A to Z Challenge: M is for Markers

When people think of adult coloring, I'm pretty sure that the number 1 thing that comes to mind in regards to media is coloring pencils. However, markers make a pretty good option for those who have health problems and get assorted pains when holding coloring pencils or for those who simply don't want to bother with a lot of technique. Of course you can get some pretty neat effect with markers too, depending on the kind you use.

Essentially, markers come in 2 categories: water-based and alcohol-based. The former are your everyday-markers that you can pick up in just about any store now such as Crayola and the like. You can also get these as brush markers (it means that the tip is flexible like a paint brush). Tombow and Uchida Le Plume are some examples.

Water-based markers won't bleed through good quality paper, but can leave streaks behind. For better results, artists recommend putting down a layer of colored pencil first, or going over the marker with colored pencils (note: don't use oil-based pencils for this purpose).

Alcohol-based markers bleed through any kind of paper, even some cardstock, but blend well with other colors and don't leave streaks. Spectrum Noir and Copics are some popular brands. They can bleed over outlines though as they soak all the layers of the paper.

Spectrum Noir markers aren't cheap and Copics are downright expensive. Actually, the latter were made for professional artists and in my opinion are not necessary at all if you're just coloring in books. Of course some people put out amazing results when coloring pages by using more expensive tools, but I wonder why not create your own stuff then?Alas, to each their own.