Learn about G85 Verdigris Copic Marker. We swatch and test Copic colors- layering, staining, lift, value, lightfastness, saturation, and cap accuracy. | MarkerNovice.com | How to color with Copic Markers.

G85 is a slightly warm green Copic Marker which resembles Chromium Oxide Green watercolor. This is a natural green for landscapes and floral images. G85 is available in Copic Ciao, 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.

G85 Verdigris

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

Temperature: A slightly warm, slightly grayed green.

Resemblance: Chromium Oxide Green watercolor.

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: Holy cow, no, no NO! The colored plastic on the Sketch cap incredibly dark and very bluish green. To say this cap is inaccurate would grossly understate the reality of this error. This is the most-wrong cap in the whole entire Copic collection. Wow. Just wow.

Buildup: G28 doesn’t get oily the way some colors do— it’s really only at four layers that we start to see the blotchy look.

Layering: G85 is slow to get to maximum value. Note how similar the color is from the second layer onward. It’s odd that you can’t build more color from this marker.

Shattering: Shatters into a warmer green with faint gray 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: G85 is mildly staining color and left the paper with a moderate green tint.

Lift: This color isn’t dark enough to be truly stubborn. You can get some lift but not as much as we expected.

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: G85 is not a durable color. The swatch faded very early in testing and by the end had turned extremely yellowish.

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: G85 sits at the dark end of the G-Eighty family. There are only two markers in this family and because it’s such an organic green, we wish there were more available. We’re wishing for a G87 and G89 someday.

Family Members: G85, G82

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: A cool temperature pink like RV63

Underpaint: We suggest BV13

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

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 931 Dark Purple works very well.

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.