X-Press It Cardstock: Too expensive or totally worth it?

Is the most expensive marker paper a total rip off? Let's take a look through the microscope to find out why X-Press It Blending Card is unique and different. Is this paper right for you? Are there any good substitutes?
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#alcoholmarkers #realisticart #artinstruction

[@AmyShulke]

More XPI info in the resource article here: markernovice.com/best-paper/xpressit-blendingcard and don't miss my first paper review-ish video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHXIaHtqatOeoMk

[@colouringchemist]

Love that you looked into the chemistry behind the paper!

[@AmyShulke]

Hahaha. Geeks gotta geek.

[@pugs_rock]

This was such a thorough and informative video, thank you SO much! Your explanation was well delivered. I firmly believe in quality. You just earned a subscriber! Thanks!

[@AmyShulke]

Awesome! Glad it rang true with you and thanks for subscribing!

[@karenwatkins4987]

I started using Copic on a SU paper and wasn't as successful as I wanted to be. I took one of your classes and bought some XPI. It made a big difference. It takes less time and effort to blend. Thank you taking the time to share your experience with different paper. It helps to know the whys.

[@AmyShulke]

That's great to hear. Sometimes it's not you, it's the paper! I've got another brand of paper in this Friday's video. I'm expecting fewer warm fuzzies in the comment section for that one. Batten down the hatches.

[@cherij9008]

Worth it!! I've tried Neenah & couldn't blend.

[@AmyShulke]

I've tried it too. I was not impressed. Nice card base, not great for markers.

[@danitamcdonald2227]

I really enjoy watching your videos. I am new to using markers and appreciate your teaching videos. I would like to see more videos with coloring florals explaining shading and highlights and why while you're coloring it. Also including each color that you're using. Thank you.

[@AmyShulke]

Great suggestion! Noted. BTW, I do have a group that colors a lot of florals here: vanilla-workshops.com/p/colorwonk

[@micronerdhs]

I've tried so many papers and now that my marker coloring is more advanced I can really tell the difference. I still love xpres it blending card for my work as long as I am not using pencils along with the project. Thank you for the chemistry lesson.

[@AmyShulke]

I wholeheartedly agree and I do the same thing. What paper do you switch to for markers + pencils?

[@micronerdhs]

I still use cryogen white as I bought a ream of 250 sheets a couple of years ago. I have bristol but haven't tried copics on it yet.

[@AmyShulke]

@@micronerdhs Lucky Duck!!!

[@jirikir]

Thank you for your honesty! It's so much more fun when the material cooperates. And it's far less frustrating. The price isn't that important to me if it does what it promises. Sometimes art supplies is pricey but not good only trendy and therefore overpriced. It's so disappointing and frustrating. I have so much pricey stuff because it is good... "No, not really" I have learned the hard way that product review videos are not always helpful. They only give you an idea of ​​the product. And if the person on the video says the trues maybe the quality. But you have to be careful sometimes they get paid for the review or they are enthusiastic about the product. So yes, you try it yourselft. I ordered the paper to test it. Greetings from Germany

[@AmyShulke]

Totally agree! I'm dealing with the "No not really" effect now as I'm working on the next video. I think you'll nod your head a lot as you watch it next week.

[@Miss_Nykki]

This breakdown made a lot of sense, thank you!

[@AmyShulke]

Thanks Nykki! Always happy to see your name in the comment section :) If you have topic suggestions, I'm all ears for you.

[@laurelbisson2220]

I have listened to many of your video's and I have learned some great info. Thank you. I have recently bought X Press It. I am a card maker and I look forward to trying it out. I plan to start with my Xmas cards that will be done with my copic markers.

[@AmyShulke]

That's great! Glad I could help. I always chuckle at how early card makers start their Christmas coloring. Then again, maybe coloring snow helps during a heat wave :)

[@bethmegansmith4642]

I am buying the Zeta sketch book you recommend and getting some Express it paper . for ciao Copic I have the 180 set thank you for your video’s Series on this really good food for thought .Thank you so much for sharing .xxx

[@AmyShulke]

So glad you found it useful. Do you have the ends marked somehow? I love that the Ciao have such large colorful caps but the lack of numbers on the cap is a deal breaker for me. Curious what you do.

