V17 Amethyst: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

V17 Amethyst is a medium violet Copic Marker which mimics Ultramarine Violet watercolor. An easy blending marker; a recommended first purchase with V15. Great for general coloring. 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.

V17 Amethyst

Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.

Temperature: A warm violet.

Resemblance: Ultramarine Violet watercolor.

Actual Value: N6

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: Close. The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is close to thre layers of V17 ink color.

Buildup: V17 can look oily or blotchy at 2 layers. Reaches maximum color at 4 layers.

Shattering: Shatters easily into a violet with pink 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: Leaves an odd bluish stain to the paper.

Lift: Stubborn. Does not lift easily.

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: This color faded by about 5-10% 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: V17 is at the dark of the V-Teen family.

Family Members: V12, V15, V17

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: We suggest a traditional green like G16

Underpaint: N5 neutralizes this color well.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 132 Dioxazine Purple Hue pushes this color well but use a 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 V17:

Copperbanded Butterflyfish: Amy explores the difference between pattern and texture. Find more info here.

Ink & Hydrangea: Amy shows you the theory behind color shifting for depth and the use of temperature to indicate distance. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using V17:

Color palettes and swatches using V17:

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)

V15 Mallow: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

V15 Mallow is a medium violet Copic Marker which mimics Ultramarine Violet watercolor. An easy blending marker; a recommended first purchase. Can leak pink if heavily layered. V15 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.

V15 Mallow

Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.

Temperature: A warm pinkish violet.

Resemblance: Ultramarine Violet 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: Yes. The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is very close to V15 ink color.

Buildup: V15 can look oily or blotchy at 2 layers. Reaches maximum color at 3 layers but also starts to self-shatter.

Shattering: A fragile color which easily shatters into a violet with pink leakage. Notice the far right edge of the swatch at 4 layers, the paper started to bleed pink, all on its own with no exposure to colorless blender or a high solvent marker.

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: Leaves an odd bluish stain to the paper.

Lift: Does not lift easily.

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. This color faded by about 20% 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: V15 is in the middle of the V-Teen family and appears to be a slightly diluted version of V17.

Family Members: V12, V15, V17

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: We suggest a clean green like G14

Underpaint: BG93 neutralizes this color well.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 932 Violet pushes this color well but use a 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 V15:

Tree Frog: Join Amy for a challenging lesson on rebel blending that blends green into yellow into violet into pink into white. Find more info here.

Ink & Hydrangea: Amy shows you the theory behind color shifting for depth and the use of temperature to indicate distance. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using V15:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.

Color palettes and swatches using V15:

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)

V12 Pale Lilac: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

V12 Pale Lilac is a warm purple Copic Marker reminiscent of Ultramarine Violet watercolor. The high dilution makes it feel a bit pink. An excellent blending color, a good early purchase. V12 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.

V12 Pale Lilac

Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.

Temperature: A warm pinkish purple.

Resemblance: Ultramarine Violet 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 V12 ink color.

Buildup: V12 can look oily or blotchy at less than 3 layers. Reaches maximum color at 3 layers.

Shattering: Easily shatters into a violet with pink leakage. Note that this color self-shattered at 4 layers indicating an instability in the formula.

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: Leaves an odd bluish stain to the paper.

Lift: Lifts moderately 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: No. This color faded by about 50% We expect this color would disappear with extended testing.

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: V12 is the the light end of the V-Teen family and appears to be a highly diluted version of V17. The bleaching effect of the high solvent content is why V12 feels pinkish rather than light purple.

Family Members: V12, V15, V17

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: We suggest a clean green like G24

Underpaint: W2 neutralizes this color well.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 931 Violet pushes this color well but use a 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 V12:

Created to Create: an incredibly simple method that will take the guesswork out of creating bold, artistic, and completely original color palettes. Find more info here.

Lemon Zest: Amy shows you how to modify the underpainting technique to shade yellow objects with realism and beauty. Find more info here.

Copperbanded Butterflyfish: Amy explores the difference between pattern and texture. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using V12:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.

Color palettes and swatches using V12:

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)

V09 Violet: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

V09 Violet is a barely warm purple Copic Marker reminiscent of Dioxazine Violet watercolor. This intense marker color is useful for spring or autumn florals, food illustration, and holiday images. V09 is available in only 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.

V09 Violet

Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.

Temperature: A warm purple with a hidden pink cast. This color looks cooler as you build up layers which hide the pink flavor.

Resemblance: Dioxazine Violet 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 is very close to the ink color.

Buildup: V09 is heavy with colorant and. Tolerates some layering but exercise extreme caution.

Shattering: Shatters into a blue violet with strong pink leaking.

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: This color is so potent, it can’t help but stain the paper.

Lift: Stubborn with little lift.

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. This color faded by about 10% and shifted even further towards pink. It certainly would fade more in extended testing.

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: V09 is the the mother ink for the V0x family, all other markers in this series are diluted versions of V09. The hidden pink cast to this family is why the sub-zeros feel pale pink rather than purple.

Family Members: V09, V06, V05, V04, V01, V00, V000, V0000

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: We suggest a clean green like G07

Underpaint: BV29 neutralizes this color well with reliable results.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 911 Olive Greenis an unusual choice but looks amazing.

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 V09:

Ink & Hydrangea: Amy shows you the theory behind color shifting for depth and the use of temperature to indicate distance. Find more info here.

Color palettes and swatches using V09:

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)

V06 Lavender: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

V06 Lavender is a warm, rosy purple Copic Marker reminiscent of Violet Rose watercolor. This intense marker color is useful for spring or autumn florals, and holiday images. V06 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.

V06 Lavender

Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.

Temperature: A warm purple with a distinct pink cast.

Resemblance: Violet Rose watercolor.

Actual Value: N6

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: V06 is moderately laden with colorant and withstands some layering but exercise caution above 3 coats.

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 staining, which is surprising given that reds and pinks usually stain.

Lift: Lifts easily. This color is too dark to be considered fully “erasable” but you should be able to make some corrections.

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. This color faded by about 10% and shifted even further towards pink. It certainly would fade in extended testing.

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: V06 is a mid-range dilution of V09. At the opposite end, V0000 is the highly diluted version. The pink cast to this family is why the sub-zeros feel pale pink rather than purple.

Family Members: V09, V06, V05, V04, V01, V00, V000, V0000

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: We suggest a clean green like G24 or G05

Underpaint: BV25 neutralizes this color well with reliable results.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 931 Dark Purple is a reliable choice.

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.

(note: affiliate link)

V04 Lilac: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

V04 Lilac is a cheerful, warm purple Copic Marker which resembles highly diluted Cobalt Violet watercolor. This mid-value marker color is useful for spring florals, happy backgrounds, and underpainting greens. V04 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.

V04 Lilac

Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.

Temperature: A warm purple with a slight pink cast.

Resemblance: Cobalt Violet 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: Yes. The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is very close to the ink color.

Buildup: V04 is not heavily laden with colorant and withstands moderate layering.

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: We were shocked at how little this stains.

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. This color turned pink and faded by about 30%.

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: V04 is a moderate dilution of V09. At the opposite end, V0000 is the highly diluted version. The pink cast to this family is why the sub-zeros feel pale pink rather than purple.

Family Members: V09, V06, V05, V04, V01, V00, V000, V0000

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: We suggest G03 or G24

Underpaint: G03 neutralizes this color beautifully.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 931 Dark Purple is a reliable choice.

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 V04:

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using V04:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the stamp shop page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Stamp shop.

Color palettes and swatches using V04:

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)