Alcohol Marker Brands
Learn about the best alcohol marker brands to suit your needs and your budget!
Nowadays, there are a ton of different brands on the market, which can make it hard for beginners to know which brand to choose. That’s where I come in!
As a professional artist who’s been using alcohol markers for over 10 years, my goal is to help you figure out which brand is right for your artistic needs, as well as your budget.
On this page you’ll find my top recommendations for the best alcohol marker brands for all skill levels. Click through the links below to read detailed reviews for each brand, as well as see artwork that I made using those brands!
Who am I and why trust me?
Here’s me next to my coloring books at Michaels!
Hi! I’m Thaneeya McArdle, and I’m a professional artist who’s published over 30 coloring books that have sold over 3.9 million copies. Throughout this time I’ve done a LOT of coloring, and alcohol markers have always been my go-to art supply. I’ve experimented with a lot of different brands, and over the years people have often asked me for my favorite brand recommendations. I look forward to sharing my experience and expertise with you, to help you decide which markers are best for your needs!
Plus, I’m a real human writing this article—not an AI chatbot that generates articles! 😊 When you read my articles on this site, you’re reading the advice, experience and expertise of a real-life person who’s been making art since the 1990s (and professionally since the early 2000s).
Things to Consider
Before we get started, here’s a quick list of things to consider when deciding which brand of alcohol markers to buy:
Budget - This is typically the most important factor if you’re new to alcohol markers. High-end alcohol markers can be quite pricey, but thankfully, these days there are many budget entry-level options that are perfect for beginners!
Complete set of 358 Copic Sketch Markers
Color range - I recommend buying a set of at least 70 markers to begin with. That way, you have enough colors to be able to create beautiful blends. 70 markers might seem like a lot, but if you buy a set from a budget brand, the cost is usually pretty good, considering all the colors that you get.
Barrel shape and size - This is something that boils down to personal preference and what feels most comfortable in your hand. Some markers have round barrels, while others have oval barrels. Some even have triangular, octagonal or hexagonal barrels. If you live near an art supply store that sells markers open stock, it might help to go to their marker section and see how the different markers feel in your hand.
Ink refills and replacement nibs - If you really enjoy using alcohol markers, then you might want to invest in a brand like Copic that offers ink refills and replacement nibs. This means that the markers can last for years (even decades).
Copic Ink Refill Bottle
Open stock - If you get serious about using alcohol markers, then you’ll appreciate being able to buy the markers individually (“open stock”). That way, when the ink runs out of your favorite marker, you can just buy that individual marker instead of buying a whole new set. Most cheaper brands are only available in sets, whereas most higher-end markers are available open stock. Speaking of brands…
Brand name - Is the brand you’re thinking of buying made by a legitimate art supply company? These days, it’s easy for anyone to sell their own “brand” of alcohol markers, simply by going to a site like Alibaba and ordering sets of generic alcohol markers with their own logo printed on the markers. They then sell those markers on Amazon, as if they are an actual company with a distinct brand offering a “unique product”. Those types of markers are not going to be as good as the markers made by established brand names, such as Copic, Prismacolor or Blick (just to name a few examples) who do their own research and development into their own products, and have a vested interest in creating quality art supplies.
If you’re not sure whether the brand you’re thinking of buying is a legit brand, go to a search engine and type in the name of the brand and see what comes up. Legit brands will have an established web presence with lots of high-quality search results, as well as a website with an About page that details the company’s history.
That said, always follow your budget! There’s nothing wrong with buying those cheap brands off of Amazon—just be aware that their quality may or may not lead to a satisfying user experience. Reading reviews can help, but keep in mind that people who purchase those types of markers likely did so because they couldn’t afford the more established (and expensive) brands, so they don’t really have a solid benchmark for comparing the super-cheap brands with the higher-cost brands.
Now let’s move onto reviews of my favorite alcohol marker brands!
Alcohol Marker Reviews
Copic Markers
Copic Markers are considered the best of the best when it comes to alcohol marker brands, and for good reason!
Copic is the brand that invented alcohol markers, and for a while they were the only alcohol markers available, which has given them a good head start over the competition when it comes to manufacturing the best alcohol markers out there. Everything about Copics is top-notch: the barrel construction, the marker nibs, the ink quality, and the wide range of 358 colors.
My collection of 358 Copic Sketch Markers
Copic Markers are available in 3 different types that you see above: Classic/Original, Sketch and Ciao. The difference between the types are the barrel shape and size, the number of available colors, and the price. Read my detailed Copic review for more info about the different types of markers.
I own the full set of 358 Copic Sketch Markers, shown here. I’ve found that their brush nibs are such excellent quality that in the 10+ years that I’ve owned them, I’ve only had to change about a dozen nibs! That’s a pretty amazing track record!
