Tag Archives: Copic Markers

Beast Town Hotel, Copics & Progress Pics

Beast Town Hotel

Serious colors, right?  Copic markers. I have asked if they have any positions open.  I mean, more than one person has suggested I sell their products on my site!  I tell you something, it’s pretty cool to be a fan of a brand that is cool and makes a cool thing. Because there are so many brands that are not cool and make absolute crap (and ruin the planet and ruin people). Ugh, don’t get me started.  On to the progress pics!

Beast Town Sketch

So for the latest Doodlers Doing Doodles challenge, we used my prompt suggestion “Fantasy Cityscape or Skyline.”  I really love cool brightly colored art with lots of whimsical buildings, whether a small town or big city.  And I would like to be able to do scenery like that.  However, usually I do animals.  Well, I still did animals. But also buildings!

Beast Town Ink

As you can see I originally had a bit of smoke coming out of the chimney.  I wish I’d left that, because I’m not sure it’s clear that it’s a chimney. Though this post is called Beast Town Hotel, it was originally supposed to be a town (a townscape).

Beast Town Color 1

Here is just one coat of one color for each item. I was originally going to stick to blues and greens.  And then added yellow.  Then I thought the doors should be bright pink – and I really like how pink and orange look together.  Well.  You can see the green/blue plan was somewhat overrun.

Beast Town Color 2

I included this one to show the kind of very rough shading I use as a base for whatever details will come on top.  I realized through trial and error that this is how to get those lovely glowy spots. (You painter people probably know this, but we all come to wisdom in our own good time [one hopes]!)

Beast Town Color 3

For the larger patterns before the swirls I wanted a variety, but nothing that would overwhelm the doors.

Beast Town Hotel

I’m pretty happy with this (particularly the colors), but I am running into limitations with my biggest regular nib pen, the 0.8.  I should probably use a brush with ink for thick outlines (that I prefer not to be a uniform width), but that would require learning another new thing. One of these days, perhaps!

I would offer a free night at the Beast Town Hotel, but they are booked way into 2026.  And actually, only a few rooms are hotel rooms.  Several doors lead to spacious apartments with permanent residents. However, you are always welcome to visit and have a meal at the restaurant. It’s difficult to describe the food in humans terms, but it is most like the noodle cuisines of Thailand and Vietnam. If you do happen to stop by, you will be charmed by the variety of cute and funny beasts that frequent the bar and indoor swimming facilities.

Thank you so much for dropping in!

Steampunk Otter, Copic Markers, with Progress Pics

Steampunk Otter with Copics

I believe I like this fellow. But of course I will tell you the problems I see!

Steampunk Otter Sketch

The sketch.  Unlike the last rodent, a ferret, this one actually looks like an otter.  Also, a ferret. Or mongoose, or mink or muskrat?  Actually, what does a muskrat look like? Ah ha! A muskrat looks like a beaver.  So, I don’t think this sketch looks like a muskrat.

Steampunk Otter Color 1

I had decided on pink/peach because so far most of the steampunk beasts have been blue or green. And I have so many shades of pink and peach and purple markers that it had to be done.  The ear on the left does not look right, alas.

Steampunk Otter Color 2

So once you decide on a beast’s color, you have to then decide on accessory colors. Looking back I should have gone with green and purple, or maybe just greens, but I like the idea of limiting the color palette (something many folks doing Illustration Friday challenges do quite well!)

Steampunk Otter with Copics

I like the furry feel of the swirl. Not sure about the scarf/giant ascot/blanket thingie. But I like this one better than the anteater. Look at the glowy purple through the top of his hat!  Go go, Copic Markers!

Thank you for dropping in! Drop a note so I can go visit your place. ;)

Stripe and Bustle for IF Friday with Progress Pics

Stripe and Bustle

Busy, stripey, slightly mysterious thing for the Illustration Friday topic “Stripes”.  I have wanted to do a bustle for ages but was afraid.  Pfft, was not very hard and I am quite happy with it.  Still avoiding faces though, which led to a cool and successful hairdo. The stripey beast is rather flat, which was the original intention, but it doesn’t seem to go with the rest. Also, did a pretty bad job on his eye.  Arrrgh! Progress photos below.

