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I am in need of some guidance. I have several Copics, some were given to me and some I bought. I am looking to add to my collection .. maybe 8-10 markers.
I have been over SO many blogs and tutorials and threads recommending starter colors. A lot of them say to use colors that are close together... such as R20, R21 & R22. Others say to skip one number such as RV21, RV23 & RV25. Which is better? I know a lot depends on personal preference.. I get that. But is one way better/more preferred than the other? Or does it also depend on colors?
I recommend skipping numbers too. Sometimes the ones in sequence feel so close, and if you only have a few markers, I’d go for a little more variety and just layer to build more shade variation when you need it.
The absolute best advice I can give is the check out Sandy Allnock's blog and videos on YouTube. She also has a Copic Hex chart available for sale ($6, I think) that shows you all of the colors in a way that lets you compare them but also see at a glance which ones work well together. It's an excellent resource because some colors are so close that you can really save more money by knowing which ones NOT to buy, despite the number on it.
SKIP to my lou my darlin'. Usually. Sometimes even two or three. A couple of Copic pdf charts can be really helpful, though colors on line or printed aren't necessarily accurate, but you can tell what's close:
HIGHLY recommend that you check out Sandy Allnock's blog and buy her Hex Chart to download (it costs $6, I think) because it has a colored chart and one to print on you own cardstock to color in as you buy your markers. The colored Chart shows you how close some of the colors are so you can buy the colors you prefer.
You can blend with just one marker...so absolutely you can skip, skip, skip. This video shows how to blend with one marker, multiple colors and blending on plastic or nib to nib. When I started collecting, I skiped several numbers.
thebiscuitscraps* is so right! I took a Copic workshop at an LSS and the first card we made we darkened a color (blue) by using the same marker over itself.
Thank you all so very much! I've been all over Sandy's site and could not find that page.. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong. Does she use more than one site/blog? Anywho, thanks for that link Arlene!! I have managed to find a few other beginner lists.. one on a website I thought was called Flourishes, only now I can't even find it. ugh.
Anyway, thank you all for your input. I haven't ordered yet. I think I may do that tonight. I think I will skip some colors and see what I can do with them and if I need to fill in later, I always can. I need to go through and see what I have very little or none of.. because I know I don't have colors from every color family yet.
Using the same color marker over itself doesn't work very well in most cases. It will darken slightly, but not enough to really see a difference. Some colors work better than others when doing this, but it is generally not a very effective way to shade and blend. Some of the Copic colors are so close that you really do need to skip a few to get a good shading/blending effect. Some of the yellows come to mind. I have Sandy Allnock's Hex Chart, and it is really good. It helps you to see what colors blend and coordinate well - some that you wouldn't even think of! I think I paid $5 or $6 for it, but it was worth it. You get a colored-in chart and a blank chart to fill in as you get more colors.
The first card we made in my Copics class used one color blue to demonstrate that tone-on-tone could work - and of course to teach us blending. (A bit like using one colored pencil to go darker as in one of Dina's videos.)
My tablemates and I were surprised at the amount of contrast and shading. Of course it wouldn't be your go-to choice, and like you point out, it depends on the color. It was a pretty card, the colored piece on top of two layers, one patterned, plus a base. I wouldn't be ashamed to send it, not that I would since I keep instructional samples plus it's not so much my style. : )
We used Copic's X-Press It Blending Card. While I'm a Neenah Classic Crest junky, I happen to get better results with X-Press It for Copics, and need all the help I can get.
Last edited by bjeans; 01-02-2018 at 06:52 AM..
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Yes, Sandy has mutiple sites. The hex chart pops up on top of her blog but here is the direct link to the page for purchasing the hex chart. For her classes go to art-classes.com. I add my recommendation for her classes to those above, especially her Copic Jumpstart class. I was severely lacking in my art education so I needed help with basic shading and color theory which that class provided, and then some.
Kerry
Quote:
Originally Posted by DreamsInPink
Thank you all so very much! I've been all over Sandy's site and could not find that page.. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong. Does she use more than one site/blog? Anywho, thanks for that link Arlene!! I have managed to find a few other beginner lists.. one on a website I thought was called Flourishes, only now I can't even find it. ugh.
Anyway, thank you all for your input. I haven't ordered yet. I think I may do that tonight. I think I will skip some colors and see what I can do with them and if I need to fill in later, I always can. I need to go through and see what I have very little or none of.. because I know I don't have colors from every color family yet.
Calling Copic users
