How to Blend Alcohol-Based Markers Properly | Best Methods

It was last winter when I was doing my artwork research. I saw about the artworks done by the alcohol-based art markers in the European region. It amazed me and made me rethink to do coloring project with the alcohol-based markers.

Finally, I confined myself to do the alcohol marker arts work on natural views. I bought some sets of paper, and other necessities for my blending project.

After I started the work, I found the blending of the markers not happening correctly. I became worried about it! I pondered on how to blend alcohol-based markers. Tried different methods yet couldn’t find the solution.

At last, I went on to do the perfect mixture in different ways. Not only that, I succeeded in doing the blending with and without blender with various color selections. Even with rubbing alcohol, I nailed the task.

Let me share my whole experience in brief and diverse nature and fact of the alcohol marker.

The Proper Ways to Blend Alcohol Markers | Step by Step
The Proper Ways to Blend Alcohol Markers with Step by Step Guideline

How Does Alcohol Marker Works? It’s Important

Alcohol markers have been one of the best mediums to work with your hand for writing, drawing, and coloring. Because of their feasibility and convenience, they are pretty much favorable to most people. Talking about their function, you certainly wouldn’t like to miss how they work.

So let me tell you in brief.

Quick-Drying and Permanent Color: The alcohol ink marker dries up fast. Just expose it to the air, and you’ll find it to get ultimately settled. Not only that, the ink and color get permanently fixed to the paper. Not even water can remove it easily.

Works on Different kids of Papers: Alcohol markers do not have any obligations to use on a specific paper. Any thicker paper capable of handling watercolor or usual color can be suitable for it. The markers never make any discrimination in terms of the types of writing.

Produces Smoothness: You’ll get the smoothness of the darker color and lighter color markers right after you use them. This is because they are so efficient and polished that you can get a smooth blend from them. Moreover, they are highly recommended for giving outlines.

The Refillable Options: Most of the alcohol markers have refillable options like Copic. Once the ink gets finished, you can refill it again. Moreover, the ink doesn’t have to be the same kind. You can change the color along with the nature and variation of it.

Best Methods to Blend Alcohol Based Markers

Best Methods to Blend Alcohol Markers
Effective Methods to Blend Alcohol Markers | Step by Step Guideline

For different kinds of arts and coloring, blending the alcohol properly will bring you a whole other type of scenario to it. Not only that, the methods are pretty specified and require precision in doing so.

This section will present you with the best methods to blend alcohol-based markers in the most convenient steps.

Method 1: Blend Marker with Blender

A blender is an alcohol-based marker that comes without ink. Yes, you heard it right. It comes without any ink.

The colorless blender is an excellent medium for mixing the marker properly. You get to regulate and function it just like a market as it is of that shape. With no ink coming from it, you get the highest possibilities of attaining the best result.

To blend the marker with a blender, you need to use it properly.

Step1: The best way is to put the blender first before using the marker. This will allow your marker to settle quickly and get blend with it.

Step 2: Use the marker over the blender in your desired way.

Step 3: After you’re done, you’ll see the markers getting blended on the blender. After some time of drying, you can exercise the shading manually with the blender by yourself.

Step 4: To make the mixture between two different colors, you can blend the streak between them. Rubbing the blender on the bar mixes the two colors and gives perfect medium shades to your color mixture.

As a result, you can exercise the marker in whatever condition and way you want.

Not only that, when you add another color to mix, you do the same thing before and after implementing the color.

When you use the blender after using the colors, you can mix both of them to a certain extent where the streaks will disappear. Professional artists use this method in a wide range.

It all depends on how you use the blender. Using it over the marker enriches your shading and lightening texture more.

Method 2: Blending Without Blender

When you are up to smooth blending of your markers without a blender, you are up in using your basic knowledge about color. That is, you must know which color gets adequately mixed with others.

It is very much possible to mix multiple colors in this manner. But without proper shading knowledge, you won’t be able to make a great impression of it.

Step 1: To start the blending, you have to choose two colors with which you’re going to blend. Double-ended markers can be handy under the case.

Step 2: To make a good mixture between both of them, choose another alcohol ink marker between the two colors. It is the shading color. So, you’ll end up with three markers.

Step 3: With the two initial colors, you start the coloring. Implement the colors on your paper accordingly to their opposite sides, keeping a small gap between them.

Step 4: In that space, implement the shading color or the third marker you took.

Step 5: After you are done filling the gap, mix the colors accordingly. That is, exercise the shading color over the two initial colors to mix well. If needed, you can blend the initial colors to the edges and body of the shading color to gain a natural vibe.

If you’re using a dark color, try avoiding it to use at the middle of the shading color. Instead, you can use light shades over the whole coloring to bring your desired blending. The light color at most brings the best results in terms of blending.

