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I'm sure that somebody already figured this out, but it's new to me, so I'm sharing. I have some copics and love them, but I can't demo them which lead me to playing with my water based SU markers. This also worked with my Marvy Brush Markers.
You can paint with the waterbased markers using alcohol and get great blending results and regular cardstock doesn't pill-up or buckle. It still bleeds through to the back of paper like Copics.
I colored the markers on a transparency, poured out a little alcohol on the transparecy, and then used my paintbrush to color and it blends just like a Copic.
I used the same technique that you use with Copics: starting with the lighest color, coloring in little circles, picking-up the next darker color to blend, color in small circles, etc. I stamped the image using Adirondack pitch black so I imagine that you need to use any of the recommended inks for Copics as the alcohol has the same effect.
I had better results with smooth paper like SU whisper white than I did with less smooth paper. The less smooth paper tended to leave streaks, similar to coloring with just a marker and there was some warping.
Now, I can demo great blending and I have much more colors using what I already have. I still love the copics I have, but this is cheaper and it feels a little faster.
Anyway, I hope it works as well for you as it does for me.
Oh, I also tried using an empty blender pen with alcohol but it didn't work nearly as well as a small paint brush.
You can do this with water and the SU markers also if you don't like the smell of alcohol. Just color them on the acrylic (or an old cd) and paint with a wet paintbrush.
You can do this with water and the SU markers also if you don't like the smell of alcohol. Just color them on the acrylic (or an old cd) and paint with a wet paintbrush.
Beckydory, very true, but if you want to do a lot of blending you will have a problem with regular cardstock as it can't hold the water. Using markers with water is simply watercoloring and is best done on watercolor paper to prevent pilling or warping.
Also, I forgot to add that if you want to be SUO, you use craft ink and emboss it so the alocohol doesn't make the SU ink bleed.
OK, so I'm pretty new to "coloring", but I thought I would play with this a bit! Mind you, the stamp that I used has really small areas in it, so I was "out of the line" quite a bit, but all in all I liked this idea and I love using a brush vs the nib. I used my LePlumes, Sharpies and some of my Bics. Here is a photo showing my bad coloring skills....but I will try to get better!
Another suggestion I would make is to use a ceramic tile, if you have one. It makes a fantastic palette! And it cleans right off with the alcohol, but I just left the ink on it to use another time!
Faux Copics - save some $$
