Copic New Products part 3

Copic has a lot of new products coming out this year at the 2011 Winter CHA trade show! To win a free 2011 Copic Color Swatch Book, leave a comment on my post from Friday. Tomorrow morning I will draw three winners from my blog, as will each of our designers, so be sure that you've left a comment on each Copic designer's blog!

Other Copic Books

I am personally thrilled that so many of you are interested in a lighting book for beginners. If you are looking for a good coffee-table book filled with an assortment of sketchbook works by various artists (myself being one of the contributors) you can purchase the book Sketching With Copic by Ken O'Connell, president of Imagination International Inc. (Copic North America). You can purchase it through the website Blurb.

For those who are studying storyboarding, layout, and marker rendering we have brought in a great book from Europe- Visualizing Ideas. Inside you can find examples of fashion sketches, storyboards, automotive design, product design, and so much more! This is a great beginner book that i wish i'd had when I was studying storyboarding. Everything in this book was made with Copic markers, which I love, because it shows a great variety of end uses for the markers. We have a few copies at our warehouse, but you can also find these online from various places.

Many of you had questions about where you can purchase my Lighting book when it comes out...it will be available from your favorite Copic resellers. I will not be selling it direct from my site.

Meanwhile, here is one more new item to look forward to seeing at the CHA show...

2011 Copic Catalog

Unlike past years, the new 2011 Copic catalog is a showcase of artists and inspiration, as well as a place where you can find all your favorite Copic supplies. See gorgeous creations from a variety of artists, from paper crafting to pop-culture. The illustrations are GORGEOUS! Some are so lifelike, you'd swear they were photos...so later this year I'll post links to some of the artists included in the new catalog.

The new catalog will be available in the booth at CHA, and will also be available for download soon from the Copic website. You'll be able to find this new catalog in your local stores at the beginning of February!

We'll have one more new product announcement tomorrow -- and I think you'll really like this one!!

Copic New Products part 2

Here's the second sneak peek of new products you can find in the Copic Booth at Winter CHA. Don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's post to be entered for a special prize drawing.
Shadows & Shading: A beginner's guide to lighting placement,
book by Marianne Walker

This little project has been keeping me very busy this winter! This is much of the reason why I haven't been posting as much. I know that many of you read my blog and print it out. You are constantly asking "When will you make a book, so I don't have to print things out?!?"

I have been listening!
I took the fundamentals of coloring with shadows and have compiled them in this simple to use reference book. This book is for beginners, and applies to anyone who colors, from papercrafters to artists. You do not need to know how to draw to add shadows like a professional artist! This guide easily steps you through how to correctly add shadows and make your coloring look more dimensional. The wire-bound book comes with 4 clear printed guides to help you add shadows properly on your own work, without all the frustration and guess-work. This book will be available in March, though you can get a sneak peek at CHA.

If you want to attend a hands-on workshop that teaches these same concepts as they relate only to papercrafting, then register for the Intermediate Certification nearest you! Our team decided after the first Intermediate class in Chicago that people need to have access to more information about shadows and shading, as there is only so much time in the day to teach so many things besides shading.

This book does not teach how to draw, just where to add shadows and highlights when coloring. I am making it appropriate for both fine-art as well as papercrafters. As you can see from the simple sketch above, the shadows make all the difference. You can see and touch these objects- they look alive and dynamic. That is the power of contrast and shadows. I can't tell people enough- add more contrast into your work! This book is not Copic specific either, rather, it is for any coloring medium.

Why did I write this? Because I know many of you never had a chance to take art classes in school. Or, you took an art class, but didn't understand what the teacher was explaining. My goal is to help you feel comfortable with art techniques, even if you don't consider yourself an artist.

So, look for the finalized book in March, and see a prototype in our booth at CHA. Meanwhile, go leave a comment on yesterday's post to win a prize of a new swatchbook.

Copic New Products and Giveaway

2011 New Releases!!!
The Winter Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) trade show is coming up and in preparation for CHA we just had a fabulous meeting with some of our Copic team members. Debbie and Sherrie are ready and excited to be teaching the Intermediate Certifications, and I'm busy finishing up some last-minute things for the show as well.

In case you can't stop by our booth, we want to give you a sneak peek at what new things you can find in the Copic booth this year. Check back for more new products from Copic all weekend long!

