Copics & Metallic Colored Cardstock

Join me as I test out Copic coloring on Curious Metallic Aloe colored cardstock. This technique was new to me and I’m sharing a few things I learned along the way. 

This cardstock is gorgeous! I love the heavy, luxury feel of it and the color was so inspiring, such a light and airy green. 

I started by inking up Stamping Bella Don’t Talk to Me Before My Coffee with Altenew Permanent Black Ink. This ink is Copic safe and provides a dark, crisp impression. Given this cardstock is not as porous, I was surprised the ink dried quickly, without heat setting. I started coloring almost immediately without any smudging.

Copic Markers

Red – R12, R14, R17
Yellow – Y32, YR24
Blue – B00, B02, B04
Taupe – E70, E74, E79
Black – C5, C7, W9, W10

The Copic coloring of this image is pretty basic, nothing earth shattering to learn there. This project was more about experimenting with different cardstock and adapting my technique as needed. That said, I encourage you to watch the video for details.

What I Learned

Curious Metallic cardstock is lightly coated. In other words, it’s not as porous or absorbent as cardstocks you may typically use with Copic markers. 

Coloring Technique

My usual technique is to color from light to dark. For the best results with Neenah, I lay down 2 layers of the lightest color before adding mid-tone and dark colors. This allows me to achieve a smoother blend with less effort. 

With the Curious Metallic cardstock, I found I didn’t need as much ink and could get to the darker colors quicker. The paper is not as porous, therefore it sits on the paper longer which allows for effortless blending. 

Coloring on Glass Mats

For this card, I Copic colored on my Tim Holtz Glass Mat for the first time. I really enjoy the smooth surface of the mat, but I did have an unanticipated hiccup.

Generally, when I color outside the lines a bit, I use the 0 marker to either push the color back into the colored area or through the paper to be absorbed to the mat underneath. When I did this on the glass mat, it created a larger bloom of color. See the right side of both shoes and the left side of the bench above.

I think because the glass mat is non-porous there was nowhere for me to push the color. Normally it would absorb into whatever was under the paper, but this couldn’t happen with the glass mat. So the color came back up through the paper and appeared as a larger bloom of color.

I tested this theory on another piece of the Curious Metallic cardstock. During the test, I placed a tissue under the cardstock and pushed the color with the 0 marker. This worked perfectly. The color was absorbed by the tissue and the ink blotch was gone from my card front. Keep that in mind if you color on your glass mat.

I just love how this card came out, it’s clean, simple, and has a touch of luxury with the image directly on the Curious Metallic cardstock. I will definitely be using this technique again.

I hope you feel inspired to give it a whirl. Get your Copic coloring on and remember to Breathe · Ink · Inspire. As always product links are below. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies