Y11 Pale Yellow is a pale traditional yellow Copic Marker which mimics diluted Cadmium Yellow Light watercolor. This yellow feels organic yet still clean and cheerful. Y11 is available in Sketch, Ciao, and Classic 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.
Y11 Pale Yellow
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A pale balanced yellow, not noticeably cool or warm.
Resemblance: diluted Cadmium Yellow Light watercolor.
Actual Value: N1
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. The plastic cap of a Sketch marker is close to one coat of Y11.
Buildup: Y11 layers beautifully without looking oily. Take note that this ink does not build value well. Two coats looks almost like four coats.
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: Y11 does not stain the paper.
Lift: Lifts easily.
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: Fading was extreme, about an 80% fade.
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: Y11 is the light end of the Y-Teen family. They’re all traditional yellows which do not look florescent or unnatural.
Family Members: Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17*, Y18, Y19
*See Y17 for more info, this marker does not fit well into the family.
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 pale violet such as BV20
Underpaint: We suggest BV0000
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1026 Greyed Lavender works wonderfully.
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 Y11:
Butterfly Shadows: A lesson on cast shadows to add life and reality to your coloring. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using Y11:
Go Fish: This digital image is based on a live sketch, drawn at Amy’s local aquarium. You can tell he’s a sub-adult because his stripes haven't straightened out. The maze pattern they're born with eventually straightens to a very precise diagonal stripe. Find more info here.
Texas Yellow Rose: A beautiful botanical stamp originally created for students of the San Antonio Art Retreat. Colored in Copic & colored pencil but also perfect for watercolor & other mediums. It’s so easy to change the color palette for future projects! Find more info here.
Color palettes and swatches using Y11:
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)
