E21 Soft Sun is a warm brown Copic Marker which resembles highly diluted Burnt Umber watercolor. Often used for skin, we recommend caution as the blending process makes E21 skin look orange. E21 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.
E21 Soft Sun
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Note: This Copic Marker color has been renamed. Older markers may be marked “Baby Skin Pink”
Temperature: A warm brown (likely due to the effects of high solvent in this ink formula)
Resemblance: Highly diluted Burnt Umber watercolor
Actual Value: N2
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 on a Sketch marker matches 1 coat of E21
Buildup: E21 reaches maximum color at 4 layers. There are signs of oiliness at 2 layers which evens itself out at 4 layers.
Shattering: Does not shatter.
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: Mildly staining, leaves paper with a slight golden color.
Lift: Easily lifts but the paper stain may not disappear.
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 visible fading 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: E21 is the lightest ink from the the E-Twenty family which runs from E21 on the pale end to this rich, dark, chocolate brown.
Family Members: E21, E23, E25. E27, and E29
Shop for E markers at Violeta-ink.com (affiliate link)
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 color wheel and does not have a complement.
Underpaint: BV60 (affiliate link) neutralizes this color well.
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: PC1082 Chocolate (affiliate link) pushes this color nicely.
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 E21:
We continue to create new content and classes and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the workshop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic classes.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using E21:
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 E21:
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)
