Happy Thanksgiving - Blending Copic Colors

Once I got on board the Copic marker train I fell in love. I would say Copic coloring is my second go-to technique for making cards.  My first love will always be ink blending, but we're here today to talk about Copic coloring.  

I learned to use my Copic markers watching dozens of YouTube videos, specifically Kelly Taylor videos.  Kelly is a colorist and card maker, with a skill for crafting scene cards.  Watching her videos taught me how to blend a rainbow of colors to create something other than a traditional color blend of light, medium, and dark in a color family.  For today's card, I'm using the tips I've gleaned over the years of watching Kelly's videos.

I started this card by stamping the birch leaf from the Tim Holtz Autumn Blueprintsketch stamp set in Gina K Amalgam ink.  I added the sentiment from Colorado Craft Company's Thankful set.  

In the Fall, birch trees turn from a yellow-green to a golden yellow.  With that in mind, I selected my seven Copic colors from those color families.  Leaves always seem to turn from the tip to the stem.  I started with the darkest green at the stem and moved to the lightest yellow at the tip as I colored my leaf.  The colors I used are listed below.  

Once my panel was colored I used my go-to stitched rectangles from Simon Says Stamp.  Since this was a fall card, I opted for a kraft card base.  That's it!  

I also wanted to share how I cover any Copic bleed that I can't push back with a colorless blender.  I've tried a number of options, starting with a white Gelly Roll and including a white-out correction pen.  I've finally found my magic solution - Dr. Ph. Martin's BleedProof White.  To learn more about this product and how it's used you can check out the Fall Pumpkin video from Let's Make Art.