Major Differences Between Watercolour And Alcohol Markers

As we’ve already mentioned, whether it’s alcohol-based or water-based markers, both have their advantages and disadvantages. And you should remember that both of them are not used for the same purposes. Their field of use is also different.

However, suppose you are a professional artist. In that case, you may need to use both of these marker types sometimes according to your art projects. So, before getting into the main differences, you need to know what alcohol and water-based markers are.

What Are Alcohol-Based Markers?

Alcohol-based markers generally have more professional quality than their water-based counterparts, making them a better choice for serious artists. And Markers rule the world of alcohol markers.

However, alcohol marker usually provides bold and bright colours. These markers offer huge colour choices also which is the main reason for many artists choosing them. It’s not to mention that they are permanent.

As soon as you open the marker, the ink starts flowing down its nib automatically. The alcohol-based dye ink dries faster as the alcohol evaporates quickly. That’s why these markers are best for professional artists and adult colouring books.

You can also use these markers on various surfaces other than paper, including fabric, wood, metal, plastics, and more.

Alcohol-based markers have extreme blend-ability, meaning you can achieve a broader palette of hues with fewer markers. You can also mix different colours of alcohol markers and add several layers to create new colour shades. Some alcohol-based marker set offers colourless blender pen also. It helps to blend colours smoothly.

This variety also tends to be pricier than water markers. Sometimes that’s because they are refillable, or sometimes you need to pay extra cost for the replaceable nibs option. Although the upfront cost is higher, they provide better long-term value for your money. Still, there are some cheap alternatives that you can look after.

These markers come with two types – lightfast or not lightfast ink, which makes no difference in performance. But if you work on delicate paper, then use only those with a ‘lightfast’ label. Still, we always recommend using high-quality marker paper when you are working with alcohol-based ink.

What Are Water-Based Markers?

Water-based markers are made of water and pigment-based ink. Unlike alcohol markers, watercolour markers are generally less expensive to purchase. Suppose you are choosing markers for children or just want to make posters advertising an upcoming garage sale. In that case, water-based markers are the way to go.

Water-based ink is non-toxic and not permanent. It washes off the skin and other surfaces easily. That’s why markers are one of the popular art supplies among parents as they’re water-soluble. They choose it mainly for kids’ colouring pages.

However, because the liquid tends to soak into the paper rather than just coating it, the blending ability of most water-based markers is not up to the mark. But the higher quality water brush markers are great for creating a watercolour effect.

Water-based marker doesn’t come with a vast colour range like alcohol ones. Still, the colour variations they offer can compete with its competitor, alcohol markers.

These markers’ colour can be streaky, showing each stroke rather than a smooth wash of colour. Too much marker can cause the paper to warp, wrinkle, or even tear.

That’s why we always recommend using watercolour paper when using water-based markers. The watercolour paper gives a smooth finish as the paper fibre is strong enough to hold the watery texture.

If you compare the price tag between water versus alcohol markers, the water-based ones are budget-friendly. So, these are always recommended for beginner artists. But if you are a bullet journal lover, then you can blindly go for water-based markers.

Watercolour vs. Alcohol Markers: Major Differences Between Them

In this section, we’ll just go through a quick overview of the major differences between alcohol-based and water-based markers.

If we first see the inks, watercolour markers contain water-based acid-free ink, whereas the alcohol ones have alcohol-based dyes inside. Unlike water-based markers, the chemical composition is different.

Alcohol markers act like permanent markers as the ink is permanent, but the watercolour markers are not. The alcohol ones come with a vast colour range, but the water-based markers come with fewer colours.

Another thing is that alcohol ink dries faster than water-based markers. But suppose you use the latter one in a well-ventilated area, for example – in your backyard. In that case, it’ll dry also dry quickly.

In terms of blend-ability, the alcohol markers will win as they have an extreme blending ability.

You may need to use special watercolour paper while using water-based markers. On the other hand, alcohol markers work well on any non-absorbent paper.