E15 Dark Suntan. We swatch and test Copic Marker colors- layering, staining, lift, value, lightfastness, saturation, and cap accuracy. | MarkerNovice.com | #copicmarker #howtocolor #swatch

E15 Dark Suntan is a warm brown Copic Marker which mimics one of the browner versions of Raw Sienna watercolor. An excellent color for food and landscapes but we find it an odd choice for skintones. E15 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.

E15 Dark Suntan

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

Temperature: A warm brown.

Resemblance: Mimics some of the browner versions of Raw Sienna watercolor (many are more yellowish).

Actual Value: N5

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: NO! The plastic on a Sketch marker is wildly dark. The cap is incredibly misleading.

The name of this color also brings heartache to Copic beginners. This color is far too dark for Caucasian skin and it creates a weirdly reddish look when used for darker skintones. Don’t go by the name, swatch your colors when coloring portraits and figures.

Buildup: E15 can turn oily looking, another issue when coloring skintones because people tend to blend skin more.

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: Slightly staining. Typical of an ink with red in the formula.

Lift: Stubborn. The ink can be lightened but the paper remains pinkish brown.

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 fading.

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: E15 sits in the middle of the E-Teen family which runs from E11 on the pale end and E19 on the far end. E18 is oddly dark so beware of the marker caps!

Family Members: E11, E13, E15. E17, E18, E19

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: Brown is not a hue on the colorwheel and does not have a complement.

Underpaint: N4 neutralizes this color well.

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

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1082 Chocolate is very pretty over E15 and makes it seem cooler.

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.