Improve Your Coloring: Add Zest to Neutral Copic Colors

Are Neutral Colors Bland?

Copic Marker fans love color. Colored pencil people love color.

That's why you color, right?

For most of you, it's rainbow, rainbow, rainbow all the time.

Bright reds, brilliant blues, verdant greens... bring on the color, baby!

Because I teach a lot of classes and I want my presentations to be unique, I do a lot of internet surfing; looking at other project photos and tutorials so that I'm not repeating tired concepts and techniques that have been done to death.

In that research, I see a lot of bold and vivid colors being used.

But not a lot of neutrals.

It seems that many colorers are afraid of the toned down and slightly muddy colors.

So you write them off as unimportant.

Bland and boring. Browns and beiges and foggy grays.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

What a snoozefest!

I think that's really sad.

Neutral colors are only boring when you treat them that way!

Neutrals are some of the most interesting and complex colors available to artists. Many artists spend years, even decades learning to hand mix perfect neutral colors. If a whole bunch of artists are spending that much time studying one specific thing? Well, that's a sign. There must be something pretty darned important about neutrals.

So why aren't you using them in your coloring projects?

It's not that neutral color palettes are boring, it's that you're using them wrong!

Are you sick of Kiddie Color Palettes?

Do you want to improve the look of your coloring projects?

Are you searching for that polished professional look?

Are you tired of coloring like a circus clown or a 12 year old Disney Princess wanna-be?

Neutrals!

Neutrals are the solution!

Neutral colors can add the sophistication you are looking for.

Adding more neutrals to your projects is not hard.

Don't build it up to be more taxing than it ought to be.

Four simple keys...

Just four? Yep.

I have four little tricks that I use to add life and zest to my neutral color palettes!

1. Expand your definition of neutral - supplement the palette with near-neutrals like violet grays and dusty yellows.

2. Use a full range of color values - don't get stuck at the zero end of the Copic color set!

3. Don't skip texture and pattern - smooth & plain is boring no matter what color you use!

4. Add some spice - find pop colors to provide some kicky interest

Yes, I want Beans!

Happy Coloring!

Supplies used in "Cup of Columbine":

(partial list, contains affiliate links to Amazon and Dick Blick)

Vibrant Copic Color: Finding Balance for Bold Colors

A clown Car crash?

We've all been there.

You pull out your favorite color marker for a brand new stamp. Maybe it's Ruby Red, Emerald Green, or Ultramarine Blue.

Oh, glorious color! So yummy.

But the stamp image has lots of little pieces and elements to it, and every one of those things needs another color.

So you end up grabbing lots of other markers, just to make it work.

And when you're done, it looks like the aftermath of a Crayola factory explosion.

Color riots happen to the best of us!

They're a bit embarrassing because you're not an eight year old girl. Adults are supposed to have better color sense and mature taste...

...right?

A simple color like Ultramarine Blue can take over and dominate any image. It's so loud and attention hogging that suddenly all you see is glowing blue.

"Gem tones" are the nice name for vibrant extroverted color.

"Obnoxious" is a little closer to the truth though.

I suspect this is why Copic sells so many 0, 00, and 000 markers. People want to use bolder colors but they can't figure out how to do it with sophistication and taste.

But the world is full vibrancy!

And darn it, we want to use our favorite color!

Finding balance is the key to using extroverted color. Balanced color palettes add serenity and restore order to lively color.

But color palettes can be intimidating. You've seen pre-made color palettes on Pinterest and other websites... but creating your own color palettes? That sounds hard!

So let me ask you...

How's that grabbin' colors at random method woking out for you?

Four simple steps...

Yes, I use four simple steps when I design new color palettes for student projects and those for my professional artwork.

And it's not hard. You don't need an advanced degree or a genius I.Q. to do it.

1. Minimize

2. Neutralize

3. Balance

4. Desaturate

That sounds fancy but I can show you how to do it in just one lesson!

You can learn to balance your vibrant Copic Markers and Colored Pencils to create mature and sophisticated coloring projects!

Take the next step!

