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Buying Art Markers: A Guide

Felt-tip markers entered the studio halfway through the Twentieth Century. The immediacy with which broad strokes and flat areas of color could be applied to large drawings made markers extremely attractive to graphic designers. The original designer’s markers used a thin ink that would tend to flood, rather than make a coherent line. Later brands were developed to achieve a crisp, distinct line with sharp edges, though many veteran designers still use the older type of pen when they need a stroke-free flat of color.

Artists use all sorts of markers as sketch media, ranging from inexpensive writing pens to pigment markers designed for permanence and durability. Artists will sketch with most anything; when working out ideas on sketch paper, lightfastness is not the central issue. Likewise, when the objective is to produce camera-ready art expressly for reproduction, permanence is a secondary concern. For permanent art objects, basically anything intended to be framed and collected, only lightfast, pigmented ink should be used. The word “archival” alone is not specific enough to recommend a pen for permanent drawing; “lightfast” and “pigmented” are the qualities to seek. Of course, the term “permanent” relating to markers usually refers to the range of surfaces to which the ink will adhere, or how laundry-proof the mark will be, not at all to the durability of the ink over time.

For broader drawing that looks more like painting, brush pens offer a flexible fiber tip that responds to the pressure of the hand, and can even achieve Asian-style calligraphic effects. For Western calligraphy, chisel-edged markers are available that can produce a fairly convincing Italic hand.

The ink originally used in most markers was solvent-based, like a varnish with a dye added. Anyone who has ever used leather dye has probably noticed a similarity to marker ink. Solvents used in markers vary from brand to brand, and have changed due to new information about health effects of certain solvents. Many older artists swear markers don’t work as well today as they once did. The most common solvent-based marker ink is based on alcohol, like a shellac.

Watercolor markers have become a worthy medium for artists, despite origins as a scholastic-grade art supply. The best available watercolor markers use permanent pigments for the source of color. Scholastic-grade watercolor pens use a transparent dye that is extremely fugitive, and should not be used for finished art.

Solvent-based pens can be used underneath watercolor markers to create bleed-proof layered effects. Black line art can be colored in a hard-edge graphic style without concern that the line work will redissolve.

Paint markers are a type of fiber-tipped pen filled with thin, enamel-type paint, sometimes solvent-based, and sometimes water soluble. Paint pens are great for decorative and craft applications, wherever long, continuous lines are desired. Paint markers will mark reliably on a wide range of surfaces, from paper and cloth to metal and glass.

Although eventually they dry out and wear out, markers are inexpensive enough to buy by the dozen when a favorite type is discovered. It’s possible to stretch the useful life of markers; by taking care not to press too hard while drawing, the tips will maintain a good shape. Use genuine marker paper instead of common sketch or newsprint, which soak up much more ink. Of course, all markers should be capped tightly when not in use.

Markers really are brushes that never have to be loaded. With a sketch box full of markers, drawings can happen instantly, without any preparation or cleanup. With a couple of markers in a pocket, an artist can sketch an idea or execute a finished drawing anywhere, at any time.

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