Copic Creations Challenge: Your Favorite Paper for Copics

At the Copic Creations Challenge blog, the design team is currently showcasing their use of Copic markers on Cryogen white paper. The sponsor of this challenge, the lovely Patricia of Paper Temptress, is offering a very generous $25 gift certificate to the Paper Temptress store as a prize to a randomly selected entry. Find out more about this challenge and sponsor here.

Paper Temptress provides a fabulous range of gorgeous high quality papers in various colors, metallic to iridescent, smooth to textured, light to heavy gauge. I’m especially interested in seeing how Copic markers work on Cryogen White paper. With an 89 lb. cover weight, Cryogen White has a subtle sparkling surface and its mica coating shows an elegant luminescent sheen on both sides of the sheet. It is acid-free and compatible with laser and ink jet printers.

Here are the results of my first attempt at using Copic markers on Cryogen paper . . .

I've printed this digital image of a Gothic Fairy from the 2010 book Fairies Art Studio by David Riche’ onto Cryogen paper using my Epson Stylus Photo R1800 printer.  The printing is crisp and clean and shows no sign of smearing.  Great start.

If you're able to click on the photo above and enlarge it, you can see how the shimmer of the Cryogen paper shows even through the layers of Copic color.  Well, you can't see the amazing shimmer exactly, but all of those teensy-tiny white dots throughout the wings and upper area is the mica shimmering.

While I love the remarkable shimmer and silky smoothness of this paper, it behaves much like the X-Press It! blending card and glossy cardstock for me when I apply my Copic marker ink.  If you like X-Press It! blending card then you'll like Cryogen white paper.  There is little to no ink bleeding through to the other side.  I didn't have any problem with the color feathering beyond the lines of my image.  As the marker color remained on the surface of the paper, I was able to easily remove any misplaced color with just a swipe of the Colorless Blender.

The humidity levels in my area of New Jersey effect paper differently than the environment in other parts of the world. I have found that Cryogen paper does not allow me to use my normal application of light layers with Copic markers. The ink dries so quickly on this paper’s surface that my layered strokes remove the previously applied ink from the newly formed ink-puddles. Colorless Blender techniques are ineffective because the ink removed from the surface stays on the marker tip of the Colorless Blender rather than allowing the Colorless Blender to push, fade or erase the applied color. For the most part, one stroke is all I get on this paper. When I remove my marker tip from the surface, streaks form.

To embellish my card, I've added a border of pleated black lace, a couple of Sizzix 3d Flowers and Punch Bunch blossoms.  Silver nailheads adorn a computer generated quote die cut with Spellbinders Floral Doily Motifs.

I used a QuicKutz pirate flag die for the skull and cross bones to create airbrushing masks.  Spellbinders Labels 8 shapes the Cryogen white and Black Crepe matting.  I attempted to use a few dabs of Diamond Stickles for sprinkled fairy dust.

Here’s the completed card that shows my use of layers of superior quality paper from the Paper Temptress as well as my use of Copics on Cryogen Paper to fill this cool Gothic Fairy image.

You have until April 30th to show us your best work using your favorite paper for Copics. Why not give Cryogen white paper a try?

Copics used:
skin - E000, E01, E11, E93, BV01
hair - Y21, Y23, Y26, Y28
leather dress/boots - T0, T6, T9, 0
silver straps - C1, C3, C5
rose - R22, R59, G82, G99
wings/rose ribbon - V91, V93, V95, V99
airbrush - C3, R22, V93, Y23