Copic
Copic (コピック, Kopikku) (kōpikku|Japan)(kō'-pick|US) is a Japanese brand of refillable markers and related products made by Too Corporation and distributed in the United States and Canada by Too Corporation Americas (a subsidiary of Too Corporation of Japan).
 | |
 The Copic system including markers and the airbrush. | |
| Product type | Art markers, pens, accessories |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Too Corporation |
| Country | Japan |
| Introduced | 1987 |
| Markets |
|
| Website | Japan North America Germany Australia Brazil |
Description
Copic markers are available in 358 non-toxic, alcohol-based ink colours and are refillable using standard colours ink refills. The refill inks can be mixed to create custom colours, and empty markers are sold for this purpose. The markers are airtight to prevent them from drying out. Sketch markers, which are the most popular version, have a chisel-style tip at one end and a brush tip at the other, though additional styles of replaceable nibs and tips are available.
The company also sells an airbrush system which utilizes either an air compressor or canned air to blow ink off the tips of the markers onto the paper.
History
In 1987, the initial classic line of Copic Markers was introduced in Japan with the manga industry in mind. A total of 71 colours were launched and were developed to meet designers’ demand for photocopy-safe markers. The markers would not dissolve the toner of freshly-printed photocopies, and in turn the markers were given the name Copic, deriving from the word “copies”.
In 1989, an additional 71 colours were added to the line, adding a set of more neutral tones and grays to the marker’s library. These additional tones were created to accommodate for architectural design and figure painting. In 1991, 72 new colours were added to meet the need to design environments and fashion.
In 1993, Copic Sketch was introduced with an assortment of 144 colours. These markers featured a Super Brush Nib, a brush that revolutionized fine art markers with its nib durability and long-lasting lifespan. The Copic Sketch has since become the most widely sought-after marker from the company.
In 1998, the Copic Ciao marker was introduced. The line was released with 72 colours and was an inexpensive pack designed for beginners. Since 1999 many new colours were added to the line of Copic Sketch to meet the success of the markers and the expansion of the manga market. Many colours introduced to the Copic Sketch line included flesh tones, pastels, fluorescents and many more.[1]
Marker & pen types
Classic
These are available in 214 colours with nine different tip options, including: two calligraphy tips, two types of broad tips, and a range of fine nibs. They come with a chisel nib and a bullet nib on each side.
Sketch
These markers are available in all of the 358 colours offered with a brush nib and a chisel-shaped nib. They have an oval barrel. They are compatible with the Copic Airbrush System. These are the most popular marker from Too Corporation.
Ciao
These are available in 180 colours. They have a brush nib, a chisel nib, and a circular barrel. They are smaller than Copic's other markers and are designed to be a more affordable option.
Wide
The wide markers were available in 36 colours, had a wide chisel-shaped nib and a large oval shaped barrel. They have been used for large backgrounds as well as calligraphy. Too Corporation has discontinued the production of coloursed Copic Wide in 2016, but Copic Wide Original (empty marker) continues to be sold.
Multiliner
These are available in 10 colours. They have a nib which their website describes as "perfect"[2] for illustration, design, and comics. The multiliners also have an "SP" version, which is available in various colours. Its ink is water-proof and copic-proof.
Gasenfude
These are only available in black, with a brush nib. The ink is waterproof and copic-proof, which does not smudge when copic ink is applied over the line.
Drawing pen
These are available in black and sepia, each with a nib comparable to that of a fountain pen. The ink is water-proof and copic ink-proof.
Refill
Copic markers come with the ability to refill dry markers with Copic ink refills instead of having to buy additional markers in the same colours. Tutorials for how to refill a Copic marker can be found on YouTube. It is also possible to mix the ink colours to create a custom colours.
Coding System
On the two ends of the marker, the caps have a code that contains a letter(s) and either 2-4 numbers following it. This system of numbers/letters describes the type of marker being used.
Colours
The first part of the codes is the letter(s), which represent the colours group the marker is part of. There can be up to 2 letters that show what colours family the marker fits into. The colours are abbreviated as follows:
Primary colours
- R - red family
- B - blue family
- Y - yellow family
Secondary colours
- G - green family
- V - purple/violet family
- YR - orange family (letters stand for Yellow Red)[3]
Tertiary colours
- BG - blue-green family
- YG - yellow-green family
- BV - blue-purple/blue-violet family
- RV - pink/red-violet family
Other colours
- E - earth tones/ browns
- N - neutral grays
- C - cool grays
- W - warm grays
- T - toner gray
- F - fluorescent/neon type colours
- There are completely black markers but those are represented by numbers only, such as 100 for black and 110 for special black.
If still confused about the colours that a marker belongs in, for further insurance, the marker caps are also colours coded accordingly. Only the original, sketch, and wide versions have the codes on the caps and base of the marker; the ciao markers only have coloursed caps with the code only on the base.
Saturation
Following the letter is the first number. The pigmentation and saturation directly relate to the first number given to a Copic marker. This first number can range from 0-9 and fluctuates depending on the vibrancy of the colours given to a marker. The lower the number, around 0-2, the brighter and more intense the colours is in pigmentation. Those with a higher number ranging from 3-9 for the first number tend to be more dull and less saturated than those with a lower number.
Shade/Value
After the first number, there is one last number. The final number in a Copic code signifies what shade the colours is. Shade relates to the lightness or darkness of the marker colours. Like the saturation, the numbers range from 0-9. Lighter colours tend to be relative to lower numbers such as 0-4 and the darker colours relate to the higher numbers like 5-9. If you can picture a value scale from white to black, that is somewhat like the numbering system, the 0 is the "white" the 9 is the "black" and all the numbers in-between are the ascending/ descending gray values.
Other
There are also a few cases in which a copic code will have more than 2 numbers. These colours will look something like B000, or B0000. These cases only show up in colours that have their saturation and shade numbers marked as zero. The colours just mean that they are even lighter than the "lightest colours". For example, take B00, there are even lighter shades of that colours even though both its saturation and shade numbers are as low as they can be.
The last code that should be mentioned is the coloursless blender. This marker is only coded with a single 0 since it only contains the base of the marker minus the colours pigment and is thus coloursless.
Pens
Copic sells 4 different types of pens. Multiliners are disposable artist pen that come in 10 colours and 10 tip sizes. Multiliner SP is a more premium version of the Multiliners that have aluminum bodies and replaceable nibs and ink (SP is available only in black). The Drawing Fountain pen has 2 different sizes and 2 different colours. Gasenfude has a synthetic brush nib able to create a wide range of lines.
Airbrush
The airbrush system uses disposable cans of compressed air, or air from a compressor, to spray ink from Copic Original and Sketch markers onto a surface.
References
- "History of Copic - COPIC Official Site (English)".
- "Copic Multiliner SP Pens". Copic Shop. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
- "YR - Yellow Red". www.abbreviations.com. Retrieved 2017-11-28.