Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art offers tips and product recommendations to help you resolve problems and achieve the best from your markers.
Markers are one of the most confusing products we use on gourds. Many gourd artists have wasted money and patience on finding the ones that won’t bleed, fade, or disappear under the final clear coat.
The issue here is the number of products we often use on gourds. We focus on getting the right color or tone, knowing all our coloring tools work on gourds. We ignore or don’t understand how the solvents in each of our coloring products may not “play well” with the others. When looking for a suitable marker for gourds, we steer towards ones that say they work on wood. We don’t ask if the product will soak into the gourd skin or lay on the top.
In this two-part post, I will cover the different kinds of markers. When shopping for markers, you must first determine the solvent used for the pigment. Today’s markers come with various choices, including water-based, alcohol-based, acrylic-based, and oil-based solvents.
Water-based markers are made primarily from water and usually some dye ink. These markers tend to be odorless and, thus, safer for younger artists. They are not recommended for gourd art.
The most popular are the alcohol-based markers so we will start there.
There is much to learn here, but the information will help you feel more confident when shopping. The marker world has exploded over the past few years. I love to use them in my gourd art and find them easier to use over paint tubes. Some are expensive, but every type of marker needs maintenance to work correctly. How many markers have you thrown away in your lifetime? I will give you tips on how to avoid that again.
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Structure of a Marker
All markers have four parts: the body, the tip, the reservoir, and the ink. The body includes the barrel and the cap. Next, the polyester reservoir is placed inside the barrel and filled with pigment and solvent. Once complete, the tip is added and covered with the cap. Always listen for the snap of the cap when replacing it.
Tip Material
There are two types of tips among markers. One is a firm, plastic nib typically housed in a metal funnel. It dispenses color evenly, making it suitable for writing or detailed illustrations. The other is a spongy, fibrous felt tip, usually shaped like a cone. It loses its firmness over time, but its shape is more versatile. For example, you can use the point of the tip to write finely or turn it on its side to shade or color.
Tip Sizes
The nib size will determine the width of the stroke. Most gourd artists choose the fine line for drawing and the bullet nib for blending. Surprisingly, the brush nib lays down the most ink, and the chisel is excellent for filling large shapes.
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Maintaining an alcohol nip
Refresh your messy nibs and barrel, and use rubbing alcohol to clean them off. I always use the 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
To freshen the ink, you can usually remove the nib and drop alcohol into the reservoir. This action will improve the quality of the color. Once you reinsert the nib, let the marker rest horizontally for several hours to redistribute the ink evenly.
Today’s markers have replaceable parts.
There are hundreds of manufacturers for each variety. But you do get what you pay for. The current price range for markers is from $.40 to $8.00 for each marker. High-priced markers often have replaceable nibs and pigment refills.
Consider this when buying sets. I suggest you start with the small sets and buy more if you like them. Most markers are not available individually.
Manufacturers offer markers in all pigment and solvent varieties. Which tip you choose will be determined by the kind of line you want to draw. The barrel usually stays the same. Therefore, pay attention to how it feels in your hand and if it is easy to take care of. Then, consider the price, number of colors, and application quality. Once you have found your favorite, stay with that brand and explore their other varieties.
Next, I will explain some vocabulary brands use to describe their various markers.
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Ink Markers
The ink in these pens uses alcohol or water to dissolve the dye. Other additives are mixed into the solution to allow the ink to disperse once you apply pressure to the tip. The ink is often inferior and will bleed on a gourd.
“Permanent Markers
Permanent” often refers to whether an ink is washable. “Archival” describes inks that do not fade or deteriorate. Look for the word archival or “PIT” when choosing permanent ink for gourd art. This type is the one I look for when tangling on gourds.
Drawing Markers
Concentrate on fine and ultra-fine nibs for accuracy, usually suggested for technical illustrations. Again, make sure they use permanent ink.
Dual Tip Markers
There is no need to keep two separate sets of markers when you can have these. Each includes a fine point on one end and a wider tip on the other. They are perfect for hand lettering, drawing, and coloring. I am a great fan of these because they are more economical.
Brush Pens
Brush Pens offer a pen’s convenience with a brush’s artistic freedom. I use them easily as a painter, forgetting that I am holding a marker. I seem to be able to blend the colors better when I use them. They are well suited for lettering and painting. The flexible nylon brush tip’s versatility lets you create various strokes, from broad strokes to fine details.
Alcohol ink Art Markers
An art marker is designed for general use in creating colored illustrations or coloring shapes. The alcohol art markers consist of dye suspended in water and glycerin (usually ethanol). Almost every alcohol marker is dual-tipped, containing a chisel tip on one end. They are my choice because they combine with other media, such as colored pencils, ink pens, and paint pens. Alcohol makes the color vibrant and smooth. It dries quickly, making it perfect for the curved gourd surface. Unlike solvent markers, alcohol markers don’t have the stinky, noxious smell (like thick Sharpies).