New Ciao 36 Colors

Many of you should be excited about this, since Ciao markers are a common way to jump into the Copic coloring craze. Copic Ciao markers, the perfect beginner marker, now has 180 colors available, up from 144. The new colors are taken from some of the most popular Sketch colors, and are very helpful for filling in gaps in your Ciao collection. Available individually or in the new Ciao 36 E set. These markers are now in-stock and shipping, so look for them from your favorite Copic retailer.

Colors include: E25, E40, E41, E59, C0, C2, W0, W2, BG13, BG72, B18, B28, B99, E000, E15, E18, YR000, YR15, Y000, Y35, YG09, YG17, G29, G82, BG000, BV000, BV25, V01, V05, RV14, RV69, R000, R14, R81.

Blog Candy
What better way to get excited about new products, than with a giveaway? Leave a comment on today's post, then Monday, January 10th, winners will be randomly selected. Winners will be mailed a NEW 2011 Copic Color Swatchbook to keep track of their Copic collections. The new swatchbook has been updated with a new cover, and with the new Ciao listings, so it's a must-have for collectors. THREE winners will be chosen from EACH of our designer's blogs, so after you check this blog, go visit the blogs of all the other designers. All comments are welcome, though the contest is only open to the US & Canada.

NOTE: Comments are now Closed on this post. Thank you for playing!

New Team Member

You'll see a new name on the list of designers, Bianca Mandity, an altered artist and instructor from Indiana. Bianca is joining the Copic Instructor team to help with training Fine Art stores and Art Schools, so give her a big welcome, and look for more Altered Art and Fine-art events popping up on the Copic Calendar.

Sherrie Siemens

Marianne Walker- That's Me!

Jennie Black

Debbie Olson

Lori Craig

Bianca Mandity

Sharon Harnist

Jenn Balcer

Colleen Schaan

Be sure to check each blog, leave a comment, and come back on Monday to see if you've won a prize. Leave a comment on my Blog, and I'll be choosing a winner early Monday morning. I can't wait to show you what else is new!

Intermediate Class? What's it about?

There has been a bit of confusion about the Intermediate Certification classes. I'm hoping to clear that up with this post. If you still have questions, please ask, and either myself or one of our regional instructors will be happy to answer your questions.

Have you ever spent hours working on a card project, just to step back, look at it, and hate it? You don't know why it doesn't work, you just know that it is missing something. This is what the Intermediate Certification is all about: Taking your hard work to the next level so that you can have fewer failures and recognize better what your project needs to make it POP!

• Who can attend Intermediate Certifications?
Anyone who has taken a standard certification. Not just store owners or people who would usually get first priority in a Standard Certification, but ANYONE is eligible as long as they have already completed Certification before they apply.

• Is the application hard?
Not really. The one tricky place is where we need to see an example of feather blending, but if you follow the directions in this post you should do just fine. Don't be afraid to apply simply because you need to work on feather blending! If all your other examples are great, then I may look over imperfect feather blends.

• How often will these classes be held?
There will probably only be one Intermediate class per quarter, so if a class comes up in your area SIGN UP! We won't have a second class in the same area if we don't get enough applications for the first class.

• What is discussed at the Intermediate Class?
The day starts with a discussion on light and shadows. Then we work into the color of shadows, color theory, and on to types of lighting. From there we move on to composition and layout- making your whole project look better together- and on to coloring hair, faces, etc. We finish the day with a coloring project that ties all the concepts into each other, and tie in self-critiques along the way.

• But I'm not an Artist, I don't think I'm good enough.
You don't have to be an artist to enjoy these classes. These concepts are taught specifically to papercrafters, not artists. If you love reading the tutorials on light and shadow here on my blog, you want more, but are still confused, then these classes give you the hands-on opportunity to learn and have someone explain it one on one. We want to help EVERYONE feel more artistic and creative, no matter what their background.

• Is the class worth it?
Yes! You get a full day of instruction that continues into the evening from one of our top-notch instructors. A 48 page manual that has a blank copy of every image colored throughout the book that you can go home and practice with, as well as lighting guides and a mini-portfolio. You get a lapel pin and a badge for your blog once you have completed the class. Best of all, you are learning concepts that will help you time and again, not just in papercrafting, but in any creative field.

