Learn about E41 Pearl 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.

E41 Pearl White is a pale beige-brown Copic Marker which resembles diluted Raw Umber watercolor. Ideal for fur, food, and urban sketching. Not necessary if you already own E40. E41 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.

E41 Pearl 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. E41 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 slightly cool beige

Resemblance: Highly diluted Raw Umber watercolor

Actual Value: N0.5 (slightly between level 0 and 1)

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 cap looks like it belongs to a pale yellow marker rather than brownish E41 ink.

Buildup: E41 starts to look oily on the second layer. It reaches maximum value at 3 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: E41 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: E41 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: E41 did not lighten at all during the testing period, unlike E40 which turned yellowish. This is a much more stable color than E40.

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: E41 is in the lightest of the E-Forty family. We strongly suspect that E41 does not share the same colorant as the other members of this family, as it is slightly warmer and has a different fade characteristic than all the other E-Forty colors.

IMPORTANT: E40 and E41 are so strikingly similar that we feel it is unnecessary to own both markers. The colors are not the same when placed side by side but they’re so similar, anyone viewing your art will never know which marker you used. We recommend E41 more than E40 based on lightfastness.

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.

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.