Blending & Special Effects August 16, 2011

To do this tutorial, you will need a blank image photocopied onto good paper, and 4 Sketch or Ciao markers: YG03 Yellow Green, Y15 Cadmium Yellow, YR04 Chrome Orange, 0 Colorless Blender

Click Here to download the black & white Copic line art for this tutorial.

Try these two simple exercises to understand how to get the most vibrant coloration and blending with Copic markers:

Coloring Smooth Areas
Start at one edge and color in small circles, using the side of the brush. This will evenly soak your paper surface and create clean, smooth, vibrant colors.

Try not to stop coloring until you have colored the whole area, or else the colored edges may dry and you’ll get darker streaks.
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Blending Similar Colors
When blending two colors that are in a similar family, start with the lighter color.

1. Start with Y15, evenly soaking the paper. Feather in the YR04.

2. Where the two colors meet, go back with Y15 and wash the two shades together until streaks disappear.
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Blending Colors in Different Families
The easiest way to blend colors that are in different families is to feather the two colors together. This is easiest to try with lighter colors.

1. Begin by feathering Y15 into the area where the second color will be, leaving plenty of white space for the second color. Be sure to lift up at the end of each stroke, leaving a natural fade to your work.

2. From the other direction, feather in the YG03. Once again, remember to lift up at the end of each stroke, until the two colors blend into each other. Repeat if necessary.

Pushing Away Darker Colors
On absorbant paper, Copic inks can push each other out of the way, even after the area is dry. Here is an example of the final word, with the edge colors added last. To try this look, use the YG03 over the top of the YR04. It will take multiple layers of color in the same spot for it to push the darker color out of the
way. You can make small dots by touching the brush tip straight
down onto the paper. This will not damage the nib, even if you press hard.

Copic Colorless Blender
The Colorless blender pen is the base solvent of Copic inks. It can be used to make patterns, textures, or to fix mistakes on absorbent papers. The blender was used on this sample to fade the green to white on the C. On the O, the chisel end of the blender pen was touched to a dry, colored area to make brick patterns. The brush tip was touched to the P to create small dots. If you get a chance, experiment on your own to see what can be done with the colorless blender.

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Share Your Work and WIN!
Download the blank Copic graffiti logo and try your hand at coloring it in with the blending techniques you’ve learned here! Use any colors you’d like. Share your creation on our Facebook wall for a chance to win a marker from your Copic Color wish list. Be sure to leave your Copic Color user name with your work!

Don’t have a Copic Color account? Get started today! Copic Color is the place to track your marker collection online, access it from your mobile phone, share your artwork, and connect with other artists.

To be eligible to win, you must reside in the U.S. or Canada. You must have a Copic Color account at the time of entry, with at least one marker in your wish list. Deadline is August 31st!