V12 Pale Lilac: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
V12 Pale Lilac
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
V12 Pale Lilac is a warm purple Copic Marker reminiscent of Ultramarine Violet watercolor. The high dilution makes it feel a bit pink. An excellent blending color, a good early purchase. V12 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.
V12 Pale Lilac
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
Temperature: A warm pinkish purple.
Resemblance: Ultramarine Violet watercolor.
Actual Value: 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: Yes. The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is very close to V12 ink color.
Buildup: V12 can look oily or blotchy at less than 3 layers. Reaches maximum color at 3 layers.
Shattering: Easily shatters into a violet with pink leakage. Note that this color self-shattered at 4 layers indicating an instability in the formula.
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: Leaves an odd bluish stain to the paper.
Lift: Lifts moderately well.
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. This color faded by about 50% We expect this color would disappear with extended 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: V12 is the the light end of the V-Teen family and appears to be a highly diluted version of V17. The bleaching effect of the high solvent content is why V12 feels pinkish rather than light purple.
Family Members: V12, V15, V17
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: We suggest a clean green like G24
Underpaint: W2 neutralizes this color well.
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 931 Violet pushes this color well but use a light 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.
Vanilla Arts Classes using V12:
Created to Create: an incredibly simple method that will take the guesswork out of creating bold, artistic, and completely original color palettes. Find more info here.
Lemon Zest: Amy shows you how to modify the underpainting technique to shade yellow objects with realism and beauty. Find more info here.
Copperbanded Butterflyfish: Amy explores the difference between pattern and texture. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using V12:
We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.
Color palettes and swatches using V12:
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)
E21 Soft Sun: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
E21 Soft Sun
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
E21 Soft Sun is a warm brown Copic Marker which resembles highly diluted Burnt Umber watercolor. Often used for skin, we recommend caution as the blending process makes E21 skin look orange. E21 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.
E21 Soft Sun
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Note: This Copic Marker color has been renamed. Older markers may be marked “Baby Skin Pink”
Temperature: A warm brown (likely due to the effects of high solvent in this ink formula)
Resemblance: Highly diluted Burnt Umber watercolor
Actual Value: N2
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 on a Sketch marker matches 1 coat of E21
Buildup: E21 reaches maximum color at 4 layers. There are signs of oiliness at 2 layers which evens itself out at 4 layers.
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: Mildly staining, leaves paper with a slight golden color.
Lift: Easily lifts but the paper stain may not disappear.
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 visible 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: E21 is the lightest ink from the the E-Twenty family which runs from E21 on the pale end to this rich, dark, chocolate brown.
Family Members: E21, E23, E25. E27, and E29
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: B60 neutralizes this color well.
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1082 Chocolate 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 E21:
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 E21:
We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.
Color palettes and swatches using E21:
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)
B12 Ice Blue: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
B12 Ice Blue
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
B12 Ice Blue is a balanced blue Copic Marker which resembles diluted Cobalt Blue watercolor. This is an easy blue, works well in blends for beginners and useful in many color palettes. B12 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.
B12 Ice Blue
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A balanced cyan color
Resemblance: Diluted Cobalt Blue watercolor.
Actual Value: 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: The plastic on a Sketch marker closely matches one coat of B12 ink.
Buildup: B12 reaches maximum color at four layers. This color does show a slightly oily look at one layer but it quickly smooths at two layers.
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: B12 stains the paper with just a bit of yellow.
Lift: This color lifts fairly well with just a bit of warm paper stain left behind.
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 a minor bit of fading during the test period, perhaps 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: B12 is the light end of the B-Teen family. This family looks a bit green-shade at the light end and noticably red-shade at the dark end— likely the bleaching effect of solvent.
Family Members: B12, B14, B16, and B18
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 yellow orange like YR12
Underpaint: We suggest W2
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1008 Parma Violet pushes this color nicely with a pleasant cool temperature.
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 B12:
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 & colored pencil classes.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using B12:
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 B12:
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)
G12 Sea Green: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
G12 Sea Green
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
G12 Sea Green is a cool green Copic Marker which resembles highly diluted Phthalo Green Blue-Shade watercolor. A highly unstable ink mixture, G12 can damage itself during layering. G12 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.
G12 Sea Green
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A cool green
Resemblance: highly diluted Phthalo Green Blue-Shade watercolor.
Actual Value: N2
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 matches 1 layer of G12 ink.
Buildup: Layers well but looks oily at 2 coats. The oily sheen looks smoother by 4 layers.
Shattering: Shatters into green with gray and yellow leakage.
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: G12 mildly stains the paper.
Lift: G12 lifts moderately well, leaving behind slightly blue 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: G12 faded slightly during testing, about 5%. We would expect this to continue under extended 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: G12 sits at the light end of the G-Teen family. The markers in this family all look to be related to Viridian
Family Members: G12, G14, G16, G17, G19
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 red-violet like RV11
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 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 G12:
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 & colored pencil classes.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using G12:
We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.
Color palettes and swatches using G12:
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)
YR02 Light Orange: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
YR02 Light Orange
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
YR02 Light Orange is a warm diluted orange Copic Marker which resembles Chrome Orange watercolor. A happy color but looks very artificial. Nice in blending combinations and spring color palettes. YR02 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.
YR02 Light Orange
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A warm red-leaning orange
Resemblance: Chrome Orange watercolor
Actual Value: N4
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 colored plastic on a Sketch marker is the same value as 1 coat of YR02 but the cap has a more golden tone.
