Coloring with Copics

First, thanks for the comments on the ink/paper post. I appreciate the information you provided on other types of ink, paper and also about the whiteness of paper. Very interesting. I will continue to experiment and I hope you will continue to add information too.

I promised a little coloring lesson so here it goes. Like I said before, I wanted a simple image so we are going with this little ducky fellow (Serendipity Stamps). I could have kept going with him, doing the ground or airbrushing, but I am keeping it simple. You might notice that I also use different types of markers. For thin lines of small areas, I like the fine point of the original Copic. You can use the brush tip for small areas, but you just have to be a little more careful. I like the brush tip for "flicking color" like I did on the tulip. I have several colors that I have duplicate originals copics and I have decided I will just change the nibs to calligraphy and round on those for writing. If you buy sets you often will end up with duplicates. I just ordered a few more colors from Carpe Diem Store that should come this week....I keep telling myself, OK that is IT....no more! Maybe I should have a disclaimer about how addictive this marker buying can be! 

First I began with pale yellow and I just color the central areas of the duck and the tulip. Since both of these subject will go out (convex in shape), the lightest areas will be in the center. I will come and add a deeper shade as we go towards the edges.
Here I have added Yellow to the edges of the duck and a couple of streaks on the tulip for contrast. Notice that I just colored over the stem. Since a darker color will be used in the stem, it will cover the yellow. I don't need to take pains to color in the lines (truth be known, I am not much of a color in the lines type person anyway!).
Next, I do a little shading on the duck. Think about the areas that will be hidden from the light source directly above the duck...under the beak, under the head, under the stem and the underneath of the duck. These stripes of Yellow ochre look a little severe, but I can take that pale yellow and go over them and soften them.
The beak and feet were colored orange with the fine point of the original copic.
Light Pink was used on the rest of the tulip. The areas where the pink overlaps the pale yellow will give you an orange shade, which is kind of nice.
Now I take a darker pink and flick the brush tip upwards. This is a very technical term (not!) where you place the marker down and pull upwards and up to make a smaller line. When you are using the brush tip to cover larger areas, you can color in circles, preventing having lines that dry. You can soften those darker pink lines by coming back over with the pale yellow. Artists that are new to Copics might think the colorless blender would be used to achieve this, but what that would do is remove color. It would leave lighter streaks. Now, I could have used the colorless blender on the right side of the tulip where I went out of the lines a little. Doesn't bother me, but if it does bother you, just pick it up with the blender. Works great for light colors like the pale yellow.
I used the fine point of the Nile Green and then came in with an Olive fine point to shade the stem a little.
I cut out the duck with a Spellbinders nestability and mounted it on some K & company Que Sera Sera paper (LOVE that paper) and embellishment. I used a new EK Success border punch along the edge and some Martha Stewart glitter was added on red liner tape.
Like I said, there is plenty more I could add, but sometimes less is more.  Spring is almost here and it is nice to use some bright happy colors. I have the Braves spring practice game on the radio, the cherry trees are blooming here in Atlanta and it is almost 80 degrees...life is good!

I will be going up to the Washington DC area this week, staying at the National Harbor,  so I hope to get some sketching in while there. Don't worry about me if I don't make a post...I am having fun! Just hope those Copics arrive before I leave town! Have a great week! Keep the comments coming!