I just got into alcohol marker coloring a few weeks ago. I wasn't ready to commit to pricier ones yet, so i did a lot of research on budget-friendly sets, until I settled on this one. These markers did NOT disappoint! This set in particular (81) came with a really nice range of colors. They are a nice, fat marker, easy to hold and don't tire hands/fingers out, even with hours of coloring. If you read reviews of alcohol markers, newbies will complain that they bleed onto subsequent pages in coloring books. This is NOT A FLAW. EVERY single type of alcohol marker will bleed through the pages of ANY coloring book. Yes, these bleed. It is not excessive in any way. Be prepared for this by using 2-3 sheets of printer paper behind the page you're coloring, and nothing will ruin the next page. Easy peasy. I colored with them for a couple of weeks, and decided that I wanted a pastel set of the "pricy" and "professional" markers. The ones everyone in every coloring group on FB uses and talks about. I will tell you with 100% honesty here: unless I am staring at the brand name on the barrel of the marker, I cannot tell whether I'm using Caliart markers, or the "other brand". It has been a few more weeks, and these Caliarts are going strong! They have lasted through a LOT of coloring. The colors are super vibrant and beautiful. There is a light odor of alcohol, which is normal, so be prepared for that part. The brush tips are holding up VERY well, which I am loving! In general, these perform SO MUCH like pricier markers. You will NOT regret buying these, either as a budget-friendly experiment, or your first and last purchase. I recommend them to everyone who asks! Read more
I bought these markers on a lightning deal, because 80 markers for $25 was too good of a deal to pass up. I was planning on getting the Ohuhu brush markers since everyone has been raving about them, but ultimately I decided that as a beginner I wanted to make it easier on myself by having more color choice until I learned how everything blended together. I did not regret my decision. These markers lay down so smoothly, and they blend like a dream once you get the hang of it. The trick really is to work quickly to blend, as they blend very nicely when still wet. I use these markers in my Denik sketchbook, which has thicker paper with a smooth texture. I do get bleedthrough on ocassions, especially when layering a lot, but that is to be expected with any alcohol marker. Even Copics, which I also have a small handful of. They are bright and vibrant, and the 80 set is a great mix of tones. It is mostly mid tones, but I still am able to find a good majority of what I need. The skin tones are where my biggest complaints are, as I don't have anything super light or many in the tan and olive range. That is where my Copic collection comes in. Comparing these markers to Copics is like comparing a $1,000 Macbook to a $200 Chromebook, but I will make a few comparisons anyways since quality is important to consider. These do not have brush nibs, which does make blending slightly more difficult. Copics also have a higher quality ink in them meaning they naturally want to blend together. However, with the bullet nib I have been able to get smooth blending anyways with a little more work. These markers have about the same amount of smell to Copics, though it's a bit more noticeable when you lay down heavy amounts on paper. Once it dries, the scent is gone. Both these Caliart markers and Copics are very juicy and the ink lays down with not problems, however the Copics feel slightly wetter (if that makes sense) which as aforementioned makes for easier blending and in my opinion smoother, less streaky lay down. This can easily be accomplished with the Caliart markers too though, but it does take up more ink since you have to layer the colors a bit more to get that nice and smooth finish. Ink usage brings me to this next point. These markers are non-refillable, though I believe they match up with the ShinHan Touch line of inks if you're able to find them. You also cannot currently buy individual markers, meaning if you run out of one you have to buy an entire new set if you want that marker. That being said, I'm sure they assume you will upgrade before you run out of any ink in the markers. These are very much entry level, and are likely to be used by people like me who want to know if they like the medium or not, or by hobbyists who want cheap markers. This set has provided exactly that service to me, as I feel more comfortable now with markers and if I find myself using these a lot I'm sure I will find some way to upgrade to the bigger brands that have more options for individual replacements. As a beginner, these markers are lovely for the price. They have been great to work with and I understand 10x more about alcohol markers now without emptying my bank account. I highly recommend these to anyone looking for a new step further into the art world! Read more