Because I use these markers so often, I have had to buy refills for just over 100 of the colors. That might sound like a lot, but over the course of 10 years, it’s not really that many. I’ve found that aside from my favorite colors that I use over and over, the refills tend to last me quite awhile, and it’s way cheaper than buying a new marker every time it runs low on ink.
Since I’ve been using Copics for over 10 years, I have a lot to say about them, way more than I can fit on this page! So, I created a longer, more detailed review to help you learn all about Copics. Click the button below to check it out!
The only real downside to Copics is the price. If Copics are out of your budget, then you definitely don’t need to go into debt if you want to use alcohol markers. Just use one of the cheaper brands discussed below, and then if you want, you can start collecting Copics slowly, over time (like I did).
Where to Buy
Below you can find links to Copic Markers at Blick, my favorite online art supplier. When it comes to purchasing expensive art supplies like Copic, you know you're getting the legit product (and not a fake) when you purchase from a reliable company like Blick. As a Blick affiliate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Below you can see some examples of artwork that I made using Copics. You can learn how to color in both of these artworks in my Ultimate Guide to Using Alcohol Markers! Print out the line art and follow along with me as I show you step-by-step how I colored in these whimsical works of art!
Here’s another example of a drawing that I made using Copic Markers. You can learn all about the realistic alcohol marker techniques that I used to create this artwork, or watch my alcohol marker process video!
Ohuhu Markers
Ohuhu Alcohol Markers are one of the most popular alternatives to Copics because they are budget-friendly, yet very good quality. They’re one of the best alcohol marker brands for beginners, because they allow you to try out alcohol markers without breaking the bank!
Currently, Ohuhu alcohol-based markers come in the two types that you see above:
Set of 104 Ohuhu Honolulu Markers
Ohuhu’s brush-nib Honolulu series comes in 320 colors, which is quite a lot! Although it’s not as many as Copic’s 358 colors, it’s still far beyond what most other alcohol marker brands offer. Their Kaala series, with the fine bullet nibs instead of brush nibs, comes in 168 colors.
I currently own all 320 Ohuhu Honolulu Markers, and 168 Ohuhu Kaala Markers. Full disclosure: Ohuhu sent me complimentary sets of their markers for me to review, and I genuinely love them! The wide range of colors is perfect for creating seamless blends, and the markers come with a carrying case for easy transport. What’s not to love?!
I find both types of Ohuhu alcohol markers comfortable to hold and use, though I do prefer the more narrow barrel shape of the Kaala markers over the round shape of the Honolulu markers. The round barrel of the Honolulu markers feels a little bulky in comparison. That said, barrel shape and comfort are very subjective factors that all boil down to personal opinion.
This is just a quick summary, so if you’re interested to learn more about Ohuhu Honolulu markers (as well as Ohuhu marker paper!) click below to read my detailed review and find out why Ohuhu Markers are the perfect alcohol marker brand for beginners!
Where to Buy
Below you can find links to Ohuhu Markers at Amazon. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Below you can see some examples of artwork that I made using Ohuhu Honolulu Markers. As you can see, the colors are rich and vibrant!
If you’d like to learn step-by-step how I colored in the adorable illustration above using Ohuhu Markers, check out my Wizard Cat Alcohol Markers Course! 😍
The artworks below are from my set of printable Enchanted Faces Coloring Pages (left artwork) and Happy Hodgepodge Coloring Pages (right artwork).
You can see more artwork that I colored in with Ohuhu Markers in my detailed Ohuhu Honolulu Markers review.
The artwork above was made with brush-tip alcohol markers. If you’re interested in fine-tip and chisel-tip markers, click below to read my detailed review of Ohuhu Kaala Markers!
Below you can see two artworks that I colored in using Ohuhu Kaala Markers. I really enjoy the fine tip and fun range of colors! The artworks below are from my set of printable Detailed Mandala Coloring Pages (left) and printable Happy Hodgepodge Coloring Pages (right).
Arrtx Markers
Arrtx Alcohol Markers are another excellent cheap alternative to Copic Markers, which makes them perfect for beginners! They’re wonderful to work with, come in a wide range of colors, and each set includes a convenient carrying case with individual slots for each marker, which is a real bonus because the individual slots make it easy to keep your colors organized. Plus, the case can be propped up so that the markers are facing you horizontally, which makes it really easy to see all your markers at a glance and grab the right colors without searching too hard.
Arrtx markers come in the two different types that you see above:
Arrtx Alp Markers: Fine Bullet + Chisel nibs (206 colors)
Arrtx Oros Markers: Brush + Chisel nibs
Full disclosure: Arrtx sent me complimentary sets of these markers for me to review, and I genuinely love them! I have 206 of the Arrtx Alp Markers and 80 of the Arrtx Oros Markers. The colors are vibrant (as you can see in the examples below), and the color range allows for creating seamless blends. Scroll down to see my examples!
