Learn about E40 Brick White Copic Marker. We swatch and test Copic colors- layering, staining, lift, value, lightfastness, saturation, and cap accuracy. | MarkerNovice.com | How to color with alcohol markers.

E40 Brick White is a cool beige-brown Copic Marker which mimics highly diluted Raw Umber watercolor. An organic beige, ideal for fur, food illustration, and urban sketching. E40 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.

E40 Brick WHite

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

Note: The * asterisk in the test samples above indicate that we’re using digital samples of the color in the test results graphic above. E40 is so pale that a single layer was invisible to the scanner and it photographed much warmer than the color in real life. I’ve taken great pains to reproduce the test swatches, matching the real color as accurately as possible.

Temperature: A cool brown.

Resemblance: Highly diluted Raw Umber watercolor

Actual Value: N0

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 E40 ink.

Buildup: E40 starts to look oily on the second layer. It reaches maximum value at 4 layers.

Shattering: Shatters into a very faint beige with hints of cool gray leakage. Note that the shattering photo above has been darkened to make the test results more visible.

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: E40 does not stain. Note, the photo of the test results above has been darkened slightly but appears more yellowish than the actual swatch. This color was very hard to pick up on camera.

Lift: E40 is a pale, non-staining color which lifts so easily, it might be called “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: E40 did not lighten during the testing period as much as it yellowed. We suspect the cool gray additive shown in the shattering test was the only colorant to fade, leaving the beige brown colorant behind.

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: E40 is in the lightest of the E-Forty family. This family of browns feel cooler and more organic as the color gets darker.

Family Members: E40, E41, E42, E43. E44, E47, and E49

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: C00 neutralizes this color well but so does BV0000

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

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1083 Putty Beige 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.