no idea which colors to get. I looked through the internet for some advice and here are some resources and information I curated.

Buy colors in blending groups - a blending group is three markers that will blend easily with each other. Sandy Allnock is a master Copic artist who offers classes and has built a Hex Chart. The Hex Chart organizes Copic colors based on visual similarity instead of just numbers. This helps when you are purchasing colors not to buy colors that are too similar. Sandy Allnock offers the Hex Chart as a digital download which I printed and then photocopied onto Neenah Solar White 80lb paper. You have to pay for the Hex Chart but it was a worthwhile buy because it helps you not to duplicate colors and helps with determining blending combinations you may not think would work.
Researching which color combinations your favorite card makers use. Yana Smakula, Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire are some of my favorite card artists. I also came across, Get it Scrapped, which has some great advice for choosing colors for beginning Copic artists.

Purchasing Markers

A printed copy of the Copic Chart was used to keep track of purchased markers and recommended markers

These markers are expensive. Each marker retails for US$7.99. I initially purchased some sets on sale. The issue with sets is that you can't choose what is included. I decided the best way to purchase was individually or in custom sets.

Buying a few markers at a time. I initially purchased the 36 Basic Set and Copic EX-1 and Ex-2 sets. I downloaded the Hex Chart and the Copic Color Chart to help me keep track of what I purchased, which markers my favorite card artists were using, and what I should purchase next. I used 50% off coupons from Michael's and Joann's to purchase additional markers at a 50% discount. Michael's will accept competitors' coupons and my local Joann's does not sell Copics in store, so I brought the Joann coupons to my local Michael's to purchase a few markers at a time. I would use the markers to see if I liked the colors and make sure that they worked well together. This also gave me the option of returning colors if necessary and by purchasing one at a time I could really narrow my focus on which markers I needed.
Building my own set of markers. I discovered Periodstyle.com which allows you to build your own set of Copics. The prices are 35% off the retail price. I discovered the shipping and customer service to be very good and I got a free gift of Copic paper, a fine liner and a Spica Marker.

How do I learn how to use these things?

This is an example of some of the downloadable forms on Online Card Classes. These proved to be an excellent method of practicing techniques. Seeing the instructors work on the same images helped, too.

My goal with Copic markers was to learn how to use them to have realistic blending and shading on my images. I always admired the Copic coloring on critters and wanted to learn how to blend and use them properly. If I was making such an investment into markers, I wanted to learn how to use them properly. I signed up for Online Card Classes Copic Markers for Cardmakers Class. This was my first Online Card Class and I wasn't sure what to expect. The class has about three to four different videos from different teachers each day and there are 13 days. Each day covers a different technique using the markers. The class also provides free downloadable practice images which they recommend printing and then photocopying onto Neenah Solar White 80lb Cardstock. I was able to watch the videos and then practice the technique. Once I felt like I had mastered it, I watched the next days technique and practiced that. The practice sheets also helped me to try out different blending combinations and where I felt my collection was lacking in a certain color blend, I could purchase that one marker at Michael's to build my collection.

Takeaways...

I am a collector of things and I realized that I had to quickly stop myself from buying every marker. I am not an artist, this is my hobby and I do not need all the colors. To prevent overspending, I purchased a Michael's Gift Card, loaded it with a set amount and used that to buy my markers. Once it is out, I then had to make a decision to continue purchasing or pause and take stock if I really needed more colors.
I am addicted to coloring now. These markers really have changed my life because I am no longer frustrated at blending, pilling paper or not getting the shading just right. I am glad I took the Online Card Class which has helped me gain Copic skills in a short time. The skills I learned by using Copics is spilling over into other coloring mediums of colored pencils and watercolors. I am building more cards with critters and scenes and looking for stamps where I can color.

I hope this post has helped you decide where you want to take your coloring and if Copics are a good move for you. There are NO affiliate links in this post and I was not compensated by any companies. I wanted to provide an honest and unbiased view of my experiences getting into Copics. Let me know your favorite blends, markers you can't live without and if you are taking the plunge! Have a great and colorful day.