You can draw with office, school, or artist grade graphite pencils and then color the project with Copic as long as you take special precautions.

Technically Copic Markers are not compatible with pencil. Graphite will stain your Copic nibs but the staining is more cosmetic than dangerous. I have several contaminated Copic nibs and occasionally I see a bit of graphite transferred to other projects but it’s not dark or noticeable to anyone but me. I have smeared a few lines though and regretted not being more careful.

How to use Copic with graphite pencils:

1. Draw lightly. Pressure not only adds extra graphite to the paper, it also digs valleys and scars into the paper which then absorb ink differently. Many scars look like a stripe of darker color.

2. Draw with confident lines rather than using lots of sketchy strokes. You’ll need to fully erase all unused strokes but many erasers embed invisible residue into the paper fibers which can then resist Copic ink. It’s safest to use fewer lines.

3. Minimize pencil details. As mentioned above, extra lines require extra erasing. Draw only the lines you need.

4. To minimize the look of your necessary lines, use a kneaded eraser to roll over the lines, lightening their appearance until you can just barely see the line. This step is essential because Copic ink contains resin. When you color over graphite, resin will seal the graphite onto your paper preventing erasure later. Note: you will change lines slightly as you color, either accidentally coloring outside a line or by improving the position of a line. DO NOT count on being able to cover all your pencil lines with a fine-line pen later! In 30+ years of coloring, I have never inked an image exactly as I penciled it.

Micron Pens are not compatible with alcohol markers. If you color over the top of Micron Ink with a Copic, you will smear the color and transfer Micron ink to your nib which can then smear on other projects. If you must use Microns with Copic Markers, safe the Micron until after all the Copic areas have been completed.

I understand this is controversial. Many internet experts recommend Microns and claim they are safe but note how they treat Microns:

• “Let the Micron ink dry thoroughly before adding Copic.”

• “Let the Micron lines cure over night.”

• “Heat set all Micron areas before using Copic.”

If Microns were truly safe for use with Copic, then Copic ink would NEVER smear Micron ink!

WARNING: There is no powder, spray, or other product which can transform Micron ink into Copic safe ink. Heat setting and curing does not work!

I have two theories about how some artists/colorers are able to get away with using Microns with Copic:

1. They’re coloring with darker value Copics so they can’t easily see the Micron lines smearing.

2. If you use a more absorbent paper, perhaps one which wasn’t designed especially for markers, the paper wicks most of the Micron ink into the center, preventing friction from loosening most of the Micron ink.

Copic ink smears Micron ink on both of my favorite marker papers— X-Press It and Cryogen. In addition, Micron ink can be erased with a standard white eraser from my favorite drawing papers— Beinfang Layout and Copic BleedProof.

Personally, I have banned Microns from my local classes because I’ve seen too many people accidentally forget and ruin their marker by coloring over Micron.

For more info about which fine-line pens are/aren’t Copic safe, see my Tools on My Desk article series here.

If you enjoy coloring rubber-stamped images, please be careful when choosing which stamp ink to use with Copic Markers. Most stamp inks are not Copic safe and will damage your Copic nib. The alcohol in Copic ink loosens the stamped ink from the paper and transfers it to your marker nib where it can be smeared on this project or even future projects.

If you pick up unsafe stamp ink with your Copic nib, replace the nib before further use.

WARNING: There is no powder, spray, or other product which can transform a stamp pad into a Copic safe ink pad. Heat setting and curing does not work!

Please note, I am not a rubber stamper. I color hand drawn images and digital stamps. So I am not an authority on every Copic safe stamp pad nor do I keep up with the latest ink pad releases. I will list the most well known brands which are/are not safe for use with Copic. Also keep in mind that as with Micron Pens, I do suspect that paper affects the amount of smearing which happens. To me, if an ink is only safe on some papers, it should be classified as unsafe to avoid accidents and confusion.

SAFE STAMP INKS:

• Tsukineko Memento Ink Pads (When I teach with stamps, this is the only brand I use. I prefer London Fog over Tuxedo Black.)

• Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads

• Ranger Adirondack Dye Ink Pads

• My Favorite Things Hybrid Ink Pads

• Hero Arts Hero Hues Ink Pads

NOT SAFE FOR USE WITH COPIC:

• Tsukineko Versafine Ink Pads

• Ranger Archival Ink Pads

• Stampin’ Up Ink Pads

• Tsukineko Stayz-On Ink Pads

In general, most white gel pens, paint pens, and white pencils are not compatible with Copic Marker. This means you should not color over the top of the white product with Copic as the nib may loosen, pick up, and smear even dried white ink. Instead, wait until your Copic work is finished, then come back and use white pen at the end.

Copic does make a white ink but we find it to be thick, clumpy, and expensive compared to other white ink. Copic Opaque White is applied with a paintbrush (or the nail polish style brush) which adds to the difficulty of this product.

Which white products do we recommend for use over Copic? See our article here.

In general, correction fluids are best used to camouflage or mask mistakes in white areas of your coloring.

White-out is an acrylic masking product, not brand new paper— therefore, it’s not a fresh start after making an ink mistake. See the discussion about correcting mistakes with white-out in the Coloring with Copics section above for masking mistakes.

• See the discussion in this Compatibility section about using Copics with acrylic paint for more information about the physical reactions between acrylic and Copic.

Here is why we do not recommend using any type of correction fluid with Copic Marker:

Depending upon the brand, correction fluid may not be safe for use with Copic Markers. Most of the more matte products will transfer white residue to your Copic Marker nib, even after they’ve fully dried and cured.

We can’t even say it’s safe to use correction fluid as a top layer. I’ve seen badly damaged projects where the artist has used white-out pens for highlights instead of white acrylic ink. The Copic color below the white-out leeched upwards over time, tinting the correction fluid. Eye highlights made with white-out can turn pink, lavender, pale blue, or neon green over time.

Copic Markers are compatible with many other brands of alcohol markers. Your success at mixed-brand blending depends largely upon the characteristics of individual ink colors rather than the brand. Some colors are more stubborn than others and even within a single brand, not all blend equally well. Mixing brands decreases your odds of smooth success but many colors can work together.

Copic Markers are NOT compatible with markers using other types of solvent. This includes markers using using water, oil, xylene, or acetone. Copics are also not compatible with acrylic, poster, or gouache paint markers.

Do not attempt to blend Copics with Sharpies, Crayola Markers, and do not use with ball point pens as these will damage Copic nibs.

Do not attempt to blend Copics and Sharpie markers together. Do not color with Copic over a layer of Sharpie. Do not outline your work with a thin Sharpie and then color it with Copic.

Sharpies contain oils and other ingredients which will damage your Copic. Sharpie ink can stain a Copic nib, transfer stained color to other drawings, and contaminate the Copic ink inside the nib.

If you must use Copics and Sharpies together, do the Copic layers first. Then add Sharpie over the top of your completed Copic layers.

I specialize in realistic and artistic art using a mixture of Copic Marker and colored pencil. Copics are NOT compatible colored pencil but if you plan your layers properly, you can use them on the same project.

Note: Copic Markers are not compatible with any brand of colored pencil. This isn’t a case of finding a brand which works— by their nature, the two mediums do not want to mix.

The problem is that all colored pencils contain wax, even oil based pencils contain a small percentage of wax. Wax doesn’t melt on contact with alcohol but it does soften. Softened wax will clog Copic nibs, eventually blocking enough pores that the marker ceases to function.

Granted, it takes a lot of coloring to clog a nib. One touch won’t ruin a nib, you’d have to color over a penciled area several times to pick up enough wax to kill the nib. But it’s a real thing and it does happen.

Here’s how to work smart:

1. Do not attempt to blend Copics and colored pencil together into gradients. Layer rather than blend.

2. Always use pencil over the top of Copic. Do not use Copic over the top of pencil.

3. Completely finish all Copic areas before adding pencil.

4. Resist going back to add more Copic over a finished pencil layer.

To learn how I use Copics with colored pencil, visit any of the online classes in the Vanilla Arts Workshop here.

