Welcome everyone! I have a new video for you today sharing my top 3 tips for copic coloring using the Love At All Times stamp set from Gina K Designs

VIDEO

You can view the video down below or HERE on my Youtube channel.

I’m starting off by stamping this beautiful floral image onto Neenah 80 lb cardstock. I prefer to work with 80 lb cardstock because I like how the ink soaks into the paper and yet I still have time to blend the colors. This image is stamped in Gina K Designs Obsidian ink which is copic friendly.

Now these tips are not ground-breaking but they are things to keep in mind.

TIP #1: PRACTICE. I know you’ve probably heard it a million times but it’s so true. It just takes time. You’ll get a feel for how the colors blend, how the marker feels in your hand, the best grip, and what colors work well together. I refer to Pinterest a lot for color combinations.

TIP #2: PAPER: As I stated before, I prefer the Neenah 80 lb. but really any 80 lb paper works for me. I also use Hero Arts Dove White and Lawn Fawn white cardstock. Once you get a feel for the markers and how they work, it becomes very easy to switch between brands.

TIP #3: PICK A SIDE. Everyone way over thinks the shading. If you want it to be more professional looking, there are classes you can take online but honestly, that’s not the look I’m going to. I love dimension and contrast which is why you’ll see me using 3-4 color combinations but in shading, just pick one side of the image to add the darkest color to.

A lot of times, I will put an object off on the side of my paper to represent my light source and then imagining that light source hitting my image. Which part of the image is that light source hitting first? Is something laying on top of my image or overlapping?

I think just having the stark contrast adds a lot to an image. The recipient of the card is most likely not going to analyze your card on if you colored it exactly lol….

BONUS TIP: Walk away! There are plenty of times I wasn’t “feeling” it with my coloring and just need to walk away. Sometimes letting that color really soak into the cardstock and coming back to it with fresh eyes really helps and it’s probably not as bad as you first thought.

I hope you find these tips useful and just keep practicing. Trust me, I’ve thrown out many card fronts in practicing and still do! You just need to keep trying.