I’m a 1st year industrial design student (w/ focus on product design). My fiance got me a set of Copic markers for my bday. They are the product design 24 set (Amazon.com). I really don’t know much about markers as we haven’t started using them in class yet. My question is, are these a good set to start out with? Just want to know before I open them. If not, what colors should I go with? Another thing. Whats better, Copic or Copic Sketch? What’s the difference?
Also, what are some good pens to use with Copic markers? I have some Prismacolor markers and I noticed that the ink from some pens would streak when running markers over them.
Thanks for all the recommendations!
Copic has chisel and a smaller nib. Copic sketch has chisel and a brush tip (and is oval rather than square). I prefer sketch for the brush tip that can give you varied thicknesses and blends well.
This looks like a good set if you like the colors they have. The greys are a must (although you don’t NEED both warm and cools, eventually you’ll find it useful). I personally like brighter colors so my set is custom and built from brighter markers. I also find gradients of colors similar to greys (takes a bit of time crouching at the art store blending different pinks until the pinks gradate from light to dark).
That sounds (and looks) like a good starter set. You might be surprised by how little you need/use markers in the long run. I recently graduated from school, and we really only used markers in our first year of ID. A lot of what you achieve with markers can be accomplished with Photoshop, and using Photoshop tends to be much more realistic in terms of the ‘real world.’
That being said, Copics are nice because they are refillable…
In terms of which pens to use with the markers, I favor simple ballpoints, like Bics. I also actually really like BIC permanent markers for sketch ideation. They come in nice colors (including gray!), are priced reasonably, and blend well. You can pick them up at Staples- either in packs or singles.