Marker Lessons

Many types of markers are available on the market today and for good reason. No matter the type, markers are easy to use and carry around. They allow the artist to create in any circumstances and in any location.

This tutorial is dedicated specifically to alcohol-based markers. As their name suggests, the color (dye) of these markers is suspended in alcohol, making it a fast evaporating solvent.

An advantage of alcohol-based markers is their ability to make smooth gradients of color. You don’t need to add water to blend colors, as would be necessary in the case with water-based markers. In today’s post, you’ll learn an easy way to create beautiful gradients, which can be a challenge for water-based markers.

Another plus of this medium is that you can use markers in a combination with other supplies – for example, colored pencils. It opens up a completely new world of possibilities!

The first part of this tutorial is theoretical. We’ll talk about choosing your first set of markers and explore some basic techniques. Then we’ll apply all the knowledge to a quick and fun project. If you’re interested in the practical part, feel free to skip down the page. Let’s begin!

Like all of the other forms of art media, there are many brands of alcohol-based markers to choose from. Here are some of them:

• Copic

• Touch

• Winsor&Newton

• Spectrum Noir

• Prismacolor Premier

• Finecolour

I bet you’ve heard of at least one of those names. However, the list of all existing brands, including the local ones, would be excessively long.

Perhaps the most popular question that beginner artists have is “what brand of markers should I choose?” There are so many different opinions. I’m afraid that there isn’t a perfect answer. Choosing any artistic tool requires doing some research and experimentation.

We won’t be conducting a comparative review of art products that exist on the market today. Instead, we’ll cover the basics of how alcohol-based markers are used, since most of the brands listed above all behave in a similar way.

The common rule of thumb is that investing in a qualitative product pays off. It allows you getting better results and having a more pleasant experience in general.

On one hand, the safest option may be choosing a well-known brand with a strong reputation. Most likely, the prices on their products are closer to the higher end. You can be sure that the components of their markers are safe and non-toxic. Such brands usually have a well-thought collection of colors. Moreover, they give you an option to buy refills, which is a nice thing.

However, the quality difference between very expensive and budget markers have significantly decreased in recent years. You can still create stunning works of art with inexpensive markers.

Many products that are moderately priced also have a wide range of colors. In addition, you can refill their markers – no need to buy new ones.

When beginning your collection of markers, pay attention to inscriptions stamped on the cap or body of each marker. For some brands, there is a letter (or two letters) and some numbers.

Letters indicate the color family. For example, B is for Blue, V is for Violet, and BV is Blue-Violet. You can easily continue the row by guessing other examples…

• R – Red

• Y – Yellow

• G – Green

• RV – Red-Violet

• YR – Yellow-Red

• YG – Yellow-Green

• BG – Blue-Green

Letter E may cause confusion, but the answer is quite simple. E is for the Earth tones.

Many brands provide a naming system that is logically sound. In this case, you can see the connection between the increasing or decreasing numbers and changes in the color’s saturation and brightness. In other cases, the given numbers seem rather random, so you have to rely on the swatches.