“Fresh Grapefruit” - Copic Color Palette Strong red, yellow, and dark green Copic Markers make a bright palette for your next coloring project.   How to use this Copic color palette: In Vanilla Arts online classes, we use colored pencils over the top of Copic Marker or watercolor in process called color sculpting. Color sculpting is the basis for realistic, artistic coloring. Pushing colors are used to deepen the look of the base color. It provides the look of distance. Pulling colors are used to lighten the base color. It makes the area feel closer. Together, push and pu ..read more

358 isn’t unreasonable… right?        THE COLOR OF WHITE with Copic Markers + Colored Pencils “Luna Rose” an Artistic Coloring Kit Are you still shading white objects with gray markers? Luna Rose teaches you to color white with every color of the rainbow. This technique is perfect for florals but it works on everything from white rabbits to wedding dresses. You may think of shade as “gray” but it’s really not. more info: Luna Rose   WE TEST COPIC INK COLOR INSPIRATION        Article Archives ..read more

  “Rhododendron” - a fresh Violet, Blue, and Yellow Green Copic Marker blending combination Be a Rebel Blender— because real life is never Light-Medium-Dark. Light-Medium-Dark blending combinations were never designed for YOU. Light to dark blends are for teachers. It’s very easy to teach simple blends. But when I look at the world around me, nothing is ever three versions of the same color. Shade colors are murky. Highlights shift warm. And surface colors take on hints of the colors around them. I use Rebel Blends in all of my personal work, I teach them in my online classes and wor ..read more

If you know, you know…        HOW TO COLOR REALISTIC GLASS with Copic Markers + Colored Pencils “Lemonade” an Artistic Coloring Kit Don’t talk yourself out of it, YOU CAN color realistic transparent glass! Lemonade is an excellent introduction to coloring realistic glass. I’ve simplified the process a bit for photorealistic results from intermediate level skills. The glass is heavy and thick, the color palette is small, and the shapes are relatively easy to understand. I hope you use the lessons here as a springboard to more glass projects with greater challenges! more ..read more

  How to Color Realistic Flowers with Pink RV Alcohol Markers Coloring realistic coloring isn’t just one technique. And it’s not about using the most realistic blending combinations. Realism with alcohol markers and colored pencils is a process, a series of steps— methods we learn over time which eventually add up to more realism. Let me show you the next step beyond standard flower petal blending techniques. In order to create the illusion of a real flower, you need to know what real flowers look like. Let’s stop guessing and start looking.   DON’T MISS THE SHY TULIP SUPPLY LIS ..read more

  “Chaffinch” - Copic Color Palette Dusty purple, brown, and lime green Copic Markers make a dusty palette for your next coloring project.   How to use this Copic color palette: In Vanilla Arts online classes, we use colored pencils over the top of Copic Marker or watercolor in process called color sculpting. Color sculpting is the basis for realistic, artistic coloring. Pushing colors are used to deepen the look of the base color. It provides the look of distance. Pulling colors are used to lighten the base color. It makes the area feel closer. Together, push and pull crea ..read more

  “Fighting Fish” a stunning Red, Orange, and Blue Copic Marker blending combination Be a Rebel Blender— because real life is never Light-Medium-Dark. Light-Medium-Dark blending combinations were never designed for YOU. Light to dark blends are for teachers. It’s very easy to teach simple blends. The problem is, when I look at the world around me, nothing is ever three versions of the same color. In the shade, the color goes murky. Where the light hits the color, it goes warm. And we can’t even begin to describe the endless variety of surface colors. I use Rebel Blends in all of my pe ..read more

Somehow it was my fault…        THE TRICK TO REALISM with Copic Markers + Colored Pencils “Butterfly Shadows” Introduction to Cast Shadows It’s a small detail, one that’s overlooked by many colorers. And they’re scary, so people kind of avoid them too. It sounds too simple to be true but a good cast shadow can instantly add depth, weight, and presence to your coloring. Imagine these butterflies without the shadows. The top two would look warped and deformed but with a shadow, they’re about to take flight. Amy shows you several methods for creating fast and flawless cast ..read more

  When will you learn advanced coloring techniques? Have you ever noticed that you keep taking coloring classes… Reading more tutorials… watching more videos… And yet for some strange reason, nobody ever gets around to teaching the really advanced Copic Marker or colored pencil techniques. Uhm… I have a bit of surprising news for you about “advanced techniques” My latest video demonstrates why advanced coloring classes do not teach advanced coloring techniques.     WATCH: ADVANCED REALISM USING BEGINNER TECHNIQUES (click below to watch at YouTube)     Want the Ph ..read more

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