Maybe I will do a more detailed review on copic markers in my next post but for now, I am so very much elated at my finished product. Fruits of hardcore resistance on "other" temptations (read: books, books and more books to read) enabled me to buy some hardcore-priced markers that are truly worth the money. And they are called Copic Markers.
I wish I have these many. Can someone give me a gift? Pretty please? With sugar and royal icing on top?
As of now, I only have 6 colors: E00, E02, E29, RV13, RV34 and 0 (The Legendary Colorless Blender - I am so lucky to have obtained it.).
I got this starter set idea from Michelle Houghton (click her name to find out more about Copic Markers immediately!) and her article here. And recently, I've been experimenting with RV13 and RV34 but it seems to me I can't get them to blend with each other due to the huge gap in their numbers. So, today I bought the latest four (the E's and 0) and I tried it on a lineart I printed off a laser ink printer. I am quite afraid of using inkjet due to its ink issues with liquids. Or is it just water since Copic Markers are alcohol based?
Here's my very first try on E00 and E02:
It's not very good, is it? Because I wasn't using the right strokes to create that flawless look. And then I got bored and I decided to use the chisel tip to brighten my day and yet, it still turned out bad. I therefore learned a lesson: Never use Copic Markers when you're bored and generally pissed because you can't color it right.
So, again, I tried, after cooling down for a few minutes, in another printed lineart. This is Chi, by the way. From Chobits. I don't know from what anime did the first one hail from.
I saw that it was good but I was not satisfied. This picture made me feel so stupid in the "proper lighting" field. I wasn't very good with colors, in the first place, and I tend to prefer flat coloring than those with 3D effect to it using multiple colors. The face, I reckoned, wasn't properly colored because of the poor coloring and my general ignorance in terms of where the light source is. I just can't imagine. If you notice, the hair and her ear were colored differently. Before I started using Copics, I tried my coloring skills with cheaper markers. These are Lil' Hands 24ct washable markers. I wanted to have the 50ct Crayola for wider range of colors but I had to make do with the available ones. It costs like one copic marker. Actually, one copic marker is a little bit more expensive than these 24ct washable markers. How's that?
And so, after cooling down again, I watched a few videos on how to color (yes, there's a technique! remember, it's still a marker) with these awesome and pocket-burning markers and with Michelle's tutorial on blending, ta-da! My first Copic Marker art! I only have colored the skin since the E's I have are actually for skin tones. I used The Colorless Blender (capitalized due to pure awesomeness), E00 and E02). Actually, I am at loss on where to use E29 because I realized E29 is waaaay too faaar from E00. @_@ Sheer excitement is to be blamed. I think more likely on the hair but I won't touch that first until I bought some of its family members.
Here's the art I've colored after my rant. Sorry for keeping you.
I am so proud of this work. I have to use E00 over and over again to get the proper blending. And goodness, I know I still have lots to improve but I got motivated by this piece of art. I truly did not expect this outcome and I wish I could buy more colors to be able to color the whole lineart. I used RV34 on the pinks. Another one of my experiments. And there you have it. I have tons of people to thank and these are them:
Annel Ribay - My classmate who endorsed the Copic Marker stores for me. (There are so few of them here.)
MsKerrieJ or MissKerrieJ - A YouTube user who has many Copic Marker speedpainting art and who motivated me to use Copic Markers. (Yes, I was reluctant at first due to its price.)
MangaLessons - For her awesome tutorials.
Michelle Houghton - Who started it all. The idea of the starter set and some thorough general information on Copic Markers. By the way, I saw that Fully Booked in here sells Tria Letraset. I'll try it sometime. :)
Mother - Who gave me allowance every week and where I got my savings from.
God - Who led me to this awesome field of art.
A big THANK YOU to these people.
4 comments:
Mary I love your work! You did an amazing job for a starter! and with so few markers. I LOVE reading your rant and all your thoughts as you expiremented so fun to hear your thinking gout loud.
