A Perfect Marriage--Copics and Prismas

Okay, so y'all know I recently made the GINORMOUS leap into the vast ocean that is Copic Markers. Well...ginormous for ME.

I've discovered that marrying Copic Markers and Prismacolor Pencils together to color stamped images...is a match made in crafty heaven.

Who knew? And why do I suddenly want to start singing "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof?

(clears throat)

Matchmaker, matchmaker 

make me a match

something that I

won't throw in the trash

Help me create with my pencil and pen

something that's truly Zen...

I'm so excited to really delve into this blended "medium"!!! I've pretty much figured out that it's MUCH more effective (and easy) to lay down a layer of REALLY light color with my Copics as a base than it is to try and achieve a light, EVEN tone of colored pencil. Perhaps I shall do a tutorial on this in May...

So that's what I'm working on doing from this day forward...'til death do us part (or my Copics run dry).

Take this card, for example.

I made this card for my friend's daughter Andrea. She just turned 1. I loved this image as it TOTALLY reminds me of Andrea in her little pink tutu-esque skirt. To achieve this look, I took my Copics and laid down the lightest tones you see in the card...flesh, pink, yellow and tan (for the hair). I don't remember the specific Copic #s, but suffice it to say...they were all REALLY pale. I didn't do any shading...nada. Just laid down a single layer of color for each element of the image (skin, hair, sweater, skirt, shoes, frosting).

Once I had the entire image colored it looked flat and boring. But this is exactly what I was hoping for. Laying down the pale Copics gave me an incredible foundation for building the shadows with my Prismacolor pencils.

It worked GREAT. I was even able to use odorless mineral spirits (OMS) just like I normally would to blend the colored pencil. The Copics remained true, even with the use of OMS. The end result is really FaBuLoUs!

I think I very well may have found a way that I can and WILL use Copics in my card making.

Copics and Prismacolor Pencils...it's a perfect marriage...I'm tellin' ya.

Ingredients:

Digital Stamp - Nellie Snellen (Dawn with birthday Cake)
Copic Markers
Prismacolor Pencils
Nestability dies - Spellbinders (Scalloped Oval)
mini scallop scissors
patterned paper
cardstock
grosgrain ribbon