Color With Markers!

Right now I'm just going to cut to the chase on how to do a picture with markers. I'm using Prismacolors, which are expensive but still not the most costly; however, much of what I say will apply to other types: Trias, Copics, etc. If you have the cash, copics are very nice markers, but do not purchase them until you're really happy with your skills and whatnot. I'll probably invest eventually. ^_^

all right, elsewhere you can learn about actually drawing a pic. I just doodled one in pencil and inked it for tutorial purposes:

So, as you wait for this image to load, you'll notice the Sakura Micron Pen. I really like to use these (sizes 005 and 08 mostly) because they are quick to dry and don't smear with the markers' inks. The downside is that you'll have to be creative if you want to have nice lineart. I'm spoiled by the convenience of the pens,but you can also dip nibs in ink to get your lineart. Of course, I've only given you two of many possibilities. Just be sure that the ink you use will not blend into your markers--what a mess! Markers bleed through regular paper, so be sure to have some underneath your artwork. Wait awhile before purchasing "marker" paper; it's not much better than good old printer paper until you really need it...

Try to shade and blend (something prismacolors do well) while the color you're working on is still wet. I suggest that you work one color at a time. I start with either the lightest value I plan on, or I lay down the base and shade from there. Remember that you can always darken, but that it's easier to leave room for lighter areas and highlights in the first place. Speaking of which, have a small brush and bottle of (thick) white ink handy. You'll need it to fix mistakes in your inking or for highlighting (eyes, etc.). I haven't found an ink good enough for me to recommend yet, though, for when you want to re-color an are with marker after whiting out your mistake.

If you let a color--brown for instance--dry, you'll be able to apply more and get a darker shade of that brown. This will serve quite useful, but know that it's a problem with you want everything the same color: be quick (but not careless) when you fill in spaces you want to be smooth and even.

Buying Prismacolors

• Try out the individual marker before buying because sometimes the small end is dried up or very near it. I really can't stand it when I want to color a small area and the small point isn't working right. But, I really love it when it runs smoothly. Note that the marker ink will spread and that you should color away from the lines and let the ink naturally reach the outlines.
• Know that you really need that color, it's usually the lighter markers you'll want to buy since they can be darkened.
• Look for coupons/percentage off! ^_^

Mostly due to the cost, I would start out with a 24-marker set and add on colors as you need them. I'm betting you'll want flesh tones. Light Peach is nice, realistic, and easy to darken,so I advise you to buy it first. Eggshell, another nice color, has a slightly different appearance that would be picked if the artist personally liked skin with the pale tint. The picture I made here is not accurate to the actually colors, I just tried to use colors that hopefully appear right for everyone. They're exaggerated to show contrast, too. If you're in need of a darker color for skin, Sand seems to suffice for that and shading (if you use it instead of the base color, you'll find that the skin color looks quite different).