Buildup: YR02 reaches maximum value at 3 layers. It develops an oily look on the first layer which evens out by the third layer.
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: Stains the paper with a light pinkish tone
Lift: Stubborn. The ink can be moved a bit with colorless blender but it can only be lightened, not erased.
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: Slight fading.
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: YR02 is in the middle of the YR-Zero family which starts with YR0000 and runs to YR09 on the darker end. This family looks red-pinkish at the light end and more golden as the colors get darker.
Family Members: YR0000, YR000, YR00, YR01, YR02, YR04, YR07, YR09
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: We suggest a medium blue marker like B01 or B21
Underpaint: B21 neutralizes this color beautifully.
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 1079 Blue Violet Lake is nice with YR02 but use light pressure to dirty the orange rather than add blue highlights
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 YR02:
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using YR02:
We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.
Color palettes and swatches using YR02:
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)
BV31 Pale Lavender: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
BV31 Pale Lavender
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
BV31 is a bluish-violet Copic Marker which mimics Cobalt Blue-Violet watercolor. This is an excellent underpainting and a natural violet for realistic botanicals and portraiture. BV31 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.
BV31 Pale Lavender
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
Temperature: A bluish-violet
Resemblance: BV31 mimics diluted Cobalt Blue-Violet watercolor
Actual Value: N2.5
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: The plastic end of a Sketch Marker is slightly lighter and bluer than one coat of BV31 ink.
Buildup: BV31 reaches full color at 3 layers but starts to create oily patches on the second layer.
Shattering: BV31 shatters into violet with light aqua leakage around the edges.
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: BV31 stains the paper blue
Lift: BV31 lifts a bit because it’s a pale color but you can tell where it was.
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: BV31 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: BV31 is the light end of the very small BV-Thirty family. At Vanilla Arts, we use this marker family a lot and we’d love to see Copic expand the family to the dark end.
Family Members BV31 and BV34
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 gold green. Try YR01 or YR21
Underpaint: We suggest W1 underneath BV31.
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: We suggest Prismacolor 1063 50% Cool Grey with an incredibly light pressure over BV31.
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 BV31:
Tree Frog: Join Amy for a challenging lesson on rebel blending that blends green into yellow into violet into pink into white. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using BV31:
Color palettes and swatches using BV31:
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)
C4 Cool Gray No. 4: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
C4 Cool Gray No. 4
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
C4 Cool Gray #4 is a cool gray Copic Marker mimics diluted Neutral Tint watercolor. This color is useful as a base color, underpaint, or in blending combinations. C4 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.
C4 Cool Gray No. 4
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
Temperature: A medium cool gray.
Resemblance: Neutral Tint watercolor.
Actual Value: N4
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 darker than 1 coat of C4.
Buildup: C4 reaches maximum color at 3 layers but starts to gather an oily appearance at 3 layers.
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: C4 does not stain.
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: C4 lightened slightly during testing but the effect is minor. We would expect further lightening during an extended 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: C4 is a 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 1067 90% 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 C4:
Nevermore Manor: an exploration of what it takes to assemble your thoughts and inspiration into a unique project that actually tells a story. Find more info here.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using C4:
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 C4:
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)
E13 Light Suntan: Copics Uncapped (Marker Swatch, Ink Testing)
E13 Light Suntan
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and it’s ink characteristics.
E13 Light Suntan is a pinkish brown Copic Marker which resembles diluted Raw Sienna watercolor. E13 is not a good color for skin tones despite its popularity and name. E13 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.
E13 Light Suntan
Let’s take a closer look at this Copic Marker and its ink characteristics.
WARNING: This marker is incredibly popular for coloring skin tones. We DO NOT RECOMMEND coloring anyone’s skin with E13. One coat of E13 is more orange or pink than most skin tones and when was the last time you colored skin with only one coat of one marker? Look at how unnaturally orange E13 looks with two or more coats. E13 is perfect for terra cotta pots but skin? It’s not what you think.
Temperature: A warm pinkish brown.
Resemblance: Resembles diluted Raw Sienna watercolor (one of the redder Raw Siennas, many are more yellowish).
Actual Value: N4.5
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: The plastic indicator on a Sketch marker is misleading. The caps are darker than 4 coats of E13 ink.
Buildup: E13 can turn oily looking on the first layer. This is another negative issue when coloring skin tones because people tend to blend skin a lot more, trying to get a super-smooth finish. E13 is much closer to the color of a terra cotta pot than skin.
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: Slightly staining. Typical of an ink with a bit of red in the formula.
Lift: Stubborn. The ink can be lightened but the paper remains pinkish brown.
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: E13 did not fade during our 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: E13 sits at the light end of the E-Teen family which runs from E11 to E19 on the far end. Beware of the marker caps, many caps in this family are extremely misleading.
Family Members: E11, E13, E15. E17, E18, E19
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 colorwheel and does not have a complement.
Underpaint: B60 neutralizes this color well.
This is simply one suggestion. Many possible colors exist. Test to find a color that pleases you.
Pushing Pencil: Prismacolor 943 Burnt Ochre is very pretty over E11 but keep the pressure soft and the color light.
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 E13:
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 & colored pencil classes.
Vanilla Arts Digi Stamps using E13:
We continue to create new content and stamps and we will update here as more become available.
Visit the Stamp Shop resource page at our sister site VanillaArts.com for a wide variety of Vanilla Arts stamps.
Color palettes and swatches using E13:
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)
