Copic Markers: Organization, Storage, and Tips!

It's time for the MFT Creative Chat. The My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Chat is a monthly feature, where we are challenged to explore our creative spaces and share valuable organizational methods, tools, and shopping strategies with you. You'll be able to peek into our creative spaces, ask questions, and share your own ideas in the MFT forum.  This month, we were asked the following questions:  

Show us how you store your Copic Markers.

Any tips on special techniques you use with Copic Markers?

Any tips on color-matching your Copic markers to card stock or patterned paper?

Any favorite color combinations you use: skin, hair, shading etc?

Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge and get ready to delve into the minds of our creative team.
Here is a look at how I store my Copic markers.  I use 4 X-Cube Dividers, hooked together to store my Copics.  That gives me 16 different compartments, so I can sort to my heart's delight.  I wanted something that would be at eye level and something I didn't have to sort through too much to find what I wanted.  You'll notice I have Sketch and Ciao Copic markers.  My first piece of advice is: 
Choose one type of marker and stick with it... and choose Sketch markers unless you have a REALLY good reason not to.  LOL  If I had to do it all over again I would have bought ALL sketch.  I enjoy the sketch because the color is printed on the cap.  I know I can print them out and stick them on, but I haven't mustered the energy.  I have 160 Ciao markers and the task seems daunting.  LOL

Here is a stock pic of the X Cube.  You can buy them HERE.  

Here is a look at how I have the compartments sorted.  I store all of one "code" together, except E's which take 2 compartments and greys and blacks, which I store all together even though they have different code letters.  I keep the bottom two compartments empty for the most part because usually I have so much crap stuff on my desk that those areas and inaccessible.  


You'll see I have one with random pens and markers in it.  Those are my most-used "other" pens and markers and I keep them there for accessibility.

Each of the 4 cubes hooks together with one of these gadgets (included).

I have a small collection of refills (which I buy as I need them) and they go in these drawers.  I also have a drawer with all my Spica glitter pens and Sakura glitter pens.

When I use a new patterned paper pad for the first time, I jot down the Copic color matches right on the cover.  That saves me time for future uses of the paper.  Why reinvent the wheel EVERY time you use the paper?

These are the colors I typically use for skin.  Sherrie Siemens (fellow DT member) suggested these in a video I watched of hers. 

This is my favorite combo for blonde hair.  I use a ton of different combos for brown hair and don't have a specific "go to".

For shading around an image, these are my most-used markers.

My favorite, but infrequently used technique is to color one portion of an image, douse a wide piece of grosgrain ribbon with blender solution, and then lay it over the colored area and press.  That creates a fun texture on the colored area.  You can achieve a similar effect with other materials.  It's fun.  You should give it a shot.  :)  I keep a piece of wide, zebra-striped grosgrain in one of the "empty" compartments of my X-Cube.  You can see it if you look closely.  :) 
Some examples (and a tutorial) can be found in the posts below:

• Texture tutorial using denim fabric
• Example using twill tape ribbon
• Another example using denim fabric to texturize jeans
• Another example using twill tape ribbon

Thanks for stopping by today!  Don't forget to go visit the rest of the team.  You'll find the links on the MFT Blog.