Watercolor Markers: Watercolor Basics

Watercolor markers can be a fun addition to your art supply arsenal, but there are so many to choose from!  Today we're going to talk about a few favorites, and cover the basics- hopefully you'll feel confident in trying watercolor markers after reading this post.

Two basic types:
Pigment Based
Dye Based

Pigment Based:
Only Winsor and Newton watercolor markers fall into this category.  Use pigments for color, the same way tube and pan watercolors use pigments.  Pigment based watercolors tend to be more archival and lightfast than dye based watercolors.  These are intermixable with other Winsor and Newton Watercolors, and utilize the same color names for easy matching.

Dye Based:
The majority of watercolor markers, from the Crayola paintbrushes to Ecoline watercolor markers are dye based.  Dye based markers tend to be highly water reactive (unless additives are used for slight resistance, such as glycerin), and feature brilliant, blendable color.  Dye based markers tend to use fanciful, non descriptive names, so watching is recommended for color matching.  Can be used on top of regular watercolors as a glaze, but would not recommending using as an underpainting.

Most markers are dye based- from waterbased intended for children (Crayola) to alcohol based markers like Copic and Prismacolor markers.

Two Main Brush Types:

Individual Nylon Bristles
Solid Brush

Watercolor Marker Overview:

Winsor and Newton watercolor markers on Winsor and Newton Watercolor Marker Paper 

Winsor and Newton Watercolor Markers:
Review (written)
Buy
Tutorial (written)
Tutorial (video)
Winsor and Newton Marker Overview (video)

Spectrum Aqua watercolor markers on Fluid watercolor paper 

Spectrum Aqua
Review (video)
Review (written)
Buy

Ranger Distress markers on Fabriano watercolor paper 

Ranger Distress Markers
Review
Buy

Sakura Koi markers on Fabriano watercolor paper 

Sakura Koi Markers:
Swatch Test (video)
Fieldtest:
Wet Application (video)
Dry Application (video)
Buy

Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush Markers on Fabriano Watercolor Paper 

Zig Clean Color Markers:
Review (blog)
Tutorial: Succulent with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers (video)
Tutorial: Monochromatic Magic with Colored Leads and Clean Color Real Brush (video)
Tutorial: Axolotl Illustration Tutorial with Zig Clean Color Markers (video)
Tutorial: Colored Leads and Clean Color Markers Tutorial (video)
Tutorial: Draw with Me- Winter Satsumas in Clean Color Real Brush (video)
Buy

Neopiko 4 markers on Fabriano Watercolor Paper 

Neopiko 4:
Review
Buy

Akashiya Sai:
Review
Buy

Pentel Brushpens:
Review, tutorial, and more to come soon
Buy

Bienfang Watercolor Markers:
Unbox and Swatch Coming Soon
Review Coming Soon
Buy

Elmer Paintastics


Crayola
Paint Brush Pens:
Unbox and Swatch coming soon
Review Coming Soon

Supertips
Tutorial Crayola Faux Watercolor Marker

Other Watercolor Marker Reviews:

DoCrafts Artiste Watercolor Markers on Fabriano watercolor paper 

DoCrafts Artiste Watercolor Markers
Review

Tombow ABT
Review

Marvy LePlume II on Fabriano watercolor paper 

Marvy LePlume II
Review

Zig Art and Graphic Twin on Watercolor Paper 

Zig Art and Graphic Twin
Review (written)
Demonstration (video)

Ecoline liquid watercolor and watercolor marker on Fluid watercolor paper 

Ecoline Markers and Liquid Watercolors
Review (blog)
Unbox and Swatch (video)
Tutorial: Succulents Step by Step with Ecoline (video)
Buy

Mermaid Markers on Strathmore 400 Series watercolor paper 

Mermaid Markers:
Review (blog)
Unbox and Swatch (video)
Field Test (video)

Other Waterbased Marker Comparisons: 

Comparing Brush Markers for Brush Lettering
Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush Markers Vs Ichi Ban Kan

Outside Resources:
Winsor and Newton: Watercolor Markers
Blick.com- Winsor and Newton Watercolor Markers 

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