Waterlily

Artist’s Notebook: How to Create Rich & Complex Color (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)

Artist’s Notebook: How to Create Rich & Complex Color (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)

Light, medium, and dark Copic Marker combinations

As a coloring newbie, you didn’t really know what to do, so you colored the center of a daisy with one yellow marker or pencil. The petals were one solid color of pink. The leaves were one green.

It was fun but you quickly noticed it looked flat…

Details in Focus: How Important is Smooth Copic Marker Blending?

Details in Focus: How Important is Smooth Copic Marker Blending?

Are You Obsessed with Copic Marker Blending?

When you see artwork from your coloring heroes, it’s easy to be distracted by the rustic wood background and artfully placed curl of ribbon.

You see the presentation, not the coloring.

Later, you remember the coloring as better than it actually was.

Which is a terrible thing to do to yourself!

Artist's Notebook: Check Your Color Values! (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)

Artist's Notebook: Check Your Color Values! (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)

Tell me if this sounds right…

You’ve colored for months or maybe years, and you’re pretty darned good at it. There’s no tutorial that you can’t knock out of the park.

And yet when you go off on your own, picking original color palettes and choosing your own markers or pencils… well… your coloring is still good but, uhm… there’s something missing.

Your personal projects don’t have the same oh-la-la you see in professional projects.

You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something is just… off?