Today we have some great tips for how to add details with Copic markers – check them out!
When we first saw this card we were so enthralled with all the gorgeous coloring Dawn did – we honestly though those little seaweeds were shiny 3D elements! Once we dove in, though, we saw that these awesome touches were all thanks to Dawn sharing how to add details with Copic markers and we are so psyched! Her tips are easy to follow and she’s sharing them all today. Let’s get into it!
Dawn started by stamping her images from our Vitamin Sea set with Copic-friendly ink on Copic X-Press It paper. Dawn says “In my experience, the Copic paper gives you the best blendability.” She’s the pro so we took note! Then she colored in her images, starting with the whale, using W10, W8, W6, W4 and R20 and R30 for his cheeks.
PRO TIP: To add that gorgeous underwater briny blue tone to her friend, Dawn colored over the darker areas with BG01 and the lighter ones with BG000. This is such a great tip to use when you are placing an item in a scene and you want it to look cohesive.
For her fabulously dimensional seaweed Dawn cut more Copic paper with our Seaweed/Coral die.
She colored them in with her Copic markers, using the following combinations for each pop of color:
- Orange – W5 E09 E08 YR16
- Green – YG67 YG17 YG03
- Yellow – BV31 Y38 Y15 Y02
- Purple – YG95 RV29 RV19 RV66.
PRO TIP: Color from lightest to darkest across an element from side to side to give the illusion of light. Dawn made sure all her seaweed went from lightest to darkest left to right so when she added these to her card, the illusion of light shining through the water would be accentuated.
When she was done adding her shading and shaping she added thin white lines with a gel pen opposite her shaded areas where the light would hit first, giving them all an amazing 3D, almost glossy look!
Dawn added some gradient style coloring to her seashells and when done cut out her Copic colored elements with our coordinating Vitamin Sea die set:
Now Dawn applied her expert eye for color to her stenciled background. She took a piece of white card stock and laid our Wavy Stencil over it. Dawn likes to use her magnetic mat and says that some washi tape or low tack tape will work well, too.
Starting with Sonata Color Fuse Ink from Set #8, Dawn applied the ink through the stencil over the top 3/4 of the panel. Dawn says start light and apply the ink unevenly for that dimensional look that water has. She layered her ink on until she liked the watery look.
Then Dawn added some Sierra ink from the same set to deepen the dimension and give the water some extra “splash”.
When Dawn was happy with her underwater space, she removed the stencil and added her sand. Starting with the lightest shade in Color Fuse Ink Set #3, Mocha, Dawn applied the ink lightly over the card stock.
She then applied some Caramel until she had the depth and shading she wanted.
For another great Copic marker tip, Dawn used Copic markers E53 and E55 and made some dots in various places. Dawn says “I use the chisel end of the Copic so as not to ruin my nib.” When she was done she added some white dots with her gel pen to again add that illusion of light dappling the underwater sand.
Now Dawn played around with the placement of all her darling elements and when she liked what she saw, she took a quick pick with her phone to remember where everything looked best and began adhering them with liquid glue and thin layers of dimensional adhesive. She tangled her seaweed together for a realistic look and to add a hint of motion.
She layered her decorated panel onto a piece of orange card stock and then added that to her card base. And no doubt did the happy dance when she saw how stinkin’ cute this card turned out!
Here are the fun things from our store that Dawn used today:
We loved today’s tips for how to add details with Copic markers and are already thinking about how we want to use what we learned today on other projects. How about you? Have you been inspired? We sure hope so!
