Copic Extras!

You have all those delicious Copic Collections in the container, now how about learning some new ways to use them?

Hi it's Christine here with you today.  I thought it would be fun to give you some new ideas for how to use your Copics today.  Some you may have seen, and some that might be new to you.  I'll be showing you 4 different techniques with Copics today so hang on....it's a long post :)

The Colorless Blender Pen

This is one fantastic little essential in EVERY Copic owners Collection.  When I look at it - it's really not a blending tool, per say...but more-so a color remover.  And when you think of it that way, it has SO many applications.  You probably all know that it can remove ink you've "spread too far over the edges", but it can also add details into your design where you want them.

Below is a cute little purse image from the Think Pink - Fight Like a Girl set.  It's a good example for this technique because it has some open space.  I colored it with the Tea Rose Copic Collection from the store on our Flourishes Classic White paper - specifically designed for use with Copics. 

Then all you need to do use use your blender pen (in this case with the smaller tip, we have two styles in the store) and go over the spaces in your colored image that you want to lighten or make white.  So you can see I added polka-dots to my purse.  I ended up making the dots by dotting down my pen several times on each dot to get the lightness/whiteness I desired.  You could make stripes, plaid, dots, or squiggles - anything your heart desires just with your blender pen!

And here's the final creation, I also used the Scalloped Squares Nestabilities, Octagonal Nestabilities and the Fancy Scalloped Pierceabilities for the edging on the Basic Grey Lemonade designer paper.

Copic Pointillism

When I was in High School we learned a technique with a fine point black marker called Pointillism.  You create depth, light and shadow in your design by making fine even dots with your black pen.  That same technique can be applied to copic markers with a light hand as well, and the way Flourishes sells the Collections in the store is just perfect for this technique.  I started with the Spring Greens Collection and the very fun tree and swing in the Swing Set .  Initially you add dots randomly to the design in areas that you want the lightest colors to show.  I work from lightest to darkest.   Remember light advances, dark receeds.

Then I add the next color in the collection in the areas I want to see more depth or shadow.  You have to imagine a tree and how the leaves look from a distance, almost like large round or ovals balls on the tree. 

Here below I've added the darkest color dots in the deepest areas.

And here it is after I've gone back and added some more YG00 for  a softer look. 

And below the final card, on it I used Silk Ribbon from the Flourishes store, as well as Pinking Edge Nestabilities.

Dirty Rag

No I didn't name this technique myself :)  But it is a technique where you will need an old rag that has some texture that you don't mind getting dirty.

First I colored this t-shirt from Think Pink - Fight Like a Girl with the Hollyhock Collection.  I knew I would be cutting it out for my design so I added lots of color and let it bleed out of the lines. 

Then I used these supplies below: blending solution (essentially what you would use to refill your blender pen - I got it at my Copic Certification course, but I know retailers sell it) and my rag.  I chose an old washcloth because of the texture, so whatever type of rag you use will give you a different effect. 

What you want to do then is dampen a corner of the rag with blending solution and then dab lightly over your colored image.  The blending solution will "remove" color from your image in the texture pattern on the rag.  I did this several times to get the effect I wanted.  It is very subtle but adds the feeling of texture, or in this case almost the feeling of a tie-dyed shirt.

And here's the card I also used Basic Grey 1/2 Pearls from the Flourishes store

And lastly:

Adding Pattern with Stamps

In this technique you use a similar idea to what I just showed you in the Dirty Rag technique, but you implement it with rubber stamps.  I'll be creating a crushed patterned velvet look.  Here's how it works. I've colored this gorgeous chair from the set Chairs to You with the Azure Collection.  ONLY color in those areas that you want pattern first.  Leave the rest uncolored. 

Next you will need Blender Solution, a sponge (this one was just stained - not dirty - you need it to be clean), and a RUBBER stamp background, here is an old SU - Paisley Background

Make sure that your background is very clean when you do this technique, I didn't recheck my background and you'll see what happened below.  Add some blending solution lightly to the sponge to make it damp - not wet, and then dab the solution on the background stamp in an area large enough to cover your colored area, it need to be damp - not drippy on the background stamp.  Place the background stamp over top of your image and press - just as if you were stamping.  Lift and voila.....you have the look of crushed velvet.  You can see in the background that because I didn't clean my background stamp well enough it also stamped on the white.  So I had to do some creative cutting to make it work.  So - learn from my mistakes - clean your stamp well :)  But you know that mistakes are opportunities for embellishment right?  :)

Now - I know all of you are going to ask me a question, can I get this effect with acrylic stamps?  The answer - I'm not sure.  Because Blender Solution is alcohol based I'd be concerned with what it would do to my polymer stamps....and I'm not willing to sacrifice one to try!  So, if you're brave enough let me know! 

And here's the card.

So...four new techniques with Copics to try!  I hope you have fun experimenting with these techniques.