Alcohol Marker Comparison Part 2: Unique colors + Human Rainbow

Alcohol Marker Comparison Part 2: Unique colors + Human Rainbow

I promised you I’d tell you about the unique colors in Sketchmarker and Olo, as well as my overall assessment of the three brands….and this is the day. But I’m SUPER excited to also have a new Human Rainbow class ready – scroll on to see more of that, and in the video you’ll see a little peek inside class!

The art demo in this video, in addition to lots of color tests I’ll explain, is this picture of these birds – if you’ve taken the Whimsical Sketching class you might recognize these cuties! I scanned my original and printed it out smaller.

 

Tutorial: Alcohol Marker comparison: Unique Colors + Human Rainbow

Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!

Unique colors

I gathered up the colors that were not included in my conversion charts for Sketchmarker and Olo – these colors may still be close to a Copic color, but when I did the assessment I found a color that’s a better match to that color, so that’s why some colors you may recognize are here. But I’ve noted a few colors I find particularly interesting to a Copic user:

Greens

I wish I’d done this little exercise before the previous video – it really would have helped me out! ha. Better late than never though. You can see here the progression of colors – in Copic it shows the relatively regular steps toward desaturation; in Sketchmarker it shows….well, that they call YG green, and they call BG green, and BG is blue gray, and the numbers…well yeah. I’m lost, but it’s not necessary for the numbering systems to make complete sense, it just helps!

The number system for Olo generally-ish seems to jive with Copic’s; they place a dot (.) between the digits, which helps to separate them – because each digit means something different, just like with Copic. Great idea to help us remember that fact.

Grays, grays, and more grays

I’ve always said for the majority of folks, some warm and cool grays are plenty….though some of these new ones are interesting!

Pinks and purples

For those who love these colors, you might be especially excited here! Note that this is marker paper, which shows color more dull-ly than a nice bright cardstock. 

Browns for flesh, hair, animals

I wanted to see how much each brand is “weighted” in their browns, and this was the one way I could figure out how to depict that for myself. What it shows me is there are few light tones in Olo, wayyy lots in Sketchmarker. And for my own liking, since I love my dark colors, I wish everyone had more darks in all the columns (reddish, yellowish, greenish and purplish).

The Human Rainbow!

The browns were a big part of choosing colors for the new course – I’m SO PROUD of Human Rainbow II. The last time I created a class with people drawings in it, they were embarrassingly bad to me given my current skill level – and rather than being down on myself for HRI, I’m just ECSTATIC that I’ve made progress that’s truly visible! My Life Drawing Group as well as a lot of pen and ink practice has really grown me. So even if no one takes this class, I’m still going to puff out my chest a little bit and cheer for me!

But if you WOULD like to take this class, well, I hope you love it as much as me! It comes with the printable images ($30 value, included in the price). You could also purchase just the images and color them without the class. If you do that and change your mind later about class, just email me and I’ll invoice you just for the class fee minus what you paid for the images. All the printables are here.

I’m pooped!

Do you ever bite off more than you can chew, artistically? Does it drain you like the past few weeks/months have done to me? Man, oh man, I even made myself sick! (Might have been norovirus by my symptoms…but they went away as soon as I had everything prepped for today, so I’m thinking it was stress!)

I’m hoping to now return to my more chill artistic self and let go of some of the testing I’ve been inundated with. What would you like to see me playing with next? Either a medium or a subject, lmk if you have a challenge or an idea!

Supplies

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Inspiration: 8 Bokeh Backgrounds

Inspiration: 8 Bokeh Backgrounds

It’s Bokeh week in my world, and I revisited my bokeh project tutorials! I created more than I thought I had already done.

Tap on any photo to go see the tutorial!

Two Yellow Roses (plus ICYMI collection of social media bokeh posts)

3 Mediums to Create Realistic Bokeh Effect

Watercolor Bokeh Cherry Blossoms

Copic Airbrush Bokeh

Bokeh floral background in watercolor pencil

How to color Cherry Blossoms with Copic bokeh background

Copic Rose Garden

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Colored Pencil and Ink Rainbow Bokeh Tags

INSPIRATION CATEGORIES:
Inspiration: 60 Tutorials using My Favorite Things Stamps

Inspiration: 60 Tutorials using My Favorite Things Stamps

This is a LOT of stamping and coloring tutorials, and I have a feeling I missed a bunch along the way! I think you might say that yes I do LOVE creating with My Favorite Things!

