Illustrators, designers, and painters use dual tip art markers instead of colored pencils or paints to get a distinct impact on artwork. These drawing markers are widely used for smooth after-effects and quick-drying colors for handwriting, calligraphy, and technical graphics.
Moreover, dual-tip markers were introduced to overcome the inconvenience of packing all the brushes and paint while traveling. Carrying these dual tip art markers is a lot easier because of their small sizes and multifunctionalities.
Furthermore, with the help of these all-purpose art pens, you’ll be able to work on a wide variety of creative projects. Not only this, but dual end markers pen can help you with various activities from coloring, drawing to calligraphy.
However, it is essential to thoroughly examine the tip shape, material, ink formulation, barrel size, and available color options in addition to the brand. We’ll go over more of these aspects in this article and lead you through the best options you could have.
What Types of Ink Dual Tip Markers Have
Following are the main three categories of types of dual markers available in the market.
1. Water-Based Markers
Depending on the type of water-based markers, the ink can be mixed with either water or glycerin. Because they don’t contain any chemicals, these markers have no smell and make a good fit for children.
Their acid-free ink makes them suitable for calligraphy and other artistic activities. The ink is waterproof, opaque, and dries swiftly.
However, the downside is that they are slower to dry and can damage your paper with too many strokes of ink.
2. Alcohol-based markers
Ink is mixed with alcohol in alcohol-based markers. Unlike water-based markers, alcohol-based ones dry up rapidly and are a little more stable. Because of the chemicals involved in these markers, you’ll notice that they have a strong odor.
Even while they aren’t as toxic as solvent-based markers, they can still irritate the eyes and lungs, so it’s vital to be careful of this.
3. Solvent-based Markers
Solvent-based markers are made up of ink that’s been mixed with an aqueous solvent, like xylene or butyl acetate. Just make sure you don’t come in direct contact with the chemicals in this marker because they can cause eye and lung irritation.
The ink is waterproof and long-lasting. To make craft projects easier, they can be used on both porous and non-porous surfaces.
Types of Tips You’ll Find in Dual Tip Art Markers
1. Chisel and Fine
Chisel and fine tips both come in different shapes and sizes, which offer variable features. Chisel tips are broad, and fine tips, on the other hand, are thin and precise. The slanted tips of chisel pens allow for both thicker and thinner lines. It makes their use familiar in both calligraphy and lettering art.
Apart from that, these are used for highlighting books and journals. However, fine tips are usually used for thin strokes that are helpful in precise details.
Copic Original / Classic Markers offer both of these tips in one body. These refillable Copic markers include fast-drying, non-toxic ink that is great for calligraphy, airbrushing, and other graphic arts applications. One refill bottle can work up to 9 refills.
These dual-tip alcohol markers have a broad tip on one end to cover big areas smoothly and consistently. And a fine point on the other end for ease in working in the finer details.
One more benefit of buying from Copic is that they offer blank markers, which you could fill with the color of your choice from the 214 colors that Copic offers.
Ohuhu Dual Tip Art Markers are yet another dual-tip markers that are great for beginners as they are the cheapest of all. They make both alcohol-based and water-based markers. They come in a range of 200 colors with blenders as well.
These perfect blending pens help a lot for the quality of the drawing or calligraphy that you are working on. Color caps ease in identifying the colors.
2. Brush and Bullet
Brush tips, as mentioned earlier, will allow you to experience variation in lines. You can do illustrations, calligraphy, lettering, and coloring with them. The bullet tip, on the other hand, is excellent for adding fine details. Or you can use it for modern lettering.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens offer both of these tips in one body. These are water-based markers. These are really comfortable to use due to their slim body. Tombow can be used for both writing and drawing.
These markers are the best option for those who use a bullet journal or decorate their pages. They come in 107 different colors plus a colorless blender. You can buy them individually or even in packs. One significant advantage of them is the fact that they are odorless. However, blending may be a bit difficult.
3. Brush and Fine
Yet another combo comes with Brush tips along with fine tips. Where brush tips allow a variation in the strokes, fine tips offer tiny details. Both of these tips combine to make the perfect calligraphy and lettering art, along with drawing and coloring.
Tanmit Dual Brush Markers are yet another best options beginners can get their hands on. You can use these in your dot grid journals as well. Fine tips can allow a precision up to 0.4mm. They offer the best card making, calligraphy, and lettering services. However, these do not come with a blender.
