15 Best Artist Markers for Beginners and Professional Artists

Do you remember coloring with markers as a kid? Maybe you had an awesome collection of vibrant Crayolas that you’d use when drawing? While we often associate markers with childhood, they still come in handy today—especially if you’re an artist who loves sketching or consider yourself an adult coloring book enthusiast.

There are many great reasons to try art markers. One is because of how easy they are to use and their portability. Whether you’re staying in your studio or drawing on location, it’s effortless to grab a handful of the hues that you’ll need and put them in your bag. And speaking of colors, many artist marker sets come in packs of 12, 18, or even 60 pens, so you’ve got a variety of hues at your disposal. For pigments that you don’t have, many—like Copic markers—allow you to blend like you would colored pencils.

These versatile art supplies can be used to create realistic portraits, decorate crafts, design greeting cards, produce vibrant coloring pages, and much more. That’s why any creative will want to make sure that they have a good set of markers on hand. The nice part is that markers not only come in all shapes and sizes but also budgets. We’ve included a wide range of prices in our recommendations, so whether you are on a tight budget or want to splurge, you’ll find something to meet your needs.

To help you find the perfect set for your next art project, we’ve picked out some of the best high-quality art markers available. Whether you’re shopping for aspiring manga artists or an experienced illustrator, our selection has great options for beginner and professional artists alike. These kits come with utensils in an array of vibrant colors and without a strong odor that will inspire you to bring drawings to life.

Scroll down to learn about the types of art markers and to shop for the best art marker sets.

Looking for more drawing supplies? We’ve got you covered in our guide to the best colored pencils and best drawing pencils.

 

Types of Artist Markers

Two of the most popular types of artist markers are pens that are alcohol-based or water-based. Each type has its own characteristics that are essentially the opposite of one another.

Alcohol-based art makers comprise a combination of pigment and alcohol. They are known to dry quickly and are permanent—meaning that if you apply water to them, they won’t smudge. Using alcohol markers gives you the ability to layer color and even create cool ombre effects. There is a downside to alcohol-based markers; however, they sometimes have an odor. If they have a strong smell, it’s best to use them in a well-ventilated area. They also tend to bleed through paper, making them not the best choice for coloring books.

Water-based markers contain water (or a combination of water and glycerin), as their name suggests. They are often not permanent and will bleed if water touches them. However, they are odorless, which makes them great for kids—just make sure you let them dry fully.

 

How to Select a Marker Tip

When selecting markers, you’ll see that there are different tips available. What you select depends on the type of project you are looking to create. Here are some of the most common tips that you will find, with a short explanation of what they are used for. If you aren’t sure what you need or think that you’d use multiple tips, look for dual-tipped marker sets. They provide two different-shaped tips on the same marker for greater flexibility.

Fine tip markers are useful for any project where you want to create crisp, precise lines. As the name suggests, they are perfect for creating fine details. These markers aren’t the best choice if you want to fill in large areas of color, but can also be used in specific places to create highlights and contrast.

Chisel tip markers give artists more options since they can be used to create details or fill in color depending on the way the tip is used. Calligraphers and anyone producing hand-lettering projects commonly use them.

Brush tip markers are another versatile type of marker designed to help you explore your creativity. The tip acts like a paintbrush and can produce a wide variety of lines depending on the pressure you apply. Increased pressure causes the tip to fan out and fill in large areas, while light pressure will produce a crisp, thin line. Skilled artists will use these properties to produce a single stroke of varying widths, allowing for endless creative possibilities.

Bullet tip markers aren’t necessarily great for coloring but work well when creating an art journal or anything that involves writing.

 

Best Art Markers

 

Copic 12-Piece Sketch Basic Set

Copic brand is one of the most popular artist markers out there. An alcohol-based ink, the colors are non-toxic and are refillable once you’ve used all of the pigment. They are more expensive than other brands, but people who use them understand why they are so pricey. “They are INCREDIBLE,” one reviewer writes. “Coloring with them is a similar process to watercolor, where it’s all about layering and blending. The markers go on smooth and wonderful and they are able to blend with similar colors beautifully.”

 

Copic 6-Piece Skin Tones Sketch Set

This set is the same great Copic-brand markers but tailored to skin-tone colored hues. It’s perfect for drawing portraits!

