“Smooth marker blending is soooo difficult!”
Do you rub and scrub and work really hard to make a smooth blend but it just doesn’t work?
Are you beginning to think that you’ll never blend well?
Hmmmm…
Can I ask a question?
And don’t roll your eyes at me, it’s a serious question…
When was the last time you refilled your markers?
“Why should I refill my markers if they’re not dried-out yet?”
See, I knew you’d roll your eyes when I asked about refilling your markers.
Because you’re not stupid. You’d know if your markers were dry, right?
Uhhhhh… really?
Many people have never refilled their markers.
In fact, most beginners don’t even own refills and folks, it’s no coincidence that people without refills are the people with the worst blending issues.
Most people are using dry markers and they don’t know it.
Look, I know it sounds crazy. I know there are all kinds of supposed rules about Copics…
supposedly you can go for a couple of years before needing a refill
supposedly markers will squeak when they’re low on ink
the nib is supposed to turn white when the marker is drying out
supposedly a marker will skip, leaving areas blank or sometimes it’ll leave weird darkened streaks as it’s dying
No.
No, no, and more no.
These are myths.
People who follow these rules often ruin their expensive markers.
Sometimes you can go for years, but not usually. Some markers may squeak, but most won’t.
And the nib only turns white or stops coloring when it’s DEAD, not when it’s dying.
If you’re waiting for your marker to tell you it’s thirsty, you’re probably blowing right past the thirsty stage!
Here’s what the rules don’t cover: By the time you see the marker running dry, you’ve been secretly having blending problems for a while.
People with blending problems don’t usually have a blending problem, they have a refill problem.
Simply put: Your markers are dryer than you think.
The only sign that a marker is thirsty is that it suddenly doesn’t want to blend well.
Fill your marker and you’ll have more ink to blend with!
Smooth blends can happen automatically…
If you’re generous with the ink
But blending absolutely can not happen without adequate moisture. When your markers are stingy with the ink, the blend simply will not happen.
No matter how skilled you are. No matter how many years of experience you have. Ink levels matter.
Even professionals struggle to blend with thirsty markers!
“How can my marker be dry already? I’ve barely used it!”
Whoa, hold on. It doesn’t take much to deplete your markers beyond optimal blending levels.
Just one or two projects.
To prove the point, I started this rose project with a full Y13 marker which weighed 14 grams.
After I finished coloring, I weighed the marker again. It came in at 13.2 grams.
I used .8 grams to color this rose, which doesn’t sound like a lot.
But my marker is now dry.
To be clear, it’s not dead. However, it is too low to blend well.
And that’s after only ONE project.
How do I know I know it’s too dry to blend anymore?
Experience.
I know from years of coloring and from knowing the feel of a Copic against paper:
At anything less than 13.5 grams, you will feel more friction due to decreased ink flow. When the ink flow is low, the blends will take more coaxing, stroking, or even scrubbing to occur.
Friction and reluctant blending are the true signs of a thirsty marker
Now I know, a lot of you reading this are fighting the concept. If the marker is still making colorful marks then it can’t be dry, right?
Wrong.
Copic Markers are amazingly consistent
You can’t judge a marker’s fullness by the strength of the color coming from the marker.
Copics are a professional tool designed to be used and abused. They will keep feeding you consistent color as long as they possibly can.
Check out this test.
I refilled the same Y13 marker shown above, taking it back up to 14 grams.
Then I ran it dry.
Starting up in the left hand corner and working downwards, I weighed the marker after every row.
Each row used between .2-.3 grams of ink and you can see the marker weighing less and less as we move rightward.
And yet the color is amazingly consistent, it’s still the same vibrant yellow almost to the end of the page. I had to get to almost 12 grams before the color started looking weak.
But here’s what you can’t see: the friction.
About halfway down the second column, my nib started to drag on the paper more. Everything looked normal but it felt very wrong.
I was feeling friction. The slick glide was gone. By the time I got to about 13 grams, the nib changed again; it went from dragging to feeling weirdly tacky.
By the 6th row, my nib was actually sticking to the paper!
At the end of the page, I was physically using more muscle to move the nib and mentally coaching it, “C’mon baby, you can make it!”
I frequently notice this same kind of tacky feeling when I pick up a student’s marker to demonstrate something in class… sticky nibs are incredibly common.
You don’t notice it because you’ve gotten used to the feeling!
Why do new markers feel new? Because they’re full of ink.
And here’s the cool part: You can have that new marker feeling every day if you keep them full!
And pssssttttt… I colored this whole page yellow and the marker never squeaked. Not even once. Squeaks mean absolutely nothing! I’ve had markers that squeaked while brand new and I’ve had markers that’ll run dry without making a peep.
You can’t measure volume by sound!
Want to know how to refill your marker?
My friend Michelle Houghton from Copic in the Craft Room has a great article here:
She refills by the drip method which means she has more patience than Mary Poppins.
I’m a yank-out-the-chisel-nib-and-squirt-it-in-quick kind of girl. But c’est la vie and to each his own. I’ll bet the birds and squirrels sing to Michelle as she fills her markers too.
My numbers are also a little different than Michelle’s. I live in fear of markers leaking ink, so I’m pretty darned nervous about filling a marker too full. I’m guessing the spoon-full of sugar prevents Michelle’s markers from exploding all over her projects.
Amy’s (less brave) numbers:
Fill a Sketch Marker to: 13.9 to 14.1 grams (with both caps on)
Fill a Ciao Marker to: 10.6 to 10.8 grams (with both caps on)
Refill a Sketch when it gets to: 13.5 grams (with both caps on)
Refill a Ciao when it gets to: 10.1 grams (with both caps on)
UPDATE (December 2022): I’ve been hearing from readers/students that brand new Copics are now weighing closer to 14g. I reached out to Elena at Violeta-Ink.com and she confirms that the average weight of her fresh stock is more like 14.2g rather than the 14.6 average that I observed back in 2018. Has Copic has reduced the starter weight as a cost savings measure? We’ll keep watching to see!
UPDATE (December 2023): Shrinkflation weights confirmed! I’ve now seen correspondence between Too Japan and Too US confirming that the new factory weights for Sketch Copics is 14g. Note, the capacity has not changed. We can still fill them up to 14.6g if desired (I wouldn’t recommend it) but they’re definitely coming from the factory lighter than before.
Better blends are just a refill away!
Don’t just talk about buying refills someday.
That’s essentially saying “I’ll blend better someday.”
You can have the best technique and all the talent in the world, but if your markers are thirsty, you will never blend well.
Never.
Don’t make blending harder than it has to be!
Texas Yellow Rose -
A Beautiful Botanical! I teach a lot of floral classes. My students love the challenge plus the stamps are a great value because it's so easy to change the color palette for future projects.
This digital image is an original stamp created for the students of my 2019 San Antonio Winter Art Retreat. It was originally colored in Copic and colored pencil but is also perfect for watercolor and other mediums... your options are endless!
Supplies I use to clean and refill Copic Markers:
Vanilla Arts Company is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for use to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
