You can use Copic N8 gray marker to color urban landscapes like this. We tested this gray alcohol marker to see if it’s a quality purchase. Test results here. Adult coloring.

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.

N8 Neutral Gray No. 8

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

Temperature: A balanced gray, neither warm nor cool

Resemblance: Lamp Black watercolor

Name: The name is correct, this is a truly neutral gray

Copic Styles: N8 is only available in Copic Sketch and Classic styles. The Ciao line does not include any of the neutral grays.

Actual Value: N8 (All Copic N grays match their true value. N is the only family where this is true.)

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.

Test results for Copic N8 alcohol marker. Is Neutral Gray #8 a high quality art supply? Does it fade or shatter? Read more here. Adult coloring and illustration.

Cap Accuracy: The plastic end of an N8 Sketch Marker matches 2-3 coats of N8 ink.

Buildup: N8 reaches maximum color at 4 layers but starts to gather an oily appearance with the second layer.

Shattering: N8 shatters into gray with a bit of gold leakage around the edges. Copic has added another ink color to darken N8, N9, and N10.

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: As with most darker Copic inks, N8 stains the paper.

Lift: N8 does not lift much from the paper. This should be considered a permanent marker and efforts to erase or correct mistakes are fairly futile.

See staining swatch. Sample was given 6 stripes of #0 Colorless Blender, drying between each stripe. Results indicate how much lifting you can expect.

We tested Copic N8 Neutral Gray alcohol marker ink. Does it fade, stain, or shatter? Is this a quality marker? Do we recommend it for beginners? Test results here.

Lightfast: N8 did not fade during the test period. With a color this dark, we expected to see a bit of lightening and yet there was no change in the swatch over 3 weeks. Excellent performance!

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: N8 is at the darker end of the Neutral Gray family.

Family Members: N10, N9, N8, N7, N6, N5, N4, N3, N2, N1, N0.

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: N/A

Underpaint: N/A

Pushing Pencil: We suggest PC935 Black Prismacolor.

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.

GRAY WORKSHOP