I Tested Every Marker I Could Find … and the Results Are IN!

At the end of 2022, I tested every coloured pencil I could find to figure out which one was the best. Now, I’ve done it again—this time with markers, searching for the best options across various categories, like the best water-based markers,  best alcohol-based markers, best markers for colouring, among others. 

I tested a whopping 2,872 markers from 90+ brands against 15 different criteria, from blending and layering abilities, to streakiness and even smell. Since there’s so much to cover, I’ve broken this guide down into an easy-to-navigate mini website to help you find the best markers for any project.

Below, you’ll find all the performance details and results for each marker I tested.

You can watch my full video review or scroll down to explore specific brands and test results.

To make browsing easier and improve load times, this blog is split into separate pages covering different categories, allowing you to jump to the sections that matter most to you. Don’t forget to bookmark this page for quick reference whenever you need it!

This research has been a massive undertaking, so this article is currently under construction while my team and I gather all the information we have collected and build it into a format that’s easy for you to read! Check back frequently for more updates!

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them (at no cost to you). Some of these markers were given to me by brands, and others I purchased myself. You can find a full list of the markers I was given at the bottom of this article. None of these brands are associated with this review in any way, and all views are my own.

Markers by Brand

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Acrylic Paint Pens

Full breakdown and links coming soon

Arrtx Acrylic paint pen brush tip Markers

Arrtx Acrylic

Artistro Acrylic Paint pens fine tip

Artistro Acrylic Paint Pens – Extra Fine Tip

Artistro acrylic paint pens with medium tip

Artistro Acrylic Paint Pens – Medium Tip

Artistro acrylic paint pen with brush tips

Artistro Brush Paint Pens

Karin Pigment Realbrush markers

Karin Pigment Realbrush

Sharpie Creative acrylic paint markers

Sharpie Creative Marker

Tooli art acrylic paint pens

Tooli-Art Acrylic Paint Pens

Uni Posca Acrylic paint pens

Uni Posca

Everything Else

Full breakdown and links coming soon

Amazon Chalk Markers

Amazon Basic Chalk Markers

BiC Intensity markings permanent markers

BiC Marking Permanent Marker

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pen markers

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen – Brush

Faber-Castell Pitt Artists Dual tip markers

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen Dual Marker

Ohuhu Hana Highway fineliner markers

Ohuhu Hana Highway Colored Fine Line Pens

Pentel Arts Dual Metallic brush markers

Pentel Arts Dual Metallic Brush

Permapaque markers

Permapaque

Sharpie Permanent markers

Sharpie Permanent

Staedtler Pigment Arts pens

Staedtler Pigment Arts Brush Pen

Tombow Twin Tone markers

Tombow Twin Tone

Zebra Clickart retractable pens

Zebra Clickart Retractable Marker Pen

Zebra Midliner marker highlighters

Zebra Midliner

Zig Clean Colour Dot Markers

Zig Clean Color Dot

girl drawing with OLO alcohol markers

All the Testing

After all this testing, I’ve selected winners across various categories of markers. You can find the finalists in the video above, but I’ll also be updating this series of articles to include these finalists here, along with more detailed information on the results and top picks.

Here are some of the tests I did to determine the best markers:

which marker is the best at blending. I find out in this marker comparison.

Blending

Mastering how to blend markers can unlock endless possibilities for your artwork. But not all markers blend the same way. With the right paper and technique, most markers can blend effectively, but some brands make it easier and produce better results for both beginners and professionals. Through multiple tests, I identified which markers were the easiest to blend smoothly, for both alcohol and water-based categories.

finding the best markers for layering and testing alcohol markers, water-based markers and so many more.

Layering

Layering markers allows for greater depth and richness in colour, enabling you to build up shades, blend colours together, and create interesting lighting techniques or realism. I tested how well different markers layer without streaking or damaging the paper, making it easier to achieve realistic textures and detailed artwork.

Color accuracy tests for alcohol markers, water-based markers, paint pens, and watercolor markers.

Colour Accuracy

Have you ever used a marker and been surprised (and frustrated) that the colour wasn’t what you expected? Colour accuracy can be one of those frustrating things that ruins your art, whether you’re working on a detailed illustration or a colouring page. I tested how well each marker’s actual ink colour matches the colour of the packaging.

This streaky-ness test is only 1 of the 15 test i took 90 brands of markers through to for the best marker.

Streakiness

It’s already hard to create smooth layers of colour with markers, so it’s important to find a marker that helps this process, not makes it worse. I tested how each brand of marker compared when using the same paper and timing, to find the best markers for streak-free coverage—ideal for large areas of colour or when blending.

I tested some of the alcohol and waterbased markers for lightfastness.

Lightfastness

If you’re creating artwork meant to be displayed or sold, lightfastness is crucial to ensure your colours don’t fade over time. I started a thorough lightfast test using the industry-standard blue wool method, to measure the fading amount (and speed) of different markers. I tested which markers are best at maintaining their vibrancy when exposed to light, so your art stays as bold and beautiful as the day you created it.