I frequently combine Copic Marker with watercolor. The two mediums produce similar results and can flow seamlessly into a cohesive look which looks more like pure watercolor than mixed media.

Note: this applies to transparent, staining watercolor only. Read further for a warning about granulating or opaque watercolor.

I tend to use watercolor layers to cover large expanses and as foundational color, then develop details with marker.

You can use either medium first, but plan your process ahead of time as marker will not work properly on wet or even slightly damp paper. Even the slightest bit of moisture will result in pale spots rather than vibrant color.

Copic ink contains a few ingredients which can act as a slight resist. It varies by color and color value. For this reason, I almost always start with watercolor.

Paper incompatibility is a problem and contrary to the name, “mixed media” paper is not well suited to either medium.

I recommend hot press watercolor paper for marker/watercolor projects as markers do not perform well on cold press or rough papers and because water will damage most marker papers.

Keep in mind that watercolor paper is highly absorbent and drains markers shockingly fast. Also, the fiber content of watercolor paper will complicate blending. Most watercolor papers are highly staining which means they hold onto your first layers of ink and are reluctant to release these color particles during the blending phase. Truly smooth maker blends are significantly harder on watercolor paper.

WARNING: Granulating, sedimentary, or opaque watercolor and gouache are not compatible with Copic Marker. Like pastels, any product which uses unbound powder pigments can be smeared by markers and can clog marker nibs. If you want to combine markers with granular watercolor or gouache, finish all marker layers before starting the paint layers.

Copic looks beautiful when combined with pastel but the two mediums are not compatible and must be used in a specific order to prevent damage to your markers.

Always use Copic Markers first and make sure the marker layers are completely finished before adding any pastel. Never use Copic over the top of pastel.

Pastel is a loose pigment powder which relies on a secondary sealant or fixative to help adhere it to the paper. By sweeping a Copic Marker nib over the top of pastel, the nib will pick up pigment, smearing it or transferring it to other areas or even later projects.

Sealing the pastel layer with fixative first does not help because the solvent in markers can soften or loosen the fixative, which then can clog the pores of a marker nib.

The last issue with combining Copic and pastel is which kind of paper to select. Markers work best on ultra-smooth, practically toothless paper while pastel requires tooth to adhere. Finding a paper which works well for both marker and pastel will require a serious compromise for both mediums and may force you to develop alternative techniques. Most mixed media artists lean towards toothy papers because pastel looks amateurish on smooth paper. Understand that toothy papers will use excessive amounts of marker ink, will compromise your ability to blend smoothly, and will wear down your marker nibs faster than smooth papers.

Copic Markers are generally not compatible with acrylic products. I say generally because the range of acrylic products is vast (with new products constantly coming onto the market), so it’s hard to say there are no compatible products.

Alcohol tends to soften acrylic bonds and the friction of coloring back and forth over an acrylic painted surface speeds this process. Therefore, I would never color over the top of acrylic paint without being prepared to badly damage a marker nib.

Layering marker over acrylic is actually rather futile as dried acrylic is not very porous. Marker simply doesn’t want to stick to acrylic layers and when it does, the color is weak and doesn’t layer well.

You can safely use acrylic products over the top of finished marker layers providing that the paint is not excessively watery. Water tends to melt most marker friendly papers, so in this case, using a thicker, less diluted acrylic product reduces the odds of buckling or pilling.

Copic’s Opaque White is a standard acrylic ink for markers but there are many other white acrylic products which work the same. Used as a top layer, acrylic white is best reserved as surface decoration like sharp highlights or small white details rather than painting large areas. Most dry acrylic white products will not ruin a marker nib but as mentioned above, they also don’t accept color well. Copic ink over the top of Copic Opaque White will always look significantly paler than the actual ink color.

Copic Markers can be used with some higher quality coloring books but for the most part, they do not work well in cheaper, mass-market books. Look for thicker papers printed on one side only with a polished or ultra smooth surface. Testing each book is the only sure way to know if Copics will work.