Vanilla Arts Company is everything that comes after blending lessons.

Perfect for card-makers, paper-crafters, stampers, and colorers who dream of coloring with realism.

For almost a decade, Amy Shulke and her Vanilla Arts support team have made fine art techniques accessible and understandable to marker and colored pencil hobbyists. People like you who want more than follow-the-leader style tutorials.

We help students to improve their technical skills and powers of observation. Most VAC students do not realize they're secretly learning how to draw and paint. We live for the light bulb moments, when a student finally sees the world not just in color but with light and shadow, line and form.

Let’s tap into that talent you’ve been hiding. It’s there, waiting for you.

Become the artist you were always meant to be!

Yes, I want Beans!

The Problem of Pink: Why Copic Blending Trios Let You Down

Blending trios stink for pink!

Deep down you know I'm right.

We've all been there. We want to color something pink and according to all the Copic laws, we're supposed to select three pink markers in a row.

Which leaves you sitting there with one or two red markers.

To color something pink?

Yep, and it all goes downhill from there.

Stop shading with red markers!

And ditch the hot pink markers too.

Want to know why your pink coloring always looks nice but totally fake? It's because you're using a BLENDING combination instead of a SHADING combination.

They're not the same thing, no matter how many people use the terms interchangeably.

Let's try to color pink bunny slippers...

...using the standard Copic rules.

The R20s are a popular Copic Blending Trio and the lighter end of that set feels very pink.

But if we use the +2 method, we end up with R24 which next to R20 looks downright red. I don't see any red in that bunny slipper photo!

Instead, let's try some RVs. RV11 might work but look at where that run of color leads us. I don't see any pinkish-purple in our bunny slipper photo either.

So then you fall back to the standard Copic Cop-out.

Yes, the Copic Cop-out.

When you can't shade something accurately, you step all the way down to the zeros and color the slippers super pale.

Because at least they're still pink then, right?

So basically, the Copic rules are saying that we can never color anything medium pink.

Nope, you have two choices in Copic-land: you can either shade with an inappropriately dark red or magenta OR you can make everything washed out and barely pink.

But the world is full of medium pink!

And rose, blush, salmon, coral, amaranth, flamingo, and tons of other glorious middle range warm rosy colors.

Look, the problem isn't with Copics markers, the problem is with Copic Blending Trios.

You've locked yourself into a world of coloring by the numbers, using mathematics when you should be using your eyes.

You're also trying to squeeze realism and realistic depth out of a marker rule that wasn't designed to generate realistic color.

That Copic "shading" technique? It's a shortcut for quick and easy coloring projects.

Artists do not do this weird shading thing that Copic experts teach. Artists don't purchase or mix paint, pencils, or pastels using "+2" or "+10 +2" rules. In four and a half years of art school and decades as an illustrator, I've never taken a class or read a method where you step-up in color to simulate a step-back in depth. This Copic shading stuff simply doesn't work for realism.

And Copic's pink problem makes that crystal clear.

“Rose All Day”

Is an instant download from PowerPoppy.com; just print it to a Copic safe paper and color along with me!

Lesson: Color Sculpting technique for realism, focus on pink and light red objects.

Stamp: ‘Rose All Day’ by Power Poppy

Medium: Copic Marker and Prismacolor Premier Pencils

Skill Level: Intermediate through advanced colorers. Once you can blend Copics smoothly with confidence, you're ready to join us! No drawing skills necessary.

Yes, I want Beans!

Happy Coloring!

Vanilla Arts + Power Poppy "Merriest Berries"

"Merriest Berries"

Is an instant download from PowerPoppy.com; just print it to a Copic safe paper (like X-Press It Blending Card) and color along with me!

Lesson: Push & Pull technique for depth without confusing light sources

Stamp: Merriest Berries by Power Poppy

Medium: Copic Marker & Prismacolor Premier Pencils

Skill Level: Intermediate through advanced colorers. Once you can blend Copics smoothly and with confidence, you're ready to join us! No drawing skills necessary.

Yes, I want Beans!

Happy Coloring!