Picking Between Marker Types - part 1

Well, I'm off to Seattle this afternoon. I have my posts for the next few days set up for automatic, so hopefully they'll show up when they're supposed to. Just don't feel bad if I don't comment back as quickly as usual, 'cause I'm in Seattle coloring my fingers off!! Alright!!

Copic Markers come in 4 different body styles. Most people work with the main three, Copic, Sketch, or Ciao. Wide markers are fun for backgrounds and special effects (like last Thursday's post). If you don't already know, each marker style has very different qualities, though they all share some common traits.

Just to confuse you, Copic is the brand name (pronounced with a long o, like Oh! Pick more colors!). Copic is also a style of marker (the square-shaped marker). When I'm talking about any of our marker types I'll try to say Copic Markers, but when I'm comparing the individual styles I usually say Sketch, Copic, Ciao or Wide.

You may have noticed that I haven't yet compared the 3 main Copic Marker types yet, nor do I usually tell you which type I use. Mostly, this is because the color is more important to me than the marker style. Second, I have a mix of all marker types on my desk so I use a mix of body styles when I color. It's annoying enough listing which colors I used, let alone which style I chose. Unless the body style is important to the specific technique I'm sharing then I don't usually pay attention to anything but the color.

You, on the other hand, probably care a lot more than I do what makes each marker different. Let me state this first:

• All Copic Markers have the same ink. A B32 in Copic is the same color as a B32 in Sketch or Wide. These are computer-mixed inks. They have not changed in 20 some years, and they never will change. If you have a marker that's 15 yrs. old and you go to refill it, it will be the exact same color.

• All Copic Marker ink is alcohol based dye. It is low-odor and it doesn't cause paper to "pill" when you layer it many times in the same spot. This dye is permanent on many surfaces making it a great choice for mixed-media. Also, we say alcohol, but it really is ethanol, hence the low-odor.

• All Copic Markers are refillable with replaceable tips. Any marker you buy, with a little care, will last you forever so pick the type that is right for You. Before you pick a marker you need to figure out what qualities are most important. A list of questions to ask yourself to get you started thinking toward the marker type that is best for you:

What is important to me when I color?
1. Do I color a lot or a little? If you only color every now and then and you just want a high quality marker for those rare occasions, think Ciao. If you will be coloring all the time, pick Copic or Sketch (these will last longer before needing to be refilled).

2. Do I have to have every color exactly perfect, or is close good enough? If you need EXACT colors think Sketch, since it has the most colors, 322. Copic has 216, but both Copic and Sketch have empty markers so you could always fill your own colors and make custom as well. If you're not too picky, go with Ciao, since they have only 144 colors and no empties.

3. Do I like a firm tip to color with or do I want the really flexible brush? The Copic comes standard with a nice firm, fine point for coloring. This is great for details, but you would have to buy an optional brush for the other side if you also like the brush, then the airbrushing capability would get messed up. Copic markers are versatile and have a total of 9 different tips so you could turn these into a calligraphy marker, a super-fine pointed marker, or give it a nice round end. If you know you like the flexible brush (which takes some getting used to) then go for the Sketch or Ciao. They do have one optional Med. Round nib, but it's not as fine as the Copic nibs. This question is really hard to answer unless you get a chance to play with each style before you buy.

4. Do I think I will ever airbrush? No, you may want Ciao. Yes, go for Sketch or Copic.

5. How much airbrushing will I do? If you don't think you'll be doing anything but airbrushing you may want Copics, since they hold the most ink to start with. If you want two different airbrush effects from one marker then go for Sketch, though it will have to be refilled sooner than the Copic.

6. Do I care about needing to refill right away? If you don't mind refilling sooner, then go for Ciao. If refilling sounds like a pain and you want to go longer before buying your inks, think Sketch or Copic (Copic holds even more ink than Sketch to begin with).

7. How much am I willing to spend on a marker? Ciao generally run $2 less per marker than the other styles, but they'll need to be refilled sooner and you can't airbrush. Sketch and Copic are a little more expensive up front. Refill inks sell for about $6.95 US, but one refill will fill a Sketch or Copic marker about 10 times, and a Ciao marker about 15 times. Work out the math and you'll see that refills are really inexpensive over the long run.

Over the next 2 weeks I will highlight each marker type individually, so compare carefully before you make a commitment (I have met people who bought one of each body style in the same color because they used them for different things). Meanwhile, I'm heading up to the fun city of Seattle- I can't wait to meet the great stampers up there!