[@bethmegansmith4642]

@@AmyShulke I use the for coloring in single side books .....Just brought from Amazon UK Express It Paper and the sketch Stillman & Birn Zeta Series. book to use Also scales and tweezers…. For years I seen Express Paper and thought Ahh too much , then got anther chapter pad …terrible paper. Thank you again xxx

[@gabriellab3368]

100% agree, why torment yourself. Buy it in bulk and be done with it

[@AmyShulke]

Bingo. Torment is a good word. Wait until you see next week's video. We know what works, if a sub worked as well, they'd charge the same price as the original it was mimicking. It's time to start valuing the products which encourage enjoyment and efficiency.

[@jacqueline-w6i]

But if you’re a card maker, you will spend a lot of pennies to buy the newest ‘must’ have. Because every one is…been there, done that. Now I have an overwhelming supply of stamps that is like card makers overload. It actually makes it difficult to craft cards because there are way too many choices. So seriously…forgo another stamp/die set, and you have the money for XPI. And marker refills.

[@AmyShulke]

LOL. You're right, card makers do collect a lot of everything. But I understand that paper doesn't sound nearly as fun or interesting as a new gadget or trendy medium. Nobody ever says "hey, what's that white paper you're using? It's soooooo cool!" Hahahaha

[@mindybaldwin2273]

This is so helpful! Thank you!

[@AmyShulke]

Glad it was helpful! If you try it, let me know what you think!

[@mindybaldwin2273]

@@AmyShulke I will! I’m a card maker, and I love coloring stamped images with my Copics. I use Neenah, but want to try this now.

[@AmyShulke]

Test it with red or a stubborn G combination. I think you'll like it. BTW, Neenah is on my list for an upcoming video. I totally understand why card makers gravitate towards it.

[@lap83199]

The only thing that I don’t like about XPI is that I just learned they offer different paper sizes but ONLY in Australia. 😢 XPI is awesome for blending and a great paper to learn on!

[@AmyShulke]

OMG, I KNOW!!! My ideal size is 12x12 so I would totally buy larger XPI if they offered it here.

[@Foxfire-chan]

This is crazy. I’m a digital artist now and the thing that drove me towards it when I was in middle school ages ago and was worrying about wasting money and art supplies and paper screwing up and not knowing how to do stuff as I learn. I even tried to find tutorials of how to do the things I wanted like blend and gradient but it never worked. I always just assumed my technique was sloppy or wrong despite following them as closely as I could. Maybe if I’d seen your videos growing up I would have stayed a traditional artist and not left for digital art. Your videos make me want to give marker and pencil crayon a try again even if it’s only just for fun on the side while digital art is more of my current priority.

[@AmyShulke]

I think the two worlds could work hand in hand for you. Even if it's something other than markers, doing anything on paper or canvas will help reorient you real world textures which naturally happen when pigment hits substrate... The tactile stuff kinda gets lost or sometimes oddly amplified when someone is digital only. The other thing that a tactile side-study would improve-- we don't have an undo button and we can't endlessly rework areas. You'd have a chance to sharpen your problem solving skills. How you choose to solve issues then informs your technical style, which would all find it's way back into your digital voice.

[@Angel_3md]

Hi Amy. Is there a recommended type of inkjet ink to print on xpi?

[@AmyShulke]

The printer in the video is actually a very old HP LaserJet Pro Mfp 277dw. It's a dinosaur but still works great with XPI. Laser printers use toner which is safer for Copic than ink. I haven't had an inkjet printer in well over a decade. It was also an HP... I think it was a PhotoJet or PhotoSmart???? It was Copic safe and printed on the old version of XPI nicely, but I have no idea about modern models. There's a list of Copic-safe printers pinned at the top of my group at Facebook. It's member submitted info so I don't know which are laser and which are ink printers. facebook.com/groups/markerpencil

[@RevJoan]

Does anyone know if "modern" X Press it holds up to water well enough to use watercolor or dye markers (like Tombow) on it and have time to blend them well? What about acrylic Posca? Any advice would be most appreciated!!!

