Copic Tutorial: Coloring Flowers

By Colleen Schaan

Coloring Flowers
Whether they are fabric, paper, foam or felt, flowers are very popular crafting embellishments. And with over 358 colors in the Copic line, it's easy to color those flowers to coordinate with any project. Below are three easy ways to add color to your paper

Blended Petals
This technique uses various ink refills and flat fabric or paper flowers.

Place flower onto scrap paper. Using a dark color of ink, place one drop of ink on the very end of each petal (Photo 1).

Using a lighter-color ink, add one drop to the middle of each flower petal where the dark ink ends (Photo 2).

Continue moving in toward the center of the flower using lighter inks. As the ink dries, it will slowly blend with the previous color (Photo 3).

Inky Petals
Color these flowers by "dyeing" them.

Place a few drops of various ink refills into a sandwich bag. Drop flower(s) into bag and seal closed. Squish flower around in the bag until the flower is completely inked (Photo 4).

Remove flower and place it on scrap paper to dry. Once dry, dab the petals randomly with the Colorless Blender to create a mottled look (Photo 5 and Photo 6). (This is optional.)

Color Burst
This technique adds beautifully blended color to small silk flowers.

Using the lightest hue, color each flower petal, starting from the outer petals and working in (Photo 7).

Add dabs of darker color to inside petals and to the bottom of outer petals (Photo 8).

Use the lighter marker to "blend" the darker color a bit. Using a different color, add touches to the very tips of each petal (Photo 9 and Photo 10).

Tips & Tricks

• Try combining different colors to create the look of different types of flowers.
• Always work over scrap paper to protect your work surface.
• Different surfaces will accept ink in different manners. The softer the surface, the more ink it will absorb and the darker it will become.

It's time to grow your own colorful garden ... so grab some Copic ink and watch your flowers bloom! ?

Sources: Paper flowers from Petaloo9:48 AM 3/15/2012; silk flowers from Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.

This Copic tutorial was first published in the March 2012 issue of CardMaker magazine. To get more information on Copic marker techniques:

• Purchase a copy of Colleen's book Copic Coloring Guide.
• Check out Colleen's blog, www.distinctivetouches.com.
• Subscribe to CardMaker magazine, where Colleen has a regular column featuring Copic marker techniques.