BV04 Blue Berry: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

BV04 Blue Berry is a cool blue-based violet Copic Marker which resembles Cobalt Violet watercolor. This is a great starter marker, useful for underpainting, florals, and general coloring. BV04 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.

BV04 Blue Berry

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

Temperature: A cool blue based violet

Resemblance: Blue Berry resembles Cobalt Violet watercolor.

Actual Value: N7. Please note how wrong the value is on this marker. It claims to be 4 and is actually a 7.

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: The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is a good match to the color of 1 coat of BV04 ink.

Buildup: BV02 starts to create oily patches on the second layer. Exercise caution when layering this color.

Shattering: BV04 shatters into blue with pale pink leakage around the edges. This shattering is also visible in the staining test results.

Chromatography testing shows this ink’s behavior when it comes in contact with #0 Colorless Blender (solvent). High shattering colors may leak unexpected colors 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: BV04 stains the paper blue

Lift: BV04 does not lift much. When we tried, the sample shattered. Exercise caution trying to move this color with solvent because you’ll get odd pink leakage on the margins of the fix.

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: BV04 showed a minimal amount of fade; we would expect further significant fading with extended testing times.

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: BV04 is in the middle of the of the BV-Zero family, even though there is only one marker darker. This family is very deceiving because the sub zero markers are lighter than expected while those above zero are darker than expected.

Family Members BV08, BV04, BV02, BV01, BV00, BV000, BV0000

We include this information because many Copic users never think deeper than the letter groupings (R, BV, G, etc.). Every ink has it’s 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 middle yellow contrasts nicely. Try Y06

Underpaint: We suggest W5 underneath BV04

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: We suggest Prismacolor 109 Prussian Green with a very light pressure over BV04.

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 BV04:

Jellybeans: Amy shows you the roadmap to reading the form of an object; adding realism by interpreting photo references. Find more info here.

Ink Frog: A lesson on alternative blending methods & creating warm characters. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using BV04:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the stamp shop page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.

Color palettes and swatches using BV04:

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)

C0 Cool Gray No. 0: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

C0 Cool Gray #0 is a cool, pale gray Copic Marker resembles highly diluted Neutral Tint watercolor. This pale color is useful as a base color or as part of a blending combination, not as an underpaint. C0 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.

C0 Cool Gray No. 0

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

Temperature: A pale cool gray.

Resemblance: Highly diluted Neutral Tint watercolor.

Actual Value: N0

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: Yes. The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is just a bit lighter than 1 coat of C0.

Buildup: C0 reaches maximum color at 3 layers and can be layered without much (if any) oily appearance.

Shattering: This color is so light that the test sample dissipated and lightened so much that we can’t tell if it shattered or not.

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: C0 does not stain.

Lift: Lifts so easily and the color is so pale that we consider this color practically 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: C0 lightened slightly during testing but again, the color is so light to begin with that it’s hard to say how much lightening occurred.

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: C0 is a highly diluted version of C10.

Family Members: C10, C9, C8, C7, C6, C5, C4, C3, C2, C1, C0, C00

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 1063 50% Cool Grey

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 C0:

Cheers: Amy explores how, and how not to approach glass objects in your stamp images. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using C0:

Color palettes and swatches using C0:

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)

G02 Spectrum Green: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

G02 Spectrum Green is a bleached warm green Copic Marker which resembles diluted Phthalo Green watercolor. This is a highly artificial green, most often used as s blending companion for darker greens. G02 is available in Copic Ciao, 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.

G02 Spectrum Green

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

Temperature: A slightly warm green but strange things happen to inks when they’re overloaded with solvent. G02 has a bleached look and can create an oddly cool blend in some situations.

Resemblance: Diluted Phthalo Green watercolor.

Actual Value: N3.5

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: Yes. The colored plastic on the Sketch cap is close to the color of one layer of G02 ink.

Buildup: Layers well but reaches maximum value at only 3 coats.

Shattering: Shatters into green with canary yellow ink at the margins.

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: G02 mildly stains the paper.

Lift: G02 lifts moderately, leaving behind slightly cool bluish paper.

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: G02 was surprisingly lightfast. We saw only mild fading during the 3 week test.

