Creating matching backgrounds with Copic Markers
Anyone else out there get stuck finding the perfect background to match your Copic coloured image, you have a lot of paper or card but none in the right shade? I know I do. In spite of my best intentions I forget to pick my cardstock first, I colour my image and then find I have NOTHING that will match the colours I have used. So this is an idea to help combat the Copic Colour Matching Crisis when it next strikes at your house!
Colouring White or Pale Card with Copics
Materials needed to colour card or paper:
- White or pale patterned card stock or paper (in this case I used a Bo Bunny card stock)
- Assorted Copic Markers or assorted Copic Various ink refills (on this card I used Copic Markers: RV85 & RV83 to create the background)
- Copic Blender ink refill OR Adirondack Alcohol ink blender fluid
- Craft mat or other non-absorbant surface
Materials used on this card:
- Memento Tuxedo black ink pad
- Distress Ink Pads - Spun Sugar & Victorian Velvet
- Stickles: Picket Fence (Distress) & Crystal Ice (Ice Stickles)
- Krylon Gold Leafing Pen
- Maya Mist: Iridescent Pearl
- Glimmer Mist: Tattered Rose (on flowers)
- Spellbinders Nestabilities: Labels 2
- Gold metallic Foilz
- Quickie glue pen
- Stamps: Magnolia Flying Tilda & Butterfly
- Stamp: Tim Holtz (Stampers Anonymous) - Wildflowers U1-1542
Copics used on image:
- Hair: E29, E25 & E53
- Wings: Bv000, BV00, BV01, BV02 & BV04
- Skin: E00, E11 & R20
- Dress: R81, R83 & R85
- Outline: C1, C3 & C5
How to Colour your card or paper with copics:
NB: best on strips of paper, uses too much ink on large areas
- Choose 2 or 3 colours of Copic Marker or Various ink. If using the marker, scribble a few large patches of colour onto your craft mat - if using the ink refills, then drip 3 drops of each colour onto the craft mat (keep colours seperate).
- Add a drip of blending solution (either Copic or Ranger) to each colour scribble/ drop of ink.
- Working quickly, as the copic ink is alcohol based and will evaporate, dab a patch of the card directly into the ink - it will be soaked up in seconds and absorb into the card like a sponge. Unlike glossy cardstock, you will not be able to move the in around or cover a large area.
- Once the section of card is coloured to your liking, repeat the steps 1-3 until your card is covered. You can see what this will look like to the right.
NB: With this technique you are NOT trying to recolour the entire background a different shade, all you are trying to do is add 'spots' of soft colour, so the paper/card coordinates with your image.
TIPS:
- If you are finding that your colour 'spots' are too distinct, then drip or spray a little Copic Blending solution onto the spots to soften the colour.
- You can try spritzing the card/paper before pressing onto the drops of coloured ink for an even softer look!
- If for whatever reason your background has not worked out as you had hoped, spray a little of the Maya Mist/Glimmer Mist/ Glitz Spritz or other sparkly spray over the top, you will find a little sparkly stuff sometimes transforms an ugly duckling into a beauty!
