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13 Best Alcohol Based Markers For Art [2024]

Alcohol Markers

Here is the list of the best alcohol based markers in the market today for art projects.

There are many companies that offer their versions of alcohol markers, so there are lots to choose from.

If you are looking for the best alcohol marker set for a professional artist or for someone who is just starting out you will find exactly what you are looking for.

And there's also alcohol maker sets in a range of colors for those who are wanting to make an elaborate piece of artwork or for something more whimsical like a simple rose doodle.

Each set we talk about has high quality ink with good ink flow.

best alcohol markers 

Here is some expert knowledge based on our years of working with alcohol markers. Let's go through these alcohol markers together.

Which Alcohol Markers Are The Best?

The best alcohol markers will have a heavy pigment load of ink that will fully saturate into alcohol marker paper.

The marker pigment load should be formulated in a proper way so that the alcohol will carry the pigment into the paper fibers to allow for accurate blending and shading.

Alcohol markers are made to fully saturate through the paper and dry evenly so that the color is evenly dispersed once dried. If you see full bleeding of color to the other side of the paper, then you know the pigment to alcohol ratio has been properly formulated.

best alcohol markers

Look for alcohol markers that range from the lightest shades possible to dark bold shades for a range of color blending options.

The lighter colors should look like they are barely there and the bold alcohol marker colors should give you full color saturation.

Best Alcohol Markers & SETS

1. Copic Professional Set

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Copic alcohol based markers come in many color sets. This is their complete set of alcohol markers with all the colors you will ever need to get started or to add to your professional marker stash. Remember, these are permanent markers that cannot be washed off.

As you work with Copic markers and begin to see what you truly enjoy creating, you will start to see that you will keep reaching for the same color families.

That's when you can branch out and start playing with the other sets for your art supplies. Copic also has alcohol marker sets dedicated to certain color families. 

    Although costly, remember that these are refillable markers with double-ended tips as they are alcohol brush markers. So you get a brush tip and a fine tip on these refillable markers.

    best alcohol markers copic

    2. Copic Basic Set

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    Copic dual tip alcohol markers also come in basic sets too for alcohol based art. This alcohol marker set is great for those just getting started. They make a great addition to your art supplies because they are fade resistant and have good ink flow. 

    This set of markers comes with a good variety of colors that you can blend to make even more shades. So you can use them for many art project including floral drawing ideas.

    Unlike water-based inks, which tend to pill and oversoak the paper while blending. Copics mix on the surface to deliver the wonderfully rich blends and vibrant colors they're known for. That's one of the reasons why these are great for professional artists.

    best alcohol markers

    3. Copic Ciao Too

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    Copic makes one of the highest quality alcohol markers in the world. They are the number one alcohol markers for all styles of art, design, illustration, and crafts.

    Artists and designers reach for these set of markers often because they are durable, refillable, and have replaceable nibs. That means you only need to buy a Copic marker once.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=diyccmarkers-20&keywords=copic ciao&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=41ffb3336d869db70854fbfc6b96086b

    This is the exact set that we have here. Watch the video at the end of this article on how to store alcohol markers the right way.

    4. Prismacolor

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    This is a professional full-color set of alcohol markers that have an advanced formulation for rich and saturated color. 

    If you are a professional artist or looking for a gift idea for an artist, you will really enjoy working with this set, especially for when you need to lay down color in broad strokes because the chisel tip is great for that.

    The inks are formulated for superior blending and we find that they are right up there with the Copics in that they fully saturate the alcohol marker paper right through, which is exactly what you need for blending.

     best alcohol markers

    5. Winsor & Newton Promarkers

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    Here is an excellent brand that produces extremely high-quality alcohol markers. You can choose from many different alcohol marker sets so if you are going for skin tones, or a bold and bright look then you can pick and choose which ones are right for you.

    Or of course you can get the full extended set as shown below. These alcohol markers are very blendable and are streak-free as long as you make sure that you are saturating your paper correctly (that goes with all alcohol markers).

    Winsor & Newton alcohol markers come in non-refillable, double ended tips. You get a hard chisel tip and a fine tip.

    best alcohol markers

    6. Chameleon

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    Chameleon alcohol markers are a great way to get started with alcohol ink. This set is great for students, colorists, and professionals. We have the color top set in our art supplies and reach for them often for projects.

    These alcohol markers are perfect for blending and are just wonderful for manga and anime art. What's truly wonderful about them is that you can blend many colors with just a few markers.

    Chameleon alcohol markers come with refillable inks, which is a really important point. You get a soft blendable brush tip and a fine tip.

    alcohol markers

    7. Chamelion Color Tones Set

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    This set of alcohol makers is great for professionals, amateurs & people who love to color. 

    Their alcohol based markers feature a double-ended design with a soft brush nib on one end, and bullet nib on the other. This set is ideal for paper crafts, manga, graphic & fine art since the ink flows smoothly on thicker paper.

    Keep your art supplies top notch with their replaceable nibs and refillable inks for this set of markers.

    best alcohol markers

    8. Arteza Everblends

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    This complete set of Everblend alcohol markers comes with 120 colors and shades. The Arteza markers are highly pigmented and are formulated to give you the best possible shading and blending that you can get from an alcohol marker.

    These alcohol based makers also includes a clear blending marker which is great for softening colors or to blend your shades together. If you are using these for manga or anime, you will enjoy the high pigments. And the carrying case lets you create on the go.

    They come with refillable, double-ended tips. You get a wide chisel tip and a fine tip in this alcohol marker set.

     best alcohol markers

    9. Spectrum Noir

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    If you are just starting out and want to play with alcohol markers before jumping right into a full set, then try the Spectrum Noir brand. The Spectrum Noirs are great because you can grab a few different color sets without setting you back hundreds.

