Thursday, August 5, 2010

New Products CHA Summer 2010, part 4

Color Swatch Book
One last neat thing that we introduced at CHA this Summer is the new Copic Color Swatch Book. This handy, travel-sized organizer is perfect for keeping your colors organized and having a reference book that is customized by you!

The Color Swatch Book is printed on very nice bright white cardstock, ideal for giving you accurate color readings. The back cover unfolds and tucks between pages to protect while filling in swatches. The book measures approx. 7" x 3.5" (about the size of a checkbook) and has 18 pages with color groups and directions.

Each page is organized so you can see Natural Blending groups and see where you might be missing colors in your personal spectrum. As you can see from this photo of the BG page, I can quickly see which colors I want in the BG family that will blend with the BG09 I already have. For space purposes, some blending groups are listed on the same line, (See the BG30's and the BG40's), but wherever possible each group is given it's own space.



Best of all, the cover is left uncolored (see the book in the photo behind the colored version)- you get to color it how you want! I drew the cover art based on illustrations from the Art Noveau movement 100 years ago. I really love the flowing lines and repeated floral patterns from the 1910's and 20's.

Drawing Process
I drew the art lightly first with a pencil then traced it on my light table with a .25mm Multiliner SP. I went back with a thicker pen to darken in the larger dark areas. Then I scanned it into the computer and cleaned up some of the lines. Last, I took my artwork into Adobe Illustrator and converted it into vectors to give it the smooth thick/thin line quality that you see here.

Coloring Process
I really had fun coloring the final cover of my swatch book! Best of all, each person can I started with my lightest colors, in this case, the green. I used YG41 and faded each stem so it would be easy to blend into the next color. Next I added BV00 and feathered it into the green of the stems. I also tapered the BV00 into the top of each "blossom", leaving the tips white. Then I feathered E04 back into the BV. After I had the blossoms finished I darkened the green stems with G85. Anywhere the stems look like they go behind each other I was sure to make it a little darker. this gives the curling lines more individual strength.

Next I darkened the leaves. I wanted them to have the same general tone of the stems, but still be distinct. To do this I could either make them lighter or darker than the stems, so I opted to make them darker. I Began with a base of YG41, darkened with the G85, then added a touch of B39 to really deepen the green without turning it grey, since there really wasn't a darker green that I wanted to use that would not turn it gray, and G29 would leave a different feel to the tone. As it is, the hint of deep blue really gives dimension, in my opinion.

Last, I added a touch of dimension to each blossom with a dot of BV04 blended with the BV00. I colored teh marker with C1, BV23, and C5. By throwing the BV23 in instead of the C3 it also adds a bit of color depth to an otherwise stale gray. I added crisp shadows under each leaf that covers the marker with the C5. I colored the logo with the YG41 lightly faded into the BV00. The tips of the marker are colored with BV00, BV04, and a hint of E04 to pull in the pink from the blossoms. The fine white lines on the shiny marker body were made with Opaque white that I carefully applied after I was completely done coloring.

I hope this gives you some inspiration for coloring your own beautiful swatch book cover. Once you color yours send me a link! I'd love to see what you make.

These new swatch books are now shipping, so ask your local Copic retailer if you would like to get one for yourself. The Blending Card will be arriving in stores in a couple weeks.

18 comments:

♥Rach♥ said...

Really beautiful job! I love the book idea and you did such a great job on the cover :0)

Cassie_lu said...

what a great idea and your cover is beautiful

Marge said...

Oh, this is truly an awesome idea & your cover is awesome! I was thinking when I reached the end of your article, you'd be giving one away, but I'll instead be hoping to find one very soon, as it will be so handy to have in my purse!

Rita said...

Great idea, I luv it! Where can I get one? I would luv to carry it in my purse to let me know which markers I already have when I'm shopping for new ones to add to my collection...I will finally be able to toss the copies of paper I have with numbers & colors that are in my purse now. Me thinks this will be a HUGE HIT!!!

Lorianna said...

This is a great book, but I am sure alot of people do not have a store near by them to pick one of these up.
I order my copic markers on line
So where else could these be found??
Please help
Lorianna

Kathy Jones said...

This looks AWESOME Marianne and love they way you coloured the cover!!! I think this will be hugely popular!!!

Unknown said...

That's exactly what I've always wanted from my dreams about markers.

Are these going to have a retail cost, or are they going to be free like the catlogues and stuff?

Jan Castle said...

Sigh...such beautiful coloring!!! Love the book idea...so handy!

Kaye said...

I have searched everywhere for the X-Press It blending paper and the new Color Book. Could you share what online vendors might carry them. We have no Copic dealers in our area. Such great new products...absolutely love your blog!!!

gobeagirl said...

Hi there. I agree with Lorianna. I don't have any craft stores even remotely close to me. All my shopping is online and I would really love to get one of these awesome books. Help! Thanks, Lisa g

Take care and STAY POSITIVE! Trena said...

Great idea Marianne!! I'm looking forward to getting one. I'm at a stamping retreat for Stampscapes right now and it would come in handy. Several of the participants are using Copics! :o)

Take care and STAY POSITIVE!

Beate said...

Dang, that's cool! Your cover looks GORGEOUS (think..."3rd Rock of the Sun", if you ever saw that show)
I can't wait to order one of swatch books. A must have for this German organizational nut.

Hugs and grins!

Sharon Field / Inky A*Muse-ment said...

Gorgeous! Love the step by step and the cover is stunning!

Annie said...

your little Copic swatch book is fabulous! I would love to buy one but live in the UK. Can I order one from USA and have it sent over? and if so who would be willing to do that?
Your blog is such a fabulous source of inspiration - thank you so much for sharing.
hugs, annie x

Deborah Young said...

This is a great idea, Marianne! Nice and portable! Just one more thing I 'must' have. ha!!!

iCopic said...

We love this new addition to the Copic line. We have it on our website (www.icopic.com) last Friday and already sold half of what we order with Copic.

A great way to keep track of your colors and see it true color.


www.iCopic.com

Unknown said...

awesome! I was thinking of making some type of swatch book, but now I don't have to worry about taking all that time to do it. I'm a visual person, so I like seeing immediately what I have and do not have color-wise. Can't wait to get my hands on this!

Janice B said...

Just LOVE the swatch book and I can't wait until it is more generally available through stores!
Believe it or not, I have read through your ENTIRE blog from day one (Congrats on over two years of this journaling and all your dedicated tutorials). It has taken me over a week to do it and I copied and pasted the parts I need to keep so I can find them quickly and put them on my IPhone!! I can now prop it on my worktable and reference you immediately as I am trying to learn to work with these fantabulous art tools. I've worked with Tombows for years and thought they were about as good as anything could get but Copics just blow me away! Easy to learn and the results are just magnificent.
Thank you for all your hard work on this blog, which is the BEST!!
Keep teaching us new techniques and drawing basics and everything else you do.
Kowtow, Kowtow, Kowtow!!