Alcohol marker basics
Tips, paper and the one stroke that keeps your colors smooth.
Level: beginner. About 10 minutes.
What you need
- One or two alcohol markers in any color
- Smooth marker paper or bleed-proof paper
- A scrap of the same paper to test on
- A spare sheet to put under your page
Steps
Meet your two tips
Most alcohol markers have a brush or fine tip and a broad tip. Use the brush for curves and small areas, and the broad tip for big flat areas.
Protect what is underneath
Alcohol ink soaks through paper. Put a spare sheet under your page so the ink does not stain the next page or your table.
Test on a scrap first
Every paper drinks ink differently. Make a small swatch on a scrap of the same paper, so you see the real color before you start.
Color in small circles
Keep the tip on the paper and move in small overlapping circles. Lines with gaps dry into streaks; circles keep the area wet and even.
Finish a shape while it is wet
Fill a shape in one go without stopping, so the edges do not dry before you reach them. Want it darker? Let it dry and add a second layer.
Practice
- Swatch every marker you will use.
- Fill box A with lines and box B with small circles. Compare.
- Fill the heart in one go without stopping.