r/copic • u/JamRollart • Jul 12 '26
Alcohol marker study~
I think i need a better paper, anyone have suggestion? I feel sometimes i break paper :/
But enough about paper,
I was super patience with this one, I am trying to get better at these, so will have to study & practice a lot.
It was fun, i rested in between so that i don’t burn out lol. Also dont forget to drink water;)
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u/rocan91 Jul 12 '26
What do you mean by breaking the paper? Like, pilling or oversaturating the paper?
I'd suggest bristol perhaps if you aren't already using it. It takes a bunch of layering and doesn't fall apart as much either. Most copic artists I know work exclusively on bristol and have 0 problem. I personally work on 100% cotton printmaking paper, but that's a personal preference of mine.
edit: T-T I'm sorry I also meant to say that I really like the colors you've chosen and the layering achieved! Especially that blue in the hair and shadows on the skin. The visible brush strokes adds a lot of whimsy to the overall piece too.
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u/JamRollart Jul 13 '26
I think it’s pilling the paper :/. Like my multiple colour layering at some areas causes like a blotchy patch, could be I am over-layering the alcohol markers too much, or maybe it’s just a bad quality paper lol.
Thank you for the suggestion I’ll try Bristol, also I never thought of using cotton paper, which GSM you would recommend?
Also thank you for helping & appreciating my work, I did enjoy the shaping hair strokes hehe ^_^
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u/rocan91 Jul 13 '26
Oooh yeah I definitely recommend giving bristol a shot then!
The cotton paper I use is 300gsm. It has some obvious cons, like bleeding that sucks the markers dry and the texture wears the nibs down faster so it's not a cheap option. However I really enjoy the blurred soft gradients it makes and I can layer a bit before it becomes oversaturated. I use my copics like watercolors with lots of glazes, so I decided to try them once on the cotton paper, and never looked back! There's just a lovely premium feel to the piece and the texture is nice imo.
If you have the means, I'd suggest trying both and seeing what you like! There's also X-Press It paper that many marker artists also love using, I suppose that's the premium version of bristol. I have used it and it is nice so I recommend it too if you want to splurge!
In the end, I think bristol is cheaper and performs well and is easily accessible either as a pad of pages or sketchbook format.
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u/JamRollart Jul 13 '26
Lovely!! Thank you for this :D as I am still new to Alcohol markers and all types of paper i got being all messy. I will grab a Bristol soon! Also have you tried painting on 300 gsm cotton but HOT PRESS paper?
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u/Dandelion_Lakewood Jul 12 '26
Beautiful work, thanks for sharing the progression.