Everyone in childhood might have used color markers. Remember those old-school days when you would draw different pictures using crayons, markers, and watercolors? Perhaps you had a good collection of vibrant color pens for drawing as a kid.
While we generally relate markers to childhood, they come in handy if you are an artist or making sketches is your hobby.
Art markers are helpful for everyone, from children to professional artists. They offer bright, bold colors and stunning pigmentation, bringing magic and life to your artwork.
There could be many reasons to use them. One of those reasons is that they are highly portable and easy to use. Just open the cap and start coloring wherever you want. Another advantage of using them is that they need very little maintenance.
With different types and various options available in the market, it becomes overwhelming for beginner artists to make the right choice for them. In this article, we have collated a list of the 10 best color markers you can consider buying.
Types of Color Markers
1. Alcohol-Based Markers
Perfect for professional artists and adult coloring books, alcohol-based pens deliver consistent strokes and dry out very quickly. They do not create any mess even if they get in contact with water. This helps artists take a sigh of relief even if a few drops of water fall on their artwork accidentally.
These are the best choice if you need a flat permanent finish for your drawings. Additionally, the colors go well with others to create a perfect eye-catching color blend.
While buying them, consider their lightfastness. The lightfast ink works well on thick and thin paper and preserves its brightness over time.
2. Watercolor Markers
These are one of the best markers for coloring. They are brush-tip pens with just water, and ink in the pen, ideal for children. They are inexpensive, non-toxic, and washable. Watercolor inks provide the same finish as watercolor paints.
Also, they provide blending opportunities, allowing one to mix different pigments and create a fantastic hue on the paper.
3. Permanent Markers
They are alcohol-based and permanent inks, ideal for adult craft projects on wood, metal, rocks, and other surfaces.
The best feature is that these colors don’t smear, making them a perfect choice for creating crafts that can be sold.
While these ink pens are durable and preserve their vibrancy, they are not perfect for blending.
4. Gel Pens
They are similar to watercolor pens but are colors mixed with water-based gel. Once you use these ink pens and they dry completely, they cannot be washed off.
Gel pens are perfect for artists, providing more vibrant colors and textures. You can find metallic, glitter, pastel, and many other inks.
Furthermore, these coloring pens are available in fine nibs and thick brush tips to create thin or thick lines.
5. Brush Markers
These markers for artists are different from the above ones. They have a synthetic fiber tip that resembles a brush. There is no need to dip the tip into colors and then make strokes on paper. The brush tip directly feeds the colors. Most of them are available in felt tips that create thick brush strokes.
6. Dual-Tip Markers
These are cost-effective markers with a thick brush tip on one end and a fine tip on the other. So, with just a single pen, you can create thick and thin lines.
How to Choose Color Markers?
Before choosing markers, understanding what exactly you want in them is essential. Because you will certainly not want to spend a lot on things you don’t enjoy.
If you plan to buy them from a shop, you can try them on paper and select the best one. But if you are considering buying them online, you must consider the following factors:
1. The Size and Design
While drawing or coloring, it is essential to feel comfortable holding the pen or marker. If you do so, the outcome will undoubtedly be perfect.
Choosing the one that fits you is crucial as makers come in different sizes and shapes. Further, they have different sizes and shapes of tips – fine, medium, and broad.
The following are the markers based on their tips’ shapes:
- Bullet: It is similar to what you get with the regular ink pen. As it has a round tip, it best suits both coloring and writing, allowing you to draw smooth lines.
- Brush: Color pens with brush tips are generally helpful in calligraphy. You can find these tips from soft to firm and choose what is more comfortable.
- Chisel: It has a flat and slanted end, commonly seen in highlighters. You get two angles to create broad and thin lines, making it suitable for calligraphy and coloring.
2. Range of Colors
Color markers are generally available in different colors, though many are available as a single piece. While purchasing, check the range of colors covered by the set of color pens within the affordable budget.
3. Lightfastness
It is the property of a colorant, such as a dye or a pigment, that describes its resistance to fading when exposed to sunlight. Make sure that the pigment will not discolor with exposure to light.
Generally, lower-end alcohol and watercolor ink pens are not lightfast.
10 Best Color Markers for Beginner and Professional Artists
1. Prismacolor Premier Double-Ended Art Markers
Product Ratings: 4.7/5
These dual-ended art markers help you get entire control over your designs. One has a fine tip, while the other has a chisel tip. Hence, you can create lines of 4 widths with each ink pen. Additionally, you can quickly switch between precision and coverage.