Stripe and Bustle Sketched

Stripe and Bustle Color 1

Stripe and Bustle Color 2

Stripe and Bustle With Copics, 8x10 Illustration

No story at the moment, though I may yet add one. Thank you for visiting!  Did you do Illustration Friday this week?  Drop a line so I can go see.  ;)

One Dapper Monkey for November Whimsy

It’s Whimsy time again, and this month’s prompt is “panache”. I wondered if it might have a less well-known definition I could use.  Well as it happens, it does! (Although it isn’t such a stretch from the original meaning, as evidenced in the dapper creature below.)

panache – 2. an ornamental plume of feathers, tassels, or the like, especially one worn on a helmet or cap. (Thanks, dictionary.com!)

One Dapper Monkey

Sadly, I forgot about the tassels until I was too far in.  Also, I probably should have left Wilbert a fluffier/fuzzier type of dapper monkey (instead of a monkey who could possibly be wearing a blue bike or space helmet, or shower cap.)

Wilbert is quite a world traveler and loves to visit local markets in all the corners of the world.  He keeps a home in Scotland because he has approximately two and one half rooms full of hats, most with panache! One of his traveling hobbies is collecting feathers from the wilds of the world.  He only uses found feathers (as in, not currently being used/worn by a bird), and has perfected a method of cleaning them and returning them to their full glory.  Determining which hat a particular feather suits best takes an average of three weeks.

Dapper Monkey and Thai Monkey

I found the inspirational Monkey photo at deviantART (photographer: AndersMarius). He met this fine monkey in Thailand. Doesn’t he look wise? And slightly amused? And nice. (Though he may be none of these things.)

Dapper Monkey Color 1

One Dapper Monkey

Original 9″ x 6″ original illustration with Copic markers. I finally did a background! (Partly because the background was much smaller than with previous projects, and would not use up so much marker fluid.  I was going to pattern the background but decided for now there is enough pattern on Mr. Dapper.)

Thank you for visiting.  My goodness I have been posting like a fiend recently.  It probably won’t last!  Need sleep.  Thank you for stopping in!

Steampunk Anteater, a Cautionary Tale (with Progress Photos!)

Steampunk Anteater has issues.  I was planning to tell you up front, but instead I am going to post the progression photos and you get to guess the problems! (And let’s be clear, asking why I don’t do illustration digitally – thereby bypassing many of the problems to which you will shortly be witness – is not worth any points.) And now without further ado (I am actually quite fond of ado):

Tree Anteater by Maladjusted-Platypus at deviantART

Steampunk Anteater sketch

Some questionable moves up front. But that often happens! It was going to be a male but I did a male horse last. This one didn’t *have* to have hair but it does, in certain cases, help a great deal in matters of gender identity. (Also, I liked the hair on the llama and kangaroo. Used to similar purpose.)

Steampunk Anteater ink

Steampunk Anteater color 1

 

Steampunk Anteater color 2

Steampunk Anteater color 3

Steampunk Anteater Final (?)

Oh, here are two versions with simple digital backgrounds that I tried in the hopes it would improve my appreciate of this poor anteater:

Steampunk Anteater, Mustard Background

Steampunk Anteater, Purple Gradient

I do think the backgrounds improve the overall drawing, but not enough. So. Did you spot the problems? Ugh, so many:

1. Not enough attention paid to gadgetry. Not sure why I lost focus there. 2. Muddying of colors. I’m just not happy with some of the color combinations, and part of that is because I tried to change the palette partway through. 3. An eyepiece without a lens.  Yikes.  I really needed to decide on the design of the lens instead of initially coloring the eye as if it wasn’t covered by anything. 4. The body color and hat were too close in color all the way up to the end – changing the hat to red was the last thing I did. 5. The brown I used to swirl shadows on the yellow/mustard was a really bad choice, too dark, wrong family.  Arrrgh! 5. The dark stripes on the upper body look a bit like a shrug or stole.  Actually, I guess I don’t mind that. But I was hoping those stripes would help identify this  beast as an anteater.   6. Hair color – not sure this was the best choice. 7. I am not sure she has a lot of life to her.  Sure, she may be the quiet, brooding type, but a hint of personality is always nice.

And so concludes tonight’s cautionary tale.  tl;dr* – here is what we’ve learned:

Take your time. Plan ahead, at least a little. Try not to change colors midstream. Test color combinations before muddying things up! Take your time – it’s worth mentioning twice!  I know deadlines can be killer but in the end, you want to be happy your name is on the thing, right?

