Cardstock Testing, and a bit about Copic

I've promised for a while that I would talk about good papers for coloring on and good inks to use, so finally here I go. Today is cardstock and tomorrow is inks. But I need your help. Let me know your favorite paper and inks to use with Copic markers. Leave a comment on today's post with either what has worked or what hasn't worked, or why you like Copics. All this feedback will help everyone before they get more frustrated. On Friday, at 11:59 (or so) I will pick a winner from the comments for our neato Blog candy. Next Monday I'll publish the favorites.

Blog Prize: A Copic Sketchbook and a cute, zippered pouch filled with an assortment of Copic markers & pens.

A little bit about Copic- Copic markers were developed about 25 years ago in Japan for fine artists, designers, and comic artists (Japanese comics are called Manga). These are professional grade markers designed to last forever (unless you run over the marker with your car). These markers have been in the U.S. for almost 10 years. When we first brought them across the ocean it was to a happy crowd of mostly teenagers who followed Japanese Manga. Slowly the fine art stores and schools figured out what the rest of the world had discovered- that Copic markers made amazing artwork. About 2 years ago the stamping/papercrafting audience found these markers and fell in love.

All that means that when I talk about things on this post I will be sharing tidbits with an appeal to lots of different end-users, from Stampers to Architects, 'cause who knows who out there in blogland is reading.

What makes a good marker paper?

Copic markers, if you haven't noticed, aren't like the cheap rainbow markers you would get as a kid (you know, 36 markers for $3, wow, what a deal!). They can make beautiful work if all the parts are working together, meaning your paper works with your ink, works with your marker. 95% of the people out there are using the markers on paper (the other ones are writing on autoparts, airbrushing teddybears, making fishing lures and crazy stuff like that), so about 95% of you are dying to know what paper is best.

Alcohol markers have a few important qualities we can't forget-

1. They bleed through almost any paper that isn't coated or is a special marker paper

2. They tend to feather easily (feathering is when you color up to a line but the ink keeps flowing beyond the line)

3. They blend better on some papers than others

4. They give better special effects on some papers than others

Papers come in many types, but for simplicity I'm going to start with cardstock, since many of you following this blog are stampers.

Qualities of good cardstock

Bright white*, smooth surface, tight paper fibers, good blendability, good special effects

*it really could be any color, but it's easiest to judge on white

I'm going to show you how I test a good matte cardstock (not glossy or coated), then I want you to go through your papers and tell us which ones work best. You may want to try this on a paper that lots of people have already recommended so you see how the marker should work. Remember to work with clean scratch paper under ANY paper type, even if it is a special marker paper- you never know what will bleed.

1. Take a pencil and draw a circle about a half-inch across - we use a pencil so we don't get hung up on ink types yet, we'll talk about those in the future.

2. With a middle/light colored marker color in the circle a little slower than usual - this allows us to clearly see the pencil line but also it saturates the color more when you go slower. Color right up to the line, not over it.

Does the ink seep past the pencil line? No- Proceed to step 3. Yes- if you think it's too much feathering you can stop and try another paper. If you are testing a paper that other people have said works great then you might be coloring too slowly. See step 3 to check.

3. Flip it over- Does the ink seem even where you colored? Yes- then you're doing an accurate job of "real life" testing. No- it may be an extra thick paperstock, or it might be that you need to try soaking the paper more to get an accurate read. Some thick cardstocks have a secret clay coating, so inks won't make it through the paper. Some clay coated papers leave a slight residue on your marker tip that isn't good, so try to avoid clay coated papers.

4. Take a second color, slightly darker than the first and layer it in Do this while the first color is still a little damp. Again, don't go over the line. Does it feather out now? Think if this is a picture that you're coloring and you're blending in a couple colors. Any feathering will be magnified. No Feathering or if you are comfortable with it go to step 5. Yes, there's a lot of feathering- you might consider a different paper.

5. Go back over the darker color a few times with the first color. How well did those colors blend into each other? You might want to try this with a few different color combos on the same paper to make sure it's not just your color choices that are messing you up. If the the second color just sits there, no matter how much you soak it and it won't blend then this isn't the best choice for blending (watercolor paper does this- it works beautifully, right up until you try to get a blend with this technique- see the example- it just won't blend).
If it seems to blend well then go to step 6.

6. Take a colorless blender to a dry, colored spot on the paper. Touch straight down, hold it for a second and repeat in a few places. Where the lighter area meets the color, is it really subtle and soft, with very little definition? This is a great paper, but you'll have a hard time getting special effects. If it gives you a clean, crisp line where the light meets dark then congratulations! Your paper passes all my rigorous standards.

Paper is also a matter of what you are comfortable with. Many good cardstocks will fail one of these areas, but if you're still happy with the results it gives you, then this is the right paper for you. My favorite, easily available cardstock is the Neenah Classic Crest Solar White. However, even this doesn't give me quite as crisp a results as I like from my Copic Sketchbook. Trouble is, the Copic Sketchbook is bound together, and it's not a vibrant a white, so it looks a little strange when turned into a card.

For Fine Artists and illustrators who like to work on heavy, smooth papers you should test different Bristol papers. I tested one while preparing this post and it failed miserably. I have used some that work very well however. For Comic arts, I suggest the Manga Illustration Paper Natural White (Copic). Canson makes some nice FanBoy Comic Papers, but I find these a little soft for effects and their surface is not as smooth as I like for inking, though you can use them on a light table.

I have not personally tried all the other paperstocks out there that people recommend using with Copics, but now that you know what to look for, YOU can judge if they are good or not, or what quality in them is lacking. Then leave a comment today to get entered in the blog candy drawing on Friday. Next week I'll talk about some other paper types, I just don't want to confuse anyone by posting it here.