Most coloring books are printed on manila style paper which is terrible for Copic Markers. Manilla has a high wood-fiber content; wood encourages ink to feather and does not absorb as much liquid as cotton fiber papers.

Many Copic users remove coloring book pages, then use a toner-based copy machine to print the line art onto their favorite maker paper. You can print at home with a toner or laser printer or have copies professionally made at a copy shop. Other coloring book fans trace the image onto marker friendly paper using a lightbox or leaning against a well lit window.

Copic Markers will always work best on paper which has been formulated specifically for markers or art papers which can hold ink moisture long enough to facilitate blending. Like coloring books, the quality and kind of paper varies largely by brand.

There are two major downsides to using Copics in journals— Copics tend to bleed-through most journal pages but they also tend to contain wood fiber which can make marker blending difficult.

This is not to say you can’t use Copics in journals, only that journal artists have to be picky about which journals they use and their technique is usually modified to reflect the unusual characteristics of the paper.

Of the artists who do journal with Copics, it is standard practice to skip pages and to use blotter paper to protect blank pages and previous art. Very few color back to back.

“Mixed media” journals are not developed for marker blending, even when they list marker on the label. Mixed media most often refers to paper which tolerates some water, has some tooth for pencil, and won’t bleed excessively with fine-line pens. A general rule is if the paper tolerates water, it probably doesn’t like alcohol ink because the two mediums have opposite needs.

I make my own journals using a spiral binding machine. I use chipboard (heavy cardboard) for the front and back cover and fill it with my choice of marker-friendly paper. Copy shops have commercial binding machines and many will assemble a journal using your paper for a small fee.

Copic Markers are made with dye and thus can be used as temporary colorant on fabric.

WARNING: Copic ink is not lightfast and often fugitive. Copic on fabric is temporary and can not be set like commercial dye. Copic will fade on fabric in a matter of weeks and will not withstand washing.

For best results, select fine-thread, tightly woven fabrics including silk, untreated cotton duck cloth (fine canvas), quilter’s grade cotton such as cotton lawn or poplin, or even tightly knit cotton jersey fabric such as quality tee-shirt material. Keep the project out of direct light and in rooms with moderate and stable temperature and humidity.

NOTE: UV sprays will not stop Copic from fading. Even so, most UV sprays use alcohol as a propellant which will cause spotting or other damage to Copic colored objects.

Read more about Copics and lightfastness here.

While Copic can be used on fabric (see “can I color on fabric” above) artist-grade painter’s canvas presents several problems for marker artists.

First understand that Copic ink is not lightfast and will noticeably fade in a matter of weeks. See my article here for why this fade can not be stopped. Before you start, consider the temporary nature of Copic ink and decide whether it’s your time to color on canvas.

Next, painter’s canvas tends to be a rougher grade canvas— made with thicker threads and a looser weave than the canvas used for shoes, bags, and apparel. This makes for a very bumpy coloring experience.

Next, stretched canvas has a bounce factor. Canvases are not a stable surface, they move under the brush or pencil. Excessive pressure can push divots or waves into the surface which will not heal. Even the weight of your hand can stretch the canvas creating a permanent dimple. Painter’s use long handled brushes to accommodate the bounce and prevent divots but you’re not so lucky with markers.

Now let’s address priming (or not priming) the canvas.

Raw canvas will be highly absorbent and drain markers very quickly. There’s also a rough quality to the thread used for artist canvas— it was meant to be primed and so the raw threads can have weird bits of grass or strange white and dark fibers which absorb ink differently. These thread flaws will show through Copic ink (which is transparent).

Painter’s canvas often comes pre-primed with a sealing product called gesso which is made from finely ground marble and white fillers. Depending upon the brand and finish, gesso can be oddly absorbent, others resist ink. Gesso feels gritty to the touch; this grit can rub off onto marker nibs leaving white residue on the nib which can be transferred to other projects. At the very least, gesso grit will cause excessive wear on your nib.

