July 4, 2016
14 Comments
Another Monday rolls around, bringing with it a whole new week of possibilities and colour! It seems much better when you look at it that way, right? Positivity through colour!
This week I’m addressing a topic that I know many of you have been hoping for: Pleats and Folds. I have used Copic Markers for this post, but the approach will be similar for other mediums too. Whatever medium you use, hopefully this post will help you start to visualise how you can break down the colouring and approach adding pleats and folds to an image.
As of this week I’ve added an extra element to Marker Geek Monday. Over on my own Marker Geek Blog you can find a card featuring today’s image, along with a bonus Copic colouring video showing how I coloured a background for the image. When you’re done here, I invite you to pop on over and check it out: Flowersbehindmybackabella Simple Copic Background with Video. While you’re there I invite you to subscribe or bookmark the blog for regular Stamping Bella inspiration!
The Flowersbehindmybackabella rubber stamp from our recent release is perfect for practicing adding pleats and folds to an image. That dress offers lovely open space to colour in and get creative. The lines of the image offer some hints at where you might place the creases, without boxing you in with black lines. This makes it a little bit easier to “go with the flow”. Plus she’s quite simply a gorgeous image, perfect for numerous occasions.
If you have trouble visualising the marker strokes, keep on reading this post to find a Copic colouring video that should help! To see the Copic colours used, read on to the end of the post where you will find a Copic Colour Map for this image.
I have also put together a video showing how I coloured the folds in the dress of Flowersbehindmybackabella. Like my Copic Hair Colouring Video last week this video has only been sped up slightly, to allow you to see more clearly how I colour.
Here is a full Copic Colour Map for the Flowersbehindmybackabella colouring featured in the videos. Remember that if you purchase Stamping Bella stamps you can obtain colour maps for the versions shown on the product packaging – go HERE to find out how to do that. Between those and the bonus colour maps featured here on the blog, you can build up a great library of colour combinations to try out with your own Copic collection.
Over on my own Marker Geek Blog I have a festive version of this guide, featuring one of the Stamping Bella Holiday 2016 Releases – Christmasgiftabella. Click through to check it out!
Marker Geek: Stamping Bella Christmasgiftabella Copic Pleats & Folds (w/card, video & step by step).
The process is the same, but you may find it interesting to watch the video and look at the step by step for a slightly different shape/style of dress.
If you try out the techniques shown in this post with your Stamping Bella stamps, be sure to share! We would love to see the results and hear how you feel about them. Show off your creations in the comments below and even better, share your own favourite tips with us. Let’s talk colour!
If you are posting your images online, we would love to see them on Instagram and all the platforms mentioned above! To make it easier for us to find you just use #markergeekmonday as a hashtag!
Until next time, HAPPY COLOURING!
MWAH
Elaineabella
Oh Elaine you are going to turn us all into real artists!!! Thank you so much for these wonderful tutorials- I am not afraid of my copic markers anymore! LOL
You don’t know how happy it makes me to read this, Cindy! 🙂 Keep on colouring – no fear!
Oh thanks for sharing! I love how your pleats turn out! So life like! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you Nancee, I always appreciate your lovely comments!
Amazingly helpful tute on the folds, something which often scare me a little. I now need one to help on those frilly dresses like Bree loves Buttercream! HELP!
Hey Annette! So glad you found it helpful – get tackling those folds!
Funnily enough I do have Bree sitting on my desk, awaiting colouring. 😉
Oh my gosh! Those folds look so professional! I don’t have enough Copics to do this but i can try it with my colored pencils. I have 4 or 5 Copics. I didn’t try them out right after I bought them which I should have. I used some of them for a Dover coloring contest on white card stock. The light blue pen bleed into another color! Is that supposed to happen, because I don’t think it is. I hope no one notices. Thanks for all the help with our coloring! I didn’t know you had your own blog. I will have to check it out.
Thank you Gail. 🙂 You can definitely try this with coloured pencils.
Copic markers, like any alcohol based marker, may bleed. The paper you use will make a huge difference in this.
A brilliant tutorial Elaine… I always struggle a bit with folds and you have made it look so easy!!
Thank you for sharing…
Christine x
Thank you so much Christine! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
This is amazing! The finished image looks like satin!
Love this tutorial on folds. Thank you for sharing!
I hope you’re ready cuz you are going to get the fullness of my crazy head thoughts!!!! There was a song “Heaven Must be Missing an Angel” that was my first thought when I found this…believe it or not…on PinInterest. My stupid finicky computer decided to crash after I printed 1 page with no..I mean like NO web address printed on the bottom!! So I’ve been searching for 2 days for this tut!! Finally, I told myself I know the image is a “Stamping Bella” I used a few choice words @ my puter and said last try after looking in 3 different search engines for the words and looked in PinInterest. Blessings upon blessings the site came up and there in front of my crazy face was the lesson sample. I ran..jumped and howled with glee upon clicking the link and coming back to your AMAZING site.
I am in heaven..this can’t be real someone who truly wants to help us learn how to color with Copics for FREEEEEEEE!!!!! To say I love you just couldn’t even come close to how this makes me feel! An Angel sent to us poor (in $ and knowledge) people not being charged to learn!! I can’t wait to try it and yes I promise (~hand raised to heaven with 2 fingers raised…ie “Girl Scout”) to share what I learn. I will forever be in the Sistahood of Bella Girl!! Badge to be posted on my blog. God certainly blessed you with talent and bestowed you to us.