 

Staedtler Double-Ended Fiber-Tip Pen Set of 36

Staedtler’s double-ended pens are like two markers in one. Each utensil features a fine nib on one side and a broad nib on the other, so you have more creative flexibility in your coloring.

 

Uni-posca 16-Piece Paint Marker Pens

In the world of art markers, Uni-posca (aka Posca) has been gaining traction in creative circles. They are water-based paint markers that are lightfast and waterproof—but they don’t bleed if water is applied once they’ve dried. Their opaque felt tip can even write on a variety of surfaces, including metal and plastic; reviewers on Amazon say they’ve decorated things like their Gameboys and surfboards.

 

Sakura Koi Coloring Brush Pens Set of 12

These brush pens by Sakura are perfect for illustrators. They feature flexible nibs that allow the user to create fine, medium, and bold strokes depending on how much pressure they apply to the pen. Plus, these utensils are completely odorless.

 

Winsor & Newton Promarker Brush Markers Set of 6

This set by Winsor & Newton features six alcohol-based markers that are ideal for rendering and shading. As dual-nibbed pens, they feature a fine nib on one side and a brush tip on the other.

 

Ohuhu 36 Colors Dual Tips Markers

Ohuhu has created a set of dual-ended markers that feature a broad tip on one end and a fine-liner on the other. This makes it easy to move from precise highlighting and underlining to drawing with thin lines. These pens will go the distance, too. This particular set allows you to color in at least 984 feet worth of drawings.

 

Prismacolor 12-Count Double-Ended Art Markers

Prismacolor remains one of the top brands for artist supplies. This highly-regarded set is a great deal for the quantity as well as the quality of markers; the alcohol-based, dual-tipped pens come in 12 rainbow hues that beginners or professionals alike will be happy with. “You can tell these are artist quality,” one reviewer shares. “I have already been able to achieve things in this medium that I previously didn’t know was possible. For example, it was relatively easy for me to figure out how to colour without streaking, something I found impossible with other markers and therefore didn’t know was an option.”

 

Tanmit 40 Dual-Tipped Brush Pens / Art Markers

Another set of double-ended markers, Tanmit brand gives you an incredible amount of colors for a reasonable price. Both tips are on the narrower side—one is a brush style while the other is a pen—so they are ideal for sketching or filling in your art journal.

 

Feela 100-Count Watercolor Dual Brush Tip and Highlighters

Looking for a ton of colors? Feela has it with their watercolor pens. Designed for both broad strokes and fine-detailed work, the water-based ink blends smoothly and won’t bleed through your paper (unless you go over the same spot multiple times). If you’re an adult coloring-book enthusiast, this could be the set for you. The consensus among reviewers is that this set is great for casual coloring.

 

Faber-Castell 12 Pitt Artist Brush Pens

Faber-Castell is another brand synonymous with artist-quality supplies. Their PITT Artist Pens combine a synthetic brush nib with traditional India ink. The results are “deep and true color” pens that are fade-resistant and waterproof.

 

Caran d’Ache Fibralo Marker Set of 30

Sketching, drawing, coloring—the Fibralo Markers by Swiss art company Caran d’Ache can do it all. Each marker contains water-soluble ink that is vegetable-based, non-allergenic, and won’t bleed through paper. Plus, even if you forget to put the cap back on, these durable pens retain their vibrancy for up to seven days.

 

Tombow Dual Brush Pens Set of 54 

Tombow markers are among the most popular double-tipped pens out there. The hard nylon tip allows you to draw fine lines and lettering, whereas the fiber brush tip can fill large spaces with the odorless water-based ink.

 

Chartpak Landscape Marker Set of 25

Instead of a dual-tipped marker, Chartpak has designed a single nib that allows three distinct line weights with just a shift of the wrist! These markers go from a fine point to medium weight and even broad strokes.

 

Windsor & Newton ProMarkers Student Designer Wallet Set of 24

If you’re looking for markers to use in design, comic art, or illustration, Winsor & Newton’s ProMarkers are the way to go. These dependable tools provide even application of permanent, alcohol-based ink and are available in a wide variety of sets and colors.

 

This article has been edited and updated.

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