Copic marker advice

[Raindrop]

I am trying to decide whether to invest in a set of Copic markers for my daughter for Christmas.  She is a very artistic 13yo, and does quite sophisticated pencil drawings and digital art.  I am trying to encourage her skill in this area, particularly as she has a chronic pain condition that cuts into her opportunities to socialize and be involved in school.  Her computer art is very good, but I am thinking it might also be beneficial for her to have some literal "hands on" experience with other media.  I know that these markers are not for the beginner--is there a less expensive type of marker (a grade above Crayola) that we should try first?  What kind of paper is best for artist-grade markers if you want to be able to blend colors?  What would be a good basic color set (she likes to draw animals and nature)?

[ZennaBug]

I think it's amazing that you're encouraging her art.    I have been wanting some Copics myself, but haven't really had a chance to play around with them much.  I know we have a lot of artists here who use them though, so hopefully they'll be able to point you in the right direction.  Since she likes to draw animals and nature, I think that starting her with various shades of green, browns, grey, and blue are important.  And maybe one each of the other main colors.  Plus a good pen for inking outlines if she likes to use them. 

[UrocyonFox]

I use prisma markers and love them

They're much better than crayons, I can't really compare them to copic quality as they've always been TOO expnsive for me (I literally have ONE copic I bought because I couldn't find the color in prisma) but I can tell you that prismas are cheaper than copics.

I recommend getting the brush tip ones as oppose to the chiseled tip as the chiseled is thick the brush tip is more like the one prisms I have.

I don't remember the website I order them from off the top of my head but they run about $4 a marker I think it's bic maybe? I can try to send you a link when I'm not on my tablet tomorrow if you're interested.

Hope that helps a little

[Bekuno]

Copics are pretty pricey, but worth it if you're serious about art. They require a lot of practice and can be very difficult to use at first. I'm still learning to use them myself.

Prismacolor is a step down from Copic but a step up from Crayola. In art stores they're stocked by the copic markers. I used them before copics as my first step to marker, I wasn't the biggest fan of them but again, she'll be learning. Unlike copic they cannot be refilled with ink, so you have to rebuy them when they dry. They can be found individually and in sets at art stores though. They also don't have as great as a color range.
I'd recommend Prismacolor markers to start your daughter off with for sure. They're just slightly cheaper than copic, but not much.

Paper isn't my specialty, so hopefully someone else can chime in. Upon googling I found that Canson Sketch, Canson Bristol, and Strathmore Bristol work well. You can also buy paper specific for markers, you may have to look around for some.

The Prismacolor Premier Manga Marker 12 piece set was my first set of prismacolors. It's $70 at Hobby Lobby
and includes about one of each basic color you can think of for a 12 piece set (an orange, pink, green, blue, skin color, etc.) The Prismacolor Primary Art Marker 12 piece set is also the same price and includes a range of bold colors.

It's best to visit your local art store or online to see what is offered set wise. Or buy individually to make your own sets.

Also something to note that I noticed outside of markers. If she inks her drawings and would like some more professional inks, it's better to buy copics inking pens than prismacolors. My prismacolor inking pens tend to smudge but my Copic and Micron pens work great! Micron would be the cheaper option in this case.

[Mkia]

Copic markers are pretty pricey. Fiancé has a full set of them (~$2500 all said and done). There's 300+ different shades at about $6/marker. So quite pricey.

Prismacolors are a good in between marker and would be a good starting marker for her. Definitely not as many colors as copics, but they have a good range.

dickblick.com sells both brands at decent prices.


As for paper, Bristol paper is a good bet. Copic makes specific paper for their markers which is great, but also pricey.

[Pheasant]

I personally do not use markers, but I did a little research on paper.

Regular printer paper is suitable for doodles. For larger pieces it's best to use Bristol board - a paper almost similar to cardstock. The main difference between the two is that unlike cardstock, Bristol will not yellow with age. Brand recommendations vary, but a lot of people prefer Strathmore.

I hope that can shed some light on the subject! Good for you for encouraging your daughters' talents, always great when parents support their artistic kiddos. <3

Edit:
You may want to consider looking up some marker tutorials for her as well, to give her some technique before she experiments on her own.

[Tilas]

Prismacolor Markers are an excellent choice. I've had them for years and there's only been 1 marker I've drained. And it's not entirely true about refilling them- you CAN refill them, but it only buys them a little more life, it's not as good a fix as refilling copics. As for a "color set", that's hard to say, depends on what she does. Most artist markers are sold by the marker, not the box, so you can make your own set.

