Layering Technique: Realism Doesn’t Come from Blending (Copic Markers, Colored Pencils)
What are the best colors to use on a duck?
You’ll see this kind question on all the online coloring discussion boards.
The Copic Marker groups all want the best blending combination. What’s the best combo for a fire hydrant? What’s a good G marker trio for grass?
The colored pencil groups ask the same question, but a little more subtle. I’m coloring a shiny Black Lab. Should I be looking at the warm grays plus a black pencil or the cool grays?
Everyone wants to color-by-number.
Using someone else’s color recipe is why your coloring looks fake and flat.
Want to know the artist’s secret to realism? It doesn’t matter which markers or pencils you use…
Tools On My Desk: Favorite Colored Pencils for Creating Depth & Realism (Pulling Pencils)
Do you want to color realistic highlights?
The problem with traditional Copic Marker blending technique and a lot of craft based colored pencil instruction is that they teach students to highlight everything. EVERYTHING.
They treat highlights as if they’re magical.
Add a highlight and voila! Now it looks dimensional!
All this over-highlighting… and your strange addiction to white gel pens?
This is why your projects look fake.
Real highlights are not white. And folks, not everything has a highlight on it!
Realistic depth and dimension do not come from slapping white comma shapes on everything.
ONLINE Copic Marker Class: “Ink Frog” Alternatives to Blending & How to create Friendly Expressions
Coloring with Copic Markers
Looking for a new coloring challenge? Stuck at home? Social distancing? Bored?
Now’s the time to finally work on your Copic Marker and colored pencil skills.
For years, you’ve put it off because you didn’t have the time. There were errands to run, appointments to keep, stuff to take care of. Now we’ve got time out the wazoo.
Vanilla Arts is here to help keep your hands and minds busy.
Strawberry Tea - a Challenge Level Mixed Media Project (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)
Realism using color Runs
Coloring high shine objects like strawberries can be difficult. Using color runs can help achieve that realistic shine.
In this intermediate mixed media project you can follow Amy’s step by step strawberry process photos to color beautiful, realistic strawberries. This process can also be used for any berry.
Vanilla Arts Stamps feature wide open areas with minimal texture marks. This makes them suitable for colored pencil, alcohol markers, watercolor... get creative and get coloring!