I created guest posts monthly for them for a few years, that’s part of it – and I’ll miss it! I decided at the end of 2021 that it was time for me to step back and allow other folks the opportunity to join them and inspire us all. Make sure when you create amazing and beautiful art that you tag them on social media so they know you’re awesome – and join in their challenges too! I’d love to see someone else fill a coloring-focused spot there!

Scroll through the posts below….tap on any photo to go to the post with video tutorials!

Skunks….and chipmunks?

24 Tags of Christmas 2021 #1: Traditional Color Combos (Copic)

Coloring Christmas cards with Ballpoint Pen?

How to create a Monochromatic Dramatic Scene

Go from cartoony to realistic in Copic coloring animals

Simple stamp masking: a tree branch

Inked Blue Poppy Card – Glass Pen

Color a Rainy Day in Paris with colored pencils

Crafty Hack: Mask Stamps for Complex Scenes

No Line Coloring of Critters – Prismacolor

Christmas card: Cats on a cold winter porch

Watercolor mixing for skin tones

Coloring the Human Rainbow – in colored pencil!

Merry wishes: Color cute animals in Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils

Create contrast with Copic markers

Flying Dragon Card – Pantone 2020 Color of the Year

How to Color a Sweet Shop Scene

Draw your own Copic glitter

Gamsol and powdered pencil aerial scene (easy)

Magical Friends – Colored Pencil Shading for dimension

Sunshine!

The Simplest of Coloring

Celebrate!

Sweet Little Penguin Tag

Easy Stamped Gift Bags

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Diorama Dog Tags

Misty Painted Poppies

Coloring Spooky Shadows on Desert Storm Cardstock

Fluttering Rainbow Dragonflies

Color a Cowgirl Card: Draw your own wagon!

Watercolor a stage for a dramatic lion!

Super simple scene with Aussie Animals

Watercolor Bird Wreath

No-line motion with pull-tab sentiment

No Line coloring: fuzzy bunnies!

Pet Themed Shaker Card – Easy watercolor

Halloween card: Witch way is the candy?

Coloring a Seagull Dock Scene (Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine)

Make a card that’s a colorable gift

Watercolor a greeting card with pirates

Peekaboo Mama-Baby Giraffe Card

DOUBLE interactive ninja warrior card

Doodle Coloring with Animal Stamps

Create a Bokeh Copic Watercolor Garden

Fixing my impatient mistakes in watercolor

Paper Doll Castle Card

Interactive Puppy Slider Cards

Medicine Cabinet Card

Color an Ice Fishing Pond

Blending and Shading Copic Markers

How to Draw and Watercolor Rocks

Pack up a coloring kit for summer travel

Painting animal stamps with Brusho

Three Marker Challenge

How to paint with Brusho on diecuts

Cats by a fence, Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils

Adventure Calls (Colored Pencil)

Monsters in the Mist

Stamps are no longer available but the video is still tons of fun:

INSPIRATION CATEGORIES:
Inspiration: Santa and his cohort! Elves and reindeer

Inspiration: Santa and his cohort! Elves and reindeer

Santa Claus is coming to town, or I assume so if you clicked to read this! Enclosed herein are a bunch of video tutorials coloring the jolly old elf, his helper elves, and the four-legged flying engine in front of his sleigh!

Click on any image to get to the tutorial.

Coloring Christmas cards with Ballpoint Pen?

Tips to help stop Copic marker bleeding (advanced cards but beginner tips!)

Colored Pencil Drawing: Santa’s View

Make a Retro Sleigh Ride Card – masking with inks!

2 easy masking techniques, 3 easy snowstorms

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Santa’s face


Slimline Elf Card with glass ornaments

Christmas card: Santa flying in winter skies

Puppy Kisses for Santa (speed coloring)

Watercolor a Reindeer and Pine Tree for a holiday card

Reindeer in vests!

Color a Tropical Christmas Card

Santa in chimney: Airbrush a glowing sky

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Embossing a Scene

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Shading Elves in Copic Marker

Make a Storybook Christmas Card

INSPIRATION CATEGORIES:
Inspiration: 192 holiday tags (48 videos!)

