Vanilla Beans: Unsaturation
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Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about desaturation.
First, we desaturated with black.
Then we desaturated with white, even though it feels kinda backwards to think of pretty pastel tints as desaturated.
Today, let’s cover the kind of desaturation Copic does for us.
And they do it really well.
Uhhhh, I think you made a mistake Amy. We talked about adding white to make a tint last week. Isn’t this just another tint?
Nope.
This is Copic desaturation.
Copic does not add white to their ink to make a tint, they add solvent.
Basically, Copic desaturates with clear.
White? Clear? Does it really matter?
The color gets lighter and lighter, it’s the same effect in both cases. So does it really matter how we get there?
Yes, actually it does matter. It matters a lot.
Copic starts with something like RV09 and adds a generous squirt of solvent.
The color gets lighter and they number this new color RV06.
They squirt even more alcohol into this new mixture and it becomes RV04.
Add more solvent, we get RV02. Add more to make RV00. Add more and more, we get RV000 and RV0000.
It looks like we’re desaturating the color…
but actually, we’re UN-saturating the chemical formula.
You’re coloring along with your pretty light pink markers.
RV06 with a bit of RV04 in the dark places. RV02 in the midzones. Then you blend it all out with a coat of RV00…
La-la-la-ACK!!!
What just happened?
That’s unsaturation, dear grasshopper.
Sometimes unsaturation looks like mottles. The color on your paper goes from smooth to blotchy with little dots of missing color.
Sometimes you get a bleaching effect with streaks of lightened color.
And sometimes you’ll see faint areas of purple, green, or yellow where you only used RV markers.
Unsaturation.
Solvent is a wicked and fickle mistress.
If you cross her, you’ll regret it.
Convenience has a price.
Copic desaturates their colors for us, and boy do we love their tint derivations. Most people collect all the diluted markers before they buy many darks.
Pretty pastel colors, easy to blend… what’s the problem?
Just don’t get lulled into thinking the zeros and sub-zeros are average, everyday, normal markers.
Never, never, no-NEVER forget that Copic desaturates by unsaturating!
Every time you pick up a lighter marker, it’s less color and more flamin’ cocktail of mass destruction.
Copic solvent can bite you in the butt if you’re not careful.
Next week, we’re headed to Switzerland.
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“Rebel Strawberry” recording is embedded for viewing above.
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BREAK TRADITION
Light-Medium-Dark red blends don’t work for something like a strawberry which may have greenish yellow on the point or even up at the shoulders…
Most people just tip-toe around these blends, coloring fruit or even flowers in the boring old standard L-M-D way.
“Rebel Strawberry” - Digital Stamp
Watch me color a green to violet strawberry in the FREE video at YouTube. Color along with the corresponding digital stamp.
I added a bud and blossom and rounded out the berry for the stamp version. The colors and techniques are the same.
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK:
FINE POINT PENCILS
Did you catch that I was using different colored pencils in the Mini Cupcake video?
Because of the small space, I switched from soft & waxy Prismacolor pencils to firmer Pablo pencils. Pablo can be sharpened to a smaller point and they hold the point longer, making them a better choice for minatures.
Truthfully, I mix Pablos and Prismacolor all the time, whenever I need to color something with fine detail or a crisp edge. I try not to mix brands in my classes to simplify the supply list and save you money but in real life, I mix the two brands all the time.
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THIS WEEK IN COLOR
This blend is not what you think. Be sure to check it out!
NEW FREE STUFF!
Take the link below to get the latest template and free worksheet.
Want the test sheet featured in the YG03 Uncapped video? This PDF prints 2 per page. Print onto X-Press It Blending card or whatever paper you color on most-frequently. Then test your Copics just like me! Use the link and password below to visit the Download Library.
I always release a worksheet to go along with the Tuesday Draw & Color livestreams at YouTube. See the photo references I’m using, where I find the color, and on the right, I offer a special coloring tip. Use the link and password below to visit the Download Library.
CURRENT PASSWORD: RubberDuckie
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