Some people are experts on art supplies. Some of us just go buy brands or buy the cheapest thing, because we have no idea what to choose. I've personally tried so many markers, I have lost track. From Crayola, store brands, dollar store markers, to "high-end" brands.
I am here to give you some simple comparisons on the chisel type permanent markers. If you are like me, and are just starting out, I recommend that you still invest on some good markers because these type of markers have MANY uses.
I went and invested hundreds of dollars on markers; $128.39 to be exact. I used coupons and sales. First I bought the Prismacolor Premier Markers: These markers are truly amazing. They glide very smooth and blend very easily. Also, they are very bright, have dual tips that serve many purposes. Every marker is coded with a color name and number. They have a big barrel that is easy to hold, but after coloring with them for a while they hurt your fingers. The plastic and the ridges are sharp. The ink doesn’t seem to last as long either. There are YouTube videos about how to revive a dry maker, however the pigment is not the same after the revival. You can buy each marker separately, but they are as much as $6 each at the local craft store. If you buy a whole pack of these, you might want to research online for coupons or bargains because a 12 pack can be as much as $30. They also have their 200 quantity pack that includes ALL their colors, but they have a price tag that ranges from $539 to $1,035. They have different collections for different colors. I currently own the main 3; Primary/Secondary, Manga and Portrait. The Portrait set that contains 24 colors, has 4 colors that repeat on the Manga Palette. If you aren't interested on drawing portraits of people, I suggest that you skip the Portrait set.
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| Primary/Secondary Palette |
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| Manga Palette |
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| Portrait Palette |
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| The circle ones are the repeated colors on the palettes. |
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| The circle colors are the ones are drying out. |
Here is the Website for more information about these markers:
Second, I went and bought Sharpies. The great thing about Sharpies is that they are sold nearly everywhere. I pretty much own all of their colors and collections. Another great thing about them is that they are also sold as single markers, VERY cheap. You can write on nearly any surface, and they have a wide range of points and sizes. They are also long lasting. In contrast with Prismacolor markers though, I would not recommend trying to use Sharpies for color blending. As for grip, they are smooth but no rubber grip. Another thing that I didn't like about Sharpies are that they aren't named, so you don’t know if you're buying the same color, even if it looks slightly different. They do not have a wide range of colors compared to other brands. All things considered, they are still a great buy.
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| This is the latest haul from Target |
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| These all the Sharpie colors |
For more information about Sharpie:
My third buy was Bic Mark-It. The main thing about these that attracted me was the rubber grip. OMG! It feels great, specially because I have many issues with my hands. Also, if you leave them uncapped they won't dry out for days! The pack I bought was the 36 count, which is all the colors they carry, and then I added the metallic ones. They are not very expensive. I got them for less than $30. They glide similar to a sharpie but just a bit more smoothly. Also their metallic collection has 8 colors that are very rich. A major plus for these markers is that they are name coded like the Prismacolor markers. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the 36 pack came in a handy storage case!!!
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| Bic Mark-It Colors |
Here is their direct site :
Overall, after reviewing these major makers, if you are just starting out, I would recommend to start out with Bic Mark-it. However if you are a professional and money is not an issue, and you want to be able to blend and create certain effects, Prismacolor would be the choice for you.
As for me, after all my Prismacolor dry out, I will only buy Bic and Sharpies.
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| Sharpie and Bic Mark-it Color Collection |
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