The alcohol-based ink provides rich-color saturations, helping you attain the quality of colors like professional artists. It resists fading, allowing your artwork to preserve its color quality for a long time. No matter which end you use, both of them provide consistent colors.
Get this marker set in different colors – Cool Greys, Mid-Tones, Pastels, Hyper-Brights, Manga, and Assorted. Each set includes 12 pieces.
You can buy the product from here.
2. Crayola Brush & Detail Dual Tip Marker Set
Product Ratings: 4.7/5
These dual-tip coloring pens are the perfect gift for artists and crafters. They make writing, drawing, calligraphy, and coloring easy. Also, they are non-toxic and safe for individuals aged above 9.
One end has a brush tip, while the other has an ultra-fine tip. Hence, you can stroke thick and thin lines with a single pen.
Furthermore, a single ink pen has two vibrant complementary colors, each on one tip, making it versatile. Each set comes with 8 counts, i.e., 16 vibrant colors. They are organized in a decorative case, allowing them to stay pristine between uses.
You can buy the product from here.
3. Copic Sketch, Alcohol-based Markers
Product Ratings: 4.7/5
Ink pens from Copic Sketch are ultra-blendable, non-toxic, and alcohol-based. Developed in Japan, they are created with rigorous quality control. They are ideal for various fields, such as design, illustrations, and fine art.
The fast-dying, alcohol-based, and non-toxic ink will not harm the paper, allowing it to preserve its smoothness. Also, the has an extremely low odor. The oval barrel shape makes it comfortable for anyone to use.
They are dual-tip with a super brush nib and a medium broad nib. You can use the brush nib for shading, blending, and drawing thick and thin strokes. On the other hand, a broad nib helps you add intricate details to your designs.
The ink refill is replaceable. Once it finishes, you can replace it with another rather than buying new pens.
Furthermore, Copic Sketch markers are ACMI-certified and conform to ASTM D-4236. It is a set of 12 pieces containing primary and basic colors – Black, Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue, Ultramarine, Light Blue, Forest Green, Yellow Green, Lemon Yellow, Chrome Orange, Vermilion, Pink, and Violet.
You can buy the product from here.
4. Ohuhu Alcohol Brush Markers
Product Ratings: 4.8/5
The product combines alcohol-based dual-tip markers and fine-liner drawing pens. Whether coloring a book or sketching an art piece, you get a wide range of colors.
Dual-tip markers are available in 48 different vibrant colors, with one end as a brush tip and the other as a wide chisel tip. Use the brush tip for calligraphy and a wide chisel tip for coloring large areas.
Fine-liner drawing pens come with different tip sizes – 0.05 – 0.2mm, 0.1 – 0.25mm, 0.2 – 0.3mm, 0.3 – 0.35mm, 0.5 – 0.45mm, 0.7 – 0.5mm, 1.0 – 1m, and B – Brushes.
The alcohol-based ink dries completely, allowing you to create your masterpiece smudge-free. Pen caps come with color codes, helping you pick the desired color quickly, and they keep tips safe from drying out.
This set of pens is perfect for everyone, from calligraphers to writers, artists, illustrators, and cartoonists.
You can buy the product from here.
5. Artist’s Loft Watercolor Markers Dual Tip
Product Ratings: 4.7/5
Purely intended for arts and crafts, watercolor markers from Artist’s Loft are the best bet for doodling, drawing, coloring, and sketching.
These watercolor inks have dual tips – a flexible brush tip and a 1 mm bullet tip. They are non-toxic, free from acids, odorless, and comply with ASTM D-4236. The vibrant and highly pigmented colors are resistant to fading. They offer blending opportunities, allowing you to give your artwork a different look and touch.
Choose from 4 different color sets, which vary based on the count of items – 6, 12, 24, and 48.
You can buy the product from here.
6. Shuttle Art Dual-Tip Alcohol-Based Art Markers
Product Ratings: 4.5/5
It is a blend of 279 dual-tip alcohol-based markers and one colorless blender. One end has a 7 mm broad tip, and the other has a 1 mm pointed bullet tip. With the broad tip, you can color a large area, while the bullet tip can be used for highlighting, general writing, and sketching.
The most admirable feature of this product is that it is known for 300 meters of continuous use. In addition, you get various other products – 2 micro-tip pens, 3 white highlighter pens, 1 marker pad, 1 color chart, 1 storage bag with holders, 1 pen case, and product instructions.
Remember that the tip should not be on the paper long to prevent ink bleeding. The entire set is non-toxic and acid-free, making it ideal for students, kids, artists, and adults.
