Tuesday 4 May 2010

Barely Copicing


I hadn't found my cropping mojo and in view of my promise to join Jan and sell a few cards on her stall at the month's end, I thought that Saturday's Crop would be a good time to start! It also gave me a chance to play, in daylight, with the neglected Copics.
I know there's always a story - but this one is relevant. Truly!
I don't, generally make cards for anything but workshops these days. Everything stamp related that I buy is with an eye on the bigger picture - if I use this, does/can the shop where I workshop stock it, if the workshopeers want to buy it? Can it be bought in quantity? Can I afford to let it be used in a workshop? If necessary, can I supply it in multiples so that sharing between 8 or more people is kept to a minimum? Now, to be honest, the Copics fall outside lots of my workshop criteria. They were a spontaneous purchase - I was seduced (OK, suckered) by the box full of pretty colours and the potential for all the beautiful things I could make with them. Yeah, where was that inner 'sophisticated consumer' on that day, huh! Despite a generous discount from Shopkeeper Gal, they cost enough to even now make (even) me wince. And I didn't have a clue about them. So I took a lesson from Scrap Lady Ally who also runs workshops at Kraft Crazy. And decided that really, they weren't practical to use in workshops as a colouring tool unless it was a specific Copic workshop. And that's Acrap Lady Ally's department anyway. To further bury the idea - there would be multiples of some colours required. Not going there, thought I. And to be honest, at the price, not sure I want everyone using my Copics for their first time attempts. The result of this logic ? I have a set of largely unused colouring pens!


I've alluded recently to the fact that although I've got 72 (seventy-two, for goodness' sake), they aren't the ideal colour range. And they aren't. In order to follow Copic's recommendations and use numbers two or three apart for blending, I would definitely need to buy more.....this set has numbers in the same colour group, but up to 30 shades apart. Feeling a tad ripped off? Yah. But also feeling a tad foolish? Hugely, actually. Wouldn't it have been grand if, instead of being seduced by the look of the things, I'd done some research, discovered that one set is a bit lacking and actually taken the time to choose my own colours from the for-sale-individually-stand? Yeah it would. And I won't make that mistake again.


I don't do a lot of colouring in, although I do like it. I always feel that sitting at my work desk colouring could be construed as a huge waste of time - and y'all know how busy I like you to think I am. Guilt, of course. My preferred medium is Pearl-Ex or Twinkling H2Os when it comes to sloshing colour about for good effect. So I was incredibly surprised to have not only enjoyed my handful of hours in the company of my friends and my Copics, and equally surprised to find myself digging out the colour chart - Scrap Lady Ally gave us one at the class to fill in, and of course I didn't. But now I have, and now I know pretty much which new colours I need and which I'd like. In that order of course! Because, despite the 'fool me once' story, I really liked the Copics and will probably use them more. Probably.

Meanwhile, after I've caught up with the shocking fact that my family have robbed me of a day by being at home and making things untidy and creating laundry, I have to find some faster way to colour so that the cards I make for Jan's stall aren't quite as labour intensive! In the unlikely event of my ever needing to be told to slow down, prescribe me some Copic colouring!

25 comments:

Carmen said...

I have a grand total of 8 Copics in a shades of grey and sking and a set of Pro Markers in shades of skin and dinosaur... apparantly :P (That's what the set was anyway!) I bought both at seperate times on offer at the Ally Pally shows. I think the lady that sold me my Copics was brilliant she really drilled it in that you need to buy the different shades of the same colours and get what colours I would more than likely use most. Er...er..dingy, grungy colours was my answer. So I have a lovely array of grays that are great fun colouring in old black & white photos ;)

Carmen said...

Skin not sking :P That's shock at being first comment that is ;)

Kaz said...

Oohh yes, I'm with you on the mistake of buying a set instead of individually. I love my Copics now but nearly threw them away at first. They bring out the inner child don;t they? xx

Handmade with Love said...

I have done the same with promarkers, bought loads and then let them gathered dust! Love the images your colouring there, the copics seem to be doing the job nicely! Tracey x

paola said...

I have been i love with my copics from the moment i bought my first ten and am now 50 away from my complete set, YAY! every now and again i try doing the distress ink thing, it just is not happening, color is all wrong. I dont know how i ever did anything without them.
thanks for sharing a little piece of your life
smiles
Paola

Cardarian said...

I fell in love with the lovely colors of Copics too but I soon realised I can not afford the big set so I have done a lot of research on the internet and then chose the colors so they blend nicely. I am still buying them - I also bought a few Promarkers in London last week - but I try to buy what I really need!
I think the images you are coloring are lovely are they stamped or digi stamps??
Hugs
Cardarian

Helen said...

I am NOT going to buy Copics OR Promarkers (what's the difference???) I have lots of Tombow style pens and I know you can't shade with them like you can Copics, but I don't do that much colouring - these days if I colour, I've been using watercolour pencils. this way, I figure I can buy more stamps - cos as we saw last WOYWW, I don't have many of them, do I?!!!! ROFL Good colouring though, I like it a lot.

