Illustration Friday “Capable” Copic Markers

Cape a Bull With Copic Markers at The Slumbering Herd

“Capable” for Illustration Friday this week, where 104 entries have already been posted.

Yes, this entry is quite silly. I saw some other folks had gone with the cape concept, so I had to crank it up a notch! I think (again) this one is overly busy. Arggh! What I’ve been aiming for is ‘neat and intricate’, but where I have been landing is ‘overworked and confused’. But I’ll keep trying.

Here’s how it happened:

Cape a Bull Sketch

Cape a Bull Liquid Frisket, Ink 1

Cape a Bull Ink 2

Cape a Bull Ink 3

Cape a Bull With Copic Markers

A decent effort but definitely overworked. And I don’t love this color combination quite as much as I’d hoped. Next time I’d go with browns instead of blues. I’m often worried that browns are too subdued but 1. sometimes subdued is good, and 2. I really do have a lot of different browns and I generally like it when I go that way. And so ends today’s ramble!

The font is Ugly Qua. Thank you for your visit!

78 thoughts on “Illustration Friday “Capable” Copic Markers”

  1. San

    This is hilarious and I truly like the colors and the patterns. And it is so interesting to see your process. Mind if I ask what kind of paper you use? Whenever I use my Copic Ciao markers they bleed out and I have those streaks. And how long does it take you to do such a picture?

    Thank you for stopping by and your nice comment on my capable Muffin Paper.

    Enjoy your weekend.

    1. The Beast Tender Post author

      Hello! The paper I am using is Canson Comic and Manga Drawing Pad, a smooth 150 lb. paper (it’s not perfect, the markers can feather a bit). I was using Bee Company Artist Marker pad but at 110 lb. the liquid frisket I have been experimenting with buckles the paper. Streaks are almost a given with markers, but I find that using a circular motion when filling large areas, along with adding several layers, helps reduce streaks. This bull probably took about 5 hours, at a guess. Thank you for stopping in and leaving a nice comment!

  2. Kim

    I love the wordplay and matching illustration. Very fun and funny. I like seeing the process too. I understand what you mean about colors and feeling like it’s overworked, but this piece doesn’t looked overworked at all to me and I like the colors here. It’s beautiful!

  3. Sheri McClure-Pitler

    I disagree! I don’t think it looks overworked. It looks interestingly detailed. I love the contrast of the bull’s orange-brown color against the fushia cape. Also the look in his eyes, like “Are you kidding me w/ this cape? Do you know I’m a bull?” The circle background is a nice touch that really makes the bull the center of attention and makes him pop.

  5. Mary Walker

    I like your take on this weeks theme it took me a minute to make the connection of the Cape I thought it was his name at first. Cool new animal character.

  6. ALMI Art

    Thanks for your comments on my work! Decided to check out your site, and WOW…these are beautiful! I have used copic markers, but hated them – clearly I must have been using them wrong. I should try again sometime. I actually like the color combination, perhaps a rust brown background would have made you like your color scheme more. I love the pattern on the cloth, a less-busy pattern on the ox might make it feel less “over-worked.” Although, honestly, I thought it was lovely.

  7. Rebecca

    Thanks so much for your kind comment on my blog. I love this guy! And I think the color combo is quite nice; though, after perusing your work a bit (LOVE it) and seeing your more monochromatic and neutral-toned work, I understand why this might feel like a bit much. Still fantastic! I adore the detail and line work!

  8. Barbara DiLorenzo

    I love this painting! Actually, when I first went to this page, I thought it was a mistake, because this looked like a published book cover to me. Very beautiful and unique style.

  13. Jolly mongoose

    LOL, good idea! I like the cape the most but I also like the whole effect of the repeated pattern :-)

  16. Irina Lib

    Wow. This is amazing! It took me a second to get the play on words – very clever. I love the detail and thank you for showing and explaining your process. I am very new to markers and find them extremely difficult to work with.

  20. Rod

    Great take on the word Cindy…Nice work..I like this bull…I think it’s a pity a few more people didn’t put a cape over bulls to comfort them rather than wave it in front of them.

  26. Priscilla

    I love the play on words you used there, very funny :D I really love your work with markers, being a marker novice myself I rather envy you :) Nice work!

  27. Caroline

    Love it! Really nice work with the markers. I actually also love the second version when the bull is white and the cape is pink =)

    So nice that you share your process!

  29. Karen Sagovac

    This one is fantastically amazing! (descriptive words are bit slow this morning…) Love how he is looking at me as if to say “What the hell has she put on my back?!” He was probably OK with it until you added the flowers… Love it, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! (imagine the last LOVE IT in bold…)!!

    1. The Beast Tender Post author

      Haha, thank you. You’re right he is exasperated, but he is also very patient, and he is used to it. You see, he was once a popular model for the magazine “Bully for Fashion”, (tragically discontinued about 1993).