Working with Alcohol-based Markers
My Favorite Water-based Brush Pen
Tombow Dual Brush Pen
These markers always show up as the best of water-base markers. One end of the pen has a flexible felt tip, which allows for expressive brushstrokes depending on the angle and pressure used when writing. On the other end is a sturdy bullet tip for adding details, outlining, or doodling.
The Tombow Dual Brush comes in 108 colors and is available in sets or as single pens if you want to curate a collection of your favorite colors. These are some of the few good markers you can purchase individually.
Because it’s water soluble, a blending pen can create washes of color or combine inks. You can use them on gourds, but they will be the first to fade. Sometimes, I use them when I just want a hint color.
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Alcohol-based Markers for drawing lines and detail
The Sakura Pigma Micron pens
These pens are acid-free and archival, so your work retains its quality and color over time. The ink is also Copic-proof and waterproof, which makes it easy to use with other art tools like Copic markers and water brushes. The pen has a dependable cap that protects the tip from drying out.
Try not to press too hard on the pen tip, or it may cause small squirts of ink to spit out.
I like the pack, which is six different sizes in black.
IDenti-Pen
I have used this pen for years. The dual tip makes it economical, and I like how the ink consistently flows when I tangle on my gourds. The ink is permanent, waterproof, low-odor, and built for heavy use. The alcohol solvent and dye colorant ink will work on nearly any surface, including slick PVC and polypropylene sheet protectors. Amazon sells it for about $2 each.
Working with alcohol-based markers
Everyone’s Favorite”
Sharpie Fine Line Markers
Sharpies are the most popular marker among gourd artists. These two sets are what I use.
Many gourd artists complain about them bleeding on the gourd when you add your final spray.
Do Sharpies have alcohol-based ink? The black ink in the Fine, Ultra-Fine, Twin Tip, Chisel, Retractable, Mini, and Super is permanent. However, the principal solvent is alcohol, so this presents a problem. Usually, your final clear spray has an alcohol base. Remember, alcohol dissolves alcohol, which is at the center of our bleeding problems when working with gourd inks and dyes.
Bettie’s Solution for the Bleeding Problem
Whenever you are in doubt that a marker might bleed, follow this procedure. Buy a can of “Workable Fixative.” Let the ink dry for about 10 minutes, then stand up over your work, give it a light spray, and walk away. Do this after each time you work on your gourd. Over time, you will have coated the ink with a light varnish that will protect your work when you give it your final spray containing alcohol. I use this with any product that I think will come off. Yes, you can go over the top of it as you progress with your drawing.
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Taking Care of Your Alcohol Art markers
Although the nib size may vary, It is essential to keep these tools clean. Here are some tips I use. You will need pliers, alcohol, cotton balls, and Q-tips.
Carefully remove the brush nib with tweezers by applying gentle pressure and pulling straight out. |
.
You can also refill the reservoir. Position the refill bottle’s tip right above the marker’s open barrel. Fill the marker with 8-10 drops, careful not to overfill. Reinsert the old nib or replace it with a new nib.
|
How do I get my ultra-fine point Sharpies to work again?
Pour a bit of alcohol into a small container or the pen cap and soak the tip of the Sharpie in the liquid. Leave the pen in the alcohol for at least 30 seconds. This process should dissolve enough ink to get it flowing again.
Cleaning the marker body and cap prevents the dried paint from dropping back on the brush nibs. |
Next, clean the shaft and the lid to prevent the dried paint from dropping back on the brush nibs. Use a cotton ball or baby wipe moistened with alcohol. |
To clean out the lid, use a moistened Q-tip. Check out this short video to see it done! |
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
The “Best of the Best”
Now, I will suggest markers from each variety I know are liked by gourd artists or that I have used personally. I will mainly show you the brush tips, but you can find the same brand in a bullet or chisel tip
.
The Best Art Markers for Gourd Art
The Coptic Markers
On the top of the marker list is the Coptic brand. Most professional illustrators use this marker. The average cost of a pen is $8. Copic Markers last for years (or decades!) because they’re refillable, and you can replace the nibs when they become worn.
Coptic has 358 colors, each with a number and letter or digit meaning. They use these numbers to create blending recipes that users can share. All other art markers are compared to them for their quality. Many gourd artists do not often choose them. Let’s look at others that fit our price range!
Prismacolor Markers
If you like this group’s-colored pencils, check out their markers! Their unique four-in-one design allows you to create various line styles from just one marker by increasing or decreasing the pressure or simply turning it one way or another. There are several nibs to choose from. They are low-odor and non-toxic. An alcohol, dye-based ink is in a single ink reservoir for a perfect color match.
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
‘My Favorite”
Ohuhu Kaala Alcohol Markers
The “best” of the alcohol art markers is the Coptic. But most of them are $8 apiece, not on my budget. There is a brand that has won my heart and offers me several advantages. They are compeating with Coptic in their quality!