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Love the colouring nevertheless Julia and fab images :) I'm very unsophisticated with my colouring, have bought 5 sets of Promarkers and think they'll do me, I'm not good enough with the colouring thing so am not tempted to buy several shades of each colour.
Anne xx

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Meant to say when I read the title initially I thought you were out in the woods chopping down saplings LOL
Anne xx

The Crafty Goat Girl said...

Great coloured images Julia! I do love my copics but have recently purchased a few Promarkers and I prefer to combine the both. Am still learning all of this shading lark, but I do enjoy it whether it works or not, lol! Have a have day, hugs Heidi xx

ally fiddy said...

Lovely images hun. I am guilty of having lots of colours I never use as well - mostly purples in my case - who uses all those shades of purple?! Seriously though I think you could do with a light and a medium shade in whatever colours you like, I dont think you need dark colours much as you can make the medium dark by going over it multiple times.

Penni said...

Unfortunately for my purse I am a Copic Addict. I bought both sets of 72 Copics and even then I have HAD to add to it with some sketch marker too - however this is my main colouring medium and I work full-time etc etc etc !!!!

I couldn't even image life without my beloved Copic Markers and they will probably even go on holiday with me for some evening colouring - that's really sad isn't it LOL !!!!

Hugs
Penni
X

Lyn said...

Well I have been dithering buying one or t'other of Copics or Promarkers and the lovely Lou sent me some Promarkers which I happily played with at the weekend. Having re-discovered my Inner Child and re-discovered my love of colouring, my Outer Getting-Older Woman re-discovered her (lack of) eyesight and, having successfully coloured in most of an image, then managed to colour well outside of one line and spoil the lot, grrr argh...

To summarise, I am now even more dithering and doubly impressed at your lovely colouring.

You wait until you are MY age and then decide. I used to be PMT indecisive and now I'm menopausally not so sure!

Mummylade said...

this is why i use distress inks, the blending possibilities are endless and I don't have to have pencils all over the place (pencils which the cats would steal anyway hehe)

Angie said...

How interesting ...all those tips on copics ...the shade bit makes so much sense. I have tried to avoid looking at them in shops and I am glad I've run out of money 'cos I know I could be sooooo tempted into buying the sets,... no will power.
Love the images you are using at the moment ..they will be amazing cards.

Paige said...

I still think I need some of these. Like you though i was going to buy a pack of them but was concerned at the price i think maybe I'll make a start collecting a few at a time int he colours I know I like and will use. sadly there's only one IRl stockists on the island that charge more than websites for them I really want to be able to look atthe colours before buying. Maybe a another mainland trip is on the cards? :)

Sandra said...

oohh I so love those images :) something just wonderful about colouring in.

Linby said...

I'm slowly buying promarkers - although have quite a few now and going on a course with Susie Jefferson in July so I can at last use them properly!
Love the colouring you have done. What is that image with Girlfriends under it - love these types and haven't got it!!!
Linbyx

Darcy Marshall said...

I love,love my promarkers, they look sooo pretty all in neat little rows in their storage tower.....don't use them of course, now that would just be silly, have i mentioned they do look pretty lol

Sue from Oregon said...

I love Copics, but it wasn't love at first color for sure...much like you, I tried to figure out what the heck was the big deal...now I can't live without them! I found a very inexpensive place to order from ...www.carpediemstore.com. Don't know if they ship international or not but the sketch markers are only 3.95 each....cheaper that a Stampin Up marker now! I hand picked my colors by browsing blogs of people I truly loved their coloring, and then bugged them to death until they shared what colors they used. It took a long time to order a lot of them, but now I just want more LOL! Very detailed images are so much easier to color now. I don't think I would use them for a class...too expensive for that. I took a certification class from Marianne Walker a year ago, but I only had my markers maybe 2 weeks. Wish I could retake now that I know enough to ask questions and not be the one wearing the dunce hat in the corner LOL! Good luck!

Sue said...

Oh what a great post,made me smile, im still trying to colour with my copics, still need more!! lol, sue,xx

Julie said...

I'm a Promarkers gal but same result really! I find colouring with these alcohol pens so theraputic - like you say Julia, it's totally absorbing but not a quick option!! Your colouring here is fab btw! Juliex

Linby said...

Julia - you didn't answer my question! see above, where are the two ladies with Girlfriend written under them from - I need them! or did someone draw them for you?
Linbyx

Sam said...

Hehehe I bought one set of 72 copics too. I was doing quite well with them until some of them started to run out, so now I'm a promarkers girl and I love these more than I loved my copics as I think they've got a better tip on them (not all bendy for us that get a bit heavy handed on delicate bits). It does take time until you get used to using them.
Sam x

Queenie Jeannie said...

Try watching some YouTube videos!! I recommend Suzanne Dean! That's where I learned to color. Once you SEE the magic happen, I promise you'll be hooked!! I love coloring in Magnolia stamps!