Gate of Tomhagar

[The Lazy One]

Seconding the praises regarding your colors.

I recently bought a set of Copics, but i can't say i'm happy with what i've done so far: 90% of the colors are ways too intense and bright, i only managed to have decent results with the super-pale ones.
How do you prevent to have everything mixed up in a single over-saturated blob? And what set are you using?

Thanks
Jack

[J.Edward]

Seconding the praises regarding your colors.

I recently bought a set of Copics, but i can't say i'm happy with what i've done so far: 90% of the colors are ways too intense and bright, i only managed to have decent results with the super-pale ones.
How do you prevent to have everything mixed up in a single over-saturated blob? And what set are you using?

Thanks
Jack

Thanks Jack
I knew I couldn't get a set, because they are not really set up for the kind of landscape stuff I do.
So I bought all of mine individually. If you're in the US, a great place is Dick Blick, where you can buy them individually by color.
Admittedly, the colors they show are a bit off from the true color.
I had to go to the Copic site and check their color chart and then go to Blick and get them.
I got some of the Copic Sketch, as well as the smaller, less costly Ciao markers.
The colors are the same and the ink seems the same. The ciaos are smaller and thus have less ink.
They also may not be refillable, which I'm pretty sure the Sketch ones are.

Picking colors can be tricky. I made my own color sheet.
I check that sheet before choosing colors. Then do small test spots on a separate piece of the same kind of paper i am using.
I start with really light colors and work toward dark.
I have found that many of the colors are way too bright or saturated.
I've managed some useful layering techniques by mixing stuff.

For example, sometimes using a light gray with a brighter color has allowed me to tone down the brightness.
Like the inks can sort of override the other, in subtle ways. You just have to experiment and find what works.
It's definitely not easy. But it is satisfying when you can make it work.