The markers conform to ASTM-D4236 and have a unique quadrilateral-shaped barrel. Also, they provide blending opportunities, allowing you to layer one color over another and create an unlimited color palette.
You can buy the product from here.
7. ARTEZA Dual Tip Brush Pens
Product Ratings: 4.4/5
These watercolor calligraphy markers have dual tips, where one end has a flexible nylon brush and the other has a medium chisel tip. They are a perfect fit for your hand-lettering skills, such as calligraphy.
Use a medium chisel tip for broader strokes and detailed lines and a brush tip to draw thick and thin strokes. You can find 12 vibrant colors to create a mood and atmosphere in your artwork. The water-based ink blends easily with other colors and is highly soluble.
These markers are available in 4 styles – Vintage, Pastel, Earth, and Bright and Neon tones.
You can buy the product from here.
8. Molotow One4All 127HS Acryl Marker Display-Set Complete
Product Ratings: 4.7/5
The 70 marker pens (68 pens with 2 mm and 2 pens with 1mm tips) with assorted colors are premium acrylic-based pigment paints suitable for every surface. This acrylic-based paint is high-covering, UV, and weather-resistant for the highest opacity.
Further, the paint is solvent-free and dilatable with water or acetone. The tips are also exchangeable. This set includes some prominent colors: Zinc Yellow, DARE Orange, Traffic Red, burgundy, neon pink, shock Blue Middle, grasshopper, signal White, true blue, petrol, and Violet dark.
You can buy the product from here.
9. Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers
Product Ratings: 4.8/5
Get a fine bullet tip and a brush tip in a single pen. The brush tip has a flexible and resilient nylon fiber brush that is durable and retains its original shape even after long and extensive use. You can create medium and bold strokes with changing the pressure on the brush.
The fine bullet tip is ideal for drawing fine lines, providing detailed intricacies to your artwork. It is substantial and robust and does not break even after extensive use.
Furthermore, the water-based ink is blendable, mixing two colors and creating a new vibrant pigment. It is odorless, non-toxic, acid-free, nonbleeding, and conforms to ASTM D 4236.
There are around 20 different sets available that vary in colors, with each set having 10 pens (9 colored and 1 colorless). They are perfect for hand lettering, drawing, rubber stamping, illustration, doodling, and fine artwork.
You can buy the product from here.
10. SAKURA Koi Coloring Brush Pens
Product Ratings: 4.6/5
These dye-based coloring brush pens make your artwork easy and with no mess, providing a similar finish as an artist’s brush. Simply apply different amounts of pressure on the nib and get thin, medium, and bold strokes.
Further, the nib is durable, as it is made of nylon. Also, it is flexible and springs back quickly to its original shape.
The ink is solvent-based and odorless and allows for the blending and layering of colors. A colorless blender helps you create color gradations and seamless washes.
You get this set of 12 markers in a high-quality, translucent storage box from the art bin. Colors include red, pink, pale orange, orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue, sky blue, purple, brown, and black. Use them for coloring, illustration, journaling, sketching, rubber stamping, architectural drawings, and manga comic art.
You can buy the product from here.
Conclusion
These were our top picks for different types of markers, ideal for beginner and professional artists. They are go-to options and the perfect fit for any artist’s arsenal.
Many of them are dual-tip, with one end ideal for comprehensive coverage when coloring and the other for managing the detailed intricacies in your artwork. Also, most of them allow you to layer and blend colors, enabling you to combine several hues to create new pigments.
Ultimately, the choice depends on the artists and their requirements. Choosing markers with odorless, acid-free, and non-toxic ink is essential. Also, ensure that the ink is resistant to fading when exposed to light and retains its vibrancy for a long time.
We hope this article has helped you find the best color markers. If you use any other besides the ones mentioned above, let us know in the comments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kind of markers do artists use?
Artists primarily use alcohol-based markers, as they are easily blendable, allowing them to create different shades of pigments.
2. Are markers safe for kids?
Markers with non-toxic and acid-free ink are safe for kids. Preferably choose water-based ink pens, as they are safe and easily washable.
3. Which is better for drawing – a pencil or a marker?
Generally, a pencil is used for drawing and a marker for coloring. However, you can use a marker even for drawing a doodle or a mandala art. Ensure to choose one with a fine bullet tip to draw detailed designs.
4. What is the difference between fine and brush tips?
For durability, a brush tip has a brush-like tip made of different materials, especially nylon. It is perfect for creating bold strokes and coloring in designs. On the flip side, a fine tip has a minimal and pointed tip ideal for drawing thin lines and detailed intricacies of designs.