Thank you for visiting – bonus points if you read that whole damn thing. :o)

*tl;dr – acronym for “too long, didn’t read”, i.e. here is a summary of all the preceding text that you didn’t read. [Most of you already know this, which is why I put it away from the action, in a footnote. But some of you did not know, and it is to you I direct this note. I know I appreciate it when things of which I am ignorant are spelled out, instead of the norm – which seems to say unless you know these obvious things your opinion doesn’t matter.  Well listen, your opinion DOES matter.  (And so concludes your positive affirmation for today.)

Illustration Friday – Shadow Puppets and a Wild Imagination

It’s Illustration Friday again. Today, in fact, and the topic is “Scary”. As I begin this post, there are already 153 entries on the list. Yikes! I didn’t actually check last time – (last week – Fuel – being my first IF week, woooo!). Last week I did my illustration on Saturday. But this week, because I have other plans for Saturday, I started when I got home from work and now I am done. (I think some of it must be the enthusiasm of a noob. I’m ok with that.)

Not the Shadows She Expected

Last week, the topic inspired a drawing that in turn inspired a little story with a lot of potential. This week, the topic inspired some stylistic choices outside my standard repertoire (darker colors – though maybe not even dark enough for shadows, and people – I have a hard time doing people!  I have cleverly avoided having to do the face, as you can see). I’ve yet to declare a verdict on its success (or lack thereof).  I’m leaning toward “lack thereof” but I did do a few new effects I rather like and will use again.

 

Shadows and Imagination Sketch

Shadows and Imagination Color 1

Shadows and Imagination Color 2

Not the Shadows She Expected

Original 8″ x 10″ Illustration with Copic Markers and pens on Illustration board. The background and a few minor adjustments were done digitally. I was going to scrawl some text across the dark spots, something like:

“Stop trying to scare the dog!”

“Oh my god I’m not trying to scare the dog!”

Aren’t dogs the best? (If you happen to need a dose of the cutest dog on the planet, feel free to look at a few choice photos of Wilson, a.k.a. Boo.)

Odd Thing in the Cupboard, a Progression Post

Odd Thing in the Cupboard

So, the theme for a team challenge at Etsy was “The Thing in the Cupboard” – and this is what happened. I wasn’t too happy with the sketch but I didn’t have another idea immediately, so I just kept at it. Here’s the unimpressive sketch:

In the Cupboard, Sketch

I don’t even know what that is.  Some kind of lopsided, gypsy-styled, alchemy chest (with a vaguely steampunk hat on top) – a thing with potential but poorly executed. And why is it in the corner of the kitchen? The whole thing got worse before it got better, with a bit of color. (Copic markers and pens, of course).

In the Cupboard, Color 1

So, I used a ruler for the cabinet/counter, but didn’t use any rulers for inking. Which shows. I know it. Maybe next time I’ll go with the ruler. But with more color and more detail it was beginning to have a little personality.

In the Cupboard, Color 2

And then more detail.  I particularly like (as I’ve said a few times), fine details in colors similar to the background color. There is probably a better, simpler and/or more technical way to say that (Feel free to share, if you know it!).

I have a fair number of colored fine liners.  I have the primary Copic colors mostly, but also some Micron and Prismacolor fine liners.  I need a few more colors.

In the Cupboard, Color 3

I have to say I am a big fan of these colors.  I wish the scans were more consistent, but that’s mainly user error. Even so, I’m so pleased I have this scanner (acquired recently for a very reasonable price, though it only does letter size) because, as I’ve mentioned once or twice, I love progression picture posts!

(Click to Enlarge)

An Odd Thing in the Cupboard or, Attempts to Avert Crockery Disaster

The spotted critter on the left, a Leaper named Cymbal, is the familiar of a very accomplished conjurer. She has quite a few magical skills of her own, and so is not particularly unnerved by the unusually large reptile materializing out of the kitchen cupboard.  In fact, she is not even remotely unnerved by these developments because this particular reptile is only the third largest creature to materialize in the kitchen this month.

For the creature, however, it can be a bit of a shock to find oneself in a stranger’s kitchen, and Cymbal wants to try and sooth the beast before he starts pulverizing the crockery. Cymbal’s job involves far more unglamorous crockery cleanup than she would prefer.

