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So in December of 2010 i came across some youtube videos using copic markers to color in stamped images.. i didnt know much but i knew enough to know that i wanted them- badly!.. did some research and found the 72 marker sets and talked to my husband about them. He told me that with our tax return 2011 i could buy a set..well tax time rolled around and some unexpected expenses came around (i.e...preganancy!! ) so i bought something cheaper... prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I LOVE the look of that but sometimes i like a look thats just a little cleaner.. So when i found out Michaels was carrying Copics i went and bought 5 of them. V17, B05, YG03, RV29 and a colorless blender... I did not realize i needed multiples in the color groups to get shading and such..but now i know.. My husband took me yesterday to buy some more markers and so now i can blend a little bit, but my main focus was skin tones so i bought E000, E00, E11 and R20. I also Bought B02 and BG10 just for the heck of it... I can NOT wait to buy more markers and i have my list made for the colors i want...In the meantime i colored two images exactly the same and would love some feedback... Its very apparent that i need to work on my lighting/shading but i am a beginner after all.. my main issue is paper... I love the way papertrey ink stamper select white works with the markers but right now i had some georgia pacific and some cheap cardstock from michaels...neither of them are great but i guess they worked for now... copic.jpg
I appologize for the not so great quality photo..i took it with my phone because i cant seem to find my camera anywhere.
i used Bic Mark Its for the hair and the grey on the mirror but the rest was done with the copics that i have... any feed back on these would be greatly appreciated or any links to point me in the direction where i could learn more on how to use these more effectively
Looks like you are off to a great start. You are a good "colorer", lol. I have a combination of several kinds of markers that I use together, according to what colors I want.
I have a set of 36 Bics, a set of Sharpies, and some Copics. Recently I got a set I really like, Shinhan Touch Twin. There are quite a lot like Copics, but I got them at a great bargain price because they were changing the style.
Go to your local office supply store and see if they carry Hammermill color copy paper. You won't want to use anything else with your Copics after you try this paper.They have two or three weights, light, medium and heavy weight. I usually use the medium weight for coloring.
I just checked out your blog and youre coloring is beautiful!
the only office supply stores around are about 30-45 minutes in either direction of me so the next time i am around them i will definitely pop in and see if i can find that paper. THanks!
The folks at Copic are recommending XPress-It Blending Cards. We used it during the certification classes and had a chance to compare them to other cardstock. Based on the results we got in class, I can't imagine trying to color on any other type of cardstock with Copic markers!!! They have an online store now where you can order it directly.
XPress It Blending Card is the gold standard for me, but the Hammermill is a great second runner up. Office Depot has the 80lb for $9.99 for 250 sheets.
I have found some videos on youtube using the Xpress It and it looks sort of grey to me..does that ever become a factor when making cards? Also are there any videos of anyone using the Hammermill paper? I would love to see someone actually using it..
I LOVE the Hammermill too!! I bought a ream of it last year, and just had to restock. It's wonderful!! I haven't tried the more expensive papers because frankly, I couldn't afford to buy it when I need to restock. I love the way the hammermill blends and feels, and looks.
According to the class I just took at the Scrapbook convention, X-Press It White 92# is the most preferred paper for the Copics. The second paper they recommended was Neenah Classic Crest, White, 80#. They said that the X-Press It is very expensive. I haven't found a source for either yet.
I'll try the Hammermill next...I actually had some in my office. Can't wait to see how well it does! I love Copics!
I bought my X-Press It paper at Oozak dot com, but they are out now. Could try Ebay. I will probably get the Hammermill paper to restock... the price is WAY better! Since I am just starting out with copics, too... I doubt anyone who gets a card from me will notice the difference between Hammermill vs Copic X-Press It paper!
I have found some videos on youtube using the Xpress It and it looks sort of grey to me..does that ever become a factor when making cards? . . .
Yes, I definitely notice that grey cast of the X-Press It, and I haven't been able to match it to a less expensive cardstock for the card base. I also asked about this in a previous thread, and no one was able to suggest a good match.
I took a sample of X-Press It to a local Xpedx store and tried to match it, with no luck. I've switched to the Hammermill and have it in three weights: 100 lb for the card base, 80 lb for the image layer, and 60 lb for quick color tests (because that weight saturates with so little ink). By the way, if you have an Xpedx Store in your area, you can probably pick up free samples of the Hammermill to try, as well as Neenah.
My theory on why different people prefer different cardstocks is that we all have our own individual techniques. For my coloring methods, both the X-Press It and the Hammermill work well, while both GP and Neenah Classic Crest bleed outside the lines.
copics- newly obsessed..
