Comparing Markers and Ink

Comparing the more expensive and technical markers, paint markers, and ink pens for high schoolers.

Pentel Aquash Water Brush

$17.41 pack of 4

Micron

$154.18 Blick pack of 73 assorted colors

$219.99 Staples pack of 73 assorted colors

$139.18 Blick 72 pack black, all sizes

$132.99 Walmart 72 pack black, all sizes

___________

Pagather Acrylic Marker

$24.63 Walmart pack of 72 colors, $31.98 Pagather site

$49.98 Walmart pack of 120 colors, $46.98 Pagather site

Chisel option

POSCA Marker

$59.80 Walmart pack of 29 colors

$89.99 Uni Brands corp pack of 40 colors

$249.99 Uni Brands corp Pack of 105 colors

TFIVE Paint Marker

$27.99 pack of 28 colors

$43.99 pack of 54 colors

*Sharpie Paint Marker

$11.96 Blick pack of 8 colors

$22.99 Michaels pack of 8 colors

*I learned they're toxic so not cleared for use in schools, but seen in schools and used anyway

___________

Prismacolor Marker

$37-$47 pack of 12 colors

$217.49 Michaels pack of 72 colors

$179.99 Blick pack of 72 colors

Chartpack Spectra AD Marker

$287.91 Blick pack of 100 colors

$430.53-$436.92 pack of 100 colors

Winsor & Newton Water Colour Marker

$98.84 pack of 24 colors

$116.88 pack of 30 colors

$99.99 promarker non-watercolor version pack of 48 colors

COPIC Marker

$575.28 Copic site pack of 72 colors

$421.20 Amazon pack of 72 colors

358 colors available

#1 Pagather

Out of all the markers, I'd say the best bang for your buck would be the Pagather paint markers to buy for a school when considering:

• They can be used with a wider age range, not just the older kids

• It comes in up to 120 colors

• Comes in bulk for significantly cheaper than the other markers

• Each marker with a brush and fine tip

• Shows up brighter in my tests

• Can be used on Rock Painting, Ceramic, Wood, Fabric, Plastic, Canvas, Glass (more possibilities for how it can be used = more possible lesson plans)

• nontoxic

#2 TFIVE

The POSCA and TFIVE markers were great, nontoxic, but more expensive. The Sharpie paint marker showed up the best and brightest on all papers including black but Sharpies are toxic and not cleared for use in schools. I personally though TFIVE worked as well as Sharpie, worked almost as well on black paper, and outperformed both POSCA for signifigantly cheaper than POSCA. Sharpie also only had 24 paint marker colors coming in different packs of 8 max (not cost effective).

#3 Micron

Pros:

• All different sized tips (very specific, wide range of options in black), including brush, 16 colors

• more control, less mess

• Nontoxic

• Will require something this precise at some point at least for advanced middle school and high school students

• can avoid buying all the parts necessary for calligraphy pens, sharp nibs, and ink pots

Cons:

• Expensive

• tips dry out and break easily

Cheaper alternatives for colored microns could be:

• Staedtler Triplus Fineliner, a pack of 20 is between $35-$50

• Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner Pens a pack of 65 colors is about $40.23

Pentel Brush

I tried the Pentel Aquash Water Brush as well as micron in my effort to try and find cheaper and less messy alternatives to working with ink than buying calligraphy pens with all their many sharp parts and messy ink pots.

I believe learning to work with a real ink pot and calligraphy pen or brush is an important skill but I wanted to explore other options in case of a small budget or explore the possibility of using ink with younger kids.

Pros:

• While the Pentel Brush can avoid the possible messes of ink pots, water cups, and can be filled with any color

• Controls flow of ink so less is spilled and wasted and ink from ink pots can be watered down and stretched out for more use

Cons:

• It seems it would still be way cheaper to just use black watercolor and brushes.

• It would put labor on the teacher to fill the Pentel brushes with ink beforehand for the kids in order to avoid mess and risk of spillage

Using the budget on watercolors would allow for more possibilities for using materials if the budget is tight.

Alternative for teaching ink drawing with less mess

(would have to prep by filling pens with ink and colors as teacher for less mess):

• $59.50 Royal & Langnickel Aqua-Flo Brushes pack of 36

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For bendable, alcohol based markers:

For bendable, alcohol based markers, the COPIC and AD markers blended the best, drying smooth and not showing strokes. They also came in a wider range of colors, especially in more natural, classic paint hues.

However they are ridiculously expensive. Even the lower quality alcohol based markers that come in a smaller range of colors are a similar price when considering how much smaller the packs are. The best part about the Winsor & Newton Water Colour Marker is you can use them with water but I think they'd be too expensive to get enough for a class and wouldn't be used enough to be worth the purchase, especially when watercolor pencil or watercolor could be a cheaper substitute that's easier to use.

I'd avoid lessons that involve any of these blendable, alcohol based markers.

I think the only reason to have a pack of these markers would be for advanced students who are curious and show an interest in marker as a medium or for kids applying to art programs and building their portfolio with more personal work. In which case I would have one pack of the higher quality markers locked away to be brought out if needed for specific situations.

Prismacolor, AD, Winsor & Newton, and COPIC are all nontoxic but the classic version of the AD marker is toxic, which is something to look out for if ordering for schools.

Overall, I think focusing on lessons with paint pens have a lot of potential considering how many can be bought for cheap, the many possibilities for surfaces they work on, the fact that their nontoxic, less breakable and create less mess than micron or ink options also at a better price. Also I have more experience with paint pens than bendable alcohol markers as a teacher.