Hi friends! There have been many new alcohol marker sets released over the past couple of years. Today we will look at 8 popular skin tone sets to see how they compare. I will look at price, quality, variety/color selection, nib type, and overall value.
Markers in order of appearance, affiliate links used.
- Price: $17 for a set of 24-23 colors+1 blender (.70 cents a marker)
- Nib Type: Bullet-chisel
- Barrel: Rounded square with larger squared-off end at the chisel nib
- Not refillable
- Includes carry bag
- Thoughts: Out of all 8 sets I liked this color selection best. I like the new body of marker they changed to as the caps are easier to remove and prevents ink from drying out.
Arteza: $30.99 for 36 set (.86 cents a marker) *Use coupon PB15PROMO for extra 10% off
- Nib Type: Bullet/Chisel
- Barrell Type: Triangular with a colored band at bullet end
- Not refillable (but maybe in future)
- Open stock available on packs of 4
- Packed in plastic trays
- Thoughts: This is a nice neutral set with rich colors for ski and hair. This would be an excellent set for wildlife art too. *This is the case I put mine it and you can fit the 36 greys set in too:
- Price: $16.42 for 13 markers -12 colors+1 blender ($1.26 per marker)
- Nib Type: Bullet/Chisel
- Barrell Type: Triangular with a colored band at bullet end
- Not refillable
- Packed in plastic trays
- Thoughts: I like the Azure line of markers but I didn’t care for the selection in the complexion set. They are also hard to find and more expensive than similar options. These might be available at Walmart. I think they are mainly sold through school suppliers.
- Price: $6-$8 for a 6 pack (skintones can be found in the 48 set too for $40-$47) $1 per marker
- Nib Type: Fiber Brush/chisel
- Barrel: rounded triangle
- Not refillable
- Open stock available
- Packaged in plastic boxes
- Thoughts: The color selection is nice but limited as it is only 6 colors. I recommend these markers to anyone interested in trying alcohol markers but don’t want to spend a lot of money. All of the colors in the skintone set are in the 48 color set and there are beautiful blending combinations in that set. The downside is that the stiff brush nibs will fray and if left idle for a long time you will get desalination (salt and pigment build up) on the tips. These are markers to try out and see if you like alcohol markers and then upgrade if you do.
- Price: Around $30 for 24 colors ($1.25 per marker)
- Nib Type: Fiber Brush/chisel
- Barrel: round
- Not refillable
- The brush nib can be reversed if it frays extending the life of the marker
- Includes carry bag
- Thoughts: This is a very warm (yellow/orange) leaning skin-tone set. I would have liked some cooler or more neutral skin tones. This set doesn’t have a really pale shade either. The quality is good for the price but I would recommend one of their assorted color sets for more options.
- Price: TBA but likely around $25 for the 12 pack (2.08 per) and $15 for the 6 set (2.50 per)
- Nib Type: Foam Rubber Brush/Chisel
- Barrel: Rounded octagon
- Refillable and nibs are replaceable
- 24 set packaged in sturdy cardboard box, 6 set n a plastic wallet
- Thoughts: I love the durable and flexible brush tip on these markers. I really like the line of markers but the 12 color set has 4 very similar pale peach colors and I wish they’d replace a couple with some mid-tones. The 6 set is useful but will be replaced with the 12 set to prevent duplication across the range of colors.
Spectrum Noir Illustrator (reformulated)
- Price $17.05 for 6 pack ($2.84 per)
- Nib Type: *Foam Rubber Brush/Chisel
- Barrel: Hexagon
- Refillable and nibs are replaceable
- Open stock available
- Packaged in a plastic tray in a cardboard box
- Thoughts: This is a good start but you will likely want more mid tones. The old version of these markers had fiber brush nibs that frayed but the new sets feature high-quality foam rubber nibs which are much more durable.
- Price $35.10 for set of 6 ($5.85 per)
- Nib Type: Foam Rubber Brush/Chisel
- Barrel: oval
- Refillable and nibs are replaceable
- Open stock available
- Packaged in a plastic wallet
- Thoughts: Copic markers are the gold standard and the price reflects that. I generally advise against buying copics in a set because they cost the same if bought individually and purchasing what you want individually ensures that you only get what you will use. That said the colors in the skin tone set are very useful.
I hop this helps you in your quest for skin-tone markers. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
Thanks for the review. I have zillions of markers, but I’m unfamiliar with alcohol markers for the most part. I had a Copic brush marker that I used for lettering, but other than that, I’m pretty clueless about them. What do you use these for the most? Thanks!
LikeLike
They are great for coloring stamped images or drawing. I like to use them as a base layer and then add colored pencils over top.
LikeLike
Thank you for this useful information. I like the versatility of Art-n-Fly markers. What I enjoy is that they come with two different types of tips. A chisel-point nib is on one end, which I prefer to use for coloring in huge areas. The brush-point tips, on the other hand, are the ones I use the most. They may be used to color big areas, but they can also be used to draw precise lines.
LikeLiked by 1 person