Combining Coloring Mediums: Copic Markers & Prismacolor Pencils by Jeanette

Hi Everyone! This is Jeanette and I have created this tutorial for you after having received many questions on how I color. One technique which is very fun and easy to do is to combine mediums; using copic markers and prismacolor pencils together. The only rule is this: Always use your copic markers first and then add your prismacolor pencils. If you do the reverse you will ruin your copic markers and they are just to costly to have to replace!

Material Used:

• Neenah Ultra Smooth paper
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Whiff of Joy Norma Fickel image: Wee with Christmas tree
• Copic Markers: B000, E000, E00, E02, E50, R12, G20, Y11
• Gamsol – an odorless artist grade mineral spirit
• Blending Stumps
• Prismacolor pencils: PC907, PC908, PC945, PC946, PC944, PC1027, PC924, PC917
• Pencil sharpener

Notes:

• My Gamsol dispenser has a fabric covered top that gets saturated with the Gamsol. I press the tip of my blending stump to it and the gamsol moves up onto the tip. If you can’t find a dispenser like this, saturate some cotton balls and put them in a small glass bowl. Gamsol is a “trade-name” It is an odorless artist grade mineral spirit. Always use Artist grade and remember to use it in a well-ventilated room.
• I keep a whole bunch of blending stumps on hand so that I have one for every color family. When you change colors you must also change blending stumps or your colors will mix. Another option would be to gently sand the existing color off the stump until it is clean and then use the next color. You can use sand paper or even an emery board. Remember to sand it to a sharp point.

Let’s get started!

1. Stamp your image onto cardstock. I use Memento ink because it works beautifully with both Copics and Prismacolor pencils.

2. Color image with Copic Markers. I used E000, E00, E02 on the face, E50 on the hair & shoes, B000 on the shirt, R12 on the hat, stockings and balls in the tree, G20 on the tree, Y11 on the star. As you can see, I used very light colors and I colored all sections evenly.

3. Now it is time to add all the shading to the image using the prismacolor pencils. Make sure your pencils are sharp. With PC907 (Peacock green) draw a thin line around the edges of the image as shown.

4. With a blending stump whose tip has been saturated with Gamsol, gently blend the color. Start at the top edge and using circular motions work outwards. You will see the color “dissolve” as you do so giving you a nice graduated shading. If you hear a “squeaking” noise as you blend you need more gamsol on the stump.

5. To deepen the shading a little more, I have repeated this process using PC908 ( Dark Green).

6. Use PC945 (Sienna Brown) to draw your lines in the shoes and at the hair-line.

7. Use your blending stump to disperse the color and try to leave a small portion with little or no extra color. This gives you your high-lights.

8. To darken this shading use PC946 ( Dark Brown)

9. For the trunk of the tree, use PC944 (Terra Cotta)

10. This is what the shading should look like when you are done.

11. I wanted to see a little more shading so I went back and added a little PC946 (Dark Brown) to the trunk.

12. Moving on to the shirt, use PC1027 (Peacock Blue). Do you see that I never trace the whole outline? I only put my lines where the shadows will be.

13. Here is what the shirt will look like after blending with gamsol. Almost done…….

14. Use PC924 (Crimson Red) to outline the hat, stockings, ribbon on the tree and the little decorations on the tree.

15. Here it is blended. Be careful when doing the tree ornaments that you don’t smear the red out of the lines.

16. I wanted to add a little color at the base of the image to anchor it. Without this, the image looks a little like it is floating! I used PC1027 (Peacock Blue). The I outlined all around the image with PC917 (Sunburst Yellow) to give the impression that the tree is glowing. This will make the image “pop” off the page.

17. Here it is all done! Now it is ready to be added to a card……..

18. Here is the image on my finished card! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and maybe found it helpful!
Hugs Jeanette