Copic Video Tutorial #5 Cat in Breeze

I’m still experimenting with the best way to make a tutorial. Today’s Video Tutorial does not have me explaining step by step in the form of audio. Instead, I put a great song by Carbon Leaf (Life Less Ordinary) and made subtitles with the colors I used and some tips. I am not sure if I like this method best, but it was worth a try. I am adding it to the poll on the side bar, so that you can let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy!






Also, I saw this hilarious Scrappin' Rap on Youtube...I just had to share it with you lol!

Video Copic Tutorial #4 Tye-Dye Friday

Tonight I went to see 'The Other Boleyn Girl' it was WONDERFUL! I highly suggest it if you like great tragic films. Anyway, I am getting the hang of this video thing and I learned how to add titles and subtitles to my tutorials! I know last Tye-Dye Friday I showed a tye-dyed flower stamp, well this friday I am showing you how to do the same technique with different colors on VIDEO!!! Please enjoy the show!

ScrapStamper Video Tutorial Episode 2

I have a lot to do this weekend, I have a test on Tuesday, a paper due Tuesday and another final report due Tuesday. However, it’s Friday so my motivation levels aren’t so high for those tasks. Also I’m sore from the gym yesterday (insert angel halo here lol).

So I decided to do another Video Tutorial! Do you all like these better or worse than regular picture tutorials? Next week I’m hoping to play with my sister’s macbook to learn how to subtitle and edit them, I tried in Window’s Movie Maker but I can’t seem to figure out how to save them as AVI files (a YouTube compatible file). I tried Auto Focus today and my camera still is going a little bit crazy, any tips??? This blog thing really is a learning process, but so far I’m having a ball!

Ok so back to this tutorial! I love House Mouse stamps, especially when it comes to Copic makers. Their detail makes it really easy to color them, which is why I have chosen them for this segment 

Also...get ready for a late tye-dye Friday post with a VIDEO! tutorial on how to tye-dye and glitter a very cute flower for a thank you note :)

Tye-Dye Friday!

In high school, we used to have Tye-Dye Fridays, where everyone would dress very casual usually with something tye-dyed. I figured I would celebrate this on my new blog, every Friday I hope to showcase some sort of tye-dying technique, from copics to brayering.

Above is our finished project :)

Step One: Gather a bunch of Bright colors. These tend to dye the best because of their darker ink. Also choose a fun stamp that is wide and not very intricate.

Step Two and Three: Dot your image with all of the different color markers, vary how much space is in between the various spots of color for a more uneven look. Take you 0 colorless blender and really push against the coloring in a circular motion. Immediately, you should see the color dispersal. You can continue to push againest the paper for as long as you want to get your desired affect.

This is what your image should now look like. Notice the holes in color...

Step Four: Choose lighter variants of the aforementioned colors.

Step Five: Fill in the color gaps with these markers.

Step Six: Repeat the pushing with the 0 Colorless Blender until your desired effect is achieved.

Completed! This is not a perfectly neat technique. The color will tend to bleed out of the lines. There are a few solutions to this, outline in a darker color (i.e. where I put light purple you could put dark purple or blue), cut your tye-dye image out and paper piece or you could even leave it as it highlights the funky effect. Again, my theory with art is that your neatness level should reflect your piece. For this flower I wanted it to be funky so even my cut out of the circle is a little off the center :)

Hope you enjoyed it!

1 Pen, 2 Layers

Good Morning! Copics are obviously a pretty large investment, given the fact that they retail for 5.99 and it is suggested that one purchases three varients of shades for each 'color'. This is due to the fact that the gorgeous look one recieves is mostly from the layering of color, rather than the blending technique. I have found that three varients of color is not always necessary. Certain colors, such as RV 14 Begonia Pink, layer particularly well with themselves making it unnecessary to purchase the three variennt shades (which would be RV12,14,16)!

Step One: Choose Image. I think this girl is so adorable for anything from a good report card to a shoot for the stars greeting!

Step Two: Start with the first layers. For stick drawings, such as this darling girl or bellas, I tend to outline the 'stick limbs'. I think it gives her more dimension!

Step Three: Use R20 to make circluar blush on her checks (it makes it look a little more cartoonish but I think in a cute way). Lightly color R14 over her dress, put more pressure around the edges of her dress.

Step Three: Wait 20 seconds. Put your second layer (or third or fourth!) of RV14 on the corners and outline of her dress. Your image should show the layers like above.

Finish your image! Since she is such a playful image I kinda went with that theme for my coloring. Notice how the coloring is not perfect, the star's shading is not totally even. Its always fun to adapt your style of color for a certain image, if its childish, a gorgeous flower, or a birthday cake, your colors and style should reflect that!

Georgia Pacific Paper

Someone emailed me earlier asking what kind of paper I use with Copics. I am in love with Georgia Pacific! Who knew the same people who make paper towels and their dispensers would make such a yummy paper. The markers seem to glide, blend and play with ease on this inexpensive (I believe 5.49 for 150 sheets) 110 pound paper goodness!

What type of Ink is best with Copics?

A panicked stamper is what many a novice copic colorer has turned into when they first dabble with the markers. The reason? Smeared Ink! You see, copic markers are alchohol based and many types of ink are sensitive to them. Therefore my overwhelming suggestion is to invest in an Adirondack Dye Ink Pad! Many people have found success with Brilliance inks and also Stazon for their copic adventures, however I personally like 'blackness' (more technical jargon haha) of this particular pad.

How to Clean a Copic Mistake

Step One: Make a Mistake! Check. Done. See aforeposted (I know its not a word).

Step Two: Lightly use your Colorless Blender 0 to tap and swoosh towards you (technical jargon lol), by gently rubbing the tip of your copic sketch with the paper and lifting away from the paper. Repeat. Many times. Oh and as an aside, I seem to be getting better with the camera and this picture shows alot of the detail in the coloring, especially the Mouse's blush.

Step Three: Watch the color fade. Tap and Swoosh. Move on to the next part of your coloring. Return to your mistake. Tap and Swoosh.

Step Four (optional): If your mistake was like mine, dark and rather larger, you may want to turn your paper over and repeat the tapping and swooshing.

Step Five: Smile at your almost completely faded mistake!

Some extra tips: Remember, you are using a blender and it likes to disperse color. Be careful not to touch any of your colored image with the blender, as it will drain the color and give it a tye-dyed effect (fun technique, when intentional, maybe tomorrow's tutorial HINT HINT!).
Do not give up! I have found that 95% of my mistakes will come out, after much tapping and swooshing.

ElyBlair