All About Sketching Marker Sets
The richer the color palette, the more opportunities it gives to implement the artist's ideas. With sketching markers, you can sketch and sketch on a variety of surfaces. The main selection criteria are the number of pieces, the possibility of refueling and changing nibs, the basis of the filler and the type of tips.
Advantages and disadvantages
Marker kits for sketching are intended for the work of designers, illustrators and other representatives of related specialties. This painting technique involves a fast paced rendering of various objects. Markers are analogs of 6-piece children's felt-tip pens for drawing, but at the same time they are more professional, can be refueled, and also have a high quality body assembly.
These tools are very practical in the process of creating artwork, as they do not get your hands dirty, and do not require the use of paints, unlike conventional brushes. Plus, professional sketching markers can be conveniently stored and transported. Due to its light weight and compact size, the set can be taken with you on a trip.
As a disadvantage, the relatively high cost of the kits can be noted. Also, some models may not have refillable ink and wear out quickly.
What are they?
Professional kits are classified by color palette, shape, tip thickness and filler base. Sketch markers for designers and illustrators come in a wide variety of shades. Typically, a color wheel contains 120 to 500 pieces. Markers look like this: they consist of a body, an inner part with ink and a nib. Kits are usually supplied in a case or branded case.Gift sets include a wide palette for the discerning artist, with 64, 200, 268 or 300 colors.
There are markers based on alcohol, water and acrylic paint. Similar to watercolors, professional tools let you create tonal transitions and paint gradients. The first two are semi-transparent and the last is opaque, so when a new layer is applied, the color will overlap the first shade.
For sketching, the alcohol-based version is the best option. Due to the ethanol content, the paints dry quickly and are not washed off when exposed to moisture. You can remove the paint with rubbing alcohol.
In addition, alcohol-based markers allow you to apply multiple layers in order to evenly mix the palette and make smooth overflows from one shade to another. This type of filler meets safety requirements and contains no acids. For a beginner artist, a set containing 12 or 18 markers is suitable. Moreover, there should be gray in several tones to draw the shadows. In addition, you need 3 or more brown tools to create sketches of architectural projects and interior sketches.
If you want to draw an interior design, you will need to use mainly woody and gray shades. In the case of landscape sketches, red and green tones. For portraits, nude and beige palettes are suitable. It is recommended to take shades related in the spectrum as a basis, and then choose a gray palette for them. For each basic color scheme, two additional tones should be taken: one is lighter, the other is darker. To make the images appear voluminous and natural, you need to draw shadows.
Review of the best manufacturers
- TouchNEW firm - the most affordable basic set, double-sided markers are protected from drying out. There are enough shades in it to be used by beginners. The largest range includes 168 colors, there are also sets with 30, 40 and 80 shades.
- The Touch Twin Korea double-sided marker set comes in 204 and 408 shades... There are also kits with flesh flowers on sale. The products are distinguished by three types of nibs and alcohol ink, which dry quickly. Markers can be refilled as needed.
- Manufacturer Finecolour: there are sets of 36, 48, 60 and 72 markers. Each of the tools has two types of pen - for hatching and for drawing details. The sets come in a black bag.
- In a set from the manufacturer from China Fantasia there are 240 and 262 double-sided tools with bullet and wedge-shaped tips. These are alcohol-filled markers that are moisture resistant.
- Japanese Copic Markers have the most extensive color palette and several lines of markers that differ in the shape of the body. Fine strokes, non-toxic ink. The advantages of these sets of 180 and 358 colors can be considered the presence of replaceable nibs and branded refueling. The manufacturer occupies a leading place in the world among competitors, but at the same time the price tag has a corresponding one.
- ZIG Is another Japanese manufacturer that produces markers in several lines. There are 136 colors in the palette. The KURECOLOR factory produces a wide range of products, with no emphasis on the production of alcohol fillers. Among the shortcomings, one can note a hard chisel, a change in some shades when layering after drying, and also an insufficiently convenient body to use.
- Promarker - the production of markers is established in China. The products are of decent quality. The ink features minimal grit and an excellent opaque colorant for even fills. There are 148 pieces in the Pro line, and 12 in the Brush series. However, there are no related products, the ink volume is relatively small.
- Sketchmaker - Chinese markers with 24, 96, 250 and 400 pieces per set. The most affordable option with the best price-quality ratio.There is a branded dressing and the ability to change nibs. However, consumers often claim that ink dries quickly.
Nuances of choice
When purchasing a set, first of all, you need to carefully look at the shape of the tip, because different types are designed for specific purposes.... For example, a thick beveled tip should be used to fill the background.
A thin pen, resembling a familiar felt-tip pen in shape, will be needed to draw small details. There is also a brush tip, which is similar to the painting tool of the same name. This option is ideal for interior sketching. Using this brush, you can paint smooth strokes, adjust the thickness with pressure, and create realistic gradients.
When choosing a set, it is important to make sure that the markers are of high quality, and that products from different manufacturers interact well with each other: they are mixed on paper, layered and do not create edges. In this case, the ink should behave approximately the same under different conditions. The choice of surfaces is considered an important factor, since markers can be designed for drawing on glass, paper, plastic, walls, wood and other coatings. This parameter is indicated in the product description.
It is important to focus on the cost of the set, since cheap counterparts can produce a grayish tint when mixing tones, even with a large number of shades (50, 100 or 360). Whereas more expensive markers are capable of producing rich colors. And you should also inspect the tip, since this is the main working part: it should not fray or collapse, as well as be too soft or hard, and at the same time rather elastic. The set will benefit from the availability of replacement nibs on the market, since refilling markers from an ink bottle will be cheaper.
The defining characteristic is ergonomics: markers should be comfortable to hold in hand, without slipping or rolling off the table. The cap should close tightly enough so that the ink does not dry out. For tools to last longer, do not choose disposable ones. In this case, the thickness of the feathers should be different.
Thus, sketching markers are becoming more and more popular among the creative professions... Unlike felt-tip pens, the set can contain from 20 to 1000 different colors, which allows you to create professional and realistic design sketches.
You can buy markers in an online store or a specialized art supermarket.