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: G02 sits at the light end of the G-Zero family. The markers in this family are all artificial looking, it’s hard to find them in nature.

Family Members: G0000, G000, G00, G02, G03, G05 G07, G09

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: Pale violets like V22

Underpaint: We suggest BV00

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1008 Parma Violet with very light pressure works well.

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 Technique Classes using G02:

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using G02:

We continue to create new content and classes and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the workshop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.

Color palettes and swatches using G02:

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)

E07 Light Mahogany: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

E07 is a warm brown Copic Marker which closely resembles Burnt Sienna watercolor. A natural brown for figure and animal illustration, landscapes, and urban sketching. E07 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.

E07 Light Mahogany

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

Temperature: A warm brown

Resemblance: Burnt Sienna Watercolor

Actual Value: N7

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: The plastic on a Sketch marker is close in value to 2 coats of E07 ink but is slightly warmer in temperature.

Buildup: E07 starts to develop oily blotches with the first coat. Reaches maximum value at 3-4 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: Strongly staining.

Lift: This color color is stubborn and does not lift much.

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 observed no fading during the test period.

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: E07 is at the darker end of the E-Zero family and all are distinctly reddish browns with the palest end looking almost pink.

Family Members: E0000, E000, E00, E01, E02, E04, E07, E08, E09

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: Brown is not a hue on the color wheel and does not have a complement.

Underpaint: C5 neutralizes this color well.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1076 90% French Grey pushes this color nicely.

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 E07:

We continue to create new content and classes and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the workshop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic classes.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using E07:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the stamp shop at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic classes.

Color palettes and swatches using E07:

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)

BG49 Duck Blue: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

BG49 Duck Blue is very bluish green Copic Marker which mimics Phthalo Turquoise watercolor. This marker makes a beautiful and sophisticated addition to any color palette in lieu of blue or green. BG18 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.

BG49 Duck Blue

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

Temperature: A cooler turquoise (more blue than green)

Resemblance: Phthalo Turquoise watercolor.

Actual Value: N7 (note this is lighter than the 9 in “BG49” indicates)

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: The plastic on a Sketch marker matches 1 coat of BG49.

Buildup: BG49 develops a slightly oily look on the third coat.

Shattering: Shatters into viridian and cyan with hints of yellow on the outer edge.

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: BG49 is highly staining.

Lift: BG49 is stubborn and permanent. You can lighten it slightly but it can only be camouflaged, not lifted.

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: The fade was slight on this marker, about 10%.

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: BG49 is the dark end of a very small family. This is disappointing because we’d use this family more if we had more natural combinations for it.

Family Members: BG45, BG49

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 medium standard pink like RV13

Underpaint: We suggest underpainting with medium gray like N5

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 901 Indigo Blue is perfect for pushing BG49.

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 BG49:

Key to My Heart: a lesson on finish & shine, two of the most under-appreciated elements of texture. Finish and shine are important to telling stories with your artwork. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using BG49:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the stamp shop page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic classes.

Color palettes and swatches using BG49:

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)

G00 Jade Green: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

G00 Jade Green is a bleached warm green Copic Marker which resembles highly diluted Phthalo Green watercolor. This is an artificial looking green, most often used as s blending companion for darker greens. G21 is available in Copic Ciao, 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.

G00 Jade Green

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

Temperature: A slightly warm green but strange things happen to inks when they’re overloaded with solvent. G00 has a bleached look and can create an oddly cool blend in some situations.

Resemblance: Highly diluted Phthalo Green watercolor.

Actual Value: N3 (note, this was unexpectedly dark for a sub-zero marker)

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: Yes. The colored plastic on the Sketch cap is close to the color of one layer of G00 ink.

Buildup: Layers well but reaches maximum value at only 3 coats.

Shattering: Shatters into green with mild yellow ink at the margins.

Be careful! This color contains a very high ratio of solvent and can easily damage the other colors in combination with it. G00 even shatters itself at 4 layers of ink.

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: G00 does not stain the paper.

Lift: G00 is such an easy lifting color and because it’s also pale, you can almost erase G00 with a colorless blender.

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: G00 was surprisingly lightfast, a very unexpected result. We were unable to see any fading in the 3 week test.

