Hi everyone! In this post I have decided to review some markers that I have been using for my designs. I thought it would be interesting to look into the ups and downs of each marker brand I use, and also compare prices (which is a big thing for me!). Feel free to skip over sections if you're not into a color group or just want to see the images. Scroll to the bottom for quick review of pricing!
I only picked out some markers from my collection and laid them out into sections by color schemes. I drew out blank boxes and filled them in completely to the border with each marker. This would allow to show how much the marker bleeds, if it's grainy, along with other things. I also made sure to write out the brand, color number, and name of the marker being used. Later on I will also list out prices of each marker to see how the quality compares to the price.
As a disclaimer, I want to say that my squares aren't perfect, and these are just rough swatches of all the colors. I tried my best to stay within the lines - to analyze for bleeding purposes - but for one or two I will point out I did an accidental marking.
GROUP #1: NEUTRALS
One thing I noticed with a lot of the markers is that they would bleed into the pen outline. Using pencil might have been better, but for these purposes I wanted the outline of the box to be visible.
TIP: Usually when drawing you would slightly erase harsh pencil lines (preferably with a kneaded eraser) before using marker, so that the pencil wouldn't smudge into the color as it did here. The eraser I use is linked above - great for picking up eraser shavings.ANOTHER TIP: Use H pencils instead of HB to reduce smudging before going in with the marker. I usually use 3H. First trend I noticed was that the felt tip markers bled more with the pen compared to the regular marker tip. However, I believe you have more control and precision with the felt tip, compared to the bulky regular marker tip. Looking specifically at the Prismacolors, they seem to be more patchy compared to the other brands - you can see this above in colors Brick Beige and Walnut.
I have always known for the Chartpak Ad Markers to bleed a lot (a lot!) more than other markers I have used. Their smell is also very strong. But looking at these first colors, you can clearly see how it doesn't leave any grainy or patchy texture (look at Sunset Pink and Dark Tan). I just love love how smooth those two colors look. For this group I think I'm gonna go with Chartpak!
GROUP #2: PINKS/REDS
Next group is the pinks and reds. I love all of these bright colors! It would be great to compare the exact same colors throughout different brands, but these are the most similar ones I have on me. At first glance, I think it is clear that the Scarlet pops out the most. Once again you can see no grainy texture compared to the Process Red Light (accidental bleeding on that one). But... I do have to say that I like the texture of the Felt Prismacolors better, because it appears smoother than the regular marker tip.
I was quite surprised when I swatched the Chartpak marker, because usually when I am drawing my designs, I have to be very careful with those and watch out for bleeding.
TIP: Test out your markers on a spare piece of marker paper first to see how they behave. If you notice the marker bleeds and spreads out more than you drew, then when you are coloring your designs, do not color all the way to the border. Do it slowly and the marker will spread out to your desired state. Marker paper that I use is linked above!For this group, I think I am going to have to go with Prismacolor (felt) Raspberry & Chartpak Scarlet as my favorites!
GROUP #3: BLUES/GREENS
I decided to group these two sections together because they give me similar vibes. I think with these colors, you can start to notice more bleeding going on from the Chartpak Ad Markers in the colors Linden Green & Electric Blue.
Although I love the Violet Blue & Aquamarine colors, I can't get over how rough and blotchy the outcome looks. I prefer a more smooth look when drawing my designs, but it also depends on what you're going for. Prismacolor Violet Blue would be perfect for drawing denim.
TIP: to get a perfect denim texture on your drawings, find a small piece of stray denim fabric that you can use. Color in first the darker regions (shadows) of the jeans, for example. Then place the denim fabric underneath your marker paper, and slowly pass over a colored pencil of the same marker color in order to get the exact same denim texture on your drawing! Do this on the lighter areas and you can pass over a light blue or white pencil on the darker areas. I was surprised about how good the Grass Green looked compared to the other Prismacolors. I also love the texture and soft color that the Artist's Loft Key Lime gives off. For this group I'm going choose Artist's Loft Key Lime & Prismacolor Grass Green as my faves!
GROUP #4: PURPLESSSS
This definitely made me realize that I need more purple markers :/ . For some reason I'm not loving the tones of these markers. But that could just be me! I'm definitely more into brighter colors that pop. The one that stands out to me the most would be the Prismacolor (felt) Violet. The first two Chartpak swatches (the first one I accidentally drew over on the bottom) are quite grainy compared to the other colors - maybe because they are lighter than the rest. If you look very very closely you can also see slight bleeding into the grooves of the marker paper with little lines (on the Chartpak Lilac).
The Prismacolor Violet Dark is not to bad either! Even though it isn't felt, I think it's a good quality that doesn't bleed as much. For this group I'm going to choose Prismacolor overall!
GROUP #6: GREYS/BLACKS (LAST ONE)
These colors I use very often especially for hair, and just because I love black pieces of clothing! Right away I immediately notice how dark the Cool Gray #10 is. I just can't get over how solid and dark it is. This can come as a bad or good thing as well.
TIP: When coloring black pieces of clothing, or anything black in general, make sure to build up first with a lighter grey (can have blue/purple undertones) in order to achieve better shading!Despite the good quality of the Chartpak markers, here you can definitely see a lot of bleeding going on. I think I have noticed that bleeding is much more visible on the darker or brighter colors.
Even though the Prismacolor Cool Grey 50% is slightly patchy, I think I'm going to have to go with this one because of the color and no marker bleeding!
PRICING
Now for a general look at pricing! These markers are definitely sold for cheaper when you buy bigger sets, but we're just going to take a look at individual prices and compare. If you click on the prices I have linked the websites to the markers.
PRISMACOLOR DOUBLE ENDED MARKERS : $4.09
PRISMACOLOR DOUBLE ENDED FELT MARKERS: $4.09
CHARTPAK AD MARKERS: $4.15
ARTIST'S LOFT MARKERS: $3.99
COPIC SKETCH MARKERS: $5.85All of the markers I have used are in the range of $3 to $6. Personally I have always thought Copic Markers were on the more expensive side, and as you can see I have avoided purchasing them (I only have 1 so far). I have been recently buying more Artist's Loft Markers because of their price, and because I could get so much more of them compared to buying other brands!
What I suggest is test out what feels right for you! My opinion here might be completely different from yours, but I hope this has helped guide you somehow. Maybe you are the type of person to spend more on a marker and that's great! Throughout my experience Copic Markers have been known as one of the best quality - I have just decided to stick with others.
That's all I have to write about. To those of you who read this far, I hope you liked it! Feel free to check out the rest of my website or contact me. Keep posted for more blogs to come!
~ Isabel
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