W1 Warm Gray #1 is a highly diluted warm gray Copic Marker reminiscent of Titanium Gray watercolor. This color is useful for shading organic white objects like fur, cement, and white botanicals. W1 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.
W1 Gray No. 1
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: An extremely light, warm gray.
Resemblance: Titanium Gray watercolor.
Actual Value: W1
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 cap is darker but also more golden than the actual ink.
Buildup: W1 has very little colorant and can be layered extensively.
Shattering: The ink is so pale that the test swatch was hard to visualize. We can see gray but there are hints of a peachy-brown leakage color at the margins of the spot.
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: No. Copic grays are not generally staining.
Lift: Lifts easily. This color is so pale, you can consider it 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: No fade was detected.
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: W1 is a highly diluted version of W10.
Family Members: W10, W9, W8, W7, W6, W5, W4, W3, W2, W1, W0, W00,
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 Prismacolor 1070 30% French Grey with a very soft touch.
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.
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.
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