Method 3: Blending with Rubbing Alcohol

You won’t find any other medium to be that effective, like the rubbing alcohol for crating soft transition of colors. That means your alcohol-based marker can be blended in superb ways using rubbing alcohol.

But for that, you need to have a paper that can handle moisture buckling. Otherwise, your paper will won’t support your operation correctly. Take a bristle brush for implementing the alcohol over the marker, mainly of the ‘Copic Sketch Markers‘.

And then, we proceed to the steps.

Step 1: Make the color properly on the paper. Mix the colors you want to blend side by side.

Step 2: Take the rubbing alcohol dipped on the brush.

Step 3: Imply the brush over the streak of the two colors. You’ll see the colors getting dispatched from the paper with the alcohol.

Step 4: Use a paper towel to make the mixture properly by your hand manually. You can implement the colors over the mix according to the shade you want to gain.

Techniques to Blend Alcohol Markers Properly

You are done knowing the best methods of blending the alcohol markers. Then, nearly for all kinds of markers, you can implement the strategies.

But, when you go on with the methods, you can hardly consider the same result for all circumstances. That is, you can’t implement the same techniques for all kinds of blending. With lots of experiments, I uphold the best results in this section. This is because the techniques are crucial and complete proof in work.

Blending — Two Similar Colors

Blending Alcohol Marker with Two Similar Colors

When you blend two similar colors, you have to keep the shades proper and legit between them. That is, you need to make an appropriate mixture of the shadows of the color. You can make the blending using the blender and the rubbing alcohol as well.

Using the blender

The technique is simple. You just need to apply the blender on the base and the color over it. Then, the colors will blend on it automatically. After that, you can further mix or combine with the blender on the streak or over the colors.

Using Rubbing Alcohol

When you are using the same color to blend, you can use rubbing alcohol over it. However, as they bear the same shaded, you won’t have to give much effort in doing so.

Just brush the alcohol over the mixture and mix it with your hand accordingly. Then, you can recolor the spots and get the desired shade and blending.

Blending — Two Different Colors

Blending Marker with Two Different Colors

Blending two different colors have been the most searched and desired technique by the artist. Be it with a marker or standard colors, the method is pretty hefty and precise.

You can blend it using the blender, without the blender, and by rubbing alcohol comfortably.

Using the blender

The blender suits perfectly when you are up to blending different colors. This just follows the usual method.

You can use the blender at the base of the colors. It’ll function accordingly and boos the acceleration. Not only that, implying it over the streak and shades of the paint will surely give you a different kind of shades you’ve been looking for.

Not using blender

Just as I have said before, you need the mixing color to make a mixture of your marker. So that means a third marker here makes a mixture.

You have to choose the third marker that works in between the other colors. That marker will also act as a blender to both the colors where needed. Just make sure you don’t use any dark color as a mixer here.

Using Rubbing Alcohol

The rubbing alcohol works equally the same whether you are mixing different colors or the same. That means you can adequately get the blending right after scrubbing the alcohol with a brush on the streak region. You can modify the streak with coloring over the alcohol blending and so on.

Blending — Dark to Light

When you blend your coloring from dark to light, you have to maintain some specific sequence. Also, the tones of the colors should be close to each other.

You can adjust the paper in your desired way or position. It is possible to get the best out of it in any way you want. Let’s see the techniques in some steps.

Step 1: Give the darkest tone or shade to the area you want to be dark only.

Step 2: Overlap the dark tone with the lightest color in a sequential way. The size of the overlap should be significant as your desired blending.

Step 3: Keep on repeating the blending with the lightest shade how many times you want. This will extend the light shape more accurately. Work according to based on the size of the blending you want. For that, always be aware of the extent of the overlap you implement.

Blending — Light to Dark

The same method we’ve learned technique, we’ll do the same but different as we’ll be making the tone from light to dark.

Step 1: Complete the whole base with the lightest tones as you’ll be making a light texture here.

Step 2: Give a dark range of color on the area where you want it to be. The darkest side should be the best and most comforting zone to blend.

Step 3: Repeat the dark tone repeatedly unless you find it to be your desired one. You can imply the light style over the dark ones in case you want to modify it.

Things to Consider Before Blending Alcohol Markers

You are going to blend the alcohol marker. But are all of them the same? Do all the platforms work the same? Of course not.

Before you blend the marker, you should be aware of the common factors that might affect your work. Such that,

Types of Markers

Differentiating various brands of markers, I found the tip to be the most crucial factor here. In addition, different size of tips provides you with different kinds of work. Depending on the tips, the markers are:

1. Extra Fine Markers

The extra-fine markers are suitable for detail works. They are pretty sharp and can be used to give outlines properly. The bullet tips are pretty tiny in size and provide the highest provision.

Note: This types of marker aren’t use for blending usually. But extra fine pen is good for writing or bullet journal.