If you’re interested in fine-tip and chisel-tip alcohol markers, read my detailed review of Arrtx Alp Markers to find out why they’re an excellent budget pick!
Where to Buy
Below you can find links to Arrtx Markers at Amazon. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Below you can see some examples of artwork that I colored in using Arrtx Alp Markers. You can see more examples in my detailed Arrtx Alp Markers review. These artworks are from my set of printable Enchanted Faces Coloring Pages (left artwork) and Hippie Animals Coloring Book (right artwork).
To learn how I colored in both of the artworks above, check out my step-by-step Alcohol Marker Tutorials!
If you’re interested in affordable brush-nib alcohol markers, read my detailed review of Arrtx Oros Markers!
Below you can see some examples of artwork that I made using Arrtx Oros Markers. The dragonfly is a page from my Think Happy Coloring Book and the cat is a page in my set of 27 printable Happy Hodgepodge Coloring Pages. I really loved using these markers! 😍
Prismacolor Markers
Prismacolor Premier Markers are another excellent brand to consider. They’re considered professional-quality, just like Copics, but they’re a lot cheaper than Copics (though more expensive than the budget brands Arrtx or Ohuhu).
Prismacolor Premier Markers are available in two types, shown above:
Prismacolor Premier Fine + Chisel nibs (158 colors)
Prismacolor Premier Brush + Chisel nibs (158 colors)
Note that both types of markers are called “Prismacolor Premier”. Unlike the other brands mentioned here, Prismacolor doesn’t label their markers with a different “series name” based on the nib type. This is just something to be aware of when purchasing. Double-check to make sure that you’re buying the nibs types that you want!
I only own 11 Prismacolor Premier Markers, but I highly recommend them because they are such good quality. Prismacolor is a trusted art supply brand that’s been around for almost a century. I haven’t collected more Prismacolor markers simply because I already own the full set of 358 Copic Sketch Markers, so trying to amass more colors from a different brand seems a bit redundant. Instead, I just purchased a few markers in colors that I like, to supplement my existing marker collection.
Update: as of 2023, Prismacolor markers can no longer be purchased individually. This makes them less competitive when compared to Copic, Blick, and Ohuhu markers.
If you’re already a fan of Prismacolor products, such as their colored pencils or pastels, then their markers are probably a good fit for you!
Blick Markers
Blick Studio Markers are another fantastic alcohol marker brand. They’re cheaper than both Copic and Prismacolor, yet more expensive than Ohuhu or Arrtx. They’re available open stock, so you can buy one marker (or a few) at a time to build your collection.
Blick Studio Markers are available in two types:
Blick Studio Brush: Brush + Chisel nibs (144 colors)
Blick Studio: Fine Bullet + Chisel nibs (96 colors)
Another bonus of Blick Markers is that they offer ink refills and replacement nibs, so you can essentially reuse the same marker over and over! This can save you a lot of money in the long run. It’s factors like these, in addition to the ability to purchase them open stock, that place Blick Studio markers a notch above the cheaper alcohol marker brands.
I own 6 Blick Alcohol Markers and I’ve found them to be really great quality!. The only reason I haven’t purchased more is because I already own all 358 Copic Sketch Markers, so I don’t feel the need to gather even more colors. If the Blick Studio Brush markers had been available when I first started collecting Copics, I may have chosen to save money and invest in the Blick markers instead.
Learn to use alcohol markers!
Once you’ve got your alcohol markers, it’s time to learn how to use them! In my Ultimate Guide to Using Alcohol Markers, I share with you everything I’ve learned in my past 10+ years of using alcohol markers!
This online video course is designed to take you from a complete beginner level to an advanced level. You’ll learn all the best alcohol marker blending techniques, and then I’ll show you step-by-step how to create the 3 works of art you see below! Printable line art is included, so you can follow along at home, at your own pace!
With 11+ hours of focused video lessons and 50+ pages of downloadable resources (including my custom Copic color chart and personal library of over 250 Copic blending formulas!), this course is designed to set you on the fast track to alcohol marker mastery.
Click below to watch the course trailer and see everything this course has to offer!
Keep learning…
Get an overview of alcohol markers and learn why they’re so awesome to work with.
Learn the difference between alcohol markers and water-based markers.
Check out my detailed step-by-step alcohol marker tutorials!
See more examples of my alcohol marker art to get an idea of what you can create with alcohol markers!
If you’re interested in Copic Markers but can’t afford them, check out my recommendations for best Copic alternatives.
Enroll in my free 90-minute Alcohol Markers Course!
Organize your colors with my Custom Color Charts for Copic and Ohuhu, where I’ve arranged the colors based on what they actually look like!
Check out my video: Top 8 Tips for Alcohol Marker Beginners!
