Copic Sketch Marker Starter Kit

Copic seem to be the Holy Grail when it comes to alcohol markers, as their blending capabilities and colour range are said to be second to none. There are a total of 358 colours in the entire set! Before I review the Starter Kit specifically, I'll explain a bit more about where they come from and how the marker system works.

Copic pens are made by Japanese company .Too, and are commonly regarded in the industry as "the highest quality markers in the world". They were specifically developed for Manga artists, and are extremely durable, refillable and will last forever as the nibs are replaceable. They have a 3 year guarantee, don't dry out, and are free of harmful chemicals and odour. Each marker is rigorously tested 3 times before leaving Japan, so quality is assured. There are four different types of Copic marker:

The Classic marker holds the most ink, has a square barrel and and is available in 214 colours. The Sketch marker is available in all 358 colours, has a long, saturated nib similar to a paintbrush, a chisel nib and an oval barrel. The Ciao marker is available in 180 colours, holds slighlty less ink than the Sketch, has a round barrel and is cheaper than the previous two markers with the same size and standard of brush nib (as well as chisel). The Wide marker has a flat barrel, comes in 36 colours and has a large 3/4'' chisel tip for colouring bigger areas.

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The nib measures 12mm long!

The biggest draw about Copic pens is that super long, lusciously thick brush nib. I've never been a chisel tip fan, but I'd buy Copics purely for the brush! It has just the right amount of flexibility and is truly akin to using a paintbrush.

Top: Brush nib, Bottom: Chisel tip

The way the marker system works can be a little confusing to beginner users. As explained on the left, each colour has a series of letters and numbers (as well as a colour name) to represent it. This is broken down into three parts:
1. The colour family it belongs to (BG is Blue Green, RV is Red Violet, etc.)
2. The first number represents the Saturation level (0 being very rich, 9 being very dull)
3. The second number refers to how dark the colour appears (0 being very light, 9 being very dark).

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Now I have (hopefully) clarified the basics, I can (finally) review the Starter Kit! This kit is made up of Sketch markers, the most popular type of Copic. It contains 24 colours which include something from every colour family as well as a Colourless Blender and a Black, so it's a really good base to start from if you're new to Copics and want to get a feel for them.

As you can see from the photos at the beginning of this review, the pens are presented in a professional black wallet with individual slots for every pen, perfect for taking out and about. There's even a zip pocket in the back to hold a small sketchbook or other colouring tools.

There is a great selection of skin tones in particular, something a lot of colourists look to have in their arsenal. Although you would ideally need more mid-tones to create seamless blends, it is somewhat achievable with this set alone as I have demonstrated below...

R39, YR04, Y35

V17, BV02

E47, E17, E33

Even when using pens from a different colour family you're able to create fairly smooth blends, which is testament to just how good these pens are. I have validated this further by colouring some gradated flower petals (left) using just the pens in this set, which I think have turned out really well. I particularly love the Frost Blue which I faded out into white using the Colourless Blender.

Just think, if you can create these kinds of blends using just a small selection of pens, imagine what you could do if you had more of those in-between tones to really get that seamless look.

With quality comes a price, and this has never been more true than with Copic markers. They're possibly the most expensive colouring tool you can buy, but boy they're the best. Each pen costs between £4 - £5, a hefty sum when you think there are over 350 colours in total. Sets like this one make it easier to start off with Copics without laying out a ridiculous amount of money. As with Polychromos and other high-end materials, you know you'll be shelling out some serious dough for the best, but you do get a discount with this set which is priced at £95.95.

I hope you've enjoyed this mammoth review & look into Copic markers! Just a quick final note about alcohol ink: it will bleed through most paper stock so do remember to use on one-sided illustrations and pop some scrap paper behind to avoid ink transfer onto the next page.

This set can be bought with FREE UK DELIVERY from CultPens.com