2. Fine Markers

The fine markers usually are best for small areas. You can do the precision works nicely. Being extra girthy, it is not ideal for outlines. But for coloring, you can have the best out of it.

3. Medium Tip Markers

For arts and crafts, the medium tip or round tip markers are the best. With perfect precision, you can get the best shades out of it. Though it is not ideal for outlines and precisive works, this marker is outstanding for blending, coloring, and writing.

4. Chisel Tip Markers

The chisel or broad tip markers are large with broad chisel nibs. It covers a large area. This marker is not recommended for small area works. If you write on the walls or tubs, you can get the best out of this marker.

Quality of Papers

The quality of the paper has to be top-notch for your operation. If the type of paper is not suitable, you won’t complete your work correctly on it.

The blending won’t be done correctly, and you won’t get your desired shades from the marker. Also, at times, you won’t be able to use the rubbing alcohol on it. Initially, a 9×12 inch piece of paper will serve your purpose. It has to be at least semi-translucent.

After that, a bleed-proof marker paper as a whole can serve up well. That’ll suit you the minimum requirement for blending.

Best Alcohol Markers for Blending [Recommendation]

Among different types of markers, I present you with the four best markers for blending. They are superb and using them by myself, I recommend them at the top.

1. Copic Markers

Among the best Artist markers, the Copic Sketch Markers is one of the best I can recommend. The brush of the marker is flexible. Not only that, it is a refillable blending marker. You can replace the tip when it is dull. You get it to make it in different kinds of blending based on your desire.

When you are up for blending the marker, it serves really well. There is no chance of bleeding or any kind of restrictions in using it. Not only for drawing or arts but also for usual tasks, you can use the Copic markers.

2. Ohuhu Markers

For long-lasting, the ohuhu markers are great. Not only are they durable enough, but also, they possess dual-tipped blending ability. Their set comes in 48 different colors. Be it for writing or drawing, the flexible brush of ohuhu markers are the most reliable ones you can have.

Blending the ohuhu marker is quite easy. The ink of the ohuhu markers blends conveniently. Not only that, you can make custom shades with it. Also, it mixes well with alcohol and helps you to do well in your artwork. 

3. Prismacolor Markers

The Prisma color marker has a double-tipped colorless blending marker. They are mainly used with colored markers to give them a great highlight and shading. It is one of the best blenders that gives watercolor vibes to your color.

Just like its name, you can make various colorings and shadings with the marker. Not only that, you get to have the perfect freedom of blending it. You can implement all the methods of blending easily. Moreover, they mix really well with other colors and shade.

4. Crayola Markers

The Crayola markers have 14 vibrant color variations. So you get the best out of them with each unique color. Not only that, it has a tin storage case that is durable.

With variations in colors, the markers bring you the best variation in blending. Not only with the blender but also with other markers, the Crayola marker settles fully. These alcohol-based markers dry up really quickly and provide you with some outstanding shades while blending.

People Also Ask Some Questions

FAQ

Q: Are alcohol markers suitable for blending?

Alcohol markers are superb and suitable for blending. They mix well with the blender and can adjust with the alcohol as well. Not only that, you can make several shadings with the alcohol markers. 

Q: Can you blend alcohol markers with water?

You cannot blend alcohol markers with water. The nature of the alcohol refrains it to do so. When you try to mix the alcohol with the water, the density of the alcohol gets becomes lighter. 

Q: Are Crayola blending markers alcohol-based?

Yes! Crayola blending markers are alcohol-based. In fact, they are one of the best brands in the world. They have been producing outstanding markers of different colors for a long time. 

Q: Can you blend Copic markers with other brands?

The color and ink of the Copic markers are suitable to blend with other branded markers. Its color texture and ink nature make it suitable to adjust the tones and nature of the mixed color. Apart from that, the ink of the Copic marker is amazing to blend. 

Q: How to stop alcohol markers from bleeding?

You can use the aloe vera gel as the outline and then imply the marker to prevent bleeding. Use the gel over the regions and use the marker over it. The ink will refrain from getting bleed.

Also, the marker blenders work perfectly in restricting the marker bleeding.

Final Words

You are finally done with all the views and details on how to blend alcohol-based markers. Not only that, the paper and pen selection procedure will surely boost your work a lot.

We do face a lot of speculations regarding the matter. Every day, we keep on updating the whole topic in brief. When you get to have benefited from our works, we consider ourselves to be the real achiever. So, keep on nailing the arts with markers and wait till we bring you another exciting topic on arts.

Maria Tanish

Hello World! Tanish here, a student of Fine Arts. Drawing was my passion from an early age but I also love to do some DIY projects to spend my leisure. Even I work as a writer, to share my knowledge about the ins and outs of drawing and the art industry itself. As an artist, I always wanna share my experiences with you all.

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