  35. nik

    lol…love the play on words!
    I think he’s a smartly dressed fellow, wouldn’t change a thing. The colors, patterns and details are vivid and well balanced in my humble (and amateur) opinion.
    Perhaps the start of an animal-based Zodiac series sometime down the road? Maybe use a Virgin Queen Bee for Virgo, a snake (for scales) for Libra, twin Panda cubs for Gemini…?
    Many thanks for taking the time to document the steps and details! :)

  36. tatjana

    nice play on words, my family had suggested someone with a cape, but the bull is perfect. I liked seeing your process, the expression of the bull is great.

  39. ALMI Art

    Thanks for visiting my blog again – would you be interested in joining a Moleskine Exchange (you buy a Moleskine sketchbook and then the group sends the books to each other, adding art to a few pages every time you get a book). Once the books are full you send them back to their original starters. I think your style would be awesome in an exchange. Let me know if you would want to do it. If you have Flickr I started a discussion there too: http://www.flickr.com/groups/moly_x/discuss/72157629466910229/ I hope you are interested!

  41. erin

    Cindy, this is great. Reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull, one of my favorite stories. The only reason you beat me to the “cape” punch (or should I say pun) is because of all the work you put into your illustrations, my doodles only take a couple of seconds.

  43. Creations By Mit

    Love the vivid colors & the fun patterns, in combination with the bold black lines. Especially like the highlights in the bull. Not overworked at all in my opinion. Really consistent with your unique style! Love it!!

  44. crotchety comics

    He certainly is! And he’s stylin’ hard with that get up.

    On another note, it’s way too complicated leaving comments here. I had to complete 4 required fields.

    I’m exhausted :)

  45. AshleyRose

    This is fantastic, Cindy. You always do such fantastic work but I must say that I’m super impressed with this one. I agree that it doesn’t look overworked to me at all. The colors and swirly texture are (as usual) fabulous!

  46. Alicia Gorecki

    Cindy – I’d like to add my compliments to the work, Really lovely. I enjoyed the process pics as well..and looking through many of your other posts. Gorgeous patterns, “characters”, and colors! Great work!

  47. Gay McKinnon

    Cindy, I’m back, I didn’t get lost in the wilderness! Love this very regal looking bull with his fab cape (is he SuperBull??) After two weeks of no internet, I am ploughing through 222 junk emails and about 350 real ones, so heaven knows when I’ll post some artwork – soon, I hope! Someone came into the gallery and told me about this superb white smooth synthetic paper recently. It’s sort of plastic and non absorbent and is called YUPO or something like that. She was going to leave me a sample so I can test it with ink. It might be good for markers too.

    1. The Beast Tender Post author

      Good to hear from you, Gay! Eek, your email box sounds dreadful. (But maybe better that way than empty!) Thanks for the tip, I will look into it!

  48. denthe

    This looks great and not overworked at all! And I like the color combination too. Great to see the transformation to the finished product!

  50. The Beast Tender Post author

    Wow, so many awesome comments. Thank you to everyone! In a few cases folks don’t leave their web address so I can’t visit back, but otherwise I try to visit everyone. It makes such a great community!

    And apologies about my complicated comment verification process. I picked a WordPress option that had a lot of good feedback, and it has worked 100% (no spam), but I would like my place to be user friendly so I will see if I can find another option.

  51. mardi speth

    Holy cow! Er, I mean bull. Judging by the overwhelming response you’ve received for this post, I’d say you have a big hit on your hands! It’s PERFECT as is, Cindy. I think the ‘overworked’ (as you put it) works perfectly well with this word. Carry on!

  55. Kim S

    The cape looks like velvet. This is not overworked – it is just right.

    Thank you for the nice comments on my blog. Sigmund thanks you too.

  57. paula

    Thanks for your comment on my blog, Cindy. Clever play on words! And a LOT of work was put into this illustration! I struggle with picking colors, too. I think it looks good. It’s hard to see things when we hover over our own pieces as long as we do.

  58. Curious Art

    Ahahahaha! I’m a sucker for a pun. This fellow actually does look capable of doing some serious damage, as well… I wouldn’t write him off just because he likes to dress up in pink!

    One of my favorites!

  62. Dave Finley

    I don’t think it’s overworked at all. Somehow, it just all comes together. Love the color combos and the rendering of the figure. Those swirling patterns are lovely.

  67. Beth Parker

    This is really wonderful, Cindy! I don’t know how I missed this post, but I was looking at the Horse n’ Hound artwork, thinking that they looked like very “capable” leaders of the table tennis club. Then I saw the link for previous post. He he That’s how I got here. I love the play on words and your beautiful Cape A Bull. :)

  68. Vicki

    I am indeed impressed with the number of comments people have left for you! But I can see why. Love your rich, vibrant color palette and subject matter. Very inviting.

  73. Mike

    Thanks for visiting!

    I think your work is fantastic. I really like the texture and graphic elements you incorporate. And, I dig that you show your process.

    Thanks for sharing!

  74. bella sinclair

    HAHAHAHA! Oh, I LOVE it! And overworked? Noooooooo. It’s gorgeous. Looks like jewelry. No really. The oranges and pinks, and the way you have shaded it just perfectly….looks like gems!

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