C9 Cool Gray #9 is a cool medium gray Copic Marker reminiscent of Neutral Tint watercolor. This mid-vaue marker color is useful for shadows, underpainting, and neutralizing mid-value colors. C9 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.
C9 Cool Gray No. 9
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A deep cool gray.
Resemblance: Neutral Tint watercolor.
Actual Value: N9
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 resembles 2 coats of C9.
Buildup: C9 can look oily with more than 2 coats. Exercise caution.
Shattering: Shatters with strange hints of greenish ink.
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: Grays are usually not staining but this marker is so intense that it can’t help but stain.
Lift: Lifts with serious effort. It’s not erasable but if you stick with it, you can move the colorant elsewhere.
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 some fading which we expect would continue during an extended 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: C9 is barely 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 935 Black
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.
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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