Many craft stores sell pre-primed canvas boards which often have a shiner gesso coating and less woven texture. Canvas boards are much more Copic friendly because they do not bounce and seem to take ink evenly without grit. They do not accept many layers of ink but they do work for light projects. I’ve taught classes using boards and they’re fun as a novelty technique… but I warned students that they may need to replace several nibs after the project.

In theory, you can use Copic Markers on a variety of wood surfaces. It depends upon the finish and I’m skeptical about whether the effort is worth it. Experiment to see if you can make it work.

• As with all of these “can I color on _____” questions, please see my warnings above about how Copic Markers are not lightfast. For more info, see my in-depth article here.

On raw, untreated wood, Copic will likely bleed and feather. Ink likes to travel along fibers and wood is comprised of very long, very absorbent fibers. Expect to see the ink leech along the length of the woodgrain rather than across it.

Also note that untreated wood is not consistent. You may hit patches where the grain is tighter or looser and the ink will absorb differently in these areas. Pine may even contain resins which resist ink. Coloring on raw wood will not be smooth and I’m skeptical about how well you’ll blend.

For painted wood surfaces, understand that paint is not absorbent. You may get 1-2 layers of ink but it will not be smooth and some layers may actually remove previous layers of ink.

Oil-treated wood (such as cutting boards) and furniture treated with tongue oil or furniture polish will likely not absorb any Copic ink. Expect the ink to rub off with very little effort.

For varnished wood surfaces, be cautious. Some varnishes (especially antique sealants) are made with alcohol-soluble resin. Your Copics may permanently damage the finish and the finish will permanently damage your marker nib. Polyurethanes may be safer for Copic Ink but they’re moisture resistant which prevents smooth coloring, blending, and layering.

I do not recommend coloring on glass or acrylic. These are non-porous surfaces which will not absorb ink. If the ink doesn’t bead up, you’ll find it impossible to color smoothly. You’l also notice a weird “stripping” effect where any second layer of ink removes the first layer— the nibs actually collect this old ink, so you may end up with nibs stained with foreign colors.

Even if you were able to artfully apply ink to glass or acrylic, it will rub off with the slightest touch or accidental bump. There are other mediums (like glass paint) which do the job better and more inexpensively.

Do not use Copic Marker on dry erase boards. Dry boards are easily stained. Copic Marker will not wipe off easily and can leave behind a ghost image which may never come off.

If you do accidentally use Copic on a dry erase board, try rubbing the stain with a cotton pad soaked in 90% rubbing alcohol (Isoprophyl alcohol).

If the stain doesn’t lift with rubbing, try laying the board flat, placing a cotton pad soaked with rubbing alcohol over the stain, and letting this sit for several minutes. Before the pad has dried, try a bit more rubbing. At this point, you’ll have removed as much ink as you can. Further rubbing/soaking will not help. Remember, Copic ink does fade over time and with exposure to light, so perhaps you can encourage further fading of the stain by leaving it outside in the summer sun.

Copic ink is not water-soluble so if you’re asking whether water splashes or watercolor can smear Copic ink, the answer is no.

But most marker papers are highly sensitive to water. Several popular marker papers (such as X-Press It) will bubble or pill on contact with water and most others will wrinkle or wave.

All toner-based printers and commercial grade copy machines are safe for use with Copic Markers. This includes home office laser printers. Toner is not ink and toner machines heat-set the toner particles to the paper during the printing process. This insures that Copic Ink will not rehydrate or smear it printed lines.

For ink based printers, the answer is less clear. Some ink printers use Copic safe ink while others do not. I can’t even tell you to look for a certain brand because they all use a variety of ink.

In my experience, every HP printer I’ve owned has been Copic safe. There are also a few Canon machines I hear regularly mentioned. Models change each year so any recommendation I might make here could quickly be wrong when the new models come out.

I recommend joining a Copic discussion group to ask for recommendations on the latest model.

Recommended Copic Facebook Groups:

• Vanilla Arts Chat (I am the group owner here)

• Copic for Beginners (I am a co-owner of this group)

• Coloring Collective ( I admin here)