TUTORIAL: Creating Cloudy Background With Copics - The Messy Way

After so many questions and requests I finally managed to put together a quick tutorial about making the cloudy background. It is very easy and quite fast although it seems like many steps.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
1) Pre-coloured image. And if you've got some little bleeding on over the lines; colouring the clouds will disguise it. Another lovely bonus, lol.
2) COPIC COLOURS: B12, B01, B00, B0000, C3, C1, C00, blender

One of the main things to remember is to use your markers as a brush. Work in small light or stronger strokes always upwards on clouds and away from the image. The more random and uneven your "brushwork" is, the better it will look.

So here's the image I started with, pre-coloured quickly:

Now I take B00 and create an outline of clouds in little quick uneven strokes. Make sure you won't make it too tidy and uniform and don't use continuous lines. Also lay a shadow around the whole image in light strokes working from image outline outwards. Don't worry if it looks a bit weird and messy:

Take B01 now and create random darker areas on the cloud outlines with light zig-zaggy brush strokes. Also apply some B01 into the shadow areas of the image like under her arms, skirt, corners between wings etc. Work in light strokes from image outwards. Do not blend anything:

Now take your darkest blue B12 (I picked this one because it's a bit cooler)  and apply little strokes of it inside the areas you accented with B01. Remember to work in very light and sparing strokes. No blending. Resist the temptation although it looks a terrible mess:

Now is a time to do a LITTLE bit of blending. Take B00 again and stroke upwards on all outlines and outwards from the image. No circular movements and be quite sparing and light-handed:

Now lets tone down that bright blueness a little bit.  Take C01 and apply to darker areas of the cloud outlines and shadow areas of the image. Yep, light upwards and outwards strokes, you guessed correctly:

Lets create sharper shadows. Move on to C3 and apply to darker areas of outlines and shadow areas to the image. VERY SPARINGLY:

Now move on to C00 and do some blending upwards and outwards in bold wide strokes:

Now take B0000 and blend upwards and outwards again, this time really go for it, only leave a narrow strip on top of clouds totally white. Important thing is not to create nice even lines, the more "strokey" and uneven it is, the better:

Now it's time to take out the beloved 0, your colourless blender. Cover the whole area of clouds and around the image. Saturate properly. Make sure your blender is nice and juicy:

You can repeat that step however many times if you want a softer result. I like some roughness in my colouring but I did a second soaking as well with blender to show the difference:

Well, that's it. You can make your clouds whatever colour you want, of course! Add some pale purple or pink into shadow areas or yellow highlights on top of the clouds. Just play and have fun. :)

Hope it was ine any way helpful and understandable. Thank you so much for looking and happy crafting!
Hugs

Comments

[GinaL]

Fabulous tutorial. I have issues with videos and love tutorials like this, with step by step pictures posted. I just tried it. I definitely need practice, but I am so stoked to have found your tutorial. Thanks!