A Muse News: Copic Markers

I am amazed to see the flurry of interest in Copic markers since I originally posted about them 18 months ago. We get lots of questions about them at our retail shop and I thought it might be helpful if I shared some of this information here.

Q) There are several types of COPIC markers available - how do I decide which one is right for me?
A) There are THREE different options in Copic markers - The Original (square barrel), Sketch (oval shape barrel) and Ciao (round barrel).

All styles come with two different nibs. The Ciao and Sketch markers have a Super Brush nib and the Medium Broad nib. Our designers prefer the Original markers because they come with a Fine nib and a Broad chisel nib. The Fine nib makes it easy to color in tight spots - which is essential for working with smaller images, like A Muse. The fine nib is also a sturdy nib that doesn't splay with pressure. The other reason I prefer the Fine nib is because it is smaller than the Super Brush making it easier to see my work. .

Added bonus: The square shape of the ORIGINAL markers means they won't roll off your work space.

Q) Why are these markers so expensive?
A) These are professional-grade art markers. I grew my collection one marker at a time. In the 4 years that I've been using COPIC markers, I have never had one of my pens dry out and I have not refilled any either (although they are refillable). I can't say that about any other markers I've used. Initially, these markers are an expensive purchase, however, in terms of value, over the long haul, these pens really deliver!

For your reference, the COPIC Original markers and Sketch markers have a suggested retail price of $5.95 and the Ciao has a suggested retail price of $4.95.

Q) There are so many colors, how do I choose?
A) The main reason why I love COPIC markers so much are the colors! I have quite a large collection of COPIC markers now. I started my collection with colors that I felt were missing from my other marker sets. COPIC has a fabulous range of "natural" colors that are essential for coloring people and natural objects. Here are my top FIVE colors:

E33 Sand
YG23 New Leaf
BG10 Cool Shadow
R00 Pinkish white
R35 Coral

Q) How do you store COPIC markers?
A) Copic markers can be stored flat or upright. I store mine upright in a cutlery container that I purchased a few summers ago.

Remember, Spica Glitter pens must be stored FLAT!

Q) I've heard these markers bleed through the paper. Is this true?
A) Yes, it's true. If you like to stamp and color directly on your card, this may bother you. It doesn't bother me because I spend most of my time looking at the front of the card, not inside. However, I do know this bothers some folks and I can understand it - especially those of you that sell your cards. I think the only solution for this is to use stamp on a separate piece of cardstock and adhere it to the card.

Q) Can you do more than just color stamped images with COPICs?
A) Yes. There are lots of uses for COPIC markers in your craft projects. Some other fun uses we like are "dying" ribbon (coloring with COPICs) and creating custom color brads and flowers. I also like to use my COPICS to "ink" the edges of a card or punched piece. This is much easier with a COPIC than an ink pad because the COPIC ink dries immediately - no inky fingers.

Exciting news! I have created a custom assortment that includes my most commonly used colors. It is now available for purchase here.

We do carry a 52-color assortment of the COPIC Original markers. They will be added to our shopping pages soon.

Comments

Linda, this is a FABULOUS Q&A on Copics and I agree with your selection of essential colors. Thank you for turning me on to them, I know I hesitated at my first purchase but obviously since then I've become addicted and won't ever look back. There is no other marker that can provide the same definition, smoothness, palette variation and true color quality than a COPIC. They rock!

Posted by: Nicole | Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 12:17 PM

Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Christina Witkowski | Monday, December 24, 2007 at 06:41 PM

I was wondering if we can use the airbrush with this version? Thanks Suzy

Posted by: Suzy | Friday, December 28, 2007 at 02:10 PM

I did get the assortment of your most commonly used colours. Wonderful set, but now I need more! When will you be getting other colours so I can fill in what I am missing?

Posted by: Michelle Hoger/mitch47 | Monday, February 18, 2008 at 10:09 AM

I was looking for more copics to purchase but when you click on the purchase here. I get an error message. Am i doing somethng wrong or is there a problem with the link?
Thanks Pam

Posted by: Pam | Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 08:13 PM