Prepare
What I Use
I’m using alcohol based markers. Specifically, you’ll see me use Premier Brush Markers from Prismacolor. Sadly this particular marker is no longer sold outside of the very large marker sets.
The reason I prefer alcohol markers over other types is that they dry almost immediately and won’t wash away when wet paint is applied on top.
You can use almost any alcohol marker and I’ve listed out several in the section below.
I ONLY use Light Umber here because the dye doesn’t interfere with my subsequent paint layers. Some color dyes in alcohol markers will bleed through layers of acrylic paint. I’ve tested out the alternatives listed below and they work well.
Markers
We will want a few markers on hand so that we can create a monochromatic value scale for our sketch.
Select one of the following groups:
COPIC Sketch
The following colors work well — Walnut (E59), Milk Chocolate (E27), Light Walnut (E57), Caribe Cocoa (E25), Hazlenut (E23), and Light Camel (E55)
BLICK STUDIO BRUSH MARKERS
The following colors work well — Warm Gray 80% (060), Warm Gray 70% (059), Warm Gray
60% (58), Warm Gray 50% (57), Warm Gray 40% (56)
Ohuhu Art Markers
The following colors work well — Warm Gray 09 (WG090), Warm Gray 07 (WG070), Warm Gray 05
(WG050)
Acrylic Markers
Acrylic markers are a great option as you’ll have no incompatibility problems. The only difference is that they are not transparent like alcohol markers so the results will be a little different. Almost any brand will do, just choose a color like light umber or burnt sienna so the lines blend in to the subsequent paint layers.
SMALL BRUSH DIPPED IN THINNED ACRYLIC
In the past, I’ve simply used a small brush to paint out my composition. I recommend using Burnt Umber Light or Burnt Sienna thinned with Satin Glazing Liquid or water. Again the results will look a bit different, but the end result is largely the same. You might struggle on small details with a brush, but it will feel more painterly.
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