Copics & Metallic Cardstocks

By Amber Rain Davis

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

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/bf9UVYb1YfQ

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.

So here’s what I experienced and 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. 

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.

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 Metallic Cardstock. During the test, I placed a tissue under the cardstock and pushed the color with the 0 Colorless Blender 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.