The use of professional art markers is becoming increasingly popular. With numerous types of markers available, artists can create a wide range of effects in their artwork. Some of the most popular options are alcohol-based markers like Copic or Ohuhu, and paint pens like Posca markers.
Alcohol markers and Posca markers are different in several ways. Alcohol markers contain alcohol-based ink, and can be blendeon paper. Posca markers are made from water-based acrylic paint, can be blended when wet or layered when dry, and can be used on many different surfaces. Even though these markers are different, they can be used to achieve similar results.
Alcohol Markers vs. Posca Markers
Alcohol Markers
There are several advantages and disadvantages to using alcohol markers, and the same can be said for Posca markers. Alcohol markers are perfect for creating realistic drawings of landscapes, portraits, anime or animated scenes, and even urban sketches. Because these markers use alcohol-based ink, they are perfect for blending and creating gradation from light to dark, and they dry streak free. These markers can create a seamless, almost painted effect, in a drawing.
However, one of the biggest downsides to alcohol markers is that they tend to bleed through thin papers, so they are not ideal for use in a journal or on two-sided coloring pages. Thick marker paper or Bristol paper is recommended when using alcohol markers, and even then there will likely be some bleed through to the back of the page.
Alcohol markers are not easily used on other surfaces, such as metal, wood, or glass. In addition, the ink from alcohol markers isn’t permanent and can fade over time when exposed to sunlight, even indirect light.
Posca Markers
Posca markers are made from a water-based acrylic paint and were specifically made to be used on surfaces other than paper. Posca markers can be used on wood, metal, cardboard, rocks, glass, plastic, and more. According to their website, Posca markers are permanent on porous surfaces without any special treatment, but when used on non-porous materials, (such as glass, plastic, or metal) a fixative can be added to prevent damage over time.
Because they are paint markers, there are no alcohol solvents in the markers, so they don’t produce an odor like alcohol markers do. Posca markers are non-toxic and ACMI certified.
Posca markers do not fade, and they are water resistant after drying. While the ink is wet, colors can be blended. After the ink is dry, the colors can be layered on top of each other to create different effects.
The drawback to Posca pens is that they can be hard to use on most types of paper. They seem to work best with watercolor paper because it’s designed to absorb the extra water in the ink. Other types of paper that aren’t as thick may end up tearing as the paint soaks into the fibers of the paper.
Are alcohol or posca markers better for beginners?
Both alcohol markers and Posca markers are perfect for beginners and professionals alike. It is easy for beginners to learn to use alcohol and paint markers- both can be used right out of the box with no special training, and the Posca markers even have instructions right on each pen.
There are also more advanced techniques that can be learned quickly with a bit of practice for each type of marker. Alcohol markers and Posca markers are both easy to learn to blend with, and there are techniques that can be applied with each type of marker to build up layers of color to achieve different looks.
Alcohol markers like Copic and Ohuhu have several different types of pens to choose from, so you can achieve a variety of looks depending on which tips you purchase. There are brush nibs, which allow for a more flowy, calligraphy like stroke, chisel nibs which are larger and rectangular, or bullet tips which are more of a medium sized tip.
Posca pens also come in 6 different sizes and styles, from extra broad block nibs, to bullet tip nibs, all the way down to brush and super small fine point nibs.
Are alcohol markers better than paint markers?
Alcohol markers are usually better than paint markers on paper, but paint markers have a distinct advantage when used on most other types of surfaces.
If your goal is to create a well blended drawing on paper, or have a large set of markers that are super easy to color with and refill, then alcohol markers are an excellent choice. Alcohol markers come in a huge variety of colors (some brands have over 300 different colors to choose from) and you can choose between budget friendly brands like Ohuhu, or top of the line Copic markers. Some alcohol markers are refillable, and in the long run that might be more budget friendly than replacing Posca markers. I’ve got a very detailed post here that shows the differences between brands of alcohol markers that are refillable versus the brands with cheap replacement markers.
If you would like to use markers that work on surfaces other than paper, such as a canvas, glass, fabric, metal, or wood, then Posca markers are going to be a better choice than alcohol markers. You can use Posca pens on paper as well, but be aware that the paper may not hold up if it’s not very thick.
There aren’t as many color options available for the Posca markers, but the colors can be blended while they are wet to create new colors if needed.
Where do you buy Alcohol Markers or Posca Markers?
If you need markers quickly for a project, it may be easier to find Posca markers in stores, as you can sometimes even find them in stores like Walmart or Target. They are also available in more colors and larger packs on Amazon.
Finding quality alcohol markers is a little bit harder. Most big box stores will sell a variety of water based markers, but alcohol based markers that are worth spending money on should probably come from a craft store or be ordered online. Copic markers are great if you need top of the line alcohol markers and don’t mind paying quite a bit.
If you need a budget friendly pick that still holds up really well, Ohuhu has excellent alcohol markers with tons of colors to choose from. They are my personal favorite and they last a long time for a low price, which is especially great for beginners.