Copic? Prismacolor? Tombo? Garbage. The best marker on the market only costs 44 cents.
Yup, Crayola markers. Not the skinny ones, the fat ones. I love these freakin markers.
First, the felt tip on these are the best on any felt tip pen I’ve ever used. They’ll give you a wide range of line thickness and have a consistent response to pressure. And best of all, they’re practically indestructible. Still got sharp tips on all of mine. Check out this sketch all done with a blue Crayola. Note the line defining her collar bone versus the line at the hollow of the neck:
The ink, while not waterproof (no felt pen is because india ink’s pigments are too big for felt), gives these markers a glide I haven’t found in any other markers. It’s like drawing with butter. The marker is weightless in your hand.
And that’s the biggest draw for me. The weightlessness helps to get ideas down fast before I can second guess them. The drag on, say, a 2H pencil slows me down too much, to the point where I will think about the lines I’m drawing. That’s no good. I use Crayola markers to do almost all my initial sketches. (Not to slight the 2H pencil, that’s usually my next step after markering).
Now, realistically, the Crayola marker isn’t in the same ballpark as the pro pens; you’re not gonna color with it like a Copic. But, aside from previzing your ideas, it works great for inking to scan for color. It rivals brushwork to me. And the marker can be ‘modded’ as much as any other marker. Dip it in water and you can make some cool washes with it. And dying markers make for awesome texture.
Crayolas are a great way to develop cleaner, more confident lines as well as learn how to use line weighting. Give it a try. It’ll only cost you 44 cents.
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