Hey, Chloe is back again with another lengthy post about markers. Hooray! What, you don't like me and my posts? For the people that do pay attention and read the whole thing, I'll be basing my ratings off of how pigmented the ink is, pricing and nibs. I will also only be checking prices off of the website Amazon in CDN $. Sorry for all them US peeps out there!
5. Finecolour
Finecolour markers are the ultimate copic knock-offs, yet they are number 5 on my list. They even used the same font for the logo! These bad boys are available in a set of 24 for an amazingly low price (compared to other ones on my list) of $2.47 each! The nibs on this marker are okay, a bullet nib and a broad chisel. I personally prefer the super brush on copic markers, but this works too. It's really up to your personal preference. Even though these markers are knock-offs of some of the best-rated markers in the world, their ink quality is just okay. It was really patchy and wasn't very pigmented. |
4. Spectrum Noir
Some of you may of heard of the Spectrum Noir markers, a fair alternative to copics. They are dual-ended one nib that is a little bit more flexible than a bullet nib, similar to the finecolour markers and on the other end, a broad chisel. But, here's the catch- there are replaceable nibs available and you can replace your chisel or bullet tip with a brush tip. This is also personal preference and the nibs are pretty pricy. Speaking of prices, these markers are available for $3.22 in a 6 set and $4.23 in a 24 set, so you save about a dollar by going with the 6 set. Inks are decent, better than Finecolour but still not good enough to make it to the #1 spot. |
3. Prismacolor Premier Brush
Wait, did that title just say BRUSH? Does that mean no more chisel nib? Yes, yes it does! I was very impressed with these markers, pretty much everything about them was great. The nibs are, as I mentioned, a brush nib and a bullet nib. I am really happy that they decided to change it up and instead of the good ol' chisel they put a bullet. Personally I never |
use chisel nibs so a bullet and brush combo is a plus for me. As for the inks, they are SO saturated and pigmented. I don't really know how to explain it, they just lay down on the paper very nicely. The only downside to these markers has to be the price. They are available in a set of 12 for $5.26 per marker. Thats pretty expensive, but they are worth it in the end.
2.Copic Ciao
Finally, on to Copic. These bad boys came very close with Prismacolor. The inks in the ciaos are very pigmented and lay on the paper nicely. They are almost exactly the same as Copic Sketch markers. Now, can you take a wild guess on what the nibs are? Would you be surprised if I said it was a brush and chisel nib? The super brush nib on these markers is AMAZING and very flexible. Good for making variations in line width. Again, only downside is the price, yet they are a good bargain because they are less expensive than the Copic Sketch markers and they have almost all the same features. They are available in a 12 pack for $6.02 per marker and in a 72 set for $5.44 per marker, so you save a bit by going with the 72 pack in the long-term, but not a lot. |
1. Copic Sketch
Now, time for the biggest and baddest of them all, the Copic Sketch marker. I love everything about these markers. They have a different type of barrel than most markers, it is an oval-ish shape. It's hard to explain but it just sits nicely in your hand, you feel it when you're colouring. The ink in these markers is just fabulous and very saturated, exactly the same as the ciaos. Really the only difference is the pricing and the barrel, as Sketch markers are available in a set of 12 for $9.72 per marker, a set of 36 for $7.76 per marker and finally in a set of 72 for $7.95 per marker. Same as the ciaos, they have a broad chisel and super brush nib. Nothing new here. |
Hope you enjoyed my list of top 5 marker brands! Happy Colouring!
-Chloe
-Chloe