Copic Distressed

This week’s challenge at iCopic is to create a vintage or distressed look with Copic markers.

I used papers from Tim Holtz and stamps from Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps to make this: (click on the image for a larger view)

The secret to achieving a vintage look with Copics, which are known for their bright and intense colors, is to start with muted tones. Look for colors that have a lot of brown or gray in them, rather than the ones that are bright and clear.

Since I am a heavy-handed colorer, I also color these images backward — I start with a dark outline, then a mid-tone and finally cover the entire thing with the lightest shade.

When dry, I go over each portion quickly with a warm gray several shades lighter than the colors I used. This helps to tone it down a bit more without altering the shading.

Here are the colors I used on this one:

After I cut out the image, I used Distress Ink around the edges to prevent a white line and help it blend better with the background paper.