I’ve never worked with alcohol markers before, and I now know what I’ve been missing. All I can say is that this has become my instant favourite medium.

Alcohol markers are so versatile. You can achieve anything from dreamy watercolour-like textures to graphic block shading without effort. But okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.

This is not a sponsored post, and the opinions expressed are mine.

As I mentioned in last week’s post (Review – Ohuhu Colour Markers), Jazza alerted us to the existence of Ohuhu as a brand. We picked up the water-based markers as a trial and were blown away by the quality of Ohuhu products.

So, the next logical step was to try out the alcohol markers. And boy, are we in love.

Oahu 40-piece Alcohol Marker Set

The Specs:

• 40 vibrant colours and one colourless blender
• Fast-drying, waterproof alcohol-based ink
• Dual-ended, with chiselled tips and fine tips
• Includes:
  • Zippered case
  • Pre-printed and numbered swatch card
  • Protective plastic sheet to place beneath artworks in progress and prevent bleed-through
  • Colour-coded and numbered caps
•  This set retails for $42 (CAD). (We have seen the same set on sale for $35.)

Since I’m so used to working with brush tips, I was intimidated by the chiselled tips and worried that the fine tips would be too rigid for soft gradients. I’m happy to say that worry was baseless. There’s maybe a minute-long learning curve, then it’s smooth drawing.

The pigment in these markers is outstanding, and the blendability means you can create many other shades from the base 40. My favourite shades are the greys—add them to any other colour and achieve instant tonal depth and shadows.

Additionally, these markers layer incredibly well. Allow the first layer to dry before adding the second, and the different levels of opacity mimic watercolours. Layering while wet allows for greater blending power, and the effect is more graphic and vibrant, almost like working in oils (but with way faster drying time).

It took me a moment to figure out the bleed range—these markers do feather slightly on printer paper—but I don’t always mind the slight bleed because the colours blend so well. That said, I now know when to lift the marker to prevent bleeding outside the lines. There is almost no bleed on higher-quality paper.

Once the ink is dry, it doesn’t streak.

I’m obsessed with my Ohuhu alcohol markers and can’t wait to add to my collection. As with all Ohuhu products, the value for the price is mind-blowing, and the quality of their products competes with the most expensive upper-skill brands out there.

Meanwhile, the colouring pages in this post are from the Walkabout Mini Golf free colouring book. I absolutely LOVE Walkabout, and the art in this book is amazing, but then, what else would we expect from the epic Don Carson.

Okay, I’m off to make some art. Until next time.

Yolandie