C3 Cool Gray #3 is a cool, faint gray Copic Marker which resembles diluted Neutral Tint watercolor. This pale marker color is useful for delicate gray objects and makes an excellent underpaint. C3 is available in Copic Sketch, Ciao, 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.
C3 Cool Gray No. 3
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
Temperature: A pale cool gray.
Resemblance: A highly diluted Neutral Tint watercolor.
Actual Value: N3
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: Yes. The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is very close to the ink color.
Buildup: C3 has a high solvent to colorant ratio and can be layered without worry.
Shattering: Does not shatter at all.
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: No. Copic grays are not generally staining.
Lift: Lifts easily. You can consider the color “erasable”.
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: No. There was mild fading which we expect would continue during an extended test period. This color looks like it would disappear over a few months.
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: C3 is a diluted version of C10.
Family Members: C10, C9, C8, C7, C6, C5, C4, C3, C2, C1, C0, C00,
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: N/A
Underpaint: N/A
Pushing Pencil: We suggest Prismacolor 1065 50% Cool Grey but a soft blue would look very artistic.
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 C3:
Red Bird: explores bird anatomy and the use of photo references to improve your coloring on any bird themed stamp. Includes smooth ink background method. Find more info here.
Color palettes and swatches using C3:
We are building our palette and swatch collection a little more each week and will update here as more become available.
Visit the color resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic palettes and swatches.
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)
