DevenRue

6. Prepping Your Project

Added 2017-07-01 08:00:03 +0000 UTC

Copic markers don’t require a big setup to work with however there are some things to keep in mind:

Always have thick paper under the project you’ll be coloring for two reasons:
- the markers can bleed through to the other side and stain whatever is under your paper
- because they can bleed through even 90lb paper, if on a non-porous surface, they will pool and possible stain your paper in areas you didn’t intend
Keep a piece of paper that is the same weight and type as your project handy. Because the markers react differently to different types/weights of paper, before touching a marker to the page, do a quick test on your scrap paper to make sure not only is it the color you want but that it isn’t dry or too drippy.
Check your markers before starting your project to make sure the aren’t too dry. This is just mostly a time saver and keeps you from having to move around your project while filling them (never fill a marker over your artwork/project just in case it drips).
Create a palette (next lesson) to ensure you have the right colors for the job. This helps cut down on mistakes when coloring.
Keep cotton swabs handy. Just in case you get a drop of ink on your project, quickly dab it with a cotton swab to soak it up (paper towels can spread the drop further out), let the area dry (I know that sounds opposite of what you want to do but I promise it works), then use the colorless blending marker to “erase” the areas you don’t want colored.
Always, always, always have a colorless marker at the ready (see above).