So what are you waiting for? Download an application today and apply! You'll learn a lot more than you think, and the content is totally different than what is covered in a standard certification. If you still have questions, or think you're not good enough to attend then send me a note and we'll see what we can do to help you.

There are currently still spaces open for the L.A. class. Classes are limited in size so attendees get more time directly working with the instructor. Register early to make sure you can get in. Sherrie and Debbie are ready for an exciting L.A. class. We are expecting the Phoenix class in April with Colleen and Debbie to fill quickly once applications are sent out, so register early!

Click here for applications. Meanwhile, we've got an exciting blog hop coming up this weekend, with new releases for 2011, so stay tuned!

Certification Updates

Standard Certification Classes 2011, North America
There are a few Papercrafting Certification classes in the next two months, but you won't see March or April classes on the calendar for another couple weeks. If you have questions about the program you can e-mail Nancy, nancy@copicmarker.com for more info.

Jan. 16 Phoenix AZ taught by Jennie Black Open to Public
Jan. 28 Los Angeles, CA (CHA) taught by Jennie Black Open to Public

Intermediate Certification Classes 2011
We still have plenty of space in the Intermediate class, so don't be afraid of applying, as that is bound to be a great class before CHA. These classes are for people who want to take their coloring to the next level. We discuss shading, composition, and coloring more realistically. However, it is important to have mastered basic marker techniques, like blending and feathering.

The purpose of the application is to make sure that we don't have to slow down the class for those who have not mastered basic concepts. However, most people who have been coloring for a couple years and taken the Standard Certification should have no problem passing the test. If this sounds like you and you think this is some great stuff to learn, then go ahead and fill out the application! You probably will make it in.

Jan. 27 Los Angeles, CA (CHA) taught by Debbie Olson & Sherrie Siemens subject to approved application

April, date TBA, Phoenix, AZ taught by Debbie Olson & Colleen Schaan Applications are not available yet

Click here for applications and class details (time/location/fees) for each session. Also, there are lots of classes coming up internationally as well:

International Certifications

UK Certifications
Wendy Kadzidlo, the instructor for UK Certification classes will be teaching a couple classes in the upcoming months.

March 4th – Stevenage, Herts, taught by Wendy Kadzidlo
May 27th – Warrington, Cheshire taught by Wendy Kadzidlo

For information on these classes, please e-mail Wendy: wendy@stampsandmemories.co.uk

Australian Certifications

5 March, Melbourne Beginner Certification - Taught by Mandi
12 March, Sydney Beginner Certification - Taught by Mandi (click here for Australia class info)

Other events
If you are attending Winter CHA in Los Angeles, CA then stop by our booth and check out the new releases. I'll be in the booth the whole week, demoing markers, as will many of our instructors. Next week we'll tell you what some of those releases will be, so stay tuned. Also, each of our instructors teaches classes of their own. Go to their blogs to find out more about their classes in your area and how to register for events. Have a Happy New Year!

Faux Tea-dyed flowers

Searching in my blog
Before I jump into today's tutorial I just wanted to explain something about this blog. I have tons of things archived over the last few years. You can approach this site by starting at the beginning, back in June of 2008 and reading through, or you can search topic by topic.

People occasionally ask me how to search through my blog. To search by topic, just type a word in the search bar up at the top of this blog. This will limit your search to only things on my blog.

If you are looking for information on a specific product line, then you can search using the glossary in the left sidebar. I hope this helps you find some hidden tutorials that you may have forgotten.

Faux Tea-dyed flowers
I made my own Christmas cards this year, and since I had to make so many, I kept the design VERY simple. It takes too long to color a cute little image on that many cards, so instead I used some hand-dyed paper flowers. You can use this same effect on wide ribbon to make it look tea-dyed as well.

These flowers are very easy to make with Copic markers, and look really cool when you are done. Before you start, be sure to have plenty of clean scratch paper under your work, as this gets messy.

First, take your paper flower and scribble on it with a middle/dark color. For this flower, I used R59. The final color will be both lighter and darker than this color, so test a few colors to find the one that will end up matching your project the best.