As for paper, I suggest Borden and Riley 234 Paris Bleedproof Paper for Pens. You can find it on amazon.com. Amazing paper that won't bleed or run, and take take a LOT of ink on it. I met a comic artist for Marvel at a convention this summer, and it's all he used for his ink work with copics/prismas, and it was really easy to see why, the paper is amazing! I'm just starting to use it and I really love it, it even is great to print on with laser printers.

[ponyqueen]

Don't forget to use a Michael's craft store coupon! 40%-50% off one regular priced item!

[Griffin]

I'm a Copic user and can definitely recommend them! Then again, I haven't tried other brands so I'm not sure how they compare, I think the ones suggested by others could do equally well. Promarkers were not mentioned yet, were they? Those are the ones that are most readily available here and I believe they are ok, although not refillable. Copics are professional markers but as they are super durable (you can always refill them and replace the nibs if needed), I don't see why they would not be suitable for beginners.

I do a lot of mixed media work so I started out with only a couple of them, I think I got one shade of green and two different browns, and started to build my collection from there. What I mostly have are the Classic markers which are the most expensive variety, but I've also tried Ciao and Sketch and I do love the brush nib that comes with them. The brush nib makes blending a lot easier, too. Ciao are the most affordable ones, the colour selection is limited but it's perfectly fine to mix and match as needed! I have a couple of them as I can get them at a local store, and my sister used to buy the Sketch ones. In my experience any of them work equally well, and like I said, there's no need to stick to one type. In fact, I don't think it's necessary to stick to one brand, you could well try and start out with a set of cheaper markers and then start adding Copics one by one as needed - if your daughter likes them, that is.

Copic makes their own paper but of course there are other alternatives as well. Marker paper tends to be rather thin and lightweight which is not always ideal but it's bleed resistant and does not absorb as much ink. Regular copy paper is fine for practicing but it may be difficult to stay within lines because of the bleeding so I don't recommend that for any serious art. Bristol board seems to be a popular type used among artists of various traditional media. I use Sennelier Calligraphy paper a lot because it suits my versatile media, but I guess it's not ideal for markers. That Borden and Riley paper Tilas mentioned sounds good, I'll have to see if I can find it somewhere. 

[Dainty]

I love my copics I had now, but I also started with prismacolors when I was younger They're still good art quality markers, and I think theyre a good choice to start with if you don't know if markers are going to end up being a media you want to stick with or not. But I don't think theres anything wrong with getting copics that young either if you want!
I don't know where exactly you live but check craigslist if there's anywhere near you that would have art students. Occasionally I've seen people selling their barely used or new copics they bought for class for way cheaper than from the store!

[Raindrop]

Thanks everyone for your advice!  This is helpful .

[Thimble]

Copics are awesome, but they are not the sort of medium you just jump into. They take a lot of practice, and like some other people have said, paper makes a big difference. So does the pen you use for inking if you want want to color over or around lineart. Many pens that seem okay at first actually use ink that will flat out dissolve when used with alcohol based ink. So that's something to watch out for.
(Copic also sells inking pens that are the best thing going, IMO. )

There's also another brand of markers that's a bit harder to find, but generally less pricey, called Neopiko. It's not quite as rich in color as Copics, but for most purposes they're interchangable. They also come in different sets, so that can be useful if you want round out a small Copic set with some other colors.  (I use them a lot.)

Good luck on the bargain hunting! (The one thing these markers all have in common is the price, lol!)

[banditpony]

I don't know why, but I've never been a prismacolor marker fan.

I've had copics since forever, when they were extremely expensive and htf. Now I buy them 1 at a time, with 40-50% off coupons from the major name art stores.

Honestly, i'd recommend copic ciao markers. If she isn't serious yet.  They are more affordable, and they have a brush tip. It makes it easier to use.

[retrogradenova]

I used prismacolors while I was in art school. Being a beginner myself with marker I found them quite easy to use and the color selection excellent. I think I have nearly 30 different shades of grey between cool, warm, and french. But they have a different feel than than mediums. I recommend a lot of practice with them especially if your daughter is more used to digital art. I find I personally have a vastly different muscle memory between digital and traditional art mediums.

In terms of paper I agree with a lot of what everyone has said but I have one extra comment. While bristol paper is fantastic and I love it. I recommend grabbing some 8.5 x 11 cardstock from you local Walmart or other such superstore. Cardstock can yellow this is true. But you can get a pretty large stack of it for a reasonable price so she can practice without having to worry abut ruining expensive god quality paper. It also has the added benefit of fitting easily on the scanner beds of most home printer/scanners in case she wants to share her art with with friends and family.

I'd like to also suggest that you might want to take a look at the prismacolor pencils as well. If used with a light hand, they can blend colors gorgeously, and they can even be used over the markers to add a little something extra to an illustration.