R59 Cardinal is a cool red Copic Marker that mimics Perylene Maroon watercolor. This marker is useful for shading organic reds, botanical and food illustration, and vintage looking holiday images. R59 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.
R59 Cardinal
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
Temperature: A cool red.
Resemblance: Perylene Maroon 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: Close but darker. The plastic on an R59 Sketch cap matches 3-4 coats of R59.
Buildup: R59 develops oily looking patches on the second coat but by four coats, it smooths 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: R59 is highly staining.
Lift: No red lifts very well. R59 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. Less than 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: R59 is at the dark end of the very small R50 family of natural but pinkish looking red markers.
R59 is often confused with R39— it’s not surprising, the colors are so incredibly close that we wonder why Copic produces both. If you’re a beginner, you don’t need both R39 and R59.
Family Members: R56 and R59
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 R59:
Candlelight: Amy explores her method for creating soft glows and lens flares. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using R59:
We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the Vanilla Stamp Shop at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps.
Color palettes and swatches using R59:
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)