[@AmyShulke]

@@RevJoan I use Posca on it but OVER layers of marker and pencil. I don’t think it will stand up to the friction of 2-3 layers of water pens or blending.

[@RevJoan]

@@AmyShulke Thanks for the quick answer! :)

[@rebeldown771]

I recently got some cheap markerpaper just to try it out, but I get this weird effect where the ink appears to pool on top and has these hard water-color like edges and didn't spread or blend. It felt akin to using markers on plastic, slick and squeaky. What's going on?

[@AmyShulke]

Ahhhh, you'll see this exact thing happen in my next video coming on Friday. Every paper has a saturation point, when you exceed what the fibers can hold, you get puddles.

[@rebeldown771]

@@AmyShulke Huh, I thought it was because it's coated and it wasn't penetrating at all. I'm not sure I like its performance

[@AmyShulke]

@@rebeldown771 I need to do a video about this soon but there's a difference between "marker" paper and "blending" paper. Blending is less than 20 years old meanwhile we've been using markers on marker paper since the 1950s. I can't say for sure about your paper without using it myself but what you're describing (especially the pooling) sounds exactly like paper for the quick sketches done by fashion designers, architects, and urban sketchers. Thin papers are not intended for blending or layering.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

I heard you say that XPI is archival. Is ‘archival’ the same as ‘lightfastness’? I hope my question isn’t a silly one, but are alcoholmarkers archival too? If not, what is the point of archival paper? In case of selling your work, I mean 😊

[@AmyShulke]

It's not a silly question at all. Archival paper is ph balanced so it does not yellow over time. Think about old newspapers and how amber they turn over time. XPI will stay white. Lightfast is different, meaning the color of the product will not fade with exposure to light. Alcohol markers are made with dye and dyes are not lightfast. Here's where it gets tricky though-- the cheaper brands of markers use dyes that fade faster (they're less expensive dyes because they fade). So while both Copic and Ohuhu are both not lightfast, The Copic inks take months or years to fade meanwhile my Ohuhu tests showed serious fading in just a week or two.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

@@AmyShulke thank you ☺️ I’m not a selling artist (yet), but sometimes I buy artwork from artists like myself. I know how much time they spend on it so I understand the prices of the piece. But… I would be bummed if the artwork fades after two years. You know what I mean?

[@AmyShulke]

@@Art_by_Nicole I totally get it. Markers were developed for disposable sketches as idea generation, so they never had to be lightfast. Now, marker art is best sold as prints and litho, not the fragile originals.

[@zaeerinko1787]

Great video as always! And yeah 💯 agree with you especially when it comes to hating on the pricier supplies… many videos show comparisons of 50$ vs 5$ pens etc… for example the ohuhu markers..oh they are cheaper and same level as copics…I have both and ohuhu NEVER worked for me… I wanted to like them I wasn’t bias to copics.. i wanted cheaper alternatives cause why not…but they are just cheap..in quality .. you can make them work but they take extra time and effort…

[@zaeerinko1787]

Plus its not the price that made me want to like ohuhu so bad..its the availability..ohuhu easier to find but for middle east.. its nearly impossible..the same goes for the x press it blending card papers..trying to find them for months but still not able to.

[@AmyShulke]

I totally understand the availability issues. Try looking for Transotype Perfect Colouring Paper. It's not available in the US anymore but I tried it back when it was available here under the name Holtz. It's close to XPI but not as calcium rich (I had it tested at the same time as XPI, just didn't use the data in this video). The ink dispersal and timing are different with Holtz and the calcium is not deeply embedded, but it's the closest I've found to XPI.

[@karenspann7583]

I found this very interesting. Quite a few things I did not know.

[@AmyShulke]

Cool! I know it seems a bit overboard to send marker paper out for chemical analysis but years of telling people "no, this paper really is different" hasn't helped much. Are you currently using XPI or do you have a another favorite? I'm collecting a list of favorites to cover in future episodes.

[@MxS1996]

For me it really depends on what I'm doing when I choose the paper for the markers I work with. I only use X-Press It Blending when I am doing professional works. However, I did use it in the beginning for personal work and I do still from time to time. For me is just all about the fun of creating so I do agree with you for those beginning stages that that's the one that should be used

[@AmyShulke]

100% agree. Thanks for watching!

