As promised, here's a stepped-out Copic coloring tutorial for this JustRite Blizzard Bunch Santa image I used on yesterday's holiday ornament, using these Copic marker colors:
Here's the step out:
1 - Base color Santa with R24.
2 - Add shadows with deeper R29 towards the back of Santa (on parts that are further away from you), on right shoulder where the tip of his hat casts a shadow and deep on the left side of his hat. Be sure to leave areas that are closer to you (his fat belly right in front!), the ends of his sleeves, or where light would naturally touch (top of his hat) the lighter first red we used, R24. Go back with R24 and blend the edges of R29 so they transition into a smooth blend (no harsh edges).
3 - Deepen the R29 shadows with R39. I also added some R39 right next to the white fur trim on his hat and bottom edge of his suit, where the fur would be casting a shadow over the red suit. This will also make the white fur trim pop more. Go back and use R29 to soften the edges of R39.
4 - Using the same light, medium, dark coloring process, color Santa's sack, holly leaves, and tree with YG series. Add E35 for the tree trunk.
5 - Add W1 to all edges of the white fur trim. This will make the center portions of the white trim look whiter and give it some realistic shading and depth.
6 - E40 and E42 (deeper crevices) were used to color Santa's beard and mustache. A "white" beard isn't all just white -- it will have a cast color to it of some sort. You could also use light grays here, but I wanted something a little different than the W1 in the white fur trim so the whites would be separated a little and you could tell where one stopped and the other began.
7 - Lastly, use T3 and T5 for Santa's belt and (not shown in the photo), his boots/legs in the snow. Bird and gift were colored with Y21 & E35; mittens: Y21 & YG93. I also used my custom blended lighter BG0000 to color the sky behind Santa, to also help make the white fur trim and snow pop, but I think it got a little blown out in my studio lighting and you really can't tell it's there!
8 - Here's my trick for making the white Copic X-Press It Blending card match with the vintagey colored patterned paper -- Here, I used YR30 to color the cardstock the same yellow-green "vanilla" cast as the patterned paper. Most of the time I use E50-Egg Shell to color white cardstock, to make it match cream or ivory cardstock.
Easy peasy! I hope you have fun coloring Santas this holiday season!
