Coloring Clothes with Copics & a HUGE Challenge!!

We all love those stamps that are really beautiful and have wonderful, elaborate clothing, BUT it can be intimidating for even the most Copic competent person out there to know how to shade correctly! Sooooo... Elaine has put together a wonderful tutorial on how to coloring the folds of clothing using Copics :0)

Susana from SCACD graciously sent the DT a stamp to demonstrate Elaine's technique, and we each used one from the exclusive line of stamps Susana has HERE. AND SCACD is offering up two HUGE and completely fabulous prizes this time so there will be TWO winners and just LOOK at what you can win: Details HERE for set #1 and HERE is set #2!!!

Yes, that's right, one person will win the first set and another will win the second set and how cute are those stamps?? Challenge details are at the bottom of the post, with a prize like this you guys need to take part!!!

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Elaine's Tutorial

The new Elisabeth Bell for SCACD stamp - Angel of Hope - was a perfect choice for this tutorial. Check out that gorgeous dress! Full details on the finished card can be seen in my personal blog post - Angel of Hope card.

Copic Markers used: YR0000, Y21, Y26, Y28

1. Firstly, you will need to decide on the direction of your light source, and where your shadows will be. Pick out these areas using your darkest shade - in this case Y28.

2. Using the next marker down - in this case Y26 - lay down the colour slightly overlapping the shadow areas. I tend to use light strokes, feathering out from the shadow areas. Don't worry too much about blending at this stage, it will look messy but you can deal with that later!

4. Using the next lightest shade - in this case Y21 - lay down colour overlapping the last layer, moving in light strokes towards the area where you want your highlights, leaving the desired highlight area white.

5. Go back over the image again, starting with your darkest shade (Y28) to deepen the shadows, and working back as before with your other shades (Y26, Y21), this time taking a little more time to blend the colours. How long you spend on this depends on the depth of colour and shadow you want to achieve, just be careful not to over-saturate your paper!

6. Finally, I like to soften the highlight areas and blend the last layer of colour out a little using one of the lightest shades - in this case YR0000 (I find the 0000 markers extremely useful for this). I may also finish off by adding a little more Y28 into some of the shadow areas to add a little extra depth.

Note on Wings:

Angel of Hope has beautiful wings, so a quick note on those!

I really like E40, E41, E42, E43 for a nice soft natural look to feathers. Here I have used E41 and E43.

1. Pick out shadow areas and areas where you want a little extra colour with your darkest shade - in this case E43.

2. With a lighter shade - in this case E41 - go over the shadow lines and blend outwards using a light feathered touch.

That's it! You may want to blend more and then deepen the shadows by going back in with E43. On the finished example I spent a little more time blending with E41, and then finished off with a touch more E43 in some of the detail areas to add extra depth. Play around and see what works for you! Don't worry about making it perfect - you want a slightly textured, soft and natural look.

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DT Samples

Amy Young

Rach

Traci

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Challenge Fine print:

Make a project using Elaine's clothing coloring technique
New creations only (we check)

You can use any stamps you'd like

Link it up here by October 20th

Winner will be chosen by random.org

DT will pick some of our favorite creations to showcase

Thanks for joining us!
~The CMC Team~

Changing Colors Tutorial by Rachel

So I have this beautiful image and these beautiful papers that I want to use with it. The problem? I don't have the correct color tones to match the paper! So this is a quick tutorial on what I do when I need to "dirty" something up/tone it down, whatever you want to call it ;0)

I color the image first with colors that match the papers as close as I can. 

The colors on the paper are pretty, but a bit muted so I am going to add a marker with a grey tone in it, in this case YG93.  You do NOT have to use this specific marker, most markers with grey tones will work, this is just the one I personally prefer.

 I don't want to touch the pink or the olive green colors because they are fine as they are, but I do want to tone down the blues and oranges and the brighter green.  I use my YG93 to start in the darker areas and do a single light layer up to the lighter areas.  On my orange I didn't want to mess with the light orange area much so I stayed away from it, but on the blue I really want to change the whole tone so I colored over the whole area.

There isn't a huge, dramatic difference, but if you look at the orange, blue and bright green they are toned down a bit and match the paper a bit better (click on pic for larger one).

I also did the same thing on the leaves of the tree on this card; the turquiose I had was just not the right shade so I swiped it with my YG93 to tone down the color a bit:

Images by Pink Cat Studio

CMC Challenge #1 w/Prize + B&W Tutorial by Rachel

When I saw this little Oliver image, I immediately thought of a black and white photo for some reason, so I thought it would be a great time to do a little tutorial on coloring an image using b and w (or greys, actually).

This also marks the first Color Me Copic CHALLENGE!  To enter the challenge all you need to do is:

1. Create a NEW card or other project (no links to previous projects please) using the black and white technique demonstrated below
2. Link your blog post using the InLinkz blue frog at the bottom of this post
3. Upload it by 7/28!

The best part is that The Greeting Farm has generously offered the Oliver and Amelia "Journey" set as a prize!!!! The CMC team will pick the top 3 cards that demonstrate the best use of the technique and display them on the CMC blog, BUT the winner of the Journey  set will be picked randomly so everyone has a chance.

The Tutorial

You can use any color of grays that you like, I tend to use the "C's" but neutral and warm grays will work just fine.  For this image I'm using C1, C3, C5, C7, C9 and 0 (Colorless blender).  Ignore the 110, I didn't end up using it :0)

Last step and finished image!