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: G00 sits at the sub-zero end of the G-Zero family. The markers in this family are all artificial looking, it’s hard to find them in nature.

Family Members: G0000, G000, G00, G02, G03, G05 G07, G09

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: Pale violets like V20 or even BV000

Underpaint: We suggest BV000

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1026 Greyed Lavender works well.

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 G00:

We continue to create new content and classes and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the workshop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic classes.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using G00:

We continue to create new content and classes and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the workshop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of digital stamps.

Color palettes and swatches using G00:

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)

R29 Lipstick Red: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

R29 Lipstick Red is a balanced red Copic Marker which resembles Cadmium Red watercolor. This is Copic’s most popular red, a favorite with crafters, colorers, and illustrators. R29 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.

R29 Lipstick Red

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

Temperature: A balanced red.

Resemblance: Cadmium Red 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: The plastic on an R29 Sketch marker looks like 2 coats of R29 ink.

Buildup: R29 layers well up but starts to develop slightly oily looking streaks or patches at more than 2 layers. Because it is generally used as the darkest color in a blending combination, the oiliness is really only obvious when layering straight R29.

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: R29 stains the paper.

Lift: This is a very stubborn color with almost no lifting.

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: The sample faded about 10% during testing.

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: R29 is the dark end of the R-Twenty family but given the low value of R29 (N8), we know the mother ink is deeper. The R20s are the most popular reds Copic makes and its light reds are often substituted for pink (even though they’re light red, not pink).

Family Members: R20, R22, R24, R27, R29

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 medium true blue like B26

Underpaint: We suggest B93

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 R29:

Celebration Cupcake: Soft fluffy frosting and tasty cake, perfect for any birthday celebration. Color gentle waves of frosting & crisply folded pleats. You can use this technique on skirts, shirts, curtains, anything with folds! Find more info here.

Doughnut Stack: Amy shows you why underpainting provides the basis for realistic coloring with accuracy. Find more info here.

Blackberry Bramble: explore the essentials of line art and how to approach stamps with tiny flourishes. Find more info here.

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using R29:

Color palettes and swatches using R29:

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)

BV00 Mauve Shadow: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)

BV00 Mauve Shadow is a diluted blue-based violet Copic Marker reminiscent of Cobalt Violet watercolor. This is a great starter marker, useful for backgrounds, florals, and general coloring. BV00 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.

BV00 Mauve Shadow

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

Please note: This marker ink is very close to non-photo blue and does not photograph or scan accurately. The swatch above shows the actual shatter and staining tests but the other samples have been digitally altered to better reflect the colors we see in the real life sample.

Temperature: A cool blue based purple

Resemblance: Mauve Shadow resembles diluted Cobalt Violet watercolor.

Actual Value: N2.5. Please note how wrong the value is on this marker. It claims to be sub zero and is actually more of a match to N2 or N3.

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 end of a Sketch Marker matches the color of 2 coats of BV00 ink.

Buildup: Despite not its low colorant levels, BV00 started to create oily patches on the second layer. This was surprising. However, by layer three, the oily color was much smoother and looks fairly pleasing.

Shattering: BV00 does not shatter, at least not that we were able to see.

Chromatography testing shows this ink’s behavior when it comes in contact with #0 Colorless Blender (solvent). High shattering colors may leak unexpected colors 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: This is a slight bit of paper staining but we think this might disappear with further applications of colorless blender.

Lift: BV00 lifts very 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: Not lightfast. The fade was severe (at least 60%) and turned oddly pink.

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: BV00 is at the low end of the BV-Zero family. Be careful because 00, 000, and even 0000 are darker than expected.

Family Members BV08, BV04, BV02, BV01, BV00, BV000, BV0000

We include this information because many Copic users never think deeper than the letter groupings (R, BV, G, etc.). Every ink has it’s 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 warm pale green like YG11 would work well.

Underpaint: We suggest W1 underneath BV00.

This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.

Pushing Pencil: We suggest Prismacolor 1007 Imperial Violet with a very light pressure over BV00.

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 BV00:

Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using BV00:

We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.

Visit the stamp shop page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Copic classes.

Color palettes and swatches using BV00:

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)