R39 Garnet is a cool red Copic Marker that mimics Alizarin Crimson watercolor. This marker is useful for realistic red objects, food and botanical illustration, and holiday images. R39 is only available in Copic 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.
R39 Garnet
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
Temperature: A cool red.
Resemblance: Alizarin Crimson watercolor.
Actual Value: N8
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: Slightly dark. The plastic on an R39 Sketch cap matches 2 coats of R39.
Buildup: R39 develops oily looking patches on the second coat but by four coats, it seems to smooth out.
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: R39 is highly staining.
Lift: No red lifts very well. R39 can be lightened but never moved.
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: We saw very mild fading during the test period but we had to look pretty hard to find it. Maybe about 5%.
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: R39 is at the dark end of the R30 family of natural looking red markers.
Family Members: R39, R37, R35, R32, R30
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 slightly greenish Turquoise like BG18
Underpaint: We suggest B45
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 931 Dark Purple is a reliable choice.
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 R39:
Rustic Maple Leaf: Amy explores realistic shade and shadows, plus a fun lesson on faux wood backgrounds. Find more info here.
Gray Matter: Amy explores underpainting, a technique that increases the realism in colored images. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using R39:
Color palettes and swatches using R39:
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)
