15 Comments
User's avatar
Ally Scherer's avatar

Thank you for sharing your insights!

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

I love to try new art supplies. These are really fun to use. 🙂

Expand full comment
Linda Södergren's avatar

Alcohol markers are cool because they’re such a fast medium. They provide color and dry almost immediately. But being dye based they are not lightfast. Not really at all. Make sure to scan your work when it is fresh

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

See that I did not know. I usually use a sketchbook. Now this cards are pinned up all over in sunlight. Good tip! Thanks.

Expand full comment
Linda Södergren's avatar

Oh! And I forgot to add my favourite tip! Since they are alcohol based they are unaffected by water. I sometimes use them in mixed media projects together with watercolor. They don’t dissolve the watercolor and the watercolor don’t dissolve the markers. It’s kind of cool! Careful not to use them on acrylic since the alcohol will dissolve and destroy the nib

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

Thanks for these tips! Good to know. I love mixed media but never mixed these with watercolor.

Expand full comment
Erika Jean Simon's avatar

This is so helpful! Thank you for taking the time to write it up and for sharing what you’ve noticed.

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

Sure thing! I feel like they encourage a fun art practice without having to get out all the stuff.

Expand full comment
Jennifer Nichols Art's avatar

Oooh thanks for that breakdown!

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

🙌

Expand full comment
Brandi's avatar

I love love love your work! You are so inspiring! I ordered the markers and want to order the small 4x4 papers. I am hardly an artist, so my question is, are you using watercolor paper or cardstock? 🤓

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

Thanks so much Brandi! So kind of you to say. I use watercolor paper. I cut sheets of watercolor paper down to 4 x 4 squares, but you don't have to do that. You can buy sheets already cut. It would be a lot more convenient!

Expand full comment
Anne Butera's avatar

Markers are so much fun in my sketchbooks, but it took me a while to get comfortable with them. I usually use Tombow and also have some Koi watercolor brush pens. I think I tried alcohol markers and didn't like how they bled through everything like crazy. Do you have a favorite paper to use with them?

Expand full comment
Kim Koehler's avatar

That is definitely the downside. Sometimes I glue paper on the backside to still use the space that got ruined. 😊 I like the texture watercolor paper Borden & Riley 135lb. I cut it down into those small cards and keep a stack for easy access. I love texture, so I usually prefer thick, toothy paper.

Expand full comment
Monette Pangan's avatar

Thank you! I'm now curious about the alcohol markers on fabric 😁

I got cheap ones online here. They're fine but the cap colors can be deceiving! Also, they started running out sooner than expected.

Expand full comment