Like many other Gen-Z traditional artists, I grew up watching YouTube speedpaints of artists drawing using Copic markers. They were the dream of my young mind. They were, and still are, crazy expensive. You know you’re rich when you have a big set of Copics (mind you, one Copic marker costs about $6!). That is why many have sought to create a more affordable, but still high-quality, alcohol marker.
What’s so special about alcohol-based markers? Let’s compare them with your every water-based marker, like a Crayola marker. Water-based markers are streakier, don’t blend as well, and when layering strokes, can damage the surface of the paper. For that reason, alcohol markers are more widely used by professional artists in illustration. Alcohol markers leave a smoother finish when covering large areas. You can layer colors easily without destroying paper. I don’t mean to be anti-water-based marker, but for the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on their pros next time.
The markers come in a black canvas holder with a zip-up lid and shoulder strap. The colors were all mixed up with no rhyme or reason, so I had to go ahead and organize them. I actually enjoy this part, but I know that many prefer the colors to already be in order. The markers themselves are in a cube-shaped holder which you can take out from inside the bag if you want. In the gap between the holder and the bag there are three things:
1) A guidebook on Ohuhu markers. This seems pretty handy since it has a list of all the marker colors available, how to use marker refills, how to reverse the brush tip for better longevity, etc. 2) Swatch cards! I find more and more up-and-coming brands have been including these and they’re super helpful. 3) A matte plastic insert that you can stick between pages so your ink doesn’t bleed to the next page. Very thoughtful.
These markers are pretty fun to use! The colors are bright, they’re easy to blend, and the tips seem good quality. Here are some drawings I did to test them out.
Here are my thoughts:
Packaging: I was really happy with the accessories that came with this product. This is the first time I got a swatch sheet, which was pretty nice. Also, the fact that you can carry these markers around as a bag or just take the holder out of its bag is a plus. The markers themselves are cylindrical and easy to hold. They have plastic ridges so they don’t roll off your desk. I wouldn’t say that the colors on the lids are super accurate to the colors themselves – but honestly, that’s normal with art products.
Blending: These markers are a dream to blend with. I’m not much of a blender (I like my bold strokes), but when I do, the transition between two colors is seamless. You can see this in picture #3 above. The blending ends up looking a bit like watercolor.
Brush tip: The tip allows for easy control of line width and opacity. You can use the brush tip for more line variation and the chisel tip for bold lines. It’s not the best for super-thin lines so if that’s a deal breaker for you, you can always get the Oahu set instead which has a thin chisel tip on one end.
Color Selection: I have a lot to say about this one. The strength of this set is that there are bunch of bold, rich colors. The selection of greens and blues has a lot of variety in saturation and value, which is great for nature scenes. On the other hand, I think some of the reds could’ve been replaced since they are just too similar in color. For example, R213 (Pomegranate), R412 (Cerise), and R413 (Amaranth) look virtually the same. There’s just a slight difference in color temperature. R28 (Pink Carnation), RV17 (Pink), and RV18 (Bubblegum), are also pretty similar, just different in saturation. Ohuhu could probably do away with one of them. The marker set could use a few more purple colors and maybe a paler pink color. The benefits of having a few more pale colors are that you can easily layer these with other colors to create a new color.
The Breakdown
Pros:
- Good quality ink that’s vibrant and great for blending
- Brush tip is firm and has an option to reverse for greater longevity
- It comes with accessories: swatch sheet, guidebook, plastic sleeve
- Very affordable (coming in at $0.81 cents a marker)
- Apparently, their customer support is awesome
Cons:
- Color selection could improve
- Some may find an issue in the numbering system of colors (I personally don’t)
Conclusion
I’m honestly really happy with this purchase and have been using it pretty often. I would recommend this to just anyone who is looking for a good alcohol marker brand. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, you’ll like drawing with these markers. In my opinion, these are the cheapest markers that you can get a professional quality. I would recommend that you get at least a 48-color set so you can have a decent range of colors. I’ll have the Amazon links below.
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Ohuhu Alcohol Markers 120 colors – Honolulu set