Illustration Friday and a Strange Goat

My first entry for Illustration Friday.  This week’s topic:  FUEL.

My first thought was to do a robot shaking an empty gas or oil can into his mouth (or into a receptacle on his head, or wherever the oil entry point might be).  But I have been on a colorful farm animal kick (most recently steampunk farm animals, several of which you can find in recent posts!), and I have been liking goats. So I thought, what silly thing can I show a goat eating?  Perhaps some long johns or socks. So I had a plan.

As you will see, this plan fell apart during sketching. I did not leave enough room for a recognizable sock at the bottom (not a giant one like I wanted) but I did leave some room at the top.  So clearly the fueling would have to take place above.  I thought about giving him a beer hat contraption (ah, a few weeks late for that topic, I know!), maybe with something silly in it like orange juice. But I didn’t want to cover his face with a straw.  So I decided another creature would be on top of his head, fueling him through a pipe in his head.  I’m not sure why I thought this! Here is the result:

Green Goat Fueling Up

This seems to me prime fodder for a trick I found while browsing last week’s entries: Bella Sinclair’s Doodlespot, in fact, in the following query to her readers, “What do you think is going on here?” So, I would do that, except I am a first timer to IF and I do not know if people will get a chance to visit me, straggler entrant #673 or whatever number it may be.  (But if you do, feel free to let me know what you think is going on in this picture!)

If you have been kind enough to visit and read this far and don’t want to have to come up with a story for the above, this is how I see it:

The pink creature is one of many thousands of similar creatures on a small planet really, really far away.  About four hundred years ago (our time), a garbage scow from earth was picked up by this civilization, and the only item they kept was an old picture album depicting life on a farm. They were completely enchanted by the farm animals, which became very popular subjects for their art.  So popular, in fact, that when the time came to re-design the planet’s power plant, they used goats, chickens, and llamas as decorative statuary to hold the massive tanks and wiring.  In the picture above, one of these enormous goats is getting a shot of oil that will keep him in perfect working order for another seven months or so.

Oh! (Sorry, this is probably too long, lol) I wanted to post the initial sketch and some early coloring (with Copic markers):

Topic Fuel - Initial Sketch

 

Topic Fuel - Color Progress

I used Copic markers and pens for this 6″ x 9″ drawing on 150 lb. smooth drawing paper.  Thank you so, so much for dropping in!

Steampunk Horse with Copic Markers

Steampunk Donkey Horse Original Art

 

Seriously cool update: Ok, so the seriously cool Copic folks actually used this post (most of it, plus some other things) as a tutorial on Copic’s official site!

More steampunk.  More Copics.  Another progression photo post! As you can see, the colors are somewhat more subdued than they have been, which was a conscious choice in an effort to replicate a little bit of the flavor of older, maybe even colorized, photography.  This horse is not living in modern times, after all!

Figure One - Steampunk Donkey Horse Ink

I was referencing a photo of a donkey but as I said in the last post, the narrowing of the face seems to have made a horse instead. I added a pipe but I was not sold on it yet, so it isn’t actually inked in Figure One. (Ha!  Figure One!  Delusions of text-bookishness? I think I will use it for the whole post and try to decide its dork quotient.)

Initial ink with a 0.1 multiliner SP. I actually had to replace the nib in my 0.1 after using it for about a day, but I learned my lesson! It seems I’m rather hard on all my pens and markers, which seems to be part of my style, but I don’t recommend it.

Figure Two. Steampunk Horse Color One

Figure two.  Initial application of Copic color.  I don’t own as many greys as I would like (are you a “gray” or a “grey” person?). This will be N1 and N4, and the browns and blues are Y26 (Mustard, love it!), Yr24, E35, B04 and BG000. The peachy color is E93 (Tea Rose, another favorite).

Figure 3. Steampunk Horse Color 2

More of the same colors, with a couple more greys C-3 and C-5 (but I only have Ciaos and they are running out!) I started using the Colorless Blender (Sketch size, which I believe I got in the Blending set.  Used a 40% off one item coupon at Blick’s for that set!) You can’t buy the Sketch size Colorless Blender, just the Ciao (at my Blick’s, anyway).

