BG45 Nile Blue is a light greenish blue Copic Marker which mimics Phthalo Turquoise watercolor. This may be too green for a spring sky but it’s a gorgeous and happy color for Easter, birthdays, and water scenes. BG45 is only available in Copic Sketch and Classic marker styles.
Every Copic Marker has different characteristics based upon its unique ink formula.
Knowing how a color behaves will help you blend effectively and make art with confidence.
BG45 Nile Blue
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A light bluish green
Resemblance: Phthalo Turquoise watercolor
Actual Value: N4
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 matches 1 coat of BG45 ink.
Buildup: BG45 layers easily and smoothly from the firsts coat and reaches maximum value at about 3 coats. We did not detect any blotchiness as we layered this color, unusual for a Copic ink!
Shattering: This ink is pale but a sharp eye can detect the faint hint of yellow leakage.
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: BG45 is a mildly staining color.
Lift: BG45 can be lightened slightly but the paper remains light blue and the color never fully disappears.
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: There was a slight, maybe 10% fade of BG45 during the test period.
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: BG45 is the lighter of the only two markers in the BG-Forty family.
Family Members: BG45, BG49
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 pale pink like RV11
Underpaint: We suggest underpainting with pale gray like BV20
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 105 Cobalt Turquoise is perfect for pushing BG11 if used with an extremely light touch.
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 pale aqua:
We do not currently have classes using BG32 but the following classes feature light BG markers.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using BG markers:
Color palettes and swatches using BG markers:
Visit us at VanillaArts.com for ways to use BG45 and other turquoise markers.
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.
(note: affiliate link)