Why they are my favorite
I love the way they feel in my hand. The marker barrel is not round. The new shape is more comfortable and lets me quickly move the barrel and tip around in my hand as I color. It also features color-coded caps to make color identification a breeze. Notice it comes with a blender which is s must!
With the dual-tip design of thin and broad tips, you can add more depth and dimension to your artwork with different line thicknesses! And they dry instantly! There are 60 vibrant colors and a colorless blend. You can reverse these tips, but no ink refills are available yet. Visit the website to see all the sets available.
They also come in a plastic holder that makes them easy to find your color and they store well in this box.
.
Unique set for the gourd art “Southwest Style”
This set has all the brown shades complimenting the gourd and adding to our southwest color pallet.
Get more tips on using these markers. Watch
How I Blend with Ohuhu Alcohol Markers
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Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Best “Budget “Art Markers
Sanjoki Markers
These Chinese-made markers are for those on a budget. They are not available in small sets. But the reviews are very good. Art Beek has the case of 80 markers for $42.
Sanjoki dual-tip markers have a Chisel tip that is 6mm wide, while the brush tip is more flexible from 1mm to 6mm, according to the pressure you place on the pen. It has a cylindrical pen barrel with an Ergonomic design, making it comfortable to hold. It does seem a little heavy to me.
The dual-tip design features a brush tip and a chisel tip; each marker offers flexibility for various coloring techniques and styles. Surprisingly, the brush tip is reversible, allowing for prolonged use by simply flipping it to reveal a fresh brush tip when needed.
The set has an impressive selection of hues, complemented by a colorless blending marker. The markers offer versatility for various artistic projects, from essential greys and lifelike skin tones to eye-catching neons and a spectrum of other shades
The markers come in a lovely carrying case, which includes plastic containers to organize the pens. I especially like the detail of a tiny bump on the barrel and cap that keeps it from rolling off the table.
The pen holds high-quality and non-toxic ink that blends seamlessly, which helps it achieve excellent color gradation. The impressive ink quality provides a smooth and even flow, providing vibrant and saturated colors.
This set is a great buy with the great case and all the extra in the bag. The down side is the large sets that are offered. But the quality and their goal of outdoing Coptic is impressive. If want to see more Watch this video,BEST COPIC ALTERNATIVE?!
Working with Alcohol-based Markers on Gourd Art
Products that will help seal your alcohol-based markers
In my trials (and I’ve tried many of them), I have found that these three product fit my needs. By the way, I use this method on my alcohol dye gourd pieces.
The Workable Fixative applied after each work session will solve the bleeding problem. So I give the finshed piece one last spray.
Then to address the fading problem, I give my gourd two light sprays of the UV filter.
And last for the shine, I use the Krylon’s Kamar® Varnish. It works well in “setting” the alcohol ink. It’s important to note that Kamar® Varnish is UV stable, which means it won’t break down with UV exposure.
How to Store your Alcohol-based Pens and Markers
Always store your alcohol markers horizontally, especially the dual-tip markers. This position allows both nibs to be moistened with ink. Another good tip is to make sure when replacing the cap, you hear it snap. I never put my markers away dirty. I wipe the brush and the tip of the barrel with a cotton pad so the ink does not dry in that area. Another good idea is to create a color chart to help you decide which shades of a color you have. I always keep this in the storage container.
Final Words
Alcohol-based pens and markers are a great addition to your gourd art tool box. I create and sell gourd shard jewelry and need to create small details and shapes. The markers work great for me. Saves on brushes and throwing away unused liquids.
Just keep them clean and stored in a cool location and they will last a long time. If you already have a brand you like, check to see if that manufacture makes an art marker before you go searching.
Still unsure how to use them,then check these videos.
How to Use Alcohol Markers for Beginners: Easy Alcohol Marker Techniques
Alcohol Markers Tutorial: BEST Techniques for Drawing REALISM!
Have you tried and liked any of these markers? Do you other favorites?
Please, share your thoughts here in the comment box or share them with all the gourd artists on our Facebook Group Page.
Return to the Blog page for other articles.
By the way, Pinterest users can help me spread the word about my posts and jewelry by re-pinning your favorites from my Pinterest page.
This is a great article about all the choices of Alcohol and Alcohol Ink pens. I’m one of those who buys ONE and takes it home to try it before I buy a dozen colors. You packed a LOT of information into this segment – you have really done your research (well, hands on experience over the years as well!). Thank you Betty! And I never knew you could take a felt tip marker APART to add color or to simply bring a dried tip back to life!!! What I have learned was your tip to use a fine spray of the Workable Fixative to protect the ink; to keep it from running or bleeding (especially reds). When I was a kid I used to spray my pencil art with HAIR SPRAY to keep the pencil from smearing! Thanks again for these great segments in your Gourd Art Talk!