Layered Marker Blending Tutorial, A Marker Review & More!

Jan 1, 2018

3 min read

Hi friends! Happy 2018! Today I am going to share a fun technique I call marker layering. It is a great way to get pretty blends with alcohol markers even if you don’t have many colors.

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First let me share a couple of tips for using alcohol-based markers:

Use a compatible stamping ink (if stamping) or pen if sketching. Basically you want an ink the markers won’t react to. My favorite ink is Memento (any color you like but I use Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa the most and the small pads are fine) and my favorite pens for touching up of sketching before coloring are Pigma Micron.
Use a smooth cardstock or marker paper. My favorite is Neenah #80 Classic Crest in Solar White. I get it by the ream and it lasts years. By the ream it is about 15 cents per 8 1/2″x11″ sheet.
When buying markers start off with lighter colors, you can layer and blend easier with these and they are much easier to control.
Get a range of greys to start out with can you can color an image in grayscale and glaze colors on top (kinda like tinting a photo) for a complete look that is easy on the wallet!
Store double ended markers horizontally so both ends of the marker stay inked.

Now on to the video! I will be demonstrating with the Blick Illustrator Markers which apparently are the same in color and number as the Studio 71, Art Alternatives #Coloring and Artist Loft ones. You can follow along with whatever you have that is closest in color.

The bird stamp I am using is from Rubbernecker.

Review & Comparison of Blick Illustrator Markers!

Pros:

Price (24 set was $29 regular price, I paid $18)
Brush tip*
Nice light colors in set make blending and layering easy. Great starter colors
The 24 set has a lovely assortment of light colors that are wonderful for layering and blending. Most smaller sets only have vivid colors which are less versatile for stampers.

Cons

Limited time only product, might not be available once sold out.
No open stock (but they are the same colors as Darice Studio 71 so you can get replacements from them)
Brush tip is fiber/felt, and not the more durable foam like copics
No grey tones in the 24 set.
Only availabe in sets of 12 or 24
Not refillable

Bottom line: These are nearly identical (except in marker body shape) to Studio 71 markers by Darice. I have a review on the Studio 71 markers here. 16 of the colors in the Blick set of 24 were in the studio 71 set of 48 and those also run about $1 a marker in sets so you can replace markers with that line if need be or if you want to add to your set to avoid duplicates as they are numbered the same. The Art Alternative brand also uses the same number color system. I did find replaceable brush nibs for the Art Alternatives markers that should work in any of these pens but the are more expensive than buying a brand new pen!

A Bargain Pick (but no brush nib)

If you are looking for another bargain marker but one with a bullet Chisel nib the Ohuhu markers are the best deal at about 50 cents a marker in sets. And if you need to replace a marker or add to the collection the Concept markers from Jerry’s Artarama are the same in color name and number, and so are the Nicolle Art Marker but I think those only come in a 24 set at AC Moore. You can see my Review of the Ohuhu markers here. *The color numbers on these markers (in this paragraph) do not match the Blicks. I just thought it was neat to group up markers that seem to use the same color coding or were made in the same factory. That way you can add on and avoid duplications ans get replacements if you run out of a favorite color without having to rebuy an entire set. I was annoyed that I go so many duplicates but Then I thought it would be a good teachable moment. 🙂

Keep in mind that the ink in any brand of alcohol pens is very similar and you can use them together. It is a shame to buy duplicates if you can help it so hopefully this review was useful.