Color Theory for YR Orange Alcohol Markers
Copic makes 24 Yellow-Red alcohol markers— ranging from pale peach skin tones, day-glow road cone oranges, to brassy gold and rusty tones.
They make a lot of orange markers but let’s be honest, you don’t use them unless you absolutely have to, right?
Every autumn, we’re forced to drag out our least favorite color group because let’s face it, you can’t do Halloween pumpkins or freshly fallen leaves without some orange in the project.
Have you ever noticed, people go nuts with orange in September and October, but by November, everyone’s sick of it?
It’s always Feast or Famine with orange.
Why do we repeat this cycle every year?
Copic YR16: A Natural Orange for Realistic Coloring
(click below to watch at YouTube)
Tips for “Natural Orange”
TIP: Work fast
Because YR16 is a stubborn color, working wet into wet will always give you the best blends. This ink wants to bond with the paper fibers and once it does, it will not move easily. Don’t allow this ink to dry until you’re finished blending.
TIP: Work fast with your darker inks, then blend slower with your light inks.
The slower you color, the more ink you apply to the paper. Use less of the dark stubborn colors in your blending combination. Then use more of the lighter, easier-to-blend colors.
TIP: What’s Amy’s top tip for amazing orange blends?
Watch the video to find out my special secret ingredient for every orange blending combination!
Color with YR16
Copic Postcard Kit + Swatch Cards
Six fall colors, learn about them all!
Easy print PDF digital stamps. Perfect for every skill level.
The Colors of Autumn: Gold, Orange, Vermilion, Brown, Sage, and Lavender
Perfect for Copic Markers with or without colored pencils
Class Printable Pack Includes:
SIX digital stamps, one for every color- YR16 Pumpkin (shown here), YR24 Mulled Cider, E29 Pinecone, BV31 Dried Hydrangea, YG93 Chestnut, and R08 Red Capped Mushrooms
SIX easy-print PDF swatch cards for every color. One card includes Amy’s color suggestions, the second is blank for your experiments
Cards are sized 5x7” with margin room for binding into a color reference booklet
Marker & Pencil List
I used Copic Markers and Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils plus one Derwent Lightfast Pencil
PUMPKIN:
Orange Copic Blend: BG93 (underpaint), YR18, YR16, Y38
Push Pencils: Derwent Lightfast Purple*, 1032 Pumpkin Orange, 1097 Moss Green
Pull Pencil: 914 Cream
Spots: 914 Cream, 918 Orange, 921 Pale Vermillion
Hot Spots: Stabilo All Pencil White
STEM:
Green Copic Blend: YR16 (underpaint), BG99, BG96, BG93, BG90
Push Pencils: Derwent Lightfast Purple*, 1067 90% Cool Grey, 1097 Moss Green
Pull Pencil: 914 Cream
RIBBON:
White Copic Blend: BG96, BG93, BG90
Stripes: Staedtler Triplus Pen - Gray
Push Pencils: 1067 90% Cool Grey, 1097 Moss Green
Pull Pencil: 914 Cream
Bounce Pencil: 918 Orange
CAST SHADOW:
Shadow Pencils: 1067 90% Cool Grey, 1097 Moss Green
Bounce Pencil: 921 Pale Vermillion
* Can substitute PC931 Dark Purple
Related Reading
Take a Class
Amy has classes featuring orange markers and realistic coloring techniques
“Real Crayons” an introduction to grisaille underpainting for photorealism.
“Rustic Maple Leaf” teaches how to create shade and shadow values for photorealism
More About Orange Markers
We test Copic inks. See results here.
Copic underpaint blending recipes.
Copic project palettes using color theory.
Supply List: YR16 Pumpkin Postcard
