When I first started coloring with alcohol markers, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I suspect you found your way here because you’re thinking of trying alcohol markers, but you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on them just yet.
I felt the same way.
I wanted to dip my toe in the alcohol marker “water” before I committed to a more expensive set.
I bought these cheap Amazon alcohol markers to get started.
You can find these alcohol markers here if you’re looking for an affordable set.
I’ve been using them for almost a year now at the time of writing this article, so it’s time to tell you everything I’ve learned.
In this post, I’ll answer these questions:
- How do I use cheap alcohol markers?
- Are cheap alcohol markers enough to get started, or should I invest in more expensive markers?
- How good are these cheap Amazon alcohol markers?
- Who are cheap Amazon alcohol markers for?
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase from my link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Why are alcohol-based markers better than water-based markers?
I wouldn’t say alcohol markers are better.
This depends on what “better” means to you.
Water-based markers seem to be streaky, uneven, and they get all over my hands.
They don’t always dry fast, and they don’t saturate or blend well like alcohol markers do.
What I like about this specific brand of alcohol-based markers
- The first thing I like a lot is that they come in a solid case with a zip top AND a handle.
- They are easily portable.
- They use alcohol-based ink, which interacts with the coloring paper differently than water-based ink.
- They come in lots of vibrant colors.
- They stand up nicely because each marker has its own spot.
- I like that they are dual-sided. One side is a thick chisel tip, and the other is a fine tip for detail work. They also have images on each end to show you which side is which, so you don’t have to take the cap off to see. I love having the different nips on each marker so I can switch quickly back and forth.
- They are fat and easy to hold.
- I love how fast I can color with these markers. They drench the paper in ink, and I can move quickly over the paper.
- They come with a blender pen (or colorless blender) for easy blending. Blending markers (especially alcohol markers) doesn’t produce a nice result without the colorless blender.
- They are inexpensive for those on a tight budget (or if you just don’t want to spend the money on expensive markers yet).
- They don’t have a strong odor.
Many artists use them as art markers. I’ve seen some gorgeous designs done with the chisel nip of an alcohol marker.
If professional artists and graphic designers can use these markers for their works of art, I can use them for my coloring books!
Depending on the type of art or coloring you’re doing, these can be a fun and easy-to-use medium.
I can get different effects that I just can’t get with regular markers, like smooth shading, smooth transition blending, and more.
What I didn’t like about these inexpensive double-ended alcohol markers
- This brand of alcohol markers seems to be the type of markers many companies buy and put their logo on to sell as their own. (This is my assumption, and I don’t know this for sure).
If you search for alcohol markers, you will see tons of different companies selling the same ones.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Just be careful not to overpay if one company charges more than the other for the same markers.
- This set came all out of numerical order, but it was easy to fix but tedious.
- The color chart it came with is glossy, so I didn’t use it. The glossy paper doesn’t saturate well and isn’t a good representation of how an alcohol marker would work on the kind of paper I use. (I used this color chart book instead)
- After using them for a while, a few dried out quickly. I have a super easy fix (see it here), so it wasn’t a bit problem, and it was only 3 of the 100 markers.
- They do not have good skin tone colors. I find myself using a mix of browns, pinks, and sand color depending on the page. It gets the job done, but it’s not true to any skin tone.
- If you get too close to the edge, it’s easy to go over the line. I suspect it’s the same with any marker that wets the paper so thoroughly, like an alcohol marker.
These markers saturate the paper significantly more than regular water-based markers.
If you don’t have a thick paper, you’ll need to add some pages behind your coloring page. I always do this even if I’m using heavyweight paper, just in case.
How do I use my alcohol markers?
I use these markers to color, and sometimes when I draw, I use them to color my own images.
I use the fine tip more often than the thick tip, but the wide side is nice when I have large spaces to fill.
When the fine tip dries out, the thick end has nice edges you can use as a fine tip until you get a chance to re-wet your markers with alcohol.
Here’s a video about what to do with the dry alcohol markers.
Are cheap alcohol markers enough to get started, or should I invest in more expensive markers?
These markers are PERFECT for someone starting. I’ve been running a coloring book business for over a year and use these almost daily.
I’ve only had about 3 of them dry out, and they are the ones I use most often.
I love these markers. They are a great buy!
How good are these affordable Amazon alcohol markers?
These markers are really nice for the cost. They saturate the paper nicely, blend well, and are easy to use.
They are portable and comfortable, and I highly recommend them to anyone.
If you’re selling your art, you may want something more professional like Copic markers.
But the affordable markers I use are perfect if you’re coloring every day for your mental health or just for fun.
Who are cheap Amazon alcohol markers for?
These affordable alcohol markers are perfect for:
- People who color as a hobby every day or often
- Anyone who wants to dabble in alcohol markers without breaking the bank
- Those who like to color fast as these markers saturate well, and you can move quickly across the page
- Anyone who wants a variety of vivid colors
- People who like to bring their markers with them as they have a handle and travel well
Are alcohol ink markers for you?
If you’ve read this post and you’re ready to buy some alcohol markers, these markers are for you.
I love a good expensive marker, but if you’re only doing it for fun or to work on your mental health, stick to the cheap alcohol markers.
They get the job done, are easy to use, are portable, and your work will look really nice.
The Alcohol Markers I Use
Here are the beginner-friendly, affordable alcohol markers I like.
