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About six months ago I purchased a combination of ten Copic Ciaos and Sketches online, and was greatly disappointed in them. I'd watched numerous videos, and read many instructions on how to blend with them, but no matter what I did, blending eluded me. I figured the problem was my lack of experience and practice. I also suspected it was because I was using an inferior cardstock (Georgia-Pacific from Walmart).
FF to a few days ago when I purchased a number of Copics from Michael's, and I'm absolutely shocked, because, using the same method on the same cardstock, these Copics blend beautifully. I feel like I finally get what the big deal is.
The only obvious difference between these two batches is the colors. The older Copics are from the RV and E categories, while the new batch is from the V, B and YG categories. Both batches contain markers with light, medium and dark shades from each category.
So, is it possible that Copics from one store are inferior to Copics from another? Everything I've read about them would tell me the answer is no. But it makes no sense to me that the Es and RVs don't blend while the Vs, Bs and YGs do.
Does that make sense to you? Thoughts?
__________________ Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.
~~Walt Whitman
It shouldn't matter where you purchase them, they should all be the same. I haven't heard of any knock off copic markers. You say you had light, medium and dark. How far apart were the numbers in the color families?
I've found that the RVs are a more difficult blending family, and it takes more practice. I'll second what Michelle said...how far apart were the numbers?
All Copics are put through a rigorous testing process to make sure they are top quality...so I'm thinking the answer is no. The issue might just be like Shelby said, the color choice. RV's are pretty vibrant and can be very difficult to blend and the E colors don't always follow the "rules" and can sometimes be frustrating in that sense. Blues, greens and yellows blend much more easily. Don't get rid of your first set of markers... keep playing with them... they should get easier.
__________________ Colleen Schaan - Education Specialist at Imagination International Inc.,/Copic Marker
Blog - Distinctive Touches;My Copic Books!
it DOES matter where you purchase them!!! I had the exact same experience. The first blender marker I bought was bone dry but I didn't realize it for almost a year! What a dope I am. I bought it from an art supply store where the markers were kept in the open on display.
So now as soon as I get my Copics, I open them up and test to see how wet they are. If they are dry or almost dry, return them.
Hope this helps as I now love Copics, where before I was truly befuddled!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
Wow, I've had some of my markers for over 5 years and they have never been refilled and are still juicy. You must have to buy a really old marker for it to be dry! Or the store has to store them in the sun with the caps off! LOL. I've never had a bad one.
And yes, different colors are harder to blend than others. I find the Red's abit tougher to blend. Practice makes perfect!
First I seen many people bring paper to Hobby Lobby and try Copics. Multiply that by hundreds of people and markers will go dry.
I buy mine from Oozak. I know no one has tried them and used them up .
With the E family there are so many different shades of brown that just because it was a light , medium and dark doesn't mean it will blend.
Some browns have a reddish cast , other have an orange cast , still others a gray cast , etc.
The RV's can be strange. Some go to the dusty rose tone and other go to the true pink tone. RV11 does not blend well with RV13 & RV 14, but RV 10 blends perfectly. The jump from RV 02 to RV 04 is a huge leap. You would not expect them to be so far apart since they are only two numbers away from each other. You really need to do tip to tip with those to get a middle tone and even then it is a struggle to blend them.
So again just because you had 3 markers doesn't mean they will blend.
Don't give up they are fantastic markers . You just had a bad experience
I faithfully read blogs where the designer gives the colors that he/she used and it is a great aid in choosing colors
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
If you purchased them open stock, where people can test them out, then I would say yes, they are not the same as ones that have never been used. The open stock ones could be less full.
And I agree with everyone above, RV's can be much more difficult to blend than some of the other colors. R's are really difficult for me to blend also. It all just takes a lot of practice.
You girls are soooooo right! I buy all my Copics online, mostly from Oozak. I never thought about open stock ones being used so much.
I have bought a few open stock ones from my LSS but they practically have a guard there! LOL. Seriously.....they have a staff member hovering over the Copic display at all times. It's right by the till. So, you couldn't start "testing" the markers if you wanted to. They'd slap the handcuffs on! I haven't had any dryness issues with those ones either. The rest are all from Oozak and they are all nice n' juicy!
I'll never buy another copic from Hobby Lobby. I had one that was bone dry- but did not use it for a month or so, so it was too late to return. I've had two in the RV category that were not as "wet", and I had an RV marker that had a cap on one end, and a cap with a different # on the other end, so I did not know which color it really was.
I now get most of my copics at OOzak and have never had a problem.
I'll never buy another copic from Hobby Lobby. I had one that was bone dry- but did not use it for a month or so, so it was too late to return. I've had two in the RV category that were not as "wet", and I had an RV marker that had a cap on one end, and a cap with a different # on the other end, so I did not know which color it really was.
I now get most of my copics at OOzak and have never had a problem.
Nancy K if your Copics are sketch then the color letters and numbers are printed on the barrel of the marker . I don't have any Ciaos perhaps someone else can tell you if the letters and numbers are printed on the barrel of those
Oozak shows his shipment schedule on the site so you know you are getting the "freshest" markers available . I don't think any of them lay around his warehouse for long LOL . In fact he had plenty of a couple of colors I still wanted. I thought there was no rush as he had more than 15 of each . Well, fast forward 1 week and they are gone. Now I have to wait for the next shipment LOL
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I went to a scrapbooking store for the first time 2 weeks ago (just found out about this particular store) anyway they sell the copics there and I watched horified as the sales person sat at the front counter (where the copics were set up) and color with a bunch of them and put them back in the display to be sold. I wonder if that is part of your problem maybe they were used before bought? I will only buy from online directly (I am a newbie infact my order hasnt even been sent yet lol from carpe diem) anyway seeing that scared me off from buying them locally.
Yes I had that problem when I started out too! I bought my first 36 from ebay "allegedly" new. They were very dry and I have had to get refills for all of those 36already. Big mistake I hope that no one else ever makes!
I have only purchased my Copics from Oozak and some from Scrap-Mart.
Scrap-Mart has free shipping on Copics with no minimum order.
I have had some of them for over a year and they are not dry. I practice a lot with them .
I saw people trying them at Hobby Lobby and decided not to buy them there. They are too expensive to buy markers that may have been partially used up.
Scrap-Mart has good prices although they are a bit more than Oozak. If I am not prepared to spend $50 to get free shipping from Oozak I order from Scrap-Mart
Both have rapid shipping and great customer service.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
Nancy K if your Copics are sketch then the color letters and numbers are printed on the barrel of the marker . I don't have any Ciaos perhaps someone else can tell you if the letters and numbers are printed on the barrel of those
Oozak shows his shipment schedule on the site so you know you are getting the "freshest" markers available . I don't think any of them lay around his warehouse for long LOL . In fact he had plenty of a couple of colors I still wanted. I thought there was no rush as he had more than 15 of each . Well, fast forward 1 week and they are gone. Now I have to wait for the next shipment LOL
Ciaos have the letter and number written on the barrel not the lids.
Couldnt agree more with what has been said about where they bought from or that some colour families are *odd* bg 13 & bg15 to my eyes look identical.
I too have found them at Carpe Diem online store-I have never had another issue with dry markers from them. And there is a new book out for Copic shading-it's called the "Copic Coloring Guide". It has the "color families" guide for expert blending. with techniques and suggestions. After Copics, I would never go back to another marker. Have had fabulous results, but I do use a special paper, and Memento ink to alleviate too much "outside the lines" bleeding. A bit of practice does help. Good luck everyone!
Is a Copic a Copic a Copic?