Added some YR12 and YR23 to the E93 try to capture that strange reddish, yellowish tinge to a donkey’s face.  Yes, I’m still working with a photo of a donkey for my horse.

Figure 4. Steampunk Horse Ink 2

One of my favorite parts is the initial outline with a 0.8 multiliner when the drawing begins to come more to life. Also 0.3 and 0.1 for some details – and inked the pipe so now I’m stuck with it! It’s a little too low in the frame and I wish I had more space for more of the barrel of the pipe.

Figure 5. Steampunk Horse Color 3

Additional browns added: E08 and E53. Although I always do the swirl pattern, I often add some flowers.  I decided to forego the flowers this time and see about doing only swirl patterns – the idea being that the eye piece, the goggles, the pipe and the tubing would be enough in the way of finer detail. Started adding even finer detail with the 0.05 multiliner SP (I have a few SPs, but mostly the disposal multiliners currently.)  You can see the 0.05 in the horizontal lines on the goggle lenses and on the eyepiece.

Figure 6. Steampunk Donkey Horse Original Art

Went a little swirl-nutty.  One effect I particularly like is a colored multiliner over marker from the same color family, like on the bird’s body of the eyepiece.  Also used some sepia multiliner on the goggles. I added a little B02 (Robin’s Egg Blue) to add a little depth to the blue. Tightened up some more details, then did the swirl thing with the 0.3, 0.1 and 0.05. Sometimes in the same place, if the color effect wasn’t as dark as I wanted. And though I usually leave some light spots with no swirls, the swirl-nutty fever was on me and I swirled the whole damn thing up (with the minor exceptions of the goggle band and metal tubing.)

I like the effect of the subdued colors. As usual I am not sure about whether I want a background. At one point toward the end, I had actually sketched out a stripey design for the background, intending to use only black multiliner detail for the entire background, but then I decided against it. Holy cow, long post. Thank you for sticking around! What do you think, compared to my others (if you’ve seen them)?

Steampunk ACEO Beasts, Copic Markers

Well, I’m not sick of steampunk yet!  In fact, at the end of this post I’ll post the initial sketch for my next 8 x 10.  But mostly I wanted to post some ACEOs I’ve completed since the steampunk bug hit.  And their intensely engrossing stories, of course (*cough*).

Original ACEO Steampunk Llama

Chaz the blue llama is an inventor, first. The bird shaped device he is wearing over one eye is made of leather, brass and various other metals. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, he is particularly proud of the tiny wing fashioned from an orange washer. The mechanism, with a cable connected to a power source in his front pocket, has both long-focus and enhanced night vision capabilities.

Original ACEO Steampunk Goat

Dean starting inventing eyepieces in seventh grade. The first had a rudimentary long-focus device which he made in order to better see Eliza, a popular and adorable Nubian, across the playground. Yes, of course they had a playground in seventh grade. These are farmyard type creatures, after all. Need their sunshine. Just like people actually, but that’s another story, isn’t it?

It is many years later now, and in that funny way life has of going in circles, Dean and Eliza are now dating. She doesn’t even remember him from seventh grade. Which he couldn’t be happier about.

Dean is also Chaz’s roommate (see above). They have a blue and green cat named Phil who has about as much interest in their inventions as he has in other cats, which is to say, absolutely none.

Phil the Cat, Original ACEO

It may be no surprise to many that I am a dog person, and as such have been somewhat hesitant about drawing cats. Cats have an extremely long history in art (see Bast ).  Anyway, I wouldn’t say Phil has a particularly animated expression.  But sometimes that’s the way it is, with cats.

Original ACEO Steampunk Ferret

The very latest is this fine steampunk ferret. Or possibly a related rodent of indeterminate origin – which is to say – I’m not sure it looks exactly like a ferret (color notwithstanding).  He is a terribly friendly fellow, but I haven’t been able to make heads or tails of his squeaky language.  Anyone speak ferret?

And finally, the next steampunk beast. It was modeled on a donkey but the cheeks kept getting narrower so it may be a horse. With very tall ears.

Steampunk Donkey Horse Sketch

Decided to do goggles (currently quite lopsided).  Continued attempts to make quasi-mechanical seeming devices in the shapes of birds.  Added a pipe.  Not sure about the pipe.  :)  Thank you lovely people for stopping in!