While I like to use my Copic markers to color images in the traditional way, I also like to experiment a bit and see what other fun ways I can use them.  I’m really excited to share one of my favorite “non-traditional” Copic coloring methods with you today.

As a mixed media artist, I’m always trying to… well… mix my media!  I did just that, combining Copic Various Inks and acrylic gel medium to create funky, colored skins which I then used to “color” an image.

You will need:
Non-stick craft sheet
Various ink (2 of each color)
Palette knife
Gel medium (glossy was used here)
Canvas board
White acrylic paint
Paintbrush (flat)
Copic marker(s) (not black)
Scissors or Xacto knife

First, you need to make your acrylic skins.  Typically, thin layers of acrylic paint are used for this.  I wanted a very vibrant yet transparent mix of colors, so I used Copic Various Inks to create the color for each skin.  It’s imperative to use a non-stick craft sheet when making your skins.

Apply 3-6 drops of Various Inks onto the surface of the craft sheet.  This can be all one shade or a mixture of 2 different shades or colors.  Here I am using YR15 and YR18.

Using a thin palette knife, slowly spread the ink across the surface of the craft sheet.  Initially, the ink will condense and reform beads.  As it dries, it will stick to the surface and remain spread out.  Blowing lightly on the ink as you spread it helps to speed up this process.

Once the ink is completely dry (no longer sticky), apply a layer of gel medium over the ink with a palette knife.  Spread the gel medium gently and try not to “mix” the ink into the medium.  The medium should be approximately 1/8 – 1/4 “ thick.  I like to leave stoke marks in the medium for added texture.

Repeat the previous three steps with the additional colors necessary to “color” your image.

While the skins are drying (typically overnight), draw an image onto the canvas board (try this technique first with simple, open images and move onto more complex and detailed images as your experience with skins progresses).  Outline your image with a dark Copic marker (do not use black as the pigment in black sometimes feathers when combined with acrylic mediums).  Apply a thin layer of white acrylic paint over the drawn image.  This gives a nice bright base for your skins and the Copic ink of the drawing will become visible once the paint dries.

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Once the skins and the drawing are dry, you can move on to the next step in “coloring” your image (if your skins have “cracked” during the drying process, the layer of gel medium was too thin.  You can apply another thin layer over the cracks and let dry before proceeding).  Carefully remove each skin from the craft sheet by sliding a large palette knife under the edge and gently lifting.  The Copic ink will be pulled from the craft sheet and “stick” to the bottom of the skins.   Do not let the skins fold or touch each other as they will stick together.

Place a colored skin over the area of the image that you want “colored” and trace around the outlines of the image.

Using an Xacto knife or scissors, cut along the lines of the image.

Once you have all of the pieces cut, the “coloring” begins!  Apply a thin layer of gel medium to a section of the drawing and then place the corresponding skin over it.  Press down gently to adhere.  Continue gluing skins into place.  Layer individual colors to create more depth and texture.

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Once the colored image is dry, outline the image and add final details with a dark Copic marker.

While this obviously takes much more time and effort than traditional coloring, it also gives a completely different look.  The mix of texture, translucency and depth create an almost stained-glass effect – perfect for an array of mixed media projects.

Products Used:
Golden Glossy Gel Medium
Golden Titanium White Fluid Acrylic Paint
Copic Sketch Markers – RV09/RV19/RV69/G17
Copic Various Inks -B12/B18/YG13/YG25/G03/G09/YR15/YR18/Y35/Y17/V04/V05/R43/R46/RV66/RV69

Find Colleen on the web:
Web Site: http://www.distinctivetouches.com/
Copic Color: http://www.copiccolor.com/cschaan

Share your mixed media projects with us on Facebook and Twitter!

I was working on this poster yesterday for our stores and I thought I’d share it here. Surprisingly, many people don’t realize that all of our markers are refillable. This means you can save a ton of money on markers in the long run. If you are using any of our marker types (Copic, Sketch, Ciao, Wide) then the below chart will show you how many refills you can get from one bottle of Various Ink. They are available in all 334 colors. If you are using Ciao, Copic or Wide (which don’t come in all colors) you can buy the empty markers and fill them with any color you like.

Getting a refillable marker that is high quality and has as many color options is tough. If you are switching over to Copic’s, hopefully you already know about the refill-ability of our products. Don’t forget our Mulitliner SP Ink Pens are refillable too.  Make sure you recycle your old pens when they dry out. If you are looking for something interesting to do with them, I came across this article on diylife.com on “15 Uses for Old Pens“. Also check out the Pen Guy. He is trying to collect 1 million empty pens. He is putting together pen recycle stations and distributing them in the California area. I’d be interested to see more of these around. According to this article, Bic sold it’s 100 billionth ball point pen in 2005. If you laid that many pens end to end it would circle the earth 348 times. That’s nuts.