When it comes to markers, most artists and hobbies prefer alcohol-based markers beach of the results these art supplies produce in color, feel, and the ability to create stunning gradients where water-based markers often fall short.
To color with alcohol-based markers, there are five common steps colorists follow to achieve satisfactory results. First, artists create a swatch chart of all the individual colors. The second is to plan out and group individual markers into 3-tone color palettes. The third is to lay down the base layers of color. The fourth is to add layers and various tones to the existing base layers of color. And lastly, colorists will blend and add finer details to work by using various tools and techniques to push their art into the next visual atmosphere.
Creating a Swatch Chart
A swatch chart is simply a visual reference guide for the artist. Artists may chart all of their colors on an extra sheet of white paper or just the individual colors they intend to use on their current art piece. To create a swatch chart, simply color an oval or rectangle area on white paper with each marker. You can color in oval patterns back-and-fourth hatching or cross-hatching patterns. Note that because alcohol marker ink sinks into the page with more saturation than their water-based counterparts, overlapping ink layers of the same color will change the swatch — and thus the color — on the page to a darker tone.
Additionally, artists will update their swatch chart as they color their pieces often to include gradients and color blends intended for the art piece. Creating a swatch chart is the perfect means of practicing colors, gradients, and blends before committing to the art piece.
The Three-Tone Rule
One of the most common rules when coloring in any medium, and especially with alcohol markers, is the three-tone rule. By varying each color into a light, medium, and dark tone, artists achieve more visual depth in each color. This depth translates into texture and vibrancy on the page.
- For the lightest tones, artists may only use one layer of an individual color or even color over a single layer with a lighter-toned marker or colorless blender. Colorists who dedicate their time to portraits will often leave small patches of white paper in the light-tone color area to create highlights in contrast to the darker layers of tone that are colored afterward.
- For medium tones, colorists may use only a single layer of color similar to lighter tones, two layers of color, or blend two individual colors for a more complex palette. Instead of coloring one color directly over the whole lighter base, colorists will often create a border area where the two colors mix and then use a colorless blender or Q-tip soaked in alcohol to smudge the two colors together. This creates a softer visual texture. Additionally, smudging or smoothly blending two tones or two separate colors is a great way to avoid any dreaded streaking on the page.
- When it comes to darker tones, the rules are simple: add more layers. Whether that be layers of the same individual color or similar darker-toned colors, the results are the same, deep, bold tones of ink that settle through the page. Colorists have the choice of smudging their colors together through a border zone in any given color area or layering the ink directly on top of the base layers of color since the darker tones are the most saturated parts of an art piece.
All About That Base
First things first, when it comes to planning out your art piece, start at the base. Artists and colorists don’t have a set-in-stone guidebook on how to fill the color of an art piece, but many in the creatively-minded community will begin with the background. Beginning with a base layer of background is a great way to start your art piece before jumping into the subject. After all, establishing a strong relationship between the two areas, background, and subject, will help guide your brain on what colors to choose from for the main eye-catcher in the piece.
Base layers are typically a single coat of ink lightly applied. This rule is pretty steadfastly important with alcohol markers, given that it’s easy to darken marker tones on the page. However, lightening your color tones after the ink has been applied is a whole different story. Tools such as colorless blenders, alcohol solutions, or even white acrylic paint are used to lighten color tones to some degree of effectiveness. Small lines or splashes of white acrylic paint are wonderful at further pronouncing the highlights in most projects but keep in mind that there is no substitute for carefully planning out where the lightest tones of the piece will be and keeping the page a natural white. After all, with good, planning you’ll save yourself additional work ahead of the project’s finish.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, when it comes to darker tones in the art piece, it’s not always a matter of adding more layers. Too much saturation will eat up the tooth of the paper and create a mess of overly saturated paper mush that may physically separate from the page. Again, alcohol markers help to mentally plan out your values before diving directly into a pool of brilliant pigments.
Check out more marker tips HERE.
Layer The Cake
After base layers of color have been applied, it’s time for the fun part! This is where artists get into the nitty-gritty of coloring. By layering analogous, complementary, split-complimentary, triadic, or double-complimentary colors, artists create complex gradients and blends. The layer color combinations are what make the art piece pop, as well as reflect the artist’s personal color choices and creative decision-making. In other words, once you’ve moved past your base layers to establish the first hue of any area, the layering of your next colors is where your personality as a colorist begins to shine!
Tools and Techniques of the Trade
Not only do creatives have the opportunity to choose what colors are going to sink into the paper, but each artist has a variety of techniques available to them for the physical coloring process. This includes coloring in ovals for an even spread of ink, hatching for a more textured look that allows background hues to peek through, cross-hatching for a tighter weave over the established base layers of color, or even dabbing and flicking the marker for special texture effects useful in creating fur, hair, or grass-like visuals.
Artists will also make use of colorless blenders. Markers that are made with clear or colorless ink are intended to lighten the tint of a given color. Many coloring packs include them with the purchase of a full set or sell the colorless blender as an individual pen if not included.
A Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol is also a wonderful tool for blending gradients while tactically smudging the ink and provides a clean, sometimes glossy look to the page after the ink is dried. We don’t mean rubbing a deep cabernet over those stunning tomatoes you’ve colored for additional red and purple undertones. Instead, simple rubbing alcohol will do wonders for smoothing the ink on the page into a softer texture and a more natural gradient between the two colors.
White paint and black fine-tip Sharpie are excellent for those lasting line work details. Sure white paint technically isn’t an alcohol-based marker, however light use of some white acrylic paint boosts the lighter values on the page and creates more contrast from the darkest values on the page. And as many hobbyists know, good contrast equals great visual depth.
This is also true when it comes to the black line in an art piece. Though it may be a little overkill to trace over every outline in the project with a black fine-tip Sharpie, adding just a few emboldened outlines on the subject of the art piece provides a clear separation between visual objects. In other words, a few fine lines of the thin black outline will help the subject on the page pop out the front of the background and naturally grab the attention of the viewer’s eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions
If Alcohol Markers Are Typically Better, What Is The Point of Water-Based Markers?
Though alcohol markers are the typical go-to for serious hobbyists and colorists due to their faster drying and heavier saturated pigment, water-based markers are not useless. Many marker artists will lean into water-based markers as a more controllable medium for creating water-color stylized art pieces.
What Are Some of the Most Recommended Alcohol-Markers Available for Purchase?
If you haven’t checked out our guide on the best quality markers for adult coloring, feel free to take a quick read of our recommended products here. Amongst our guides are brands like Copic Markers, Blick Studio Brush Markers, Ohuhu Dual-Tip Brush and Chisel Markers, and Altenew Artist Markers. That said, the best always comes down to subjectivity. There’s no shame in trying out a couple of individual marker pens from any alcohol marker brand to see what you prefer before committing to a full set or two!
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