FAQ
Q. How do I choose colours??
A. Firstly, decide what you are colouring! If you like doing people, you need skin tones and hair colours - if you like doing flowers then you need greens, pinks, yellows, oranges and purples. Next pick a colour you like and find at least one friend to go with it, keeping the same letter, same first number and the second number 2 - 4 digits apart. For example - if you like B02 then B00 (a lighter version) and B04 (darker version) would be great friends to go with it. Yellow is so pale you can have a much bigger jump for example if you are using Y02 then you can use Y08 with it.
Q. What colours do you use for skin tones?
A. That's a big question! How many shades of skin are there?? My personal preference for pale skin is E000, E01and E11 or perhaps E50, E51; for copper skin it's E13, E15,17 and for dark skin E23, E25, E27.
Q. Do I need a Colourless Blender Marker (0) to blend?
A. No. The Blender is not really for blending as such, but rather for fixing mistakes and special effects. Personally I think that the blender is an essential part of your kit along with a refill!
Q. My Chisel nib is all furry....what's wrong with it??
A. More than likely you are using a Copic Ciao marker. Inside the Ciao lids is an inner seal which keeps these lids airtight - if you put your chisel nib in at an angle, you will split it on the inner seal! The good news is, you can buy a replacement nib!
Q. Can I fly with Copics?
A. Yes! If you happen to be taking your airbrush system with you, it's best to put the cans in your checked luggage. After using your markers at altitude you might have some blobbing when you use them again - simply remove both lids and replace to fix any changes of air pressure within your marker.
Q. Have they been tested on or have any animal products?
A. Absolutely not!!!
Q. How long does the ink last?
A. Depends on how much you use it!! :) If you don't use your marker at all and leave the airtight lids on - Copic has a 3yr shelf life.
Q. Do you need to buy a new marker when the ink runs out?
A. No! Copic is extremely earth friendly - every colour has a matching ink refill (and the packaging is biodegradable). Also, if anything should happen to your nibs, you can easily replace them too!!
Q. My Copic marker is feels scratchy/squeaky when I use it and the colour is patchy - what's wrong with it?
A. Your marker has dried out! Perhaps you've coloured a lot with it, or the lid has not been put on properly and the alcohol in the markers has dried up - either way, you need to buy a matching refill (make sure the number on your marker matches the number on the refill) and fill it up! Or, find a store that offers a refill service and they can fill it up for you!
Q. Can you use Copic with any other media?
A. Absolutely! We do advise that you do your Copic work first and then add your pencil or watercolour wash second.
Q. What is a Multiliner?
A. Multiliners are a waterbased pigment pen that comes in a variety of widths. They are Copic safe, which means you can colour over them and they won't bleed or ruin your nibs. Perfect for touching up mis-stamped images or drawing your own!!
Q. I like to stamp, can I use any ink?
A. No - some inks will bleed and make a mess of your images, some others will ruin your nibs. We recommend Memento Ink which dries fast and is Copic safe. If you like to heat emboss, use only clear EP. Do NOT use Stazon - solvent inks of any kind are not friends of Copic.
Q. Can I use any kind of paper?
A. Short answer is you can try a variety of papers, some will work much better than others. If a paper is soft, the ink will feather out along the surface and outside your lines and basically making a mess. A good paper will not feather, but may bleed through the back, will blend well and the blender marker will move ink. We recommend X-press It Blending Card which is perfect for Copic Colouring and impressed the USA market so much they are now importing it! Copic can also be used with glossy card, vellum and acetate.
Q. Is it true you can airbrush with Copic?
A. YES! The airbrush systems are designed to work with the original copic marker and the sketch marker.
Q. Can I use Copic on other surfaces?
A. YES!!! Copic is perfect for colouring pearls, rhinestones, ribbon, chipboard, wooden shapes, sealed china, glass, vellum. Don't use copic on paint, liquid paper, unfired clay, chalks, solvents or oils. If you aren't sure - airbrush instead!
Q. Where can I buy Copics in Australia?
A. These days there are many bricks and mortar as well as online stores where you can buy Copics in Australia. For stores in your area contact Copic Australia - copic@copicmarker.com.au
For tips and tutorials check out these sites.....
CopicOz
I Like Markers