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How about showing us your "original" artwork, instead of Chii from Chobits and the other characters depicted on your site?
A real artist does his/her own "original" artwork and creates his/her own characters!
I drew a picture of The Guyver and did a marvelous job coloring it with Copic Sketch markers, but when asked if that character was mine, I replied, "No, this is the work of Yoshiki Takaya" author and creator of Bio-Boosted Armor Guyver!
I take no credit when I copy and color another artist's character and/or work, even if I'm not selling, it's not my "original" artwork!
This is my way of respecting and honoring those Anime & Manga artists who created Chii from Chobits, or Guyver 1 from Bio-Boosted Armor Guyver (The Guyver - for short), those works are officially copyrighted and I have no intention of taking credit from anyone, whether or not I draw them from memory and for non-profit show!
Hi Peter! Thank you for reading through this post. Though I received criticisms from you, it makes me no less happy at all.
I want to say things in my side of the coin.
First, I would love to show my artworks - soon - and would be ten times as proud as I am on this one. Second, these are printed off from Google, thus I am vague to where the credits go. Though it's only Chii who I am familiar with, I do respect the original artists of these characters - be it another fellow artist or the Japanese artist him/herself - by not claiming that it is mine in any way. If you think that by "being proud of coloring" them has a huge impact on copyrights then I beg to differ. Let me ask you these: when you first started your way to the world of art, were you not proud to be able to draw or color or trace the artworks you long to draw/color/trace? Have you not felt a sense of achievement after hours of working on that blank sheet of paper/finding the right colors for a printed or stamped image? As an amateur, I am easily delighted by these simple things that happen whenever I find myself sitting in front of my workspace. Besides, I believe that while starting, it's best to have a reference of some sort from other artists to serve as a leverage until I can take off on my own. Of course, without claiming it is mine.
Well, I think that's the kind of pride I felt and has explicitly typed above, and I think has nothing to do with "getting credits for myself" except for the skills I have shown. I don't think I need a written document to ensure that the level of coloring done on the linearts is mine. Sure, people who read may think the way I do - just showing off my coloring skills by using another artist's work, and people who may think like you do - getting credits for myself by coloring another artist's work. Selling or not selling. I do not wish people to recognize it as mine, that's why I typed above that I printed them off, to warn them that I hold no claim to them. I could easily have typed otherwise, claiming it as of my own linearts while no one will be wiser. But I did not. This just shows how people differ from others. What I thought was a harmless display of amateur coloring skills becomes a serious matter of disrespect to the original artists of these linearts I've shown. I'm sure original artists would have the foresight of having their works used by others - especially by posting them on the internet accessible to millions and millions of users with or without their own personal stamps/insignia. But I am not so conceited as to not know how to do the right and honorable thing in terms of originality and copyrights. Besides, I posted this post for Michelle Houghton to track how far I have gotten in using Copic Markers. I never would have imagined this would attract attention, given that I never had publicized my blog except for my closest friends.
That being said, I bear no hard feelings or anything else. What you said about copyrights and dis-respectfulness and originality, yes, are very true. However, I think you misunderstood the intention of the post to begin with.
On a sidenote, I would love to see that artwork you drew and colored so I can pick up some insights on blending. :)
Wow! That's a little insane to say what you posted isn't your original work because you used someone else's characters. You didn't claim they were your characters, just your coloring. Maybe we shouldn't use coloring books since coloring their work would be so disrespectful. Gosh, I don't want to offend anyone. :) Anyway, I think you did a beautiful job especially for a beginner!! I am just getting started with copics but have only purchased them at this point. I haven't actually attempted to use them yet. It seems so intimidating but I will get over that and do my best and have fun. As long as I enjoy doing it, I'm not too worried about the end results. Though I do hope my work looks at least half as good as yours does. BTW you are a "real" artist. I found that very rude to say to someone. Hope all is well and you are continuing to use your skills to make beautiful art.
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