10 Amazing Uses of Dual Tip Markers
1. Mixing and Blending Colors
In the case of water-based colors, you can easily mix and blend different colors to make a new one. For this purpose, you can either use a blending palette or any surface that will not absorb your color for this purpose.
After having the colors on the pallet, you can either use a watercolor brush or any brush with the wet tip to mix both colors. In this way, you can experiment with new colors.
2. Creating Watercolor Effects
Dual-tips markers offer the best substitute for you to make watercolor effects without the actual use of water. Using watercolors and maintaining your workplace at the same time can seem a bit difficult. So using dual-tip markers can be a perfect alternative for watercolors.
3. Detail-Oriented Works
When using watercolors, the artist must wait for the first layer to dry off completely to add further details. On the other hand, using dual-tip markers allow you to spend lesser time on a painting, and you could use those extra minutes for those tiny details.
With the ability to dry faster than watercolors, they make layering more effortless and more creative.
4. Lettering and Calligraphy
Lettering and calligraphy have never been easier before. With one single pen, you can make thin, thick strokes and add tiny details. All can be achieved with the use of dual tip pens. One of the tips has to be either a brush tip or chisel for doing so.
5. Creating Gradient Effects
There are two ways of creating a gradient effect by using markers. One is to remove the caps of two pens and join the tips of both colors.
Once you see a visible color change on one nib, just draw on your paper, and you will notice that the color will change after some time. This method does involve a risk factor of damaging your markers, so you can easily pick up the following method.
Just draw or write using one color and add the next color right where the first one ended. If the colors don’t blend well, you can also use a colorless blender for this purpose.
6. Bullet Journaling
Bullet journaling is a hobby that has gained a lot of appreciation and popularity among young and elders. These dual-tip art markers not only make this hobby more effective but also more creative.
7. Adult Coloring Book
Coloring books are not only for kids. In fact, adults use them as much as kids do to get some of the depression off. These marker colors allow them to create fantastic art and get some much-desired relief.
8. Creating Illustrations
Those who love to create physical illustrations using hands and colors love using dual-tip markers for coloring. Most of the companies make up to 200 or even more colors for you to choose from.
So, don’t think you will get behind if you aren’t using illustrator or photoshop for illustrations.
9. Highlighting Documents
Chisel and fine tips are popular among students of school and college to highlight their notes. They use chisel tips for highlighting important texts and use fine tips for underlining. Using different colors and gradients while doing so makes the learning easier and joyful for them.
10. Note Taking and Writing
Students primarily use the chisel and fine tips to take down notes and do homework with the help of these dual-tip markers. It not only make learning more creative but easy as well.
Moreover, this way preparing for exams becomes more fun. And it’s not only the students; office employees also take help of dual-tip markers during any presentation or writing.
FAQs
Q: How do you use dual tip art markers?
I usually use these dual-tip markers for calligraphy and hand lettering, as most dual-tip markers have chisel or brush tips. Both of these nibs are used for thinner and thicker strokes, making them perfect for this purpose. However, it is not their only purpose.
Dual tip markers do offer other beneficial uses as well. Some of the main are coloring and decorating dot grid journals. I usually fill my adult coloring books and mandalas with them.
Or for making drawings and illustrations. Talking about drawing, you can get these colors to your children or friends. You don’t have to buy the biggest or the expensive set. A small set with essential colors in your price range can work fine.
Q: Are dual-tip markers good?
Yes, if you compare them with individual fine tip markers or chisel tip markers, you will find them more durable and creative. They are providing two services. Most of them come with refills (last long) and require less space.
Suppose you aren’t comfortable with watercolors and still desire a watercolor effect in your painting. In that case, you can opt for water-based or alcohol-based dual-tip markers.
Moreover, they come in a wide range of prices. So, you can go for whatever fits well in your budget. Apart from that, they make good gifts for drawing and coloring lovers.
Q: How long do dual-tip markers last?
However, one dual-tip marker can easily last from one to two years, as most of them come with refills, just like Copic Ciao markers. It is said that that you only buy one Copic marker your whole life. They have a firm body with both tips and ink replaceable, which speaks justice about their higher prices.
But, on the other hand, the lifetime of a dual-tip marker strongly depends on how you use and take care of them. Do not remove the lids when not required. And use them on soft surfaces to expand the lifetime of tips.
Final Words
I really hope that all of your queries related to dual-tip markers have been answered. I tried to put all the combinations available in the market before you, along with the companies that make pens of that particular set.
With this being said, allow me to peace out.