[@MxS1996]

@@AmyShulke Thank you for providing your opinions! I'll certainly be checking out more of your stuff for other recommendations! I do appreciate your background as an illustrator turned art teacher too! I have tried a lot of those cheap brands that aren't really cheap as well as the more "upscale" brands and I found things that I like about them. I certainly enjoy some copics and Xpress-It Blending when I wanna do some serious realistic works or working on commissions, but I also enjoy the competitor Ohuhu with store brand Marker paper for just some slap happy silly works or practicing concepts. And I have used them both for several months. I think it's the experience I have just using them for me that has allowed me to enjoy both and pretty much relax, which has always been my goal for art. I think the only thing that I don't like is if I'm putting a lot of layers on things that it bleeds through to the back as I have had a lot of that happened even with the Xpress-It, though that may also just be my fault if I haven't figured out how to keep that from happening, but that hasn't deterred me from using it or any other papers that do something similar. That's just my experience though. And while it will always be fun to me to try out different markers, I will always love my Copics.

[@kimhargis6616]

I mean I get it. I don’t hate xpressit because of the cost. But xpressit and Bristol smooth always pill up on me (create little white bumps) when I color on it using copics. I tried hammermill because I was frustrated with my results, regardless of cost. Hammermill has performed amazing for me. I guess that’s why you say the same paper is not right for everyone :). Thanks for the great information on the video though!

[@AmyShulke]

Hi Kim. Can you please clarify because I'm genuinely confused. You're saying XPI and Bristol both pill on you... with Copics? What kind of technique are you using? In all my years of Copic, I've NEVER had pilling with either of those papers and I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around using enough layers to cause pilling. Last question... are you sure you're using Copics and not a waterbased marker???? I'd like to help if I can. Something doesn't add up.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

If the paper is too smooth you can’t create a lot of layers with pencil. Can you use some sort of fixative? So you can add pencil on top of the fixated part. I use a fixating mist-spray from Clairefontaine. On the label it says ‘pastel’ but according to company you can use it for pencils too. Oh wait, that can be a problem with the copics 🫣 Sorry.

[@AmyShulke]

LOL, you figured it out before I could answer. The alcohol propellant/solvent in most fixatives can damage Copic. I just plan my projects ahead of time and if I'm working on XPI, I do more with the markers. If I want a pencil-forward piece, then I switch to Strathmore Bristol or Fabriano Artistic watercolor paper.

[@joycehuff9769]

I enjoy the science in all your videos. I am kind of shocked on the reluctance people have to buy the correct paper. From the first time I tried copics I was told to use Xpress paper. I never really questioned this. I am also shocked that anyone thinks 50 cents for a piece of paper is expensive. I pay $1.00 per sheet. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@AmyShulke]

I hear ya. After years of buying watercolor paper and canvases before that, marker paper is nothing. So glad you found my channel and thanks for the feedback about the science. I tend to think that way but wasn't sure others would appreciate it.

[@AbiNomac]

Proud of Australian made. We do things well.

[@AmyShulke]

Good on ya!

[@AbiNomac]

@@AmyShulke - You replied with an Aussie saying. I LOVE IT.

[@AmyShulke]

You're lucky, the only other Aussie phrase I know is "That's not a knife..." which wasn't exactly appropriate for the situation.

[@angiadcock8196]

I don’t understand the block people have against buying good marker paper. They don’t do this with other mediums. They’re perfectly willing to buy watercolor paper and they dont try to use oil paint on copy paper. Just buy good paper and quit being weird about it. I’ve actually seen a serious artist say that they weren’t going to “play copic’s game” by using “special” paper. I just don’t get it.

[@AmyShulke]

My theory is that markers are just the beginning. We're already seeing a flood of cheap gouache imports and I think watercolorists did get pretty hard by the student grade and crafty sets. These companies won't stop until they've trashed the definition of artist-grade in every medium. Sadly, they won't stop until we stop buying it.

[@nullavitasinemusica1]

The paper isnt really a thing in Europe So i gotta pass unfortunately

[@AmyShulke]

@@nullavitasinemusica1 Which is ironic because it’s made in Germany.