Copics Demo

On Saturday night, once a month, I go to a Stamp Club that I really love.  Last month, Sandy asked me to show the ladies how I use Copics.  So last night I took my copics to class and showed them the Sketchers that I use quite frequently. I knew that I had to explain what various reviews said about paper and ink. They asked what I used and I explained that Mementos were my only choice of ink and that I use Neenah Classic Crest 110# but I would get 80# next time I ordered a ream.   I showed them what the marker looked like and in addition to the little pictures, the grey line around the marker was a sure way of telling the brush end which I prefer.
Then I explained that as far as I was concerned if you don't use the blending or feathering technique, don't go to the expense of buying them.
They were warned against buying the sets of Copics that Copic puts out because unless you have all the markers from them, you will not be able to blend as easily.
I don't know of any other company that puts out sets of Copics as they should be. TAC has just come out with their Caboodle sets and they are set up so that the individual colors are together as they should be.
For those of you who do not know, Copics are marked with an abbreviation of the color first, next comes how true the color is 0 being the strongest and 9 being the least as it has more grey to it. This is true as you go up the numbering. This does not mean the brightest color.  The next number represents the lightest of that color group to the darkest. This again goes from 0-9.
For blending purposes, the norm is to chose the first two as the family and the lightest to the darkest.  So for blue denim, I prefer B (for blue) 9 for the least strong pure color, then I chose 3, 5 and 7.  So my markers would be B93, B95, and B97.  The truth is for the third number I could use any number as long as the first two numbers remain the same.
I really don't want to get into blending here, but an intoduction would be to lay down your lowest number first, using tiny circles to apply. Then check the back of the paper to be sure it is showing through. You apply that color all over the item. Now, without getting into the direction of light, etc, the easiest way is to outline the outer edge of that part of the image with the next marker. Take your lightest marker again and blend them together. I actually like the feathering technique, I flick the light color over the dark until you no longer see where one begins and the other ends.  The next step would be to apply the third color where you want your deepest shadows and the take the lightest marker again and flick it over all of the colors so there is no line. It should look like the color just gets darker. You can use mixed media with this BUT the Copics have to be DRY! 
I used a white prismacolor pencil to place highlight where I wanted them.  Then on my card, I used chalks and a torn piece of paper to make clouds for the background. This poor little girl had her string on her balloon break and she went sailing up into the sky.  I sure hope she landed somewhere safe!!

Do you think they may have gotten a little confused? Well then I passed out 3 markers to each of the 8 ladies and a 2 x 5 strip of Neenah and had them do it.  Eventually each one of them was blending beautifully.  They then all wanted them so it went downhill from there - LOL.  One of the ladies is determined to get them so she is booking a party from me to get the Copic set for 1/2 price by having sales of over $100. Then for every booking she gets, when the other person has her party, then she will be entitled to get another 1/2 priced set.  She is usually timid but she is more determined then timid and she realizes that she is doing her friends and their friends a favor in these economic times. Our wonderful Company, The Angel Company reduced their prices where all other companies increased their prices. What a Company!!!!!

So that is my saga from last night.  Oh one more thing, I used the card in the last post to demonstrate how to do the blending. Go look at it and click on it twice to enlarge it.

Have a great day!