[Tinusch]

I was at the local art store, and they had Tria markers on sale for $3.99 a piece. It seemed like a really good price for such high-quality markers, so I picked up a few. Being completely unfamiliar with markers, I wasn't sure which ones to get. But I remembered the coolest marker pic I've ever seen (Joachim's high-chair pic) and decided to grab a few cool grays. I got a 10%, a 40%, a 60%, and a black. Are those good choices? Would those four be sufficient for doing quick black-n-white marker renderings? And if I were to get into color, how would I decide which colors I'd need? There's so many of them, are there a certain few that I'd really need?

[Jenn]

Just play aroudn wiith them.. usually lighter colors are better cause you can layer them

Sounds like the ones you grabbed alreayd are goign to be cool..

Looking forward to seeing the things you do with them

-smiles-

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DarkChyld

[Sc00p]

I recommend the whole Cool-grey packed set, which has Grey #1-11 and a process black. I figured out the unit cost and it's much cheaper than buying marker by marker. Also, get a blender marker, should you ever want to do more of a painted-look with your markers. The TRIA blender I believe is the most expensive marker they put out. I paid $12 canadian for mine I think.

But yeah, as for what you have, that should be just fine. Greys are the most useful markers becuase you either make really nice grey images, or you put greys over top of colors to make new colors, thus saving on a ton of expensive markers. I would suggest you pickup the brights set, and the pastel set, and some flesh-tones. Once you get good with the markers, you can buy single ones as you require them. Well..thats what I do at least :)

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Rene Antunes
www.nytro.org
[email protected]

[above]

I just picked up the whole cool grey set from Prisma. How are those compared to trio and how many people use them here? I am completely inexperienced with markers so anytipswould be greatly appreciated. I also happened to pick the prisma color blender for $3.00, so far I've been really impressed by the lines and values you can produce with these suckers from the forum. But the stuff
I put out really is bad. And another question how long do they last?

[rdgraffix]

Some great flesh tones are 473 and 475, with maybe a medium brown mixed in there. Although flesh has no true base tone, these give a realistic feel which you can build upon.

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- rowan dodds
RD Graffix

[Tinusch]

The chick at the art store told me they were refillable... But that doesn't make sense to me because it's only a few bucks for a new marker anyway.

I've been doodling with the light grays and I LOVE them so far. Just quick little doodles like Joachim's high-chair pic, but I really like the way they turn out.

[Tinusch]

Sc00p: How does the blender marker work? Does it run out quickly?

[Vortx]

I like prisma markers the best. They are cheap and very juicy. Bad side - they run out fast! I usually go through one or two markers after every sketch.

Markers are hard to use at first (i remember how fustrated i was). Practice w/ the gray ones first. Don't mess w/ the colors until you have the technique down. Learn how to build up values using only the grays.

When using markers, try to keep your strokes consistant. Don't cross-hatch w/ markers. Build up values by going over the same marker stroke over and over again w/ darker value markers. After you get familiar w/ them, then you can experiment w/ cross-hatching or whatever to get different texture effects. In the begining tho, keep it simple and clean. It's very easy to get things very muddy if you're not careful.

hope this helps..

-feng

[Tinusch]

Indeed it does, Vortx. Thanks dood!

[TurboYVR]

any good examples of what can be produced with these markers? and what kinda paper would you recommend?

[Tinusch]

Turbo: Check out any of Vortx's sketches. Also, Micke and Joachim do some really nice marker sketches. Check out Joachim's awesome high-chair pic in the "Post Your..." thread. And Micke's alien and mustache pics, which are in his marker thread.

As for paper, from what I've seen, pretty much any kind of paper will do (except for manila paper. that stuff is WORTHLESS). I really like the look of marker on that Confetti paper (brown grainy recycled paper Vortx uses).

[This message has been edited by Tinusch (edited September 13, 2000).]

[Tinusch]

by Joachim


by Micke


by Micke

[This message has been edited by Tinusch (edited September 13, 2000).]

[Sc00p]

Tinusch: Basically the blender just pulls colors, making smooth gradients with a single marker. There are a few ways to use the blender. You can either brush the paper (preferably rag/bond marker layout paper like Bienfang or Letraset) before you start to use the actual markers. Or, you make a marker stroke, then quickly blend it. The blender is just a clear alcohol, that hasn't run out on me yet, and I've had it for about 8 months.

NOTE: Don't try to blend markers of another brand, it probably won't work...I know with prismacolor markers it doesn't work well. Also, don't try to blend on regular paper...you need marker paper (I think bienfang is the best, becuase it soaks up the blender more, and stays wet longer than Letraset). Trying to blend on say, sketch paper, will just dry out in 1 second, and you will not have enough time to push color around.

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Rene Antunes
www.nytro.org
[email protected]

[Get-up Kid]

As long as Scoop brought up paper, let me add my two cents. I prefer Bienfeng 340. You can get really good saturation while maintaining really vivid colors. There is enough inherent bleed in that paper that you don't really need a blender. Actually, I never use a blender.
As long as you got some Trias, you might as well see if you can hunt down one of their marker airbrushes. They are a lot of fun.
By the way, if you can't find marker paper, copy paper works fine. Just be prepared to go through markers a lot faster.

[Francis]

I just got a set of Prismacolor cool grays. I had been using the Trias before, which I like a lot. They are not as opaque as the Prismacolors - almost more like watercolors, which I used a lot before I ever picked up a marker. I've posted these images before, but maybe this will show the differences between the two (although the prismacolor image is on brown sketchpaper - I guess that throws the comparison off a bit):

Tria markers:


Prismacolor markers:


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Francis Tsai
TeamGT Studios

[Eckhardt]

Hi Tinusch,

I am using Tria and love them, dont buy to much of them and get the refil bottles, you will save a lot of money. I use warm greys;
No1, No4, No7 and No11.

You can use the tria refils like any ink and brush them into your sketch. With the refils you can mix your own values and save a hell of a lot money. If the mix has dried onto your palett you can use a drop of blender to soften up your old mix and paint with it again. Or you can use it with a brush for some effects.
Like spatter or drybrush.

here is a exemple for warm greys


cheers
good luck
/Eckhardt

[Dean Welsh]

I thought I'd try to find something with a little more color. My Girlfriend totally loves markers This is the only thing she had scanned that I could find. I think her Friend Robbin did this puppy.

[Joachim]

hehe, my high chair drawing, well it's a doodle but I'm happy you like it

Yes, that's the marker you would probably need to make whatever you want in greytones. Actually, black isn't that nescessary, just a dark grey. You can just use a black felt pen for the black stuff.
Remember, they really will dry out quickly when drawing on regular paper, so buy some re-fills.

Another really cool technique is to combind color pencils with color markers, then it's possible to blend between hig contrast areas in a very "delicate" way.



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Joachim's Place

[Tinusch]

Joachim: What did you use for the linework in your high-chair pic?

[Joachim]

tinush, I used a ball pen actually I did in a meeting or something without even thinking, but I thought it was funny and then put on the markers. the markers smudged out the ink from the ball pen which made it so "diffuse" in a way.

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Joachim's Place

[Guy]

i just went to my local art store. i couldnt see any prisma colour or tria markers. they do sell prisma colour stuff though. all i saw was a rack full of these "AD" markers. i tried one out. they seemed ok, but ive never used markers, so i dont really know. $3.00 for 1. any body know of this brand and if there any good?