Inspiration: 192 holiday tags (48 videos!)

Oh my. That many? Yes it’s true! Since 2014 I’ve been making six tag videos each year, with four tags in each, to create my “24 tags of Christmas” series with a giveaway. They’re all collected here for you!

Note that the older ones…well, those don’t have products in stock anymore, though the ideas are still worthy. And as I’ve gone through them all, I’ve replaced supply list items with things I would recommend *now* as opposed to wayyy back then. Coz I’ve learned a thing or three!

Click on any picture to get to that tutorial!

24 Tags of Christmas 2021: Traditional Color Combos (Copic)

24 Tags of Christmas 2021 #2: Christmas Door Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2021: Paper Pieced Critter Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2021: Coloring Sloth Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2021: Brick Wall Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2021: Coloring Sprigs on Red Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2020: Forest Choir Tags 

24 Tags of Christmas 2020: Watercolor bunny tag

24 Tags of Christmas 2020: Multicolored Ink Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2020: Color Pop Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2020: White Pencil Lantern Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2020: Pencil Penguin Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Festive Friends – Copic on Desert Storm

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Santa’s face

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Felt Sasquatch!

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Copic Amaryllis

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Painted Candle

24 Tags of Christmas 2019: Snow Animals

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Distressed Coffee Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Snowy Window Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Painted Pinecone Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Fuzzy Fox Tag

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Embossed Layered Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2018: Diorama Dog Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2017: Puppy tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2017: Layered Fussycut Images

24 Tags of Christmas 2017: Heavenly Angels

24 Tags of Christmas 2017: Concertina tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2017: Penguin Slider Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2017: Simply Folksy Bears

24 Tags of Christmas 2016: Watercolor Tree Farm

24 Tags of Christmas 2016: Pencil Ice Skates

24 Tags of Christmas 2016: Easy Copic Matchbook Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2016: Brusho Lights

24 Tags of Christmas 2016: Shaker Dog Tag

24 Tags of Christmas 2016: Bunny Wishes

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Zentangle Birds

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Embossing a Scene

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Shading Elves in Copic Marker

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Colored Pencil Rainbow Bokeh Tags

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Copic on wood

24 Tags of Christmas 2015: Watercolor Snow

24 Tags of Christmas 2014: Copic Faux Watercolor

24 Tags of Christmas 2014: Stamped Watercolor with Tombow markers

24 Tags of Christmas 2014: Glowing lights on Kraft paper (Matchbook tags)

24 Tags of Christmas of 2014: FineTec Mica Watercolors

24 Tags of Christmas 2014: Copic Monochromatic Night Scene

24 Tags of Christmas 2014: Watercolor Critters in Snow

INSPIRATION CATEGORIES:
Inspiration: 23 Copic Airbrush Card Tutorials

Inspiration: 23 Copic Airbrush Card Tutorials

Have you ever wanted to know just what Copic airbrush can do? Now’s your chance – browse below and check out the projects – mostly backgrounds! I love this tool, it’s easy to swap out colors, and gives another look to my Copic markers!
Tap on any image to go to that tutorial.

Copic Airbrush Buyers Guide (updated 2021)

Clean and Simple Airbrushed (or INKED!) Card

Complex masking for Copic Airbrush (first time trying it!)

Copic Stencil Techniques

My last card of 2020: Desaturated airbrushed background

Are flourescent Copics really glow in the dark?

Soft Rainbow Floral Card

Flying Dragon Card

Gel Pen Doodling on Airbrushed Background

3 Monochromatic Floral Cards

Nativity Christmas Cards with torn paper masking

Color a steamy sauna in Copic markers

Airbrushed Underwater Submarine Card

DIY “Gift Card” card

Copic Airbrush Bokeh

Airbrushed CAS valentines

Embossing flowers on top of Copic airbrush

Christmas Choir Card – Pencil, Copic, and airbrush

Coloring cherubs + airbrush background

Coloring cherubs + airbrush

Santa in chimney: Airbrush a glowing sky

Storybook Style Coloring

Coloring Housemouse Critters – Copic, Airbrush, and Pencil

Airbrushing Inlaid Dies

INSPIRATION CATEGORIES: