Art Marker Showdown: Copic Sketch Vs. Prismacolor Premier
It's been two years since I first started doing alcohol based marker comparisons, and these are some of my most popular posts. If you enjoyed this post, please consider checking out my other art supply reviews in my Reviews tab above. If you would like to purchase a set of Prismacolor Premier markers for yourself or a friend, please consider supporting this blog financially by using my Amazon affiliate link.
If you enjoyed this review, please consider donating! Donations go towards the purchase of additional art supplies, which may include more markers for testing. If you found this review useful, please consider sharing it on your social networks. If you found this review useful, please consider sharing it on your social networks- a larger audience means I can afford to do things like Kickstart future projects and makes me more attractive to possible publishers. There's also a handy pocket edition of ALL my marker reviews in a beautiful little 4"x6" photobook. It's available for $3 in my Nattoshop, and proceeds go towards things like keeping the lights on and buying more markers to review.
As this blog is completely unsponsored, and I receive no financial compensation from companies to write these reviews, nor do I receive donations, I really depend on the goodwill of my readers. If you benefitted from this post, please consider contacting Copic or Prismacolor with a link to this post and your thoughts. I would also sincerely appreciate it if you sent me an email with your thoughts, questions, or thanks.
Lastly, I'm revisiting Prismacolor Markers in the future (January/February 2016), so if you're interested in seeing if my opinion has changed over the years, please check my more recent posts! Opinions and facts can change over the years, so what I said in this most may no longer accurately reflect the markers, my feelings on the markers, or how I render. Before you comment, consider checking out more recent posts!
Last week, we watched Copic Sketch annihilate Spectrum Noir art markers in an alcohol based marker showdown. This week, it's Prismacolor Premier stepping up to the ring against Copic Sketch, in a showdown to determine which is the best double sided marker in town. This Prismacolor Premier isn't just any Prismacolor Premier, oh no, it's got a trick up its barrel. This Prismacolor Premier came straight from Interventioncon to my testing table, a sample handed out by a Prismacolor representatitve. This one has a little something that most Prismacolor markers lack- a 'super brush' instead of the chisel. What color application wonders does this double sided contender have in store for us this week?
Comparison Shots
But how do these titans of the alcohol art marker world really compare? Let's have some side by side shots to see.
Hey, there's more under the cut!
Size wise, the Prismacolor and the Copic Sketch are roughly the same length and girth, although the Copic Sketch is more oblong. They both fit nicely in the hand, and have a decent heft to them. Neither of them have overpowering fumes, although I wouldn't recommend huffing them or working in an area with poor ventilation.
Instead of the chisel nib (which is pretty useful and possibly nicer than Copic's chisel nib) this Prismacolor has two brushes, an 'art' brush and the awful bullet nib of death. The 'art' brush is comparable in size to the Copic Sketch's super brush. They both have a decent amount of 'juice' to them.
The markers with their respective results. The color on the outside of the Prismacolor is a little lighter and more saturated than the actual ink. As always, test your open stock art markers before you buy them!
A mark made with the 'art' brush.
And one made with Copic's good old chisel nib.
A not-bleached out photo of the results. As you can see, with little effort, that the Copic and Prismacolor blend together decently.
The amount of bleed through- Copic at top, Prismacolor at bottom. This was decently heavy paper, I usually get this amount of bleed through on much thinner sketchbook paper. I wasn't trying to saturate the paper for these tests.
And a slightly blasted out scan of the results. It's clear in this scan that the Prismacolor is putting down a lot more ink than the Copic sketch at this point. Both markers blend and layer into their own brand just fine, and Copic Colorless blender works well with Prismacolor ink. This is because both are alcohol based inks. Both inks will cause bleeding when applied over Akashiya ink, and there's a little spread with the Micron ink. I applied the alcohol ink only moments after putting down the technical pen ink, with the express desire to test if it would bleed. For everything but the Akashiya ink, I would recommend waiting awhile for the ink to fully dry before applying alcohol based ink.
Both markers were brand new, but I found my Copic to be a little dry. Unfortunately, this is the side effect of purchasing an open stock marker in store- they tend to get tested. Had this happened with my Prismacolor, I would have been out of luck, since I couldn't refill it and I might not be able to return it. When purchasing Prismacolors, it's best to test them in store, to make sure you get one that is full of ink.
Prismacolor alcohol markers are comparable to Copic Sketch alcohol markers, and are capable of being intermixed and producing similiar effects and results. They're slightly easier to find, but don't have the range of color that Copic offers. Many fine alcohol based marker collections include both Copic markers and Prismacolor markers, as Prismacolor offers some colors that Copic does not carry, particularly the brighter hues.
I'm not sure how Prismacolor markers would react on an alcohol marker pad. In the past, I've experimented with alcohol marker pads like those produced by Copic, and found them not to my liking. The papers are thin, and it's too easy to pick up previous layers of color. Alcohol marker paper tends to be a coated paper, and you may have issues with the alcohol based ink reactivating the technical pen ink.
With the 'art brush' nib, Prismacolor finally offers something that I've found their markers lacking for years- the ability to render a paintbrush-like stroke using an alcohol based art marker. This was the feature that has set Copic Sketch and Ciao far beyond most contenders. Unfortunately, Prismacolor's art brush has a tendency to grab the paper, preventing me from making clean, clear strokes. I may just be too used to Copic Sketch's slippery Super Brush to make the switch to Prismacolor Premier. Perhaps if I used a coated alcohol marker pad, there would be less grab with the art brush.
Price wise, I didn't find the reduction in Prismacolor Premier's cost to be worth the fact that they are replaceble, not refillable. I use alcohol based markers often in my illustration, and I want the ability to refill and replace nibs as necessary. I keep a stock of nibs and often used colors, so it's easy for me to top up a dry marker. If I relied more on Prismacolor markers, I'd either have to run to the store often for replacements, or stock up on markers I use often, generating a lot of waste.
I haven't seen too many markers with the art brush option available in person, so I'm not sure how hard they are to find in the wild. If you're interested in purchasing them, they're available on sites like Blick.com and Jerry's Artarama.
If you enjoyed this review, please consider donating! Donations go towards the purchase of additional art supplies, which may include more markers for testing. If you found this review useful, please consider sharing it on your social networks. If you found this review useful, please consider sharing it on your social networks- a larger audience means I can afford to do things like Kickstart future projects and makes me more attractive to possible publishers. There's also a handy pocket edition of ALL my marker reviews in a beautiful little 4"x6" photobook. It's available for $3 in my Nattoshop, and proceeds go towards things like keeping the lights on and buying more markers to review.
As this blog is completely unsponsored, and I receive no financial compensation from companies to write these reviews, nor do I receive donations, I really depend on the goodwill of my readers. If you benefitted from this post, please consider contacting Copic or Prismacolor with a link to this post and your thoughts. I would also sincerely appreciate it if you sent me an email with your thoughts, questions, or thanks.
Lastly, I'm revisiting Prismacolor Markers in the future (January/February 2016), so if you're interested in seeing if my opinion has changed over the years, please check my more recent posts! Opinions and facts can change over the years, so what I said in this most may no longer accurately reflect the markers, my feelings on the markers, or how I render. Before you comment, consider checking out more recent posts!
Last week, we watched Copic Sketch annihilate Spectrum Noir art markers in an alcohol based marker showdown. This week, it's Prismacolor Premier stepping up to the ring against Copic Sketch, in a showdown to determine which is the best double sided marker in town. This Prismacolor Premier isn't just any Prismacolor Premier, oh no, it's got a trick up its barrel. This Prismacolor Premier came straight from Interventioncon to my testing table, a sample handed out by a Prismacolor representatitve. This one has a little something that most Prismacolor markers lack- a 'super brush' instead of the chisel. What color application wonders does this double sided contender have in store for us this week?
Prismacolor Premier:
 |
| Image Source |
- 'Art' Brush Option
- Comfortable in hand
- 156 number of colors
- Color family on cap
- Not refillable
- Can't mix own colors
- Price per marker: $6.40 (Amazon, price varies)
- Availability: Most art supply stores, Michaels, Dick Blick, Jerry's Artarama, Amazon
- Available in individual and color themed sets
- Alcohol based
- React to rubbing alcohol and 'blender' fluid
- Can be blended
Copic Sketch:
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| Image Source |
- Refillable
- Replacable Nibs
- Comfortable in hand
- 358 available number of colors
- Blendable
- Color Name and Family on Cap
- Color Coded cap
- Super Brush
- Can mix own colors, blank markers available
- Price Per Marker: $7.29 (Amazon)
- Availability: limited availability at Michaels, many art supply stores, Dick Blick, Jerry's Artarama, Jetpens, Amazon
- Available in individual and color themed sets
- Alcohol based
- React to rubbing alcohol and 'blender' fluid
- Can be blended
Comparison Shots
But how do these titans of the alcohol art marker world really compare? Let's have some side by side shots to see.
 |
| Left: Prismacolor Marker, Right Copic Sketch |
Hey, there's more under the cut!
Size wise, the Prismacolor and the Copic Sketch are roughly the same length and girth, although the Copic Sketch is more oblong. They both fit nicely in the hand, and have a decent heft to them. Neither of them have overpowering fumes, although I wouldn't recommend huffing them or working in an area with poor ventilation.
Instead of the chisel nib (which is pretty useful and possibly nicer than Copic's chisel nib) this Prismacolor has two brushes, an 'art' brush and the awful bullet nib of death. The 'art' brush is comparable in size to the Copic Sketch's super brush. They both have a decent amount of 'juice' to them.
The markers with their respective results. The color on the outside of the Prismacolor is a little lighter and more saturated than the actual ink. As always, test your open stock art markers before you buy them!
A mark made with the 'art' brush.
And one made with Copic's good old chisel nib.
The Test Results
This test is my standard for all alcohol based marker comparison tests, and you've already seen it with my Spectrum Noir test. I test the marker's compatibility with a variety of technical pens (Sakura Micron, Copic Multiliner, Pitt Pen, the waterbased ink found in Akashiya brush pens, the gel ink in Hi Tec C rollerball pens), as well as it's ability to blend and layer (shown on the sphere) and it's ability to mix with the other marker (show in the boxed area).
The amount of bleed through- Copic at top, Prismacolor at bottom. This was decently heavy paper, I usually get this amount of bleed through on much thinner sketchbook paper. I wasn't trying to saturate the paper for these tests.
So what does this mean?
Prismacolor art markers aren't a bad investment, particularly for a beginner artist who may feel overwhelmed with the idea of maintaining markers rather than replacing. Because you can't refill the ink or replace the nibs, they won't last forever, so you may find yourself repurchasing colors you use often. The 'art' brush is an improvement over the bullet nib, though a bit gummy. It doesn't lay color down quite as smoothly as Copic Sketch markers' super brush. This isn't a bad first foray into the world of illustration markers, and the alcohol based ink is compatible with Copic markers, should you decide to start upgrading your collection.Both markers were brand new, but I found my Copic to be a little dry. Unfortunately, this is the side effect of purchasing an open stock marker in store- they tend to get tested. Had this happened with my Prismacolor, I would have been out of luck, since I couldn't refill it and I might not be able to return it. When purchasing Prismacolors, it's best to test them in store, to make sure you get one that is full of ink.
Prismacolor alcohol markers are comparable to Copic Sketch alcohol markers, and are capable of being intermixed and producing similiar effects and results. They're slightly easier to find, but don't have the range of color that Copic offers. Many fine alcohol based marker collections include both Copic markers and Prismacolor markers, as Prismacolor offers some colors that Copic does not carry, particularly the brighter hues.
I'm not sure how Prismacolor markers would react on an alcohol marker pad. In the past, I've experimented with alcohol marker pads like those produced by Copic, and found them not to my liking. The papers are thin, and it's too easy to pick up previous layers of color. Alcohol marker paper tends to be a coated paper, and you may have issues with the alcohol based ink reactivating the technical pen ink.
With the 'art brush' nib, Prismacolor finally offers something that I've found their markers lacking for years- the ability to render a paintbrush-like stroke using an alcohol based art marker. This was the feature that has set Copic Sketch and Ciao far beyond most contenders. Unfortunately, Prismacolor's art brush has a tendency to grab the paper, preventing me from making clean, clear strokes. I may just be too used to Copic Sketch's slippery Super Brush to make the switch to Prismacolor Premier. Perhaps if I used a coated alcohol marker pad, there would be less grab with the art brush.
Price wise, I didn't find the reduction in Prismacolor Premier's cost to be worth the fact that they are replaceble, not refillable. I use alcohol based markers often in my illustration, and I want the ability to refill and replace nibs as necessary. I keep a stock of nibs and often used colors, so it's easy for me to top up a dry marker. If I relied more on Prismacolor markers, I'd either have to run to the store often for replacements, or stock up on markers I use often, generating a lot of waste.
I haven't seen too many markers with the art brush option available in person, so I'm not sure how hard they are to find in the wild. If you're interested in purchasing them, they're available on sites like Blick.com and Jerry's Artarama.
I actually really like the classic broad prismacolor nib. I find that they are juicy, as well as being made of a softer material than most other chisel tips I've used, so they feel good to use. Additionally, prismacolor has much more vibrant colors than copics, which means that I tend to supplement my copic collection with them. But I also purchased my first set of prismacolors from office depot more than ten years ago, where I paid about $100 for a 48 set, and that is a HUGE difference.
ReplyDeleteSecret trick to Prismas, if you take an empty marker and soak it tip down in a cup of rubbing alcohol, it will recharge to a degree. there's a sort of halflife each time you do it, so it won't last forever, but you can stretch them a lot farhter than you normally can.
ReplyDeleteI just recently got some prismacolor brush markers online for 2.39 a pop-I can't find anything for Copics under the 4.79 number. With that price difference, the Prismacolors are more than worth it imho.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started, I only had Prismacolor markers as that was what I could find and could afford. Boxed markers were usually great, but openstock was Russian roulette when it came to getting working markers, particularly at craft stores like Michaels, where the marker stock often goes ignored. Good Prismacolor markers can last a long time (recently we went through Heidi Black's massive marker collection, and found many markers that were 10+ years old and still working well), but I wanted something refillable that featured replaceable nibs. I need consistency in my markers.
DeleteI personally believe that any non-refillable open stock marker is a crapshoot, and I generally advise against it, just on principle, and always recommend consumers test markers before purchasing. Having gotten used to Copic's Superbrush, all other brush options have a tough challenge, but Prismacolor's ArtBrush is pretty decent.
I would say for me, the refill-ability and the ability to change out nibs is worth the extra money, but I can see how others might not find it worthwhile.