Next, you need to add a lot of colorless blender. I like using an empty water-brush that has been filled with colorless blender. If you don't have a water-brush, then you can accomplish the same thing by dipping your colorless blender straight into the big refill bottle, then dripping the blender on. This will make the flower very wet and make the inks flow around similarly to if you were actually dying the flower.


Wherever you drip the blender, the color on the flower will start to bleed away from that area.

If you drip in the middle first then the color will run out to the petals more. If you drip a small drop onto each petal then it will push the color out to the edges of each petal. The second flower was soaked evenly all over, see how the colors muted more and ran together more? If you like this look then go for it.

Once you get the look you want, let the flower dry completely before touching it. If you have a drop of ink on your finger and touch the wet flower, then it will pick up that color. If there is color on the scratch paper under the flower it could pick up that ink as well.

Here are some variations on the effect. The small pink/purple flower has a nice 2 tone feel, with purple added to the edges only, pink in the middle, then blended from the middle out. The little brown flower was the same, just with one color. The larger flower was scribbled more randomly so the white spots are more irregular.

Here is one of my finished, simple Christmas cards. I hope this has given you some ideas. Tomorrow I'll post about upcoming Certification classes. Next week we have some exciting announcements for 2011, so stay tuned!

Shadow Color & Certification

I wanted to share something that was recently shared with me by Ken O'Connell, the president of Imagination International, Inc. (Copic USA) and one of my former art professors.
He was recently in a bookstore, saw this book, and wanted to share this tidbit on lighting and shadows and snowmen, as we have been spending so much time on this blog discussing light and shadows, and many of you have seen my snowman coloring tutorial at the end of a Certification class. Sometimes it helps to hear a concept a couple different ways, from different people, so, from Ken...

Color in light and dark
The first mistake most people make in shading light and dark areas of an image is to think the light areas are white or whiter and the dark areas are black or blacker. This is rarely the case. Both Light and Shadows have color. Look closely. It is easier to see it in the light as it allows us to see the color better than dark shadows, but if you lighten the shadows you can see it clearly.

Basically Sunlight is yellowish and shadows are bluish. Why? Because the sun lightens ares that it shines on and the blue sky illuminates the shaded areas that block the sun. Sometimes the surface for a shadow has color and that combines with the shadow color to mix another color. Grass in the sun will be yellow green and grass in the shade will be blue green. The deeper the shade the deeper the blue color.

So light sources are often warm and shaded areas often cool but, the opposite is also true. In snow at night the moon light is quite blue and often the shadows are warm, especially if there are street lights to lighten up the shadows.

If you go to a bookstore this season, look a the children's book SNOWMEN AT NIGHT by Caralyn Buehner. It features lots of illustrations of snow people in moonlight with shadows of warm orange. It shows the light source of the moon (bluish) as well as the street lamps (yellowish). These two sources of light play a role in the light and shadow on the color of the snow, which we always think of as just white....

We will try to post more of Ken's discussion on light and shadow on the official Copic website blog sometime in the future.

Upcoming Papercrafting Certifications
2010 is winding to a close, and I want to thank everyone who attended a certification this year. We had a total of 52 classes in North America! Wow! Which means, that we are gearing up for a busy 2011, with more Intermediate classes and we are trying to hold Certifications in cities that have not had classes yet. Keep looking for more classes opening in the next month in your area. Remember, if you want to take the Intermediate class you need to take the standard certification first.

Standard Certification Classes 2011
Jan. 16 Phoenix AZ taught by Jennie Black Open to Stores & Designers
Jan. 28 Los Angeles, CA (CHA) taught by Jennie Black Open to Stores & Designers


Intermediate Certification Classes 2011
Jan. 27 Los Angeles, CA (CHA) taught by Debbie Olson & Sherrie Siemens subject to approved application

Click here for applications and class details (time/location/fees) for each session.

Upcoming Events
I will be teaching workshops this Saturday, Dec. 4th at Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster, CA. For teenagers, I will be offering a How to Draw Manga class, then for anyone who wants to attend I will be teaching a coloring class. Both classes require preregistration through the store, as space is limited. As this class is being held at an art store I will be focusing the discussion on art papers and inking supplies, though papercrafters are welcome to attend. Friday afternoon, Dec. 3rd, I may also be doing in-store demos, if time permits.

I hope to see you there!