Monday, February 09, 2009

I am Certified!

You notice I said "Certified" not "Certifiable", right? Ok, just wanted to get that straight.

On January 23rd, I drove up to Anaheim, CA to take the Copics Certification class. The class was fun, entertaining and informative. I really enjoyed learning the shading techniques that Marianne taught. We got to look through her sketch and coloring books, too. Woo hoo! The gals I sat with at the table were so much fun. Thanks gals!

I think the most impressive thing I learned was choosing the right type of paper for the job. Marianne gave us samples of different types of papers to try. My favorite one was the Prism paper that is just slightly glossy. The ink doesn't bleed over the stamped image line and I like the smooth look. The other paper I liked was the Neenah paper. It allowed the ink to soak into the paper all the way to the back with out bleeding out all over the place. You all know NOT to use watercolor paper, right? It will suck your markers dry very quickly. Also, choose your inks carefully. Since Copics are alcohol-based, you'll want to use a dye-based ink. If you use an alcohol-based ink, such as Staz-On, the ink will bleed into the marker and vice versa. Probably not the look you were going for, I'm guessing. I use Memento Tuxedo Black ink. You can get it at most every stamp or scrapbook store, but I get mine at the Paper Garden Store. You can also get your Copics there, and by the way, THEY ARE ON SALE RIGHT NOW! Here's a picture of me receiving my certificate from Marianne Walker herself. Thanks for stopping by today!

8 comments:

Pam Speidel said...

Congratulations Debbie! You could color with crayons and it would look like a masterpiece. I haven't given in to Copics yet...should I? I feel like I'm still learning how to color with the prismacolor pencils. Can't wait to see some of your new copic creations! Smiles, pam :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats Debbie! I bet you are going to do more rockin stuff! Can wait to see!

Teresa Abajo said...

Congratulations Debbie! Look forward to seeing what you've learned (as if you need help with colouring!).

Kecia said...

So glad you got a chance to do this! Now, bring on the creations! Want to see!

Eleanor said...

Congratulations Debbie!

Tami Bayer said...

Very cool! Can't wait to see some samples.

Becky said...

I am soooooo jealous!!! Cant wait to see whatchya learned!

Kathi said...

Congratulations on being Certified (and Certifiable).

I know you'll rock the markers the way you rock the Prismacolor pencils.