B26 Cobalt Blue is a medium red-blue Copic Marker which resembles diluted Ultramarine Blue watercolor. This is an easy to blend color which makes a wonderful underpaint. B26 is only available in Copic Sketch and Classic marker styles.
Every Copic Marker has unique characteristics based on its unique ink formula.
Knowing how a color behaves will help you blend effectively and make art with confidence.
B26 Cobalt Blue
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A slightly reddish blue.
Resemblance: Diluted Ultramarine Blue watercolor.
Actual Value: N7
All Copics are measured on a Neutral Gray value scale. The last number on the cap is supposed to indicate value but we’ve found discrepancies where the actual ink value is different than cap designation.
Cap Accuracy: The plastic on a Sketch marker is closer to four coat of B26 which is misleading. The ink is not as dark as the cap.
Buildup: B26 begins to look oily at more than 2 layers.
Shattering: Mild shattering into blue with a pale pink leakage on the edge.
Chromatography testing shows this ink’s behavior when it comes in contact with #0 Colorless Blender (solvent). High shattering colors may leak unexpected color when you make corrections or attempt to blend with any color that has a high solvent to colorant ratio. Shattering is not bad, it’s just something to be aware of.
Staining: B26 stains the paper with a definite blue cast.
Lift: This color does not lift well.
See staining swatch. Sample was given 6 stripes of #0 Colorless Blender, drying between each stripe. Results indicate how much lifting you can expect.
Lightfast: Faded by about 10%.
Samples were swatched on X-Press It Blending Card. 1 layer of ink was exposed to windowsill sunlight for 21 days. Approximately 10 hours of sun per day based on weather conditions. Note: we do not recommend displaying original Copic art under these conditions.
Natural Ink Family: B26 is in the middle of the B-Twenty family. This is a popular marker family and a good investment for your first blue blends.
Family Members: B21, B23, B24, B26, B28, B29
We include this information because many Copic users never think deeper than the letter groupings (R, BV, G, etc.). Every ink has its own temperature variations and underlying flavors. Understanding what an ink looks like in its different dilutions helps when creating your own blending combinations.
Complement: A soft orange. We suggest YR04
Underpaint: We suggest N3
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1007 Imperial Violet pushes this color nicely with a pleasant cool temperature.
VanillaArts.com (our sister site) teaches a Push & Pull technique for dimensional coloring. This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Vanilla Arts Classes using B26:
Oopsie Daisy: Start your marker painting journey with Oopsie Daisy and follow Amy as she covers the flick technique and how to use it with both marker and colored pencil to develop depth in floral images. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using B26:
Color palettes and swatches using B26:
Looking for beautiful color palettes?
We absolutely love The Color Catalog 1 & 2 from Sarah Renae Clark. It puts hundreds of Copic friendly color palettes at your fingertips.
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