A Newbie Question

[incognito]

I'm new to using markers in drawings, but whats the difference between using $3 crayola markers and more expensive prismacolor(and other brands) markers?

[Pencil Soldier]

In some cases they work better.

[strych9ine]

For starters, Crayolas are horse shit.

Prismacolors and Pantone Tria's are professional quality. Beautiful color and huge selection... Prisma's have two different sized nibs on the same marker, and Tria's have three. There is also an airbrush-like attachment for one of the two, and you can buy refills.

[Elwell]

Originally posted by incognito
... whats the difference between using $3 crayola markers and more expensive prismacolor(and other brands) markers?
Water based vs. solvent based inks.

[incognito]

So pretty much they're just over all better quality?

What do you mean by solvent based?

[egerie]

water vs alcohol. think about what it does to your supports

[pconsidine]

Not for nothing, but if you can get the results you want from the $3 Crayola markers, then there's no reason to keep looking. But I suspect that once you start using the better markers, you'll wonder how you ever did without them. They're just way more versatile.

strych9ine – I'm pretty sure the airbrush attachment is for the Tria markers. Unless they made one for the Prismacolors.

[strych9ine]

pconsidine: Have you tried it out? I've been wanting to pick it up, but I am reluctant...

[Fipse]

Hi incognito,

a big advantage of solvent oriented markers is that the colours blend much better and you can build smoother transitions. Therefore I always would recommend solvent-based markers. I´m not sure about the american brands, Pantone isn´t very popular here, most artist her use now japanese Copic markers.

I learned to work in the 80´s with AD-markers but I´m not sure if they´re available now. In fact they´ve been working with a kind of turpentine based solvent - the best blendings someone can achieve with markers but there are reasons that lung-problems have been at this time a typical illness of the graphics profession ;).

Fipse

[incognito]

Wow, thanks for all this helpful information. I guess I am gonna go out and buy some prismas.

But um...which ones are the turpentine based ones - I don't wanna get diseases. :D

[Fipse]

They have been called AD-marker - but I think at the end of the 80´s they changed their solvent to alcohol. But when I began working in 85 they have been the cheapest possibility to get high on work ;):

Fipse