Tutorial: Copic Elements 1/4 - Earth

I've started doing a 4 part tutorial series for CopicMarker.com. The first one is "Earth". They're dragon themed, so stay tuned for the next 3 that will be showing up from now through to October.

Part 1: Earth

Part 2: Sky... coming soon

Tools I use

Many people ask me what tools I use to create my art work, and how I store my Markers and tools. In fact, it's my most frequently asked question. I've done a ton of product reviews, but I don't think I've sone anything specific to what I use. I'll try to link to all the products I use, if I can find them online, So you can purchase them too if you like :)

Sketch Markers: I use these almost exclusively now. I have a few Ciao Markers left in my collection. I like The sketch because they hold more Ink than the Ciao, but the Ciao hold a special place in my heart for being adorable. All of the copic markers are Refillable with the Various ink.

Wide, and Copic Markers: I use the Wide and Copic markers sometimes but not very often. The Wide I use for filling in larger areas that need a flat colour. They work wonderfully. The Copic Markers I use a little more often than the wide. I've replaced the Fine Nib with the Super Fine Nib on my Copic Markers to make them a more writing style pen, and I use these to work out my layouts for my comics (heres a picture of it).

Opaque White: Again, Copic is my Go to for my opaque white. Very useful for certain effects on transparent things, and for highlighting. Also for fixing mistakes :) Maybe a tutorial on that one day... Hmmm ;)

Paper: Believe it or not, the paper is the most important part of any marker artists arsenal. If you have the wrong paper you're never going to be satisfied! So, I have a variety of papers I use for a variety of tasks. For My illustrations I usually use X-Press it Blending Card. It's simply the most magnificent paper I've ever used! I love it like crazy! Blending is effortless on it! For my comic, Hello, Albertosaurus which is coloured entirely in markers but is going to be 200 pages long, I needed to have a slightly less expensive option for this and so I've been Using Aquabee Marker Paper. It's a really good paper, and blends pretty effortlessly as well. It's a bit cheaper than the X-Press it.

For my Layout work, I use a couple of different things. Mostly I use Canson tracing paper, but occasionally, I use Copic Alcohol pad. The tracing paper is completely un absorbant, and so it gives a watercoloury effect with the markers. Being Transparent I can also colour shading layers on the back side of it , then draw on the front side and really quickly get my ideas out. Alternatively the Copic Alcohol pad is a bleedproof paper that is thin like tracing paper, but it's less transparent. It's good for quick colour sketches as well. The important feature for me is that they're both thin, so when I cut and tape them into my sketchbook/ layout book it doesn't add too much bulk.

Airbrush: I use the Copic Airbrush system for areas where I need a quick gradient or, I want to make some soft out of focus effects... Perhaps a tutorial on that someday too... HMM... On that note, I highly recommend purchasing a compressor as well. This Airbrush Kit from copic is an exceptional deal! You won't regret it because you'll save tons of money on air cans, never have to stop because a can gets too cold, and never run out of air! Fantastic! If you're Going to be airbrushing as well, then I highly recommend Copics Mask it Film as well. I've tried so many masking films and this is by far the best!

Lets see, what else.... OH, Pens! I use the Copic Multiliner SP pens. They are fantastic high quality pens, come in black, and colours and a wide range of nib sizes. The nibs are changeable too, by the way! Very Handy! They're Copic Proof, Unlike the Other popular ones, Sakura Microns - which I actually despise, LOL! I showed an example about how they're not marker proof in an old tutorial I did. The Sakura pens are really terrible, The nibs split, and break or bend under minimal pressure, and the ink runs out way too fast. You waste your money buying them. If you're serious about your art, you'll be inking a lot and you should make the investment to use a more earth friendly, and cost effective option.

Hmm, Ok I guess that's it. If there's anything else you want details on you can always leave me a comment and I'll reply :)

This was a little self indulgent but hopefully you enjoyed it :) If you want to ever see photos of our Studio, or pictures of my work in progress there are a number of places to see these!

Facebook - We have a Studio Facebook Page where we post photos of in progress. Please "like" us :)

Instagram - my username on Instagram is MarkerGuru

I also post my artwork on my website, it's intermingled with my sisters work, but our names are on everything :)

Thanks :D

My arsenal

So as a christening post for my new blog, I thought I would show off my arsenal. It's required of 2 images, Tools in action, and tools on standby.
Let's start with tools on standby:

1: Markers in 2 marker racks. I have the fortune of being employed at an art store, so when a product like Tria Markers get discontinued the racks generally go in the garbage. ZING! score for me, I have 2 Tria racks stuffed to the gills with Tria markers, promarkers, and prismacolour markers. This is my Open stock
2: a Tria wallet. I got this one for free when I complained to Letraset about how they messed up their product when they revamped them. They sent me the wallet full of markers. Nice.
3 Prismacolour French Grey set. (gorgeous!)
4: Old Tria green/blue set
5: Promarker airbrush: once I run out of Pro markers I'll buy a copic airbrush system. I now have a copic ABS, and mailed this pro marker one to a friend :)
6: set of cool grey touch markers
7: Empty copic ink bottles (for colour mixing)
This is stuff I don't use all the time, so I tuck em away.
In action

1: Light table 12x18. I use this to ink my sketches on a new sheet.
2: Set of Copics. I've bought mine one by one. I have a mix of ciao and sketch markers. I also have 2 on the end that were colours I mixed myself.
3: 2 mixed colours I've made in empty ink bottles.
4: my Refill ink bottles colour set
5: Qtips. Oh for a tutorial maybe?!
6: prismacolour brown inking pen, pink sakura micron (NOT my favourite), and blue Colour Eno mechanical col erase pencil.
7: Copic Black in Pro set. (Includes 3 black markers, a black Various Ink refill bottle, 4 multiliner SP's (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and Brush) and two SP refill cartridges.)
8:Taco Pencil case full of erasers, more ink pens etc. The taco is important.
9: Elemental Magic: The most amazing book ever!
10: Aquabee Bleed proof marker paper. these are a Pk/50 11x17 I cant get anymore! so I bought a ton of them! HA!
#11: Possibly the most important. Pengy, my penguin!


And there you go, my arsenal!
I'm all set up to do a time lapse video of colouring that sketch on the light table, so look forward to that!

marker on!