    You might really like the hexagon barrel which feels really great when you are creating your artwork or coloring. Keep in mind that the tips are quite a bit harder than Copics.

    The Spectrum alcohol based markers come with refillable, double-ended tips. Depending on what sets you choose from, you will get different tips so keep that in mind and make sure you grab the right tips that you want.

    best alcohol markers

    10. Kuretake

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    This professional alcohol marker set comes with all of the colors you could ever need for the serious artist. These alcohol markers are easy to blend and very fast drying. 

    This is the essential alcohol marker set for manga, illustration, industrial design, architectural and interior rendering, fashion sketches, and other forms of drawing. 

    best alcohol markers

    11. Shuttle Dual Tipped Markers

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    Here is a good value alcohol marker set that comes with 205 colors and a dual tip similar to ohuhu alcohol based markers. You also get a colorless blender, marker pad and a storage case. So this is excellent value for the price.

    Their paper pads have a smooth surface that can prevent bleeding, smudging and feathering for your artwork. If you are looking for a gift idea for a budding artist, then try this first for practice before purchasing a more expensive one.

    best alcohol markers

    12. Stylefile Alcohol Markers

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    A professional alcohol marker set from Germany. These alcohol based markers are easy to blend and very fast drying. Since they come with a dual tip you can draw thicker lines and thin lines with the fine point tip.

    We have used these markers many times and find that they have great blending capabilities as you can see in the video below.

    Here is the Stylefile marker review so you can see exactly what these vibrant markers look like.

    best alcohol markers

    13. Lineon Alcohol Based Markers

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    This economy alcohol marker set has a wide variety of colors for your arts and crafts projects. With 172 beautiful colors, you will have all the colors you need for your art projects. 

    They feature a dual-tipped marker. There's a pointed tip for enhancing detail and a chisel-edged tip for wider strokes and filling larger areas.

    best alcohol markers

    Alcohol markers FAQ

    Can I use alcohol markers on different papers?

    You can use alcohol markers on different papers, but they are designed to work with alcohol ink paper so that they can fully saturate and bleed through the paper without pooling ink on the back.

    • Alcohol markers are designed for this, so that they are easily blendable and give full color pigment, especially those with chisel tips.
    • You can use alcohol ink markers on regular paper but they will bleed through a lot instead of properly saturating the paper and you'll waste quite a bit of ink. Also when using a regular paper, you might not get accurate skin tones.
    • The next best thing to use is Neenah white cardstock paper on Amazon which is especially great for card makers.

    How do I store alcohol markers?

    The correct way to store alcohol markers to preserve them as long as possible is horizontally.

    • Storing alcohol based markers horizontally is especially important for long-term marker storage because the ink inside needs to be able to touch both nibs on each side.
    • If you've had your alcohol markers stored upright for too long, eventually one side of the nib won't have the saturation of ink that it needs to give you the best possible results for your artwork - especially if your markers are almost out of ink.
    • Sometimes high quality markers will last years stored any old way if they are full, but once the nib becomes saturated with alcohol ink, store them horizontally. We have a helpful guide on storing your craft supplies.
    • Store alcohol based markers away from direct sunlight.

    Watch The Video How To Store Alcohol Markers

    Are alcohol based markers archival?

    Not all alcohol based markers are archival. If you want to find out if a certain brand of alcohol markers are light fast and archival, be sure to check with the manufacturer.

    Normally, the more expensive alcohol marker brands do have premium pigmented alcohol ink but each brand has their own formulas so it's a good idea to check on that before ordering if that is important to you.

    Can I use alcohol based markers for coloring books?

    Alcohol markers can be used on coloring books, BUT alcohol markers are designed to carry the ink to fully saturate and bleed through the paper. They are designed for this so that they are easily blendable when using proper alcohol paper.

    So you can use them on regular paper but they will bleed through a lot and waste quite a bit of ink on coloring book paper or junk journal pages.

    If you love to color, then you should order some alcohol ink paper here on Amazon, and then go to Etsy and purchase downloadable coloring pages and then print them onto the alcohol marker paper.

    You might have to heat set the paper with a hairdryer so that the black ink doesn't smear. That will just depend on your printer ink so do a test before going ahead with your coloring page.

    Here are some quick alcohol marker tips

    • The best alcohol marker sets come with shades that leave a tiny bit of pigment, to bold colors that are long-lasting and are easily blendable between the same shade families and colors
    • Professionals and also those who are starting out should always use alcohol markers that have the correct formula because that's what it takes to make your artwork the very best it can be
    • If you are using alcohol markers in your planners, you are going to have bleed through. If you like to draw and doodle in your planner it's best to draw your design on alcohol paper and then tape it into your journal with washi tape.

    In Conclusion:

    You get what you pay for with alcohol markers. Practicing with low pigment, cheap markers will never show you exactly what alcohol markers can really do.

    If you are thinking of getting into creating artwork and designs with this type of art supply then you will require markers that will highlight, shade, blend, and transition properly. Good luck!

    More Alcohol Ink Resources

    Best Art Markers For Beginners To Professionals

    Supplies for alcohol ink crafts

    Did you find a perfect unicorn bath bomb from this list?

    Thanks for reading this article and being here with us today. If you would like to support our crafting and DIY blog, we would love it if you could share this article on your social media and link back to this article from your own blogs, websites and Facebook groups.

    Here's a pin that we made for you to share on your art before you go so you can find us again!

    Best alcohol marker sets and brands

     




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