Used the finished image on this card so you can see how it looks :0)

Image by The Greeting Farm (Oliver and Amelia "Journey" set)

Kim's

Images: The Greeting Farm: Cheeky beauty; Cheeky glamour;

Skin: E40, 41, 43, background and outfits: W-1, -3, -5, -7,

100 and the colourless blender!!!

Kim's ~ Grass Colouring Tutorial

Hi well here it is... my step by step on how I colour my grass... Hope it inspires....

First I stamp my image then cut out the desired shape, it's so much easier for me to re stamp then recolour an image if I didn't cut it properly, also it's easy to realign the die on the image to ink the border edge.

I have coloured the main figure with copics and given a soft shadow around the edge of her...*Skin: E000, E00, 11, 13 & R20, Hair: E50, 51, 31, Outfit: R22, 24, B91, 95, E41, and a little colourless blender!!!

Here are the varying greens I've chosen but by no means do you have to use these as any greens will work, I have a light, medium, darker and the darkest for shadows. The yellow will be the flowers but again any colour which suits your project will work!

I start by colouring my grass area, you can have this any size, maybe a mound, or small grassy verge... I have used YG93 and just coloured... you really don't need to be neat with this bit as it's going to be covered with LOTS of grass!!!

Next colour I've used YG17, now just flick starting at the bottom of your blade of grass flick the pen up, it will naturally tapper for you and try not to go straight up either and few stray directions make a more realistic grassy look!

I have covered the whole base colour with YG17 blades of grass, notice I have flicked a few strand directly over her shoes and trouser hem! This gives a more earthed impression of her standing in the grass instead of on top! You won't want any on the tops of her trousers though (unless the grass is super long and tall).

Right my next colour YG67 is a darker tone of green and this will give depth to the finished look... simply follow the previous grass flicking instruction with this colour, you will not need to cover as much area so you won't cover over the lighter blades. To really ground her I have taken my darkest tone BG96 and dotted around the base of her shoes and continued out a little to create a shadow!

The flowers are so fun... using Y08 dot directly onto the grass, hold the tip there for a little bit, the green will bleed out and the yellow will remain... continue this all over it is a very random colouring!

Don't forget the top of the flowers too, you won't need to hold the tip there this time as there is no colour to move. In fact a very gentle dab will produce a lovely tiny dot.

Ooh finished, just check now if I think there's enough shadow and contrast maybe add a little more to the shadow under her feet. You might have noticed I didn't need to use one of the colours I originally chose.

This is where I will replace the nestability die and blend a little distress ink to the edges.

Here is the image placed on the card front!!!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Echo Park - Sweet Summertime Collection Kit;

Stamps: SCACD: Go Green; little suzanne(from the last release);

Ink: Memento: black; Copic: markers*; Distress inks: antique linen;

Dies: Spellbinders nestabilties: circles; MS: butterfly punch;

Other: Flat Backed Pearls - 3mm - Golden Yellow; Flat Backed Pearls - 8mm - white; brad; scallop scissors; stitch tracer; 3D foam;

Thanks so much for visiting today, hope you get the chance to be creative with your copics, BiG HuGs Kim :)

Basic Shading Tutorial - by Rachel

This is the tutorial featured in the February 2010 TGF Newsletter

I thought I'd share how I color some of my stamps, here is a very basic tutorial on shading with a "light source" coming from the side.  I say it's pretty basic because we aren't worrying about folds in the clothing and creating dimension and whatnot right now, it's just a straightforward way to learn to start shading.

The paper in the background is what I'm going to use on my card so I am picking my colors to match the paper.

Most of the time I use 3 colors for shading.  I'm starting off with B16/14/12 and R85/83/81.  First off, I pick a light source, in this case I'm assuming the light is coming right at her face (from the left side of the page), therefore I'm starting with my darkest colors on the back part of her (or the right side of the image).  I start with B16, then move to B14 and I blend a lot where the two of them meet so hopefully there is no line.

 Then I add B12, once again shading where the colors meet to avoid any lines.  I also go back and add more of my darker color, in this case B16, if I feel a bit more contrast is needed.

Next I do the same thing with the pinks, I start with R85... 

...then R83... 

...then R81, I also added more R85 for more shadow.  I also added YG09 to her dress at this point. 

**TIP** When shading a very small area, go from your darkest (YG09) straight to your lightest (YG06), there isn't enough space to add the middle color.

 

On Mr. Froggy I used YG17...

 

...then YG25...

 

...then YG03 and R20 (for "blush" on his cheeks).

 

For her face I do the darkest color (E11) near her hairline and then move to...

 

...E00...

 

...then E000 with R20 for accents on her cheeks and eyelid.

 

Her crown is Y17,Y08 and Y13.  I started shading her hair with Y28.

 

Then I finished her hair off with YR21 and Y21.

And here she is!

These are just my tips, some people go lightest to darkest, some go over the whole area before shading, etc.  There is no wrong way!  As a matter of fact, I color a different way every time sometimes, lol!

My "method" on this card:

1.  Try to use 3 colors for blending, within 3 digits of one another if possible.

2.  Darkest to lightest, blend blend blend where they overlap!

3.  When shading very small areas, skip the middle color and just go darkest to lightest.

Image: The Greeting